Saturday, October 24, 2009

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

The Forest of Hands and Teeth
By Carrie Ryan
Delacorte Press, 2009. 310 pgs. Young adult fiction.

Raised in a small, isolated village amidst a veritable forest of flesh-eating people who died and Returned after infection, Mary is driven by her curiosity and desire to go beyond the fenced boundaries. After her mother is infected and joins the Forest, Mary's whole world is turned upside down as she is forced to join the Sisterhood, the zealously devout organization that runs the village. Through her constant struggle to discover truth and find happiness, Mary finds herself and those she loves in the greatest danger imaginable.

This story was dark, consuming, and elegantly written. I was reeled in from the first page and kept in a constant sense of tension. Although I wished some of the story's aspects had been further developed, I truly enjoyed the book. I was very impressed with Ryan's captivating prose--I loved that she abstained from ever using the term "zombie;" I felt it was an excellent move and made the book far more intriguing. I am looking forward to further literature from this talented author.

CW

1 comment:

DEF said...

I was not quite as enamored of this book. I enjoyed the prose, but I did feel like there should have been more to it. At the end, I was disappointed.