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Flesh and Bone (Benny Imura #3)

by Jonathan Maberry (Goodreads Author)

4.25 of 5 stars 4.25 · rating details · 2,016 ratings · 325 reviews

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. Findi...more

Hardcover, 1st Edition, 469 pages

Published September 11th 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers (first published September 10th 2012)

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Sep 26, 2012 Nandanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, books-i-enjoyed-top-favorites, recommended-by-a-friend-or-gr, favorites

I need this! After the tragic ending in book 2 that left me in tears, I am sooooooooooo despersate to read this! These books just keep getting better and better! And I bet you, when this series ends, I am going to cry!

Thanks Jonathon for adding such a good series in the media!

P.S. The cover looks really creepy! But that is the theme right? Love it! =)

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OMG! THAT WAS THE BEST THIRD BOOK OF A SERIES I...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

PROTIP: Read the novella "Dead & Gone" for a better understanding of the background of Riot and The Church of the Darkness, which are major facets of this book.

Hooray for another Maberry book! They really can't come fast enough. Flesh & Bone continues the story of Benny and his friends while they navigate the rot and the ruin, encountering everything from a dangerous death cult to a mysterious haven known only as "Sanctuary." Will it be everything they hope for?

Maberry delivers on the th...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Christy (Love of Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, favorites, read-in-2012

I can’t believe it’s over! Flesh & Bone went by way too fast. This series is one of my most favorites, and one of the few I read as soon as the books are released. I know it seems like my blog is becoming a Jonathan Maberry fan page lately, but the man has an amazing gift for writing that I can’t get enough of.

Flesh & Bone picks up about a month after Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chong disembarked on their journey east. Leaving the only home they’ve known in the Central California mountains be...more I can’t believe it’s over! Flesh & Bone went by way too fast. This series is one of my most favorites, and one of the few I read as soon as the books are released. I know it seems like my blog is becoming a Jonathan Maberry fan page lately, but the man has an amazing gift for writing that I can’t get enough of.

Flesh & Bone picks up about a month after Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chong disembarked on their journey east. Leaving the only home they’ve known in the Central California mountains behind, in search of the mystery jet. The book is action packed right from the start. Their skills are put to the test, not only physically, but intellectually, as well. Of course, Maberry has to make me cry at least once in these books, so get your tissue ready.

Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chong were great as always. Nix and Lilah are fierce, and anyone should think twice when crossing them. I love those girls so much, especially Lilah. She’s truly one tough chick, yet she really does want the love she’s only read about in books. And I love how everyone is so confident in her abilities. Sometimes I felt a little sorry for Benny and Chong, because I know it can be tough with not only one, but two dominant females. Mostly, though, it made me laugh. Chong especially made me laugh, with all of his smart-ass remarks.

There are new monsters in Flesh & Bone, and I don’t mean the zombies. The Night Church is making their way across the country, killing everyone who doesn’t join them. It’s a good idea to read the novella Dead & Gone prior to starting this book. It’s not necessary, but it’s a lot nicer to have some background on Riot and the Night Church. Riot has ties to the Night Church, but wants nothing to do with them. I don’t blame her, because they psycho! It gets very ugly when it all come to a head in Nevada, with Benny and the gang right in the mix.

Those who are fans of Maberry’s Joe Ledger series are in for quite a treat! Prior to the release of Flesh & Bone, I saw on Maberry’s facebook that Ledger would make a cameo, so I thought it would be something small, like just a mention in passing. Wrong, there is a lot of him! I was beyond giddy. The way he was incorporated into the story was brilliant! There were a few other references that I found humorous, too.

Overall, Flesh & Bone is a great addition to an amazing series. I highly recommend this series, even to people who aren’t into zombies. I can’t wait to get my hands on the fourth and final book, Fire & Ash, due out in 2013.
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May 05, 2012 Brooke added it

NOT AVAIL UNTIL SEPTEMBER!!! DAMN YOU JONATHAN MABERRY!!!!!

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May 08, 2013 Leann rated it 3 of 5 stars

Benny Imura and his friends must now plunge deep into the zombie-infested wastelands of the great Rot & Ruin. Traveling through the wastelands that was once America is hard for them. They are on a journey to find the jet that they saw in the skies several months ago. They know that if there was a jet flying then there must be life..somewhere. This sounds simple enough but the Ruin is very dangerous; death cult, fierce animals, and lots and lots of zombies coming from the east. These zombies...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Jared Bird rated it 3 of 5 stars

Definitely the weakest entry so far in the series. The ending is abrupt (I hope it's not a spoiler to say that Benny is mostly unconscious during the entire climax of the book), and the pacing is quite slow. The characters spend the majority of the book separated, which detracts from the relationships that we've spent two books trying to forge. Also, the entire book takes place over the course of one day, which increases the unbelievability of the story. The real positives of the book are the in...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Annette rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't know how Jonathan Maberry does it, but he managed to keep me once again mesmerized by Flesh & Bone, the third book in the Rot & Ruin series. Ugghhhh. The action! The tension! The danger! I could not put it down. It just never stops, but yet there's enough character development and world building to make it all so real. Each book just keeps getting better.

This time, Benny and his friends aren't just fighting zoms, they find out more about this new world and realize there are facti...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Mark Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, young-adult

Word of a new Jonathan Maberry novel gives me more gooseflesh than standing outside naked in an arctic blizzard. While I prefer the adult-oriented "Joe Ledger" novels, I only prefer them by a margin thinner than a gnat's nut-hair, because Maberry's Young Adult "Benny Imura" zombie series is such a fantastic read. The reason is simple--Maberry excels at writing characters you actually care about amidst all the chaos & carnage.

And there is plenty of chaos & carnage in "Flesh and Bone," som...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Gene Bennett rated it 5 of 5 stars

I finally sat down and read Flesh & Bone by Jonathan Maberry. This is the third book in the Benny Imura series and as good as any of the others. I read it basically in two sittings and if I didn't have this damn cold I would have probably done it in one.

I won't ruin too much but the store is about a world after First Night when the zombie virus (you find out the name of the virus in this book but I won't ruin that). We pick up after the groups adventure at Gameland. Gameland was a sick place...more I finally sat down and read Flesh & Bone by Jonathan Maberry. This is the third book in the Benny Imura series and as good as any of the others. I read it basically in two sittings and if I didn't have this damn cold I would have probably done it in one.

I won't ruin too much but the store is about a world after First Night when the zombie virus (you find out the name of the virus in this book but I won't ruin that). We pick up after the groups adventure at Gameland. Gameland was a sick place where kids were taken to zombie pits to fight while people made bets on the survival of the kids. It was there that Benny's brother Tom was killed after being shot in the back. Strangely Tom didn't reanimate as a zombie and that is where we pick up the story of Benny, Nix, Chong and the Lost Girl.

This story goes a little darker than the first two and I liked that. I liked it because it dealt with things that zombie books often don't touch and that is grief. Jonathan has a nice intro about it and how his own grief at the time from some personal issues were there as well. There is talk of suicides, mass killings and the like. Remember this is a YA, a young adult novel, so it is edgier but stuff that kids need to hear.

You also have the introduction of a cult, a little greek history and a crossover character. Even though it is known I won't ruin it. I wish I hadn't heard ahead of time although if you've read some of Jonathan's other books you'd know who it was the moment the name is mentioned.

I really don't have anything bad to say about this book, which everyone knows is rare for me. Well may be one complaint, that I have wait over a year for what I believe is the end of Benny and Nix's journey. I do wish I knew a little more about a few of the new characters in this book such as Mother Rose and Alexi but you've only got so much you can do or you end up like Stephen King and the books are thousands of pages.

If you want a good fast read I recommend this series or his DMS/Joe Ledger series (those these are not YA). I haven't read his Pine Deep Trilogy but they are on my list of books to read. He is also in several zombie anthologies. Even a bit of the Benny Imura story is in one which is what made me grab the first in this series. Lastly, and I don't know you can find this until next year, he was featured in the History Channel special about zombies, Zombies: A Living History, which was really good and featured Max Brooks and J.L Bourne, two more excellent zombie authors.

Unfortunately it looks like it'll be a quite a few months before Jonathan's next book comes out. Looks like March of next year when Joe Ledger returns to fight something evil in Extinction Machine. (less)

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Oct 22, 2012 Jenn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, highlyrecommend, horror, vampiresupernatural, youngadult

I love, love, love the Benny Imura series - they are so beautifully written and the characterization is incredible - really love Benny, Nix, Lilah, Chong - such great, great characters! I didn't quite love this book as much as the previous two, mainly because it felt like a middle book in a series, where there's a lot of moving around and not a cohesive plot. The main characters still have certain goals - and I like the new additions, especially Grimm - but it's like my sister said once about he...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Meg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

The saga (and I truly hope this series does continue for a long time) continues as Benny Imura and his small group set off to find the jet they spotted flying overhead in the last book, Dust & Decay.
This is the third book of the series that started with Rot & Ruin. I’ve said it before, but so what, I’ll say it again, Jonathan Maberry is hands-down, the best zombie storyteller whose works I have had the pleasure of reading. Truth-be-told though, labeling this series as a mere zombie stor...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Brenda Ayala rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well, I managed to read this one in a day. It was impossible to put down, and I was desperate to know what happened. I have to admit I held out hope that the ending of the second book may not have been all it appeared to be, but alas it was so.

The internal struggles that the characters must go through--Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong each--is a major focus of this book. They are grappling with their own intense emotions, and teetering on the edge of insanity. I find their resilience amazing, especi...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Jason rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2012, e-books

4.5 Stars

“”‘He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster,’””

Flesh and Bone, book 3 of the Benny Imura series was one of my most anticipated reads for 2012 by one of my favorite authors. I am not really that big into young adult fiction, but when an amazing horror author like Maberry puts a zombie series to life, it is sure one not to be missed. The story of the two brothers Benny and Tom through the first two books found many of the main plot lines clos...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Kim Smiley rated it 2 of 5 stars

My least favorite in this series, but it was alright. I guess like Benny and Nix, I didn't know what to expect out in the big Rot and Ruin, and with Tom gone, it took all the fun out of it.

So Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong are all out in the great Ruin, as they had been for seven months now. They're still looking for the plane and today of all days, all hell breaks loose. First with crazy huge animals, then zoms, then people. And the people they meet are all crazy holy rollers, who think that they...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Kimberly King rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: zombies, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 13, 2012 Kimmie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Arrrrggghhhh, this book is so frustrating! I likedit, don't get me wrong, but it is my least favorite in all the books. Why, why, why, why did there have to be another group of wrong doers introduced into this series? Hasn't Chong had it hard enough as it is? Why the heck do they keep getting separated? Why are they always finding themselves deeper into trouble? I'm not sure frustrating even covers what I feel after reading this book. I did not like how it covered only one stinking day througho...more

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May 20, 2013 Karyl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, library-reads, fantasy-sci-fi, young-adult-reads, favorites

Another amazing installment of the Benny Imura series by Jonathan Maberry. This one might be my favorite. I enjoyed the first one, watching Benny go from a carefree 14-year-old boy, looking for a job to fill his place in his town, to a much more mature, older young man who witnesses some pretty horrific things yet maintains his humanity. Dust and Decay wasn't quite as good as the first one, being full of quite a lot of battles against both evil people and the undead, but this third book blows th...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Christina (Ensconced in YA) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm a big fan of the previous two books in this quartet. The first, Rot and Ruin, was probably my favorite read of the year. The second, was almost as strong, and ended with heartbreak that I had to deal with for a few weeks before picking up the third. This installment is my least favorite of the three for a few reasons, but definitely worth reading, and thoughtful in its own way.

Flesh and Bone is the third out of four books by Jonathan Maberry about the zombie apocalypse that has fallen on the...more I'm a big fan of the previous two books in this quartet. The first, Rot and Ruin, was probably my favorite read of the year. The second, was almost as strong, and ended with heartbreak that I had to deal with for a few weeks before picking up the third. This installment is my least favorite of the three for a few reasons, but definitely worth reading, and thoughtful in its own way.

Flesh and Bone is the third out of four books by Jonathan Maberry about the zombie apocalypse that has fallen on the world. Benny, Chong, the Lost Girl, and Nix are struggling to survive in the Rot and Ruin after still reeling from deaths of loved ones. They encounter more evil than they thought possible-- a group of Reapers whose sole purpose is to have everyone join the Gray Walkers that abound the earth. New characters are introduced (including a terrifying Big Bad), and the mystery of the plane is solved.

What I Loved: The development of Chong was probably my favorite part of the book. He's come so far and his relationship with the Lost Girl is very sweet. This makes the ending that much more poignant. Also, we get the introduction of a new cult, which is terrifying in its sway in this awful world. I can imagine people giving up and joining a cult to end the human race. We see this kind of depression in medicine all the time-- and I can't imagine if the world was actually as bad as people saw it, what that would do to the human psyche. Maberry is terrific at coming up with new ethical dilemmas, and he is very thoughtful in his dealings with them.

What I wasn't as thrilled about: I know my reaction to this book is a little bit like my reaction to Harry Potter book 5. It was a must read, but because of how annoying adolescent Harry was, it was my least favorite. I had the same reaction to Nix-- so many times in the book, I just wanted to shake her. She exhibited all the worst characteristics of female communication (i.e. men need to just know what we are thinking), and was a complete brat to Benny for most of the book. Also, the first half of the book was more of the characters just wandering around in the Rot and Ruin, and seemed like just filler for the last 25%, which was non-stop action and intrigue to the end.

That said, there is no doubt that I'm following this to the end and cannot wait to pick up the fourth and final installment of this series, which is probably the best set of books I've read this year.(less)

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Dec 21, 2012 Jamie Wyatt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: end-of-the-world, read-in-2012, ya, favorites

At first I wasn't sure how many stars I was going to give this because by the end of the book I was pretty depressed. However, my personal feelings shouldn't affect the rating of this book because it was fantastic. I loved the introduction of the Reapers. I guess there are crazy cults no matter what happens to this world. It gave the book an interesting curve and helped to introduce some great characters (love Riot!). The ending for me was pretty depressing though. I think I was supposed to feel...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

To be honest, I can't decide which of the three books in this series I like the most.

In this book, it wasn't filled with the loss of loved ones and grief like the second book, Dust and Decay. This book had plenty of action in it, and it was great. Action from all the wild animals that were met along the way, to the seemingly never-ending amount of enemies. Heck, the very first page of the book was introducing the first action of the book. Sure, there were losses, but not as much. Benny, Nix, Cho...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Joe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Another third installment of a zombie series! Maberry's "Rot and Ruin" zombie series is the most character driven of any zombie series I've read. Z.A. Recht's Morningstar Strain (Plague of the Dead) is probably the most exciting, Higson's Enemy series is the most horrifying, but Mayberry's books probably have the most depth and generally redemptive qualities.

In this third installment Benny, Nix, Chong, and Lilah are trying to navigate the depopulated wilderness of central California without the...more

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Sep 17, 2012 P.M. rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's a month since Tom's death and Benny swears Tom is still there advising him on what to do. Benny's friends, Nix, Lilah, and Chong, are missing Tom, too. When they save a little girl named Eve from the zombies, they run into Saint John of the Knife, Mother Rose, and their cult of Reapers. The Reapers want to kill everyone because their god, Thanatos, is displeased with the human race. There is a whirlwind of activity as Lilah is seriously injured by zombie pigs and Chong is poisoned by one of...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Julie Graves rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong are still searching for the jet that they saw fly over them. They are beginning to think they were seeing things since they have not found it.

As always things are not easy in the Rot & Ruin. Some of the zoms seem to be evolving into a more faster breed, and some seem to be developing the ability to dodge obstacles. As if being chased around by zoms isn't bad enough, there is a religious cult now after the group. They call themselves Reapers and see their job as re...more Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong are still searching for the jet that they saw fly over them. They are beginning to think they were seeing things since they have not found it.

As always things are not easy in the Rot & Ruin. Some of the zoms seem to be evolving into a more faster breed, and some seem to be developing the ability to dodge obstacles. As if being chased around by zoms isn't bad enough, there is a religious cult now after the group. They call themselves Reapers and see their job as releasing all sinners into the darkness of death.

Relationships are strained also in this installment of the series. Benny seems to think that he needs to be just like his brother Tom. The weight of that responsibility has him hearing Tom's voice inside his head. Benny begins to wonder if he is going crazy. Benny isn't the only one that Tom has left an impression on. Throughout their ordeal in the Ruin each one at sometime or other remembers different lessons that Tom taught them about being "Warrior Smart". Those lessons help them each through their difficult journey as they become separated and encounter the new type of zoms and the crazy cult members on their search for a jet that they don't know exists anymore.

From the first page until the last page was turned Flesh & Bone was filled with one action scene after another! But not only do Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong encounter zoms and cult followers, they also have to deal with their feelings for each other and their grief of losing Tom. So Flesh & Bone is not just filled with action, it is also filled with emotional roller coasters. I felt like I was there with each character as they fought an enemy or as they cried tears of grief or struggled within themselves for who they are becoming. Flesh & Bone managed to be just as good as Rot & Ruin and Dust & Decay without becoming stale or repetitive. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series! I have to find out how it all ends!

I borrowed this ARC from a friend. The published book comes out in September of 2012.(less)

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Mar 03, 2013 Allie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really liked it, but unlike the other books in this series, Flesh and Bone, never stopped having action. From page 1 something was happening to Benny, Nix, Chong,and Lilah. In Rot and Ruin there was a part in the middle where it went back and told some stories from the First Night, and had an amazing perfect huge ending that took up the last few chapters. Dust and Decay was similar but the ending was longer (and in my opinion was the best book so far) and took up the whole last section, with a...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Heather (HeadshotHeather) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Having spent the month since the devastating ending of Dust & Decay healing their bodies and, attempting, to heal their spirits, Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong continue on in search of the jet they have seen flying overhead. Benny and Nix are having relationship troubles as a result of everything that has happened in the last year and the lack of communication between the two. Lilah and Chong are still working out the details of their relationship with her being The Lost Girl and him a mere Tow...more Having spent the month since the devastating ending of Dust & Decay healing their bodies and, attempting, to heal their spirits, Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong continue on in search of the jet they have seen flying overhead. Benny and Nix are having relationship troubles as a result of everything that has happened in the last year and the lack of communication between the two. Lilah and Chong are still working out the details of their relationship with her being The Lost Girl and him a mere Town Boy. As always, there are zoms to contend with as they travel and the unfortunate discovery that some of the zoms are faster and a bit smarter than what they have been used to. However, there is, also, a new evil afoot who call themselves Reapers. They are a form of religious cult who bring the darkness to those who were not 'blessed' with the zombie virus.

Much of Flesh & Bone finds our young group separated from each other in one form or another. Benny and Nix have an interesting encounter with Saint John of the Knife and come across an interesting find. Lilah, having gone off in search of a young girl's family gets caught fighting for her life and being saved by a very cool new addition to the world of Rot & Ruin. Our "town boy" Chong, having been separated from the group while fleeing the Reapers finds himself caring for a child, Eve, whose family has been lost to the Reapers and being cared for himself, by Riot, the daughter of Mother Rose, the leader of the cult from which they are running.

New friends are met, battles are fought and lives are lost. The action is practically nonstop and the attention to detail is spot on, as is the norm for Mr Maberry. The journey our friends take in Flesh & Bone is not just one of reaching a destination, but in allowing each of our characters to find their true self and determining what they are looking for as they seek out this new possibility of life in the rot & ruin.

Flesh & Bone is a definite MUST READ for all fans of the Rot & Ruin series. If you haven't read books 1 and 2 yet, well....what are you waiting for go get them NOW! (less)

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Apr 22, 2013 Rob rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-lit

The third of Jonathan Maberry's Young Adult series somehow manages to expand the scope of the previous books while simultaneously stripping it down. While the previous two books featured a fair amount of downtime, Flesh & Bone rushes along at a breakneck pace, taking place in the California/Nevada desert over the span of little more than a day. It's in this volume that we see what life is like beyond the northern California forests that were the setting of much of the first two books, and –...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 10, 2012 Kami rated it 5 of 5 stars

- This book had a little bit of a different feeling to it. There are new baddies and new challenges for our characters to face.

- The Author's Note at the beginning is a wonderful message about grief and loss!

- I'm not a fan of people who hear a dead loved one's voice in their head giving advice. I'm pretty sure Benny is schizo!

- Even though these books tend to be sad, I'm glad the author throws in a little humor now and then.

- These characters have WAY higher pain tolerances than I do! Wholly...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: zombie fans, YA fans, females looking for female characters that kick butt.

The third book in the Benny Imura series finds Benny, Chong, Lilah and Nix stumbling upon trouble they never expected out in the Ruin. The group is individually dealing with the death of Tom, Benny's brother and mentor in their own differing ways. The way this book deals with the very adult topic of death and grieving is one of my favorite things about it. Otherwise, this book is heavier on the action sequences than some of other books (at least they feel more prominent). My least favorite part...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Sinn rated it 5 of 5 stars

After Dust & Decay ended, I had no idea how Maberry was going to continue the series. Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chong are left in the Ruin without a guide or a clue as to their next step. Aside from Lilah having ample experience in the Ruin and amazing survival skills, the teenagers are basically town kids who have stumbled into some horrid situations. Without the guidance of Tom, I really wondered how they would function and whether they should return to Mountainside.

Feeling as if they have no...more After Dust & Decay ended, I had no idea how Maberry was going to continue the series. Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chong are left in the Ruin without a guide or a clue as to their next step. Aside from Lilah having ample experience in the Ruin and amazing survival skills, the teenagers are basically town kids who have stumbled into some horrid situations. Without the guidance of Tom, I really wondered how they would function and whether they should return to Mountainside.

Feeling as if they have nothing to return to and wanting to honor Tom's memory, the teenagers continue on their cross-country trek to find the jet Nix and Benny saw in the first book. However, things are not easy. Things continue to be strained between Nix and Benny. Everyday Nix seems to be changing into someone Benny doesn't know, and she closes herself off more and more from the people around her. Reeling after Tom's death, Benny has also retreated into himself, started to become stoic, and views that he needs to take Tom's place. And, on top of that, Benny seriously doubts their decision to leave Mountainside. With Nix's growing obsession with the plane and seeming lack of concern for her comrades, Benny is unsure how to handle everything.

Things in the Ruin are starting to change. The teenagers have noticed changes in the zombies. Some of them are getting faster, and animals are getting infected. And if the evolution of the zombie plague is not enough, they are surrounded in the Nevada desert by a strange religious death-cult calling themselves the Reapers, who intend the open "red mouths" in all the heretics and lead them into the darkness.

Maberry put a lot of thought into the Reapers. While their religion seems extremist, living in a post-apocalyptic world where disease, famine, and death run rampant, it is easy to see where a death-cult could take hold. However, I did not find it to be coincidence that the head of the church was Saint John and his loyal follower was Brother Peter.

"You have been the rock on which I built the Night Church . . . You, Peter. Not her." (327)

Even though they worship the god Thanatos, the resemblance to Christianity is striking! Chapter 74 mirrors the discussion Jesus had with Peter before His crucifixion.

From the first page until the end, this book was emotional and raw. For me, the introduction was the perfect way to describe this book. It was about loss and grief. At one point or another, all of the main characters come face-to-face with loss and try to pull themselves through their own grieving process. Once again, Maberry tackles deep issues in this book and really forces the audience to look at human nature. He also shows the depravity and complete helplessness of suffering, loss, and grief. In his books, zombies are not the enemies, merely an aftershock of an already corrupt world.

This book is a tour de force! I found myself on the edge of my seat during all of the action and crying bitter tears with the teenagers as they continue to learn the harsh realities of life. If young adult novels allow teens to be voyeurs and experience things they might never have to, I think this series will go a long way in opening discussions, cause them to ask tough questions, and really start looking at the world around them. As Tom says, "You can fix the world. You, Nix . . . Your generation. You can fix the world and make it right." (less)

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Jonathan Maberry : Flesh & Bone	11	24	Nov 06, 2012 10:58am
Joe Ledger	2	20	Oct 19, 2012 05:10pm
Jolt & Gummi Bear?	1	6	Sep 21, 2012 08:28am
Flesh & Bone: The official fansite	2	14	Sep 18, 2012 11:36pm
Flesh & Bone: Win A copy here	1	10	Aug 24, 2012 05:02am

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Horror > Zombies

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Young Adult

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Horror

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Apocalyptic > Post Apocalyptic

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Fantasy

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Science Fiction

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Young Adult > Teen

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About Jonathan Maberry

JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times best-selling and multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning horror and thriller author, magazine feature writer, playwright, content creator and writing teacher/lecturer. His books have been sold to more than a dozen countries.

His novels include the Pine Deep Trilogy: GHOST ROAD BLUES (Pinnacle books; winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel in 2006), DEAD...more JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times best-selling and multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning horror and thriller author, magazine feature writer, playwright, content creator and writing teacher/lecturer. His books have been sold to more than a dozen countries.

His novels include the Pine Deep Trilogy: GHOST ROAD BLUES (Pinnacle books; winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel in 2006), DEAD MAN’S SONG (2007) and BAD MOON RISING (2008); the Joe Ledger series of action thrillers from St. Martin’s Griffin: PATIENT ZERO (2009, winner of the Black Quill and a Bram Stoker Award finalist for Best Novel), THE DRAGON FACTORY (2010; now available), THE KING OF PLAGUES (March 2011), ASSASSIN’S CODE (March 2012), EXTINCTION MACHINE (2013); THE WOLFMAN (NY Times bestseller from Tor, based on the Universal Pictures film starring Benecio Del Toro, Emily Blunt and Sir Anthony Hopkins; winner of the Scribe Award for Best Adaptation); the forthcoming standalone zombie thriller DEAD OF NIGHT (Oct 25 2011); and the Benny Imura series of Young Adult dystopian zombie thrillers from Simon & Schuster: ROT & RUIN (2011; named in Booklist’s Ten Best Horror Novels for Young Adults, a Bram Stoker and Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award finalist; winner of the Cybils Award, the Eva Perry Mock Printz medal, Dead Letter Best Novel Award, and four Melinda Awards), DUST & DECAY (Aug 30 2011), FLESH & BONE (2012) and FIRE & ASH (21013).

Jonathan was an expert on the History Channel documentary on zombies scheduled to air October 26.

His nonfiction works include: VAMPIRE UNIVERSE (Citadel Press, 2006), THE CRYPTOPEDIA (Citadel, 2007 –winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction; co-authored by David F. Kramer), ZOMBIE CSU: The Forensics of the Living Dead (Winner of the Hinzman and Black Quill Awards and nominated for a Stoker Award; 2008), THEY BITE! (2009 co-authored by David F. Kramer), WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE (2010; Bram Stoker nominee; co-authored by Janice Gable Bashman), and THE VAMPIRE SLAYERS FIELD GUIDE TO THE UNDEAD (2001, written under the pen name of Shane MacDougall).

He writes a variety of projects for Marvel Comics involving CAPTAIN AMERICA, BLACK PANTHER, DOOMWAR, WOLVERINE, DEADPOOL, THE X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, the NY Times bestselling MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN, MARVEL UNIVERSE vs THE PUNISHER and MARVEL UNIVERSE vs WOLVERINE. All of Jonathan’s comic book collections are released as Graphic Novel collections within a month or two of individual comic publication.

Recent short stories include “Pegleg and Paddy Save the World” (HISTORY IS DEAD, Permuted Press 2007), “Doctor Nine” (KILLERS, Swimming Kangaroo Press, 2008; and reprinted in THE STORIES (in) BETWEEN Edited by Greg Schauer, Jeanne B. Benzel, and W.H. Horner. Fantasist Enterprises, 2009), “Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Greenbrier Ghost” (LEGENDS OF THE MOUNTAIN STATE 2, Bloodletting Books, 2008), “Clean Sweeps” (AND SO IT BEGINS, Dark Quest Books, 2008), “Family Business” (THE NEW DEAD, St. Martin’s Press, 2010), “Like Part of the Family” (NEW BLOOD edited by Patrick Thomas and Diane Raetz, Padwolf Press, 2010), “Zero Tolerance” (THE LIVING DEAD 2, Night Shade Books), “Flint and Steel” (GI JOE: COBRA WARS, 2011), “Saint John”(THE MONSTER’S CORNER, 2011, St. Martin’s), “The Death Song of Dwar Guntha” (Under the Moons of Mars: New Adventures on Barsoom, 2012, Simon & Schuster), and “The Wind Through the Fence” (an original e-story available for all e-readers). His essay, “Take Me To Your Leader” will be included in the nonfiction book, TRIUMPH OF THE LIVING DEAD: Robert Kirkman's Zombie Epic on Page and Screen edited by James Lowder (BenBella Books/Smart Pop, 2011).

All of Jonathan’s novels are available on audio, including the audio-only collection, JOE LEDGER: THE MISSING FILES (Blackstone), which includes the short stories “Countdown”, “Ze(less)

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Quotes from Flesh and Bone

“When Chong made to sit down next to her, Lilah drew her knife and stabbed the point into the earth between them.
"I can see that you need some quiet time," he said and scuttled quickly away.” — 5 people liked it

“...the whole world turned into an all-you-can-eat buffet...” — 5 people liked it

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Flesh and Bone (Benny Imura #3)

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