Book Review -- Dust & Decay

Title:  Dust & Decay
Author:  Jonathan Maberry
Genre:  YA post-apocalyptic
Pages:  Hardback 519
Published:  2011

"Benny Imura and Nix Riley can't forget the jet they saw fly over the zombie-infested mountains of the Rot and Ruin.  

"The jet meant leaving, something that Nix and Benny were going to do.  Now—after months of rigorous training with Tom, Benny's zombie-hunter brother—Benny, Nix, Lilah the Lost Girl, and Chong are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future.

"But from the start, everything goes wrong.  They were pursued by the living dead, wild animals, and insane murderers, and are face with the horrors of the rebuilt Gameland, where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits.  Worst of all . . . could the evil Charlie Pink-eye still be alive?"

~Jacket copy

Thoughts:  Since I finished Rot & Ruin, I have been looking for this book!

This book picks up several months after the destruction of Gameland and the death of Charlie Pink-eye.  After seeing the jet, Nix is determined to find out where it came from.  Since the death of her mother, she feels no connection to their small town.  Even though Benny seemed happy to go, the closer it gets to their deadline, he secretly wonders if he really wants to go on their adventure.

Even though he is not following them, Tom arranges to take Chong with them into the Rot and Ruin for a one or two day camping trip.  Chong has been training with Benny, Nix, and Morgie.  Tom feels that it is important for Chong to know what the Rot and Ruin really held.  However, even though Tom intentionally took paths that were mostly untraveled, their trip went from bad to worse.  And, in the midst of it all, Benny thinks he has seen Charlie Pink-eye!

It is hard to say too much about this book without giving the whole story away.  I will say, however, I love the characters Maberry introduced in the book!  The bounty hunters were not the main characters in the book, but it honestly could not have stood without them.  Further, Maberry did a wonderful job keeping the reader in the dark about the current status of Charlie Pink-eye.

The book had great pacing and didn't lack in the plot department.  The scenery was just as rich and well thought out as the first book.  Honestly, the author did a wonderful job keeping the continuity through both books.  Even though there were some things that really distressed me in the book, I am very curious to see how the series plays out.  


Rating:
Currently: Ashfall by Mike Mullin
Current Pages: 5406
Current Progress:

15/50 books