The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Forest of Hands and Teeth, #1)

by Carrie Ryan

Enter the world of The Forest of Hands and Teeth, where you can trust no one and never be sure what's lurking in the trees. A masterpiece of suspense fiction that will have you reading through your fingers

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?

Readers love The Forest of Hands and Teeth:

'I can't give it less than five stars because I spent most of this book gripping the bed covers in suspense. The characters were all great, realistic and interesting' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'I found Ryan's writing beautifully and painfully evocative . . . I like a book that makes you wonder and makes you think, and even that makes you uncomfortable' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'This is a zombie novel, yes, but it's an oddly haunting and lyrical one . . . It's an excellent story overall and well worth checking out for YA and adult readers alike. Five stars' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'The characters in The Forest Of Hands and Teeth were extremely three dimensional to the point were you felt that they jumped off the page . . . will appeal to fans of The Hunger Games or to people looking for a great book that contains romance, fantasy, and horror' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'An enthralling post-apocalyptic masterpiece . . . At times, the suspense will cause you to put the book down for fear of what you might read next only to pick it up again because you can't wait to find out' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Reviewed by Joni Reads on

5 of 5 stars

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I despise anything to do with zombies. Honestly. Ok, aside from I am Legend the movie. That was pretty kickass. But otherwise, I steer clear of anything post apocalyptic related. And yet, when I heard about this book I had to read it. What changed my mind? A display in my local Barnes and Noble. I was browsing through and came to the end of the shelf and saw two displays set up. One was for before i fall by Lauren Oliver and the other was for the sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth which is called The Dead Tossed Waves. I took one look at the covers of both books and HAD to read them. When I read the cover of The Dead Tossed Waves I realized it was a sequel so I had to read the first book first. The first thing I did when I got home was request The Forest of Hands and Teeth from my local library. The day it came in I was thrilled.

First off, the cover is GORGEOUS! The colors are slightly muted and there is something about the look on the girl's face that just draws you in. My excitement to read these books was well placed. I loved this book. I was leary because it is about zombies but honestly, I got so wrapped in Mary's character and her story that it didn't matter anymore. Carrie Ryan does an amazing job with this book. When you begin to read the zombie apocalypse has already happened and Mary lives in a village that is dealing with it, and has been since Mary could remember. The Unconsecrated are kept out of the village by fences that are built all around.

The village Mary lives in is a bit like a cult. The form of "government" is called The Sisterhood. The Sisterhood have told the villagers that they are the only ones to survive the coming of the Unconsecrated and that they must never leave the village. But one day a stranger comes from outside the fence and suddenly Mary's world is turned upside down. After a series of events, the fences surrounding Mary's village are breached by the Unconsecrated. Mary, along with a few others, follow the paths that lead out of the village. As they venture further into The Forest of Hands and Teeth Mary wonders what secrets The Sisterhood has been keeping from her and what the world outside the fences she has always been behind may hold.

I could not put this book down. I fell in love with it and I couldn't wait to get a hold of the second book. And now I am eagerly awaiting my chance to get my hands on the third book The Dark and Hollow Places.

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  • 10 July, 2010: Reviewed