The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

By Carrie Ryan

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?

I am really not into zombies at all so I was very hesitant about reading this series. I am not sure who recommended it to me but…..I am soooo glad they did! I absolutely loved this book.  It doesn’t dwell on what I would think a typical zombie would be. Maybe I have watched too many B rated horror flicks. I am pretty sure that I have!

So back to Mary in the story – I loved this character! She is strong and insecure at the same time. She just wants to love the person she marries even though marriage in her little village is more about commitment and survival than about love. She ends up betrothed so someone she cares about but doesn’t love. Her best friend is betrothed to the man she loves. However, during the week long commitment ceremony there is a breach in the fences surrounding their village that turns everything Mary ever knew into a whirlwind.  Mary learns to chase her dreams and what love is really about during her struggle for survival in this brutal world full of disease and danger.

I give this book 4 stars! It is a clean, easy read. It is a book that makes you wonder about the primal instinct of survival as it is also pitted against all of our emotions of love, compassion, and fear.