"Dust & Decay" by Jonathan Maberry

Judge a book by its cover
Zombies.  Sequel to Rot & Ruin.  Done.

Synopsis

Tom Imura decides to leave Mountainside with his brother, Benny, Nix, and Lilah to go find the jet they saw while out in the Rot and Ruin the last time.  But now that Charlie and Motor City Hammer are gone, their territory in the Rot and Ruin is up for grabs.  All the bounty hunters want it, and with Tom leaving the area undefended, there's nothing to stop them from taking it.

Tom's journey across the Rot and Ruin with Benny, Nix, and Lilah doesn't go well right from the start, beginning with Benny's best friend, Chong, tagging along for just an overnight trip.  Chong accidentally causes chaos when the group encounters a wild rhino, so he decides to leave the group and head back to Mountainside alone.  But Tom is responsible for Chong, so he leaves Nix, Lilah, and Benny at the abandoned gas station to go after Chong.  Then, all hell breaks loose.  Chong gets taken by bounty hunters who are planning to take him to Gameland.  Nix and Benny end up causing a massive fire in their attempt to escape the zombie hoard coming at the gas station, and Lilah splits.

Ultimately, it's a never ending adrenaline ride that will leave you in tears.

Humble Opinion
I love the series.  I love the characters that Jonathan Maberry creates and I love/hate how attached I become to the characters.  Each character feels like a real person, not just a fictional character in a book, so when tragedy happens to them, I get emotional.  I was bawling from heartbreak by the end of the book yet I still couldn't put it down.

It's so well written that I'm able to see the story play out like a movie in my head.  That's when I know I'm reading something amazing, when I can visualize it.  When a book calls to the director in me, I know I'm reading something that will stick with me forever.  And this series is one of them.  (A few of the other series that I have felt this away about are: Vampire Academy, Arcana Chronicles, and Hush Hush)

Final say

Read this over the weekend, otherwise you're gonna have to call in sick because you won't be able to put it down.  Even though I feel like this book is probably geared more towards a male audience, females who love "The Walking Dead" will love this book too.  Just remember to grab some kleenex when you get to the end.