Dust and Decay by Jonathan Maberry

It is officially Halloween on Fuzzy.Coffee.Books, and we're kicking it off with a week devoted to Zombies! Now, last year, I read my first zombie novel, Jonathon Maberry's Rot and Ruin. And had it not been for the awesomeness of that one, I don't know that I would have stuck with the genre. But thankfully I did, and so to celebrate, I'm starting Zombie Week off with another Jonathon Maberry book, Dust and Decay!

Here's the summary from Goodreads: Six months have passed since the terrifying battle with Charlie Pink-eye and the Motor City Hammer in the zombie-infested mountains of the Rot & Ruin. It’s also six months since Benny Imura and Nix Riley saw something in the air that changed their lives. Now, after months of rigorous training with Benny’s zombie-hunter brother Tom, Benny and Nix are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future. Lilah the Lost Girl and Benny’s best friend Lou Chong are going with them. Sounds easy. Sounds wonderful. Except that everything that can go wrong does. Before they can even leave there is a shocking zombie attack in town. But as soon as they step into the Rot & Ruin they are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers and the horrors of 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?In the great Rot & Ruin everything wants to kill you. Everything…and not everyone in Benny’s small band of travelers will make it out alive.

What I Liked: 1) Benny and Tom. Their relationship has changed so much since we first met them, and I really enjoyed seeing them interact as siblings. There is a big age difference between them, but they've forged a tenuous relationship now that Benny has learned more about what happened on First Night and why they left their parents. What I think is so awesome is the similarities between the two. It's little things that I'm not sure they would notice, but as an observer, I saw them. It was awesome that Mr. Maberry was able to bring those familial similarities to life through his words. 2) Benny and Nix. Sometimes, when I read books that are set in a world so completely different than my own (like for example, zombies have taken over the planet, and there are more zombies than people) I have a hard time remembering that there are normal things that still exist. For example, Benny and Nix are developing this relationship, and it's awkward, and they don't really know what to do. It's sweet, and familiar. Like, no matter what happens in the world, zombies or now, teenage love doesn't change. I'm giggling just thinking about it. 3) The Rot and Ruin. We first went into the Rot and Ruin in the first book, but this time the characters, and the readers are more prepared. We explored a different area this time, and learned more about how to survive out there where zombies and bounty hunters rule. It was a very exciting place to get lost. Or, scary. 4) The new bounty hunters. We got to know the bad guys in Rot and Ruin, but now we got to meet some more people who were like Tom. It gave me a lot more insight into how the world of zoms works. There is a hierarchy, or an order to how things are run in the Rot and Ruin. It's kind of like, making sense of chaos, but it definitely works. 5) The ending. So much emotion. I had tears.

What I Didn't Like: Loved it!

Overall Thoughts: Once again, Jonathon Maberry does not disappoint. He's brought all of his incredible characters back in a big way and introduced many more who add a new dimension to this world that's overrun with zombies. Whether you love Zombie fic, or haven't read it because they freak you out (which was where I started!) I highly recommend you check out this series. The third book, Flesh and Bone recently hit shelves, and it's definitely on my list!

My Rating: 5 candy corns