First Night

In the beginning of Rot and Ruin we are told about first night and what it was. We were told about how Benny's parents were killed by zombies in the middle of the night, but we weren't told all of the details. We don't why there was an outbreak in the zombie population, or how the first zombie came to be. I have finally gotten to the part in the story where Benny is having a conversation with one of the erosion artists. The artist witnessed the very beginning of first night, and he is telling Benny all about it.

"The guy in the cell started biting the other drunks. Everybody was screaming. The cops thought they had a nutcase on their hands, so they did what they were trained to do: they unlocked the cell to try and break up the fight. But by then at least one or two of the other drunks were dead from the bites to their throats or arteries. It was a mess..." (136) This quote is a good description of the very first minutes of first night, the very beginning of the Rot and Ruin.

Rot and Ruin: Another Quoted Passage

"Twice more Tom pulled Benny off the road so they could circle around wandering zombies. After the second time, once they were clear of the cretures' olfactory range, Benny grabbled Tom's arm and demanded, "Whyn't you just pop a cap in them?" "

The action continues with the Imura brothers hunting zombies! In this passage they are staying low to the ground, and taking a route to avoid the zombies instead of hunting them. Benny doesn't understand why his brother, "the great zombie killer", doesn't just shoot the zombies. "What, are you afraid of them?" Benny asked. Benny has a lot of built up anger toward the zombies because they killed his parents, so all Benny wants to do is kill them. This passage continues with a dialog between the two brothers. Benny's brother Tom explains to him that the zombies just caught a virus, and they had no control over that. Zombies used to be real people with a family, and they were family to others. Tom trys to explain to Benny that it is disrespectfully to kill them.

This is a funny, but true cartoon that I found.

Rot and Ruin: Quoted Passage

"A few of the zombies staggered after them, but the fence runners banged on the drums again, and the zombies, incapable of holding on to more than one reaction at a time, turned back toward the noise. The Imura brothers vanished into the shadows under the trees." (Rot and Ruin, pg. 47)

Finally, the reason we all picked up this book. Zombie action! It only took the author 47 pages to get to the real action in the book too, so if you like a slow moving book then this is definitely not for you! The action finally begins as the Imura brothers go out to explore the Rot and Ruin. This passage is almost like the introduction to the rest of the book it seems like, that is why I had to post about it. Benny is finally going to get to experience and learn about the other side of the fence in the Rot and Ruin. What will Benny Imura discover in his adventures with his brother?

About me

10 Facts

1. I have one sister that lives in St.Louis.
2. I am in the Springfield Youth Symphony.
3. I play bass and run sound at my church.
4. I love the outdoors! (camping, hiking, caving, hunting, fishing)
5. My favorite food would either be pizza or a good burger.
6. This blog is for my English III class in school.
7. I have a beagle named Milo. He is about 8 months old.
8. I love new adventures.
9. I like to travel when I can get around to it.
10. I am looking forward to this blog!

Rot and Ruin

It is always a difficult task when it comes to picking a good book, especially when there are so many good books out there. One very good suggestion that I can give you is the book Rot and Ruin. Rot and Ruin, written by Jonathan Meberry, would definitely be a good book for anyone who loves a good zombie story! I am only on chapter five and I am already hooked on it! The main character in this book is Benny Imura; however, the story is not told from his point of view, it is told from the point of view of the narrator. Benny lives in a time where food is rationed and limited. Their government has stated that if they don't find a job by a certain time period then their food rations will be cut in half. Benny chooses to go to work with his brother as a zombie hunter, but he finds that it isn't what he expected. You should get a copy of this book and read it. You won't be able to put it down!