Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Book 1) by Carrie Ryan

3 of 5 Stars

Publisher: Delacorte Books (Random House)

Goodreads Synopsis:

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?

Review:

 

This is a weird book. That's really all I can think about it, actually. That it's weird. Granted, I haven't read very many zombie books, or seen much about it, but it's still weird.

The main character, Mary, lives in a fenced off village in a zombie apocalyptic world. (Kind of like The Village?) And she's 'in love' with one boy but has to marry his brother, and even though she wants to do something about it, she doesn't. And the Sisters practically own the village, and at one point she gets thrown in seclusion and takes a vow of silence. Throughout all of this, she believes that there are people beyond the fence, and she's trying to find out what's beyond it without the Sisters knowledge.

And then she gets out when the zombie's attack and fences fall and the village people freak out. She gets out, following a trail lined with more fence, with her husband and the boys she actually loves and his wife, who is her friend. There's a lot of traveling and zombies and death.

Mostly this book was just alright to me. I didn't not like it, but I didn't particularly like it, either. Mary was alright. I didn't get too much of a sense of her character, and I wouldn't really want to be friends with her, from what I did get. She wasn't much of a strong heroine. And the whole marrying the other guy because it was easier wasn't... a very good idea.

A lot of the book is them traveling and trying to find a safe place to be. And there's quite a bit of death. The end made perfect sense, but it wasn't really satisfying. Although I don't know what would have been satisfying. And I don't know if I'm going to read the next one. I probably will at some point, but it might be a while till I do. The writing seemed a little... distant, and slow, which isn't bad. But I have to be looking for that style in order for it to keep my attention, and I haven't been, I guess. The world that she created was... unique, with the religious parts and all. But I'm not big on the religion or zombies. The next one has different characters, though, so maybe I'll like it more.