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The Forest Of Hands And Teeth
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Review
"Mary is a poweful, sympathetic heroine with plenty of depth and complexity, which will draw readers into her struggle for freedom." (Damian Kelleher WATERSTONES BOOKS QUARTERLY )
"The narrative sets a cheerless scene and the careful and often compassionate crafting of the horrors of the living dead add to the horror of the situation which Mary finds herself in. However, one of the great strengths of the book is its ability to make clear the resilience and determination of the human spirit, not only to survive but to search for those dreams which make existence whole. The Forest of Hands and Teeth is an assured debut." (BOOKS FOR KEEPS )
"Compelling enough to suggest that zombies may be the new vampires." (Lisa Tuttle THE TIMES )
"What makes this captivating, apart from the beauty of the prose, its wonderfully measured pace and neat plot twists, is the tension between Mary's dreams and the ever-present knowledge of the evil surrounding the village. For once, the hype surrounding a novel is not exaggerated. The Forest of Hands and Teeth is unputdownable." (Eric Brown THE GUARDIAN )
"Ryan writes with an infectious style that draws the reader in, buoying them with momentum at the right moments before delivering sequences of tense action. It's a very effective style and one that will surely resonate with fans of similar novels. A worthy and highly recommended read." (SCI-FI NOW )
"The Forest of Hands and Teeth truly is so much better than Twilight on numerous levels. Ryan has taken a familiar horror theme - the apocalyptic zombie tale - and refreshed it by setting Mary's story several generations beyond the fall of civilisation, with an intriguing and exciting plot that never quite takes the expected path. The book is well written, the language concise and easy to read. The characters are as realistically flawed as any teen you may meet, and never fall to stereotyping." (HORROSCOPE )
"Every once in a while, I come across a book that completely sucks me in from the very first page. 'The Forest of Hands and Teeth' is an astonishing debut, skillfully written by Carrie Ryan, poignantly narrated by Mary, powerfully unforgettable, and better than advertised. The Forest of Hands and Teeth' is one of the best debuts of the year." (FANTASY BOOK CRITIC )
"The Forest of Hands and Teeth is diverting, its mixing of romance and zom-conventions oddly engaging. Expect sequels." (Guy Haley DEATHRAY )
"The Forest of Hands and Teeth is original, gripping and rich in metaphor. In the cluttered zombie fiction market, it stands out like a living creature among reanimated corpses." (James Lovegrove THE FINANCIAL TIMES )
"I was terrified in parts, but I could not put it down." (TEEN TITLES Holly Kesterton, Gracemount High )
"Readers who have enjoyed the 'Twilight' series will love this novel, with its strong characterisation, intense atmosphere and supernatural motif." (Sandra Bennett THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN )
"The narrative sets a cheerless scene and the careful and often compassionate crafting of the horrors of the living dead add to the horror of the situation which Mary finds herself in. However, one of the great strengths of the book is its ability to make clear the resilience and determination of the human spirit, not only to survive but to search for those dreams which make existence whole. The Forest of Hands and Teeth is an assured debut." (BOOKS FOR KEEPS )
"Compelling enough to suggest that zombies may be the new vampires." (Lisa Tuttle THE TIMES )
"What makes this captivating, apart from the beauty of the prose, its wonderfully measured pace and neat plot twists, is the tension between Mary's dreams and the ever-present knowledge of the evil surrounding the village. For once, the hype surrounding a novel is not exaggerated. The Forest of Hands and Teeth is unputdownable." (Eric Brown THE GUARDIAN )
"Ryan writes with an infectious style that draws the reader in, buoying them with momentum at the right moments before delivering sequences of tense action. It's a very effective style and one that will surely resonate with fans of similar novels. A worthy and highly recommended read." (SCI-FI NOW )
"The Forest of Hands and Teeth truly is so much better than Twilight on numerous levels. Ryan has taken a familiar horror theme - the apocalyptic zombie tale - and refreshed it by setting Mary's story several generations beyond the fall of civilisation, with an intriguing and exciting plot that never quite takes the expected path. The book is well written, the language concise and easy to read. The characters are as realistically flawed as any teen you may meet, and never fall to stereotyping." (HORROSCOPE )
"Every once in a while, I come across a book that completely sucks me in from the very first page. 'The Forest of Hands and Teeth' is an astonishing debut, skillfully written by Carrie Ryan, poignantly narrated by Mary, powerfully unforgettable, and better than advertised. The Forest of Hands and Teeth' is one of the best debuts of the year." (FANTASY BOOK CRITIC )
"The Forest of Hands and Teeth is diverting, its mixing of romance and zom-conventions oddly engaging. Expect sequels." (Guy Haley DEATHRAY )
"The Forest of Hands and Teeth is original, gripping and rich in metaphor. In the cluttered zombie fiction market, it stands out like a living creature among reanimated corpses." (James Lovegrove THE FINANCIAL TIMES )
"I was terrified in parts, but I could not put it down." (TEEN TITLES Holly Kesterton, Gracemount High )
"Readers who have enjoyed the 'Twilight' series will love this novel, with its strong characterisation, intense atmosphere and supernatural motif." (Sandra Bennett THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN )
Book Description
Surrounded by death one girl must learn what it is to live. The debut of 2009, moving, scary, stunning, comes into paperback.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A zombie novel with brains,
By
This review is from: The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Hardcover)
Mary lives in a village surrounded by the Unconsecrated (essentially zombies) who claw at the fence keeping them out. Her options are stark - she can wait for a boy to claim her for his bride or she can join the Sisterhood (a quasi-religious organisation who give the village its morals and control its history). Mary hopes that Travis will claim her but is instead claimed by his brother, Henry. When her mother is involved in a tragic accident, Mary is taken in by the Sisterhood, where she becomes embroiled within their secrets, including the discovery of a mysterious girl called Gabrielle, who Mary is sure is from outside the village. As Mary tries to discover the truth about the world outside, the Unconsecrated break through the village's defences and Mary is sent on a terrifying quest for survival.
There is much to admire in this debut novel. Ryan's village is a complex and highly structured world and there's a strong mystery surrounding the Sisterhood, personified through Sister Tabitha a zealot who will do anything and sacrifice anyone to keep the village safe. The constant moans of the Unconsecrated is a chilling reminder of the dangers surrounding Mary and her friends. The set piece scenes are excellent - notably a heartbreaking moment involving Mary and her mother and a key scene where Mary and her friends are trapped on a platform being consumed by fire while the Unconsecrated wait below. Mary's an interesting character, driven by an irresistible curiosity to see the ocean that her mother has told about and troubled by her religious doubts. It's refreshing to read a YA novel with a love triangle where the female's wants are put above those of the male characters. Although Mary's narrative voice is strong, Travis, Henry, Cass and Jed are painted with broader brushstrokes and Mary tells us of her relationship with them rather than showing it. Also frustrating is the fact that the Sisterhood's secrets are never fully uncovered with the book becoming a bleak struggle for survival as Mary and her friends search for the world she believes is outside while being harried by the Unconsecrated. Ryan's unsentimental about her characters and many do not survive to the final page. This may put some readers off, but the story ends on a note of hope and I eagerly await the sequel to see what will happen to Mary next.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cracker crossover novel,
By Gareth Wilson - Falcata Times Blog "Falcata T... - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (TOP 500 REVIEWER)
This review is from: The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Hardcover)
OK to be blunt the book blurb really didn't speak volumes to me, yet seeing as I was at a loss for a few hours I picked up the tale and decided to see where it ran to. I was not only pleasantly surprised to see how it unfurled but was quickly sucked into the world that the characters inhabit. Whilst many would write this tale off as a YA book, the themes and the writing style will also quickly hook the adult reader into this world. Its edgy, its got teen angst and love but most of all its got zombies in the bucketload. Yeah we love zombies and quickly were dragged around with the characters as they sought to preserve their lives in a Romero meets Darabont offering. It's absolutely cracking and definitely a tale to introduce the YA to the adult market, especially if horror is their genre of choice.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
the forest of hands and teeth,
By Ali (Scotland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Hardcover)
Ever seen the film The Village? This book reminds me of that film. But it's so much better. The world building, the intrigue, the questions - how did the Unconsecrated become infected? Why is Mary's village so secluded? Are they the only people left? What are the Sisterhood and Guardians hiding? - are all things The Village wish it had.
Do we get answers to the above questions? Yes and no. The story isn't really about that though. It's tightly focused on Mary and her mother's stories of the ocean and her own dreams of life beyond the fences which keep the Unconsecrated out but also keeps the villagers in. I really took to Mary as a character. Sure, she's selfish. She wants a marriage made from love rather than convenience and bloodlines. She wants to leave the village and, when she gets that chance, she grabs it with a sheer bloody mindedness that I admired. Would I, would you, be any different in her situation? She may die or become one of the Unconsecrated but that's her choice and maybe it is better than what is a mere existence in a village that will, eventually, be breached by the Unconsecrated anyway. However, her actions are not without consequences and the end of this book both broke my heart and gave me hope. The Sisterhood were brilliantly sinister. They keep the village under a tight leash of rules and religion (the sinister feeling may just be me, though, as I tend to balk at both rules and religion) and we begin to learn that they know more than they let on. Sadly, this is one of the storylines that wasn't resolved in this book, and I really wanted it to be, because of Mary's first person narration. Maybe it will be revealed in later books. Maybe I'll never find out the answer because Mary never finds out the answer. Unfortunately, there is a bigger damp squib for me than possible unresolved storylines - the love triangle. I hate love triangles. They feel forced to me, rarely natural. Here was no different. Mary is in love with Travis, who is betrothed to her friend Cass. Meanwhile, Harry, brother of Travis, is deeply in love with, and betrothed to, Mary. Just ugh. Yet, when Mary and Travis get the chance of being alone for an extended period, NOTHING HAPPENS! I couldn't get my head around that. She loves him, he loves her, there are zombies vying for brains and they don't, y'know, break the tension? I know it's YA, and sex is rarely in YA, but I needed something to make me believe the feelings they apparently had for each other. And, for all I like Mary, I can't see what the attraction to her is as it is clear that the village, a husband and children will never be enough for her; she'll always want the ocean. The writing was suitably creepy with a sense of impending something. Not so much doom, although it was there, but something else I can't quite put my finger on. I found it to be a book full of tension; I would turn the pages and finish chapters with my shoulders up around my ears, wanting to know what happened next. Ignoring the odd sporadic bout of flowery language, it was a well written story. Occasionally, it felt repetitive, there's only so much fenced off paths to follow and woe-is-me-I-love-Travis one can take. Despite the fact that this book had a few flaws, I still enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
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