Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Bibliography:

Ryan, Carrie. 2009. Forest of Hands and Teeth. Delacourt Press: New York. ISBN 978-0385736824

Critical Analysis:

In Ryan's novel, Mary is a young girl living in a post-apocalyptic society. The last survivors of a virus that turned most of the world's population into the walking dead. Fortunately for the survivors, the infected zombies, called the Unconsecrated by Mary's deeply religious village, are mindless and, for the most part, easy to outrun. But what they don't have in intelligence, they make up for with sheer numbers and the single-minded, relentless need to bite and infect. Although both of her parents are lost to the forest, Mary and her older brother live in relative safety inside the fences of her village. Until Mary starts suspecting the Sisters, who are the leaders and protectors of the village, of keeping dark secrets about the nature of the Unconsecrated. Ultimately, these secrets result in a catastrophic breach in the fences which forces Mary to flee her destroyed village, along with Harry, the boy she is betrothed to, Travis, his brother whom she is in love with, and Cass, Mary's best friend and Travis' betrothed. Having always believed that they were the only survivors on earth, now Mary must find the courage to turn away from her village's firm beliefs and find where she belongs in this new world.

This is my first attempt at a book trailer! I really enjoyed Carrie Ryan's Forest of Hands and Teeth! This is the book for all of us who said we would never, ever read a zombie book. Ryan somehow manages to describe the zombies in a way that makes them frighteningly believable without being campy or cheesy. Even though there is a high-level tension throughout the book (they are in constant danger), it is balanced well with romance and themes of finding your identity and path in life. The end leaves you with questions so it is good that the sequel, "Dead-Tossed Waves" is already out. But beware: it leaves you hanging as well and the third book has not been released. Overall, Ryan writes a supernatural book that ventures away from the beaten path (at least nobody is in love with a zombie, ok?) and mixes horror, romance, and coming of age issues in a well-written story. Happy Reading!

Click here for a review by Scott Westerfeld, author of The Uglies series, The Midnighters Series, and Peeps, and also a short interview with Carrie Ryan.

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