Bibliography: Ryan, Carrie. (2009). The Forest of Hands and Teeth. New York: Delacorte Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 978-0385736817 (hardcover) 978-0385736824 (paperback)
Plot Summary: Mary feels trapped–her life is lived within a tall metal fence to keep out the Unconsecrated. Girls either get married and have babies or join the religious village protectorate called the Sisterhood. She loves Travis but he’s betrothed to someone else so she accepts his brother instead. But she wonders, whats beyond the fence? She’s seen pictures and heard stories about the ocean. She sees a path beyond the fence and wonders where it leads. When the Unconsecrated breach the fences, she and Travis and a few others make it out to the path. But where are they going? And how will they survive?
Critical Analysis: Usually I have a lot of articulate observations to list here. But this book has left me slightly speechless (wordless?) I feel a little bit like a judge on American Idol–Carrie Ryan has it. (Now what is it? That’s what I’m going to try and explain…)
From the very first page, the story draws you in. What is this place? Who are these people? Who are the Sisterhood? Where did the Unconsecrated come from? What is beyond the fence? Are Travis and Mary ever going to end up together?
The suspense and horror are tangible, Ryan has a distinct style and tone that keep the pages turning while providing rich details, setting and characters. The limited perspective of Mary’s point of view adds to the mysteriousness of the time and place. The descriptions of the Unconsecrated and their attacks, of the fear and scrambling to get away, the action is both immediate and distant. The reader is there and a watcher. I really identified with Mary. Who hasn’t felt trapped by their life, their circumstances? Who hasn’t wondered about the beliefs of their society? This is not just a teen story but a human story, and one of grit and survival.
Review Excerpts: “Mary’s observant, careful narration pulls readers into a bleak but gripping story of survival and the endless capacity of humanity to persevere…. Fresh and riveting.”–Publisher’s Weekly
“[T]he suspense that Ryan has created from the very first page on entices and tempts readers so that putting the book down is not an option. The author skillfully conceals and reveals just enough information to pique curiosity while also maintaining an atmosphere of creepiness that is expected in a zombie story.”–School Library Journal
“Mary’s an unlikable heroine, obsessed with Travis…even as everything she knows is destroyed. But despite plot holes, more angst than action and an excess of philosophical meanderings, Mary’s story delivers what’s important: zombie apocalypse.”–Kirkus Reviews
“Ryan’s vision is bleak but not overly gory; her entry in the zombie canon stands out for how well she integrates romance with flesh-eating. The plot loses a little wind near the conclusion, but Ryan’s ability to write a nail-biting escape scene will keep most readers riveted.”–Booklist
Reviewed from publisher provided paperback copy. Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
