Book Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Author: Carrie Ryan

Age Group: YA

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 308

Summary:

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future-between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Overall: 4.5 stars

Review:

I'm proud to say that this was the first book I have ever read about zombies and I'm glad I picked Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth to be!

Have you ever had a dream so strong that you were willing to do anything to get to it? Well, it's a dream that drives our main character through out the whole book. Mary lives in a village surrounded by The Forest of Hands and Teeth, which contains all the Unconsecrated (aka. zombies). The village is protected by a fence that keeps all of the infected zombies away from everyone because if you're bitten you're dead to the people of the village and more importantly The Sisterhood.

The Sisterhood are who run the village and keep everyone in order, but once Mary is forced to join the Sisterhood she soon learns that they are keeping secrets from everyone in the village.

I really really enjoyed the whole story line of the book. It was unique and something I've never read before. The writing was beautiful and it was very descriptive and I felt as if I was in the story personally sometimes.

Through out the story Mary's dream is to get to the ocean. To the people of the village the ocean in just a myth because they believe that there is nothing other than themselves left in the world and nothing beyond the Forest of Hands and Teeth. The Sisterhood has got them fixed on the idea that they are the last living people not infected by the decease that makes you Unconsecrated.

This story had a little bit of everything I enjoy in a good book. There was love, action, emotion, relationships, and most importantly, a goal. And that goal was set by Mary, to get out of the village and discover what was beyond the fence they lived in.

I found myself looking over my shoulder and having to keep on a light to read this book. While reading the parts that involved the Unconsecrated I would get goosebumps and a chill would got down my spine. I was afraid to get out of my bed with the fear that a hand would grab my foot when I got up. This book will definitely have your heart racing and checking your closets.

Now there was only one thing that prevented me from giving the book a full five stars and that was because of the romance aspect. At the beginning of the book I was very annoyed with Mary and her sudden need to feel this intense jealousy towards her friend who was with Travis. Though as time moved on they developed a strong romance that I grew to love too. Also, the fact that her brother was a complete jerk irked me to no end and I wanted to scream and shout at him, but in the end I could see where he was coming from even through I don't agree with it.

At the start of the story i also felt like everything was just going on way too lucky from our main character. The people she cared about all ended up together and I got a bad taste in my mouth at the thought that they would just-so-happen be lucky all the time and always find a solution for every thing through out the book. Though I soon found out that they were not at all lucky for the entire book and I'll just say that Carrie Ryan is not afraid to kill people. Especially when they live in a world infected by zombies.

In a Nutshell: This is a beautifully haunting book that left me wide-eyed and turning the pages at rapid speed.The story cause me to feel and I smiled and shouted and cried and i enjoyed it immensely. Make sure to check this book out. It's one that twill definitely stick with you.

One thing I learned from this book: Be careful what you dream for because it could cause you to sacrifice everything you have.

You can check out Carrie Ryan's website HERE.

You can buy The Forest of Hands and Teeth on Amazon HERE.

Also look out for The Dead-tossed Waves, the second installment of The Forest of Hands and Teeth series and the third installment, The Dark and Hollow Places, coming out March 2011.

Check Carrie Ryan out on GoodReads and Twitter.

~Caitlin out.