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The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
The Blurb On The Back:
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 by so much death?
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.
The Verdict:
The bleakness of this zombie survival novel may put some readers off, but this is a strong character-driven novel with some excellent world-building, a refreshing attitude towards its central love triangle and some wonderful key scenes. I eagerly await the sequel.
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 by so much death?
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.
The Verdict:
The bleakness of this zombie survival novel may put some readers off, but this is a strong character-driven novel with some excellent world-building, a refreshing attitude towards its central love triangle and some wonderful key scenes. I eagerly await the sequel.