Rot & Ruin (2010) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters/People edit see section history

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• Benny Imura: A 15-year-old boy who lives in the small town of Mountainside. He has to find a job soon, or he will get his rations cut in half. This is the driving point in the book, as it reconnects him to his older half brother,Tom. "Benny got an even split of the genes. His hair was straight, but it was medium brown with red highlights. His eyes were a dark forest green. His skin was pale, but he took a good tan." He doesn't like his brother at all, but they are more alike than he thinks.
• Tom Imura: Benny's older half brother, Tom is a renowned bounty hunter in the Rot and Ruin who is greatly distrusted by Benny. Of Japanese descent, he has straight black hair, black eyes, and light brown skin. Highly respected in town.
• Morgie Mitchell: One of Benny's best friends. Has a crush on Nix.
• Chong: One of Benny's best friends, the pair joke around and tease each other often.
• Nix Riley: A girl who is friends with Benny, even if he doesn't realize that he has feelings for her. She is the red-headed daughter of Jessie Riley who is constantly trying to learn about zombies...even though she's obviously terrified of them.
• Captain Keith Strunk: A former acting teacher and director who survived First Night. He became the first mayor of the town and now serves as commander of the fence patrol and the town watch. He is widely respected and tends to be the only one who listens to Tom.
• Mayor Randy Kirsch: Mayor of Mountainside.
• George: A survivor from First Night. He was part of the group who survived with Mr. Sacchetto.
• Vin Trang: A bounty hunter who is part of a group led with Charlie and the Hammer. He currently lives with Joey Duk and is one of the two Mekong brothers.
• Jessie Riley: Nix's mom. She trusts Tom with her life and will do anything to protect her daughter.
• Lilah: The name of the elusive Lost Girl.
• Charlie Matthias: A bounty hunter well-known for his wild stories and high zombie kill rate. Also called Charlie Pink-Eye, he does not like Tom Imura. His partner is the Hammer. Benny really respects him and thinks he's cool in the beginning.
• Annie: Lilah's little sister.
• Brother David: A monk who lives in a gas station (way station) out in the Rot and Ruin. He believes that zombies are 'God's children.'
• Joey Duk: Another bounty hunter who follows Charlie and the Hammer, Joey Duk lives with Vin Trang and is the other Mekong Brother.
• Cathy: Benny's mother's younger sister.
• Harold Simmons: A zombie Tom is hired to quiet in the beginning of the story
• Turk: A bounty hunter who is a friend of Charlie. He is a large man.
• Rob Sacchetto: An erosion artist living in Mountainside, he also draws some Zombie Cards. Friends with Tom.
• Mr. Merkle: Crank generator repairman.
• Bert: Morgie's cousin; bottles cadaverine.
• Mr. Feeney: Benny's former scout leader.
• Skins Harris: A bounty hunter; friend of Charlie Pink-eye and works with him.

Quotes edit see section history

• “'The only thing more powerful than fear is routine. Once people are in a rut, it's sometimes the hardest thing in the world to get them out of it. They defend the routine, too. They say that it's simpler life, less stressful and complicated, more predictable.'”

  Tom Imura

• “They sank down to their knees together on the kitchen floor, crying so loud that it threatened to break the world.”

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• THERE ARE MOMENTS THAT DEFINE A PERSON’S WHOLE LIFE. MOMENTS IN which everything they are and everything they may possibly become balance on a single decision. Life and death, hope and despair, victory and failure teeter precariously on the decision made at that moment. These are moments ungoverned by happenstance, untroubled by luck. These are the moments in which a person earns the right to live, or not.

  Highlighted by 8 Kindle customers

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Mountainside: A small town of refugees from First Night. Located somewhere in the Sierra Nevada of California.
• Gameland: An elusive place which may or may not still be around after being destroyed once. Many of the characters have connections with it.

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Rot & Ruin: The term that describes any of the land between the settlements, the land where the zombies have taken over.
• Zoms: Shortened name for zombies.
• Noms: Term to describe nomadic zombies.
• Erosion Artist: A person who paints zombified portraits of people so that bounty hunters can more easily find and quiet them in the Rot & Ruin.
• Zombie Cards: Trading cards with various famous zombies, bounty hunters, etc. They are popular with children in Benny's world.
• EMP: electromagnetic pulse

Series & Lists edit see section history

Followed by Dust & Decay.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Jonathan Maberry (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• Bram Stoker Award (Finalist, 2010: Novel)
• Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award (Finalist, 2012: Young Adult)
• Texas Lone Star Reading List (2012)

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Although it is a zombie book, "Rot and Ruin" has few cuss words and even less gore. If you or your child likes zombie books, look no further.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Children's Books › People & Places › Social Issues › Death & Dying › Fiction
• Books › Children's Books › Literature › Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror › Spine-Chilling Horror
• Books › Teens › Literature & Fiction › Adventure & Thrillers
• Books › Children's Books › Literature › Action & Adventure
• Books › Teens › Social Issues

More Books Like This edit see section history