[Review] Flesh & Bone by Jonathan Maberry

Flesh and Bone (BennyImura#3)

by Jonathan Maberry

Published September 11th 2012

 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers 

Reeling from the tragic events 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. They are hunted by fierce animals escaped from zoos and circuses. They must raid zombie-infested towns for food and medical supplies. They discover the very real truth in the old saying: In the Rot & Ruin…everything wants to kill you.

And what is happening to the zombies? Swarms of them are coming from the east, devouring everything in their paths. These zoms are different. Faster, smarter, infinitely more dangerous. Has the zombie plague mutated, or is there something far more sinister behind this new invasion of the living dead?

In Flesh & Bone, Benny Imura, Nix Riley, Lou Chong and Lilah the Lost Girl are pitted against dangers greater than anything they've ever faced. To survive, each of them must rise to become the warriors Tom trained them to be.

Jonathan Maberry has done it again. He has picked me up and put me in that desolate place called Rot & Ruin and let me have a front row seat to Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chongs life. Though this time with the tearful end to the last book, it is without their brother , friend, and mentor Tom Imura. I did keep waiting for Tom to come walking toward them with his sword slung over his shoulder in his samurai way. But much to my regret that never happened.

This book was all about grief, tragedy and the struggles that Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chong were going through with Tom’s death.  They all were dealing with the it in different ways. Nix seemed to be having the hardest time with it. And she was so intent on finding that jet that they had seen earlier.  They all seemed to be going a little “crazy” from the stress of it all.

This was probably not my favorite book in this series but it did “throw a wrench in the spokes” so to say with the introduction of the reapers. The zombies aren't the only “people” they have to deal with, now there’s a cult lead by Saint John of the Knives and Mother Rose. They have taken it upon themselves to free people from this world and send them into the “darkness”. Um…yeah…NO! I’ll just take my chances with those gray people that are eating other people… OK?  Thanks!!  :D I could not stand Saint John and Mother Rose. And I didn't like how much  dialogue time is given to them. I did finally understand why by the end however, and their role in Flesh & Bone does add another interesting story line to this series.

I was left with a few questions. How can this entire book be only one day? And HELLO hasn't enough stuff happen to Chong and why does the ending give me such mixed emotions? I am ready for the 4th book to see how Maberry wraps this up. Hopefully it will be a “happy ever after” ending. :D But this is a zombie series, not a Disney cartoon. 

I gave Flesh & Bone 4 Webs!!

Have you read it? Let me know and leave me a comment!!