Book Review: Broken Lands

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

Book Title: Broken Lands

Author: Jonathan Maberry

Publishing Date: December 11th, 2018

Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Page Count: 544 pages

Source: From the Library

New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry returns to the world of Rot & Ruin with this first novel in a brand-new series that’s more thrilling and filled with exceptionally terrifying adventures.

Ever since her mother’s death, Gabriella “Gutsy” Gomez has spent her days flying under the radar. But when her mother’s undead body is returned to her doorstep from the grave and Gutsy witnesses a pack of ravagers digging up Los Muertos—her mother’s name for the undead—she realizes that life finds you no matter how hard you try to hide from it.

Meanwhile, Benny Imura and his gang set out on a journey to finish what Captain Joe Ledger started: they’re going to find a cure. After what they went through in the Rot and Ruin, they think they’ve seen it all, but as they venture into new and unexplored territory, they soon learn that the zombies they fought before were nothing compared to what they’ll face in the wild beyond the peace and safety of their fortified town

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK:                                                             

This was an adventure. I was super happy to be back in Rot & Ruin. Although it is a terrible situation, Broken Lands was such a great addition to the world. I was nervous about the book because I tend to not enjoy other series set in the same universe as another book, especially books that I really enjoy, but this one was just as good. 

In this series, Gutsy is our main character. She lives in a place called New Alamo, which is a very protected and safe community. Safe from the “Los Muertos” which is the name for the undead that her mother uses. Her mother has just passed from tuberculosis. Which has returned as have many so-called eradicated diseases? The family buries her in a Catholic tradition, but someone digs her up and brings her back to the house. And it leaves everyone with questions, mainly who would do such a bizarre and unnatural thing like that. 

Gutsy has a great support group of friends, both new and old, that have been helping and supporting her through her loss. Later in the story when Gutsy witnesses more people being dug up, she quickly realizes there is more to this story than what it seems. The danger is within, somewhere in her safe, protected community, it is not just from the undead. At the same time, we learn that our beloved characters Benny and nix, as well as others, are safe in Reclamation. Although they seem quite bored.

Many of the towns have established contact with others. Such as Asheville, North Carolina, where they have a huge settlement and even their own government. It is almost back to normal in that town, or is it? All the sudden contact is lost with Asheville, the teens decide that they can't just wait around and wonder, they need to take action, to do something about it. They make a plan to leave and make it to the city to figure out what is going on. Clearly, as you have probably guessed the two groups of teens meet, I won't tell you more because you need to read this one for yourself!

As always I loved the Rot & Ruin series. I really enjoyed the start of this new series, Broken Lands. I can't wait to read more of this interesting story and see where things will go. I hope you will read this one also.