Review of The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Editor's Choice Carrie Ryan's Dark and Gripping Debut YA Novel

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Aug 1, 2009 Michelle Schusterman

This bleak zombie apocalypse novel is proof that young adult literature can be just as poignant, terrifying, and at times, beautiful as anything on the adult bookshelves.

In a market swarming with zombie stories ranging from light humor to horror, The Forest of Hands and Teeth is not to be taken lightly. While Carrie Ryan's debut novel falls into the YA (young adult) category, the typical teenage concerns of unrequited love, angst, and adult oppression are accompanied by more grim issues. Romance, fear, death, and hope are the themes woven into this chilling story.

Mary's World: The Unconsecrated

In a village that exists long after a zombie apocalypse nearly wiped out all of mankind, Mary has grown up dreaming of the mysterious ocean in her mother's stories. Surrounded by a forest filled with the Unconsecrated, the living dead who are endlessly seeking human flesh, Mary's town is run by the Sisterhood. The Sisters control everything, from sales and bartering to important ceremonies, like Mary's upcoming wedding vows to a longtime childhood friend.

When a young girl arrives in the village, despite the Sisterhood's strange attempt to conceal her, Mary realizes this outsider is proof that life exists beyond the Forest of Hands and Teeth. A breach of the fence protecting the town leads Mary to flee with a few survivors, including her betrothed and his brother, for whom she secretly harbors feelings.

Constantly fighting off the relentless Unconsecrated, Mary and her friends are faced with the seemingly impossible task of surviving outside of the village, driven to make unthinkable decisions. But despite the horrors they encounter, Mary holds onto her dream: to make it through the forest and find the ocean.

Thin Ray of Hope

From the very beginning, Mary is faced with an overwhelming amount of tragedy and loss that only increases as the pages fly by. Ryan's lyrical writing brings out the often spiderweb-thin, but always present, ray of hope even in the darkest scenes.

As with any zombie book, the story contains a decent amount of gore, though not overdone. Some of the more disturbing scenes aren't necessarily because of the blood, but more so the difficult emotions Mary has to deal with. One particularly discomforting scene finds Mary facing an Unconsecrated infant, fighting a mix of pity and horror as she musters the strength to deal with the tiny monster.

With heavy scenes like these, it would be easy for The Forest of Hands and Teeth to seem unbearably depressing. But with Ryan's ability to describe such dark images with beautiful descriptions, and Mary's constant hope for the ocean and a better life, this novel is a mesmerizing read.

About the Author

Carrie Ryan graduated from Williams College and Duke University School of Law. After working on a few "chick lit" novels, Carrie turned to young adult literature and zombies and never looked back. She currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with her fiancé, cats, and puppy.

The sequel, The Dead-Tossed Waves, is due to be released on March 9, 2010. For more information about Carrie Ryan and The Forest of Hands and Teeth, please visit her website.

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