Mary has grown up hearing tales from her mother of the ocean and she wonders what such a world would look like. Instead, she lives behind a fence and dreads the day when the Unconsecrated (zombies who attack the living) will breach their defenses. She’s already lost her father to THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, while her brother, Jed, patrols the fence line that protects their village. Everything is about to change, however, as Mary will have to evaluate which is more important- her dreams or those she loves- as she comes face to face with what hides in THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH.

THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH is a dark, sometimes disturbing novel… and yet it’s one that is impossible to put down! Carrie Ryan crafts a world that fascinates the reader even as it horrifies. The creepy setting of the forest, coupled with the stark rules and constant fear of the siren, create an atmosphere that is haunting, even a bit scary at times.

Mary is a dreamer, a young woman who refuses to settle for just getting by. She is stubborn and vacillates on issues at times but in her heart, she has just one dream: to see the ocean. She craves freedom and choice in a world that has been reduced to walls and fences, with a set order on one side and on the other side, zombies tearing at the fences in the aptly named Forest of Hands and Teeth.

Carrie Ryan touches on a number of deep issues, ones in which there are no easy solutions. Is a dream worth the risk and the heartache that may ensue? And what about the Sisters and the rules they enforce? The role of religion plays a slightly nefarious role in THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH and yet Carrie Ryan shows a glimmer of redemption even in the dour Sister Tabitha. At the core, THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH is a story in which there are no real good guys or bad guys but rather regular people trapped by the harshness of their circumstances. It is this element that makes THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH both compelling and terrifying at the same time. Bravo to Carrie Ryan for crafting such a stunning tale!

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (February 2010)

Other books in series: THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES

Author website