Flesh & Bone (Rot and Ruin Series #3)

( 55 )

Overview

The stakes are higher and the zombies are deadlier in this third of an action-packed series that’s “an impressive mix of meaning and mayhem” (Booklist).

Reeling from the devastation of Dust & Decay, Benny Imura and his friends plunge deep into the zombie-infested wastelands of the great Rot & Ruin. Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chong journey through a fierce wilderness that was once America, searching for the jet they saw in the skies months ago. If that jet exists then ...

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Flesh & Bone (Rot and Ruin Series #3)

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Overview

The stakes are higher and the zombies are deadlier in this third of an action-packed series that’s “an impressive mix of meaning and mayhem” (Booklist).

Reeling from the devastation of Dust & Decay, Benny Imura and his friends plunge deep into the zombie-infested wastelands of the great Rot & Ruin. Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chong journey through a fierce wilderness that was once America, searching for the jet they saw in the skies months ago. If that jet exists then humanity itself must have survived…somewhere. Finding it is their best hope for having a future and a life worth living.

But the Ruin is far more dangerous than any of them can imagine. Fierce animals hunt them. They come face to face with a death cult. And then there’s the zombies—swarms of them coming from the east, devouring everything in their paths. And these zoms are different. Faster, smarter, and infinitely more dangerous. Has the zombie plague mutated, or is there something far more sinister behind this new invasion of the living dead?

One thing Benny and his companions can’t afford to forget: In the great Rot & Ruin, everything wants to kill you.

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Editorial Reviews

VOYA - Jennifer Rosenstein
Flesh and Bone is the third book in the Benny Imura series after Dust & Decay (Simon & Schuster, 2011/VOYA August 2011) and Rot & Ruin (Simon & Schuster, 2011). While the text makes reference to the earlier books in the series, it is still readable as a stand-alone novel. Teenager Benny Imura and his friends Nix, Lilah, and Chong are on their own in the vast Rot and Ruin, what remains of America after a zombie apocalypse. They have to survive not only the hordes of hungry zombies but also feral animals, disease, and most dangerous of all, other people. As if the four did not have enough trouble, they encounter a murderous cult led by a psychopathic serial killer and a manipulative priestess. And just when they thought they could predict how the zombies will behave, the "gray walkers" seem to be mutating, becoming faster, smarter, and more dangerous. The action starts from the first line and rarely lets up. This is not a book for the faint of heart, and both the body count and gore factor are pretty high. However, Maberry does find some quieter moments to explore the relationships between the characters and flesh out the details of the bleak world he has created. The idea of a death cult bent on clearing the earth of humanity is both chilling and eerily convincing, and Maberry ponders some weighty questions about human nature among the flying bullets and whirling knives. Horror fans will love this book; it is also a good choice to grab reluctant readers. Reviewer: Jennifer Rosenstein
Kirkus Reviews
The third time's the charm with even more adventure--and gore--as the series continues (Dust & Decay, 2011, etc.). With their beloved trainer Tom now dead, Benny, Nix, Chong, and Lilah carry on their search in the Rot and Ruin for the still-elusive jet. Just when the teens didn't think anything could be stranger in a zombie-infested world, they cross paths with Mother Rose and Saint John of the Knife, rival leaders of the Night Church, a death cult seeking the extinction of the human race. Separated from one another early on in the story, the teens battle nonstop with various factions of the Night Church and their zombie minions. As Mother Rose and Saint John secretly try to double-cross one another, the battles turn deadlier. The blood bath is tempered by each teen's personal struggle with grief and realization of his or her "Warrior Smart" training. Short chapters, punctuated by suspenseful, cliffhanger endings, heighten the tension throughout. Of course, zombies still play a large role, and Maberry keeps each zombie chase terrifying as more evolved and cross-species zombies enter this already dangerous environment. While the teens learn more about the genesis of the zombie plague and the history of the nation (or what's left of it) since First Night, many more questions remain unanswered. Good thing there will be another sequel. (Science fiction. 13 & up)
School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up—Benny Imura and his friends are back fighting their way through a postapocalyptic world. Still reeling from the tragic ending in Dust & Decay (S & S, 2011), Benny, Nix, Chong, and Lilah continue moving east from California's Sierra Nevadas, searching for the jet that Benny and Nix saw and, hopefully, for a better life. As in the previous volumes, the ever-present zombies threaten the teens but they are hardly the most hazardous or scariest things stalking the wilderness. The kids run headlong into the "Reapers," a death cult led by Saint John, a serial killer turned prophet. The Reapers' mission is to finish what the zombie plague started-the extinction of the human race. Even as the teens struggle to stay one step ahead of these murderous freaks and close in on their goal, they discover that the zombie virus is mutating, resulting in startling and even more dangerous changes. A few of the passages (especially between Benny and Nix) get a little tiresome, and the Reaper philosophy stretches credulity a bit, but lots of action and generous helpings of blood and gore keep the story moving briskly and will keep series fans turning pages. The ending leaves open the possibility of a fourth installment, though one of the main characters might not survive that long.—Anthony C. Doyle, Livingston High School Library, CA
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781442439894
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
  • Publication date: 9/11/2012
  • Series: Rot & Ruin Series , #3
  • Pages: 469
  • Age range: 12 - 17 Years
  • Lexile: 750L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 5.86 (w) x 8.38 (h) x 1.48 (d)

Meet the Author

Jonathan Maberry

Jonathan Maberry is a New York Times bestselling author, multiple Bram Stoker Award winner, and Marvel Comics writer. He’s the author of many novels, including Assassin’s Code, Dead of Night, Patient Zero, and Rot & Ruin. His nonfiction books cover topics ranging from martial arts to zombie pop-culture. Since 1978 he has sold more than 1,200 magazine feature articles, 3,000 columns, two plays, greeting cards, song lyrics, poetry, and textbooks. Jonathan continues to teach the celebrated Experimental Writing for Teens class, which he created. He founded the Writers Coffeehouse and co-founded The Liars Club, and he is a frequent speaker at schools and libraries, as well as a keynote speaker and guest of honor at major writers’ and genre conferences. Jonathan lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Sara, and their son, Sam. Visit him at JonathanMaberry.com and on Twitter (@jonathanmaberry) and Facebook.
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 55 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(42)

4 Star

(9)

3 Star

(2)

2 Star

(1)

1 Star

(1)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 55 Customer Reviews
  • Anonymous

    Posted April 29, 2012

    ALREADY AWESOME ALREADY AWESOME

    ALREADY AWESOME

    5 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted November 19, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    "Benny Imura thought, I'm going to die. The hundred zombies

    "Benny Imura thought, I'm going to die. The hundred zombies chasing him all seemed to agree."
    -----
    With book three in the Benny Imura series, Maberry manages to impress me with the first two lines. Don't you love it when a book manages to do that? In Flesh & Bone, the reader follows Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong as they make their way east in search of the airplane and hopefully, a better life. Along the way, they discover things much more disturbing than they could have possibly imagined.
    -----
    In spite of the dire circumstances, Maberry continues to mix in the humor:
    -----
    "Yo! Deadheads," he yelled, waving his sword to taunt them. "Nice try, but you're messing with Benny-freaking-Imura, zombie killer. Booyah!
    And then the lip of the ravine buckled and collapsed under his weight, and Benny-freaking-Imura instantly plummeted into the darkness below.
    -----
    What makes this so funny is that I can see someone doing this, even myself. Maberry's writing is so good it is easy to visualize the scenes. He manages to write something that could be translated to the big screen very well, yet does not sacrifice any quality to the writing. That's impressive.
    -----
    Of course, the intelligence of the series also continues:
    -----
    Chong leaned close to Benny again. "This is fascinating," he said quietly. "If there are other settlements out here, then they're probably like islands or distant countries used to be in the days before the world was mapped. So isolated that their own phrasing and references- all the slang and jargon that we've used since First Night- is going to be different."
    -----
    I love how Maberry looks at many different aspects of the zombie apocalypse aftermath. Chong makes an intelligent observation about society in the Ruin rebuilding itself and compares it to societies in history. This type of detail seems largely ignored in your run of the mill zombie book. Not only does the author successfully incorporate it into his story, he also makes me wonder why all the other zombie books I read did not even consider this natural development.
    -----
    Of course one of my favorite things about Rot & Ruin and Dust & Decay was the weirdo religious storyline. If you are with me on this one, Flesh & Bone will absolutely, positively not disappoint. It only gets deliciously creepier.
    -----
    In addition, the author throws all kinds of new stuff out there for the reader. Suffice it to say, Maberry obviously has a head full of ideas because he still manages to throw in some really good ones in book 3.
    -----
    Finally, the quality of the writing remains remarkable:
    -----
    "Hell? [She] knew hell. It had nothing to teach her, no new tricks it could play on her."
    -----
    Wait until you read it in context. My heart dropped.
    -----
    As I mentioned in my review of Dust & Decay, I was concerned that Maberry would not be able to keep up the engrossing storyline through four books and I was probably doomed to disappointment. Well that disappointment does not arrive in book 3. On the contrary, Flesh & Bone kept me on the edge of my seat. There were times that I was so anxious I felt like running around in circles just to ease some of the excess energy. But I didn't because I can't run and read at the same time. Anyway, three down, one to go. Can Maberry keep it up? I guess we'll find out when Fire & Ash is released on August 27, 2013 (according to Goodreads).

    4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 21, 2012

    Sup

    I love the first two, almost cried when tom died. Cant wait to read this one. Im a huge fan of zombie based movies and books

    4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 30, 2012

    zoms

    This book is better than any zombie book I have read

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 26, 2012

    a must read

    Loved this book was really good wish there was another book

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 21, 2012

    Awesomeness

    This series is totally thrilling,sad,and inspiring

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted March 6, 2013

    I

    I love this series and really hope that theres another one

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 24, 2013

    LOVE BOOK

    Awesome book

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 5, 2013

    RAWR

    Whyy!... why does chong have to die??.. i mean EVERYTHING lilah EVER loved has died so why does chong hadta die 2222222 WHY

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 14, 2013

    THIS IS EPIC it stinks there are is a limit of 5 stars

    This was an epic book. It leaves you hanging---like the last two. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 4, 2013

    Great

    Love this series! This book moved the story along and answered some questions. Can not wait to read where the final book takes us.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 22, 2012

    Series intertwineing

    Its so awesome that maberry thought to bring joe "greatest soldier ever" ledger into this series. Is this a variation of the first ledger book but they didnt stop sief al din from getting out.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted December 10, 2012

    This book series is so riveted. I have read the three books well

    This book series is so riveted. I have read the three books well over 4 times, and all within a matter of hours. I have even gotten my dad interested in these books. Jonathan Maberry is an exquisite writer. One of the best.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted November 28, 2012

    This is possibly the best novel series on zombies that I've ever

    This is possibly the best novel series on zombies that I've ever read! The characters are on a level you get to know them and feel they're pain, as well as the triumphs in they're lives. This series is a home run indeed!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted November 27, 2012

    Incredible follow-up to one of my favorite books of all time! T

    Incredible follow-up to one of my favorite books of all time! The "Rot and Ruin" series is quickly becoming a classic! I absolutely can't wait for each new chapter. This book was intense from beginning to end, full of unexpected twists and turns (and heartbreak). Thank you, Mr. Maberry, for writing with such depth and passion!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 19, 2012

    Random

    All in good time

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 18, 2012

    Fantastic!

    Yet another great book in the Rot and Ruin series.
    I would recomend this to any zombie lover!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 16, 2012

    Wonderful

    This triliogy is a wonderful one. I could read these over and over

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 5, 2012

    Good read

    Who dosent love zombies?

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 18, 2012

    Read the first two in the series first....

    I bought this book for my granddaughter. I have not had a chance to read this book yet but if it's anything like the first two in this series I am sure I will totally enjoy it.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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