The Dead-Tossed Waves (The Forest of Hands and Teeth #2)

Ryan's first novel left a lot of holes to be filled and questions to be answered. this one cleared up a lot of stuff but I didn't find it as enjoyable. Maybe the newness had worn off or something?

Carrie Ryan is a phenomenal writer who really understands the allure of a well-crafted dystopian world. Her post zombie-apocalypse world of paths and forests is irresistible and her writing style really elevates that of YA. I was hugely in love with the first book, The Forest of Hands and Teeth and at the end of that book, I was dying to know what became of Mary and the kids with whom she had escaped her town. It was smart of Ryan to leave that story line in the past, but Gabry was a weak heroine and even by the end of the second book I hadn't felt like she had really come into her own yet. I would still highly, highly recommend this book. I literally read it in one day because I was so caught up in the story.

Before I realized that there was a sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth, I talked to my friend about what I would like to see in a potential sequel. This did not indulge any of those desires. Instead, the book turned 180 degrees and began an entirely new story. That is, until the second half when the events taking place began to have a strikingly similar plot as the first book. Still, there is constant action once again, and the romance aspect doesn't feel as forced as the first one. It is not as good as the previous book, but Ryan's writing style drives the lacking plot so that it is always exciting.

Gabry is the type that always follows the rules. She has a safe life within the walls of Vista, and never dreams of traveling to the Dark City. Her life is built around boundaries, until someone pushes those boundaries. When a trip to the abandoned roller coaster beyond Vista’s protective walls goes terribly wrong, Gabry’s life is turned upside down. In one horrible moment, Catcher—the boy she has loved all her life—is infected by a Mudo and her best friend is captured and condemned to serve the Recruiters. Gabry got away before it was too late, but at what cost?


With Catcher lost among the ruins, Gabry is torn between safety and love. If she stays in Vista she won’t have to seeing Catcher turn Mudo; however, if she stays, she risks being turned in by the others who were captured beyond the Barrier. Ultimately, her love for Catcher pushes her into the ruins. On her first visit to the ruins she meets Elias, a boy that is wandering in the wilderness. She is instantly drawn to his mysterious nature, but she is not sure if she can trust him. There are many things about him that seem strange: he lives in the wild, he dresses like a Mudo-worshipping Souler, and he calls the Mudo “Unconsecrated”—just like her mother.


After several surprising events, Gabry finds herself running to the Forest of Hands and Teeth for safety, along with Catcher, Cira (Catcher’s sister), and Elias. As they travel the Forest, the group eventually encounters Gabry’s mother and Harry (both from the first novel) and the secret to Gabry’s past.


I was worried that this book would be too much like the first novel in the series, but it ended up being a pleasant surprise. While it did seem very familiar at times, there were enough differences to make it unique. I’m thankful that this book was full of different characters. (Mary and Harry had minor roles in the plot.) Had this been a continuation of the first novel, I don’t think I would have liked it as much. The descriptions of the Mudo and the Forest were the same in this book. I was slightly disappointed that nothing more profound happened with either in this book, actually. I keep hoping that some hint of what caused the Return would emerge, but there was no such hint.


As before, characterization was great. Gabry was the typical conflicted teenager, struggling with leaving the safety of a life she’s known for the unknown. Her story isn’t unique (In fact, she seemed a lot like Mary from book #1), but she was well developed. You could feel the struggle she faced when she had to choose between Catcher and Elias. Also, the pain she experienced when she realized the story of her past seemed so real. I felt so sorry for her. Elias seemed a little too mysterious to me during the book. When they reached Mary’s village, it made sense why he seemed so stand-offish, but I still didn’t fully buy into it. There was a hint of Elias reappearing in the third book, so I’m hoping we get a better insight into his character then.


I was also a little disappointed with Catcher. He found himself in a terrible situation, but he seemed to use that as an excuse to dismiss Gabry too easily. I really didn’t like how hot/cold his emotions seemed to be. As I read the story of Gabry and Catcher I couldn’t help but feel that there was some huge chunk of history missing. There really should have been more to their story.


As with the first book, the plot is fast paced. Within the first two chapters the problem emerges and stays at a constant pace until the end. The characters added a newness to the book; whereas, the plot was very familiar. The time Gabry, Catcher, and Elias spend in the Forest seems like a repeat from the first book, but it still moves quickly enough (even though I thought it lagged a little at times). In The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Mary and her group were trying to find life outside of the Forest. This book seems to be about finding life within the Forest. Same struggles. Same conflicts—conflicting love, painful choices, the truth about one’s past. All of it was very familiar.


Overall I found it to be a decent book. I’m still not jumping in line to buy a t-shirt or a “Team Catcher” bumper sticker, but it was worth reading. If you liked (or loved) the first book, you’ll feel the same about this one. If you hated the first book, you can give this one a try. If you aren’t sold within the first 75 pages I can guarantee you won’t mind putting it aside.

I was a little disappointed to find that Carrie Ryan's follow-up to The Forest of Hands and Teeth didn't pick up where the last one left off, but instead the story skips to a new generation. Perhaps because of this, I felt it was hard for me to care about Gabry because she didn't have much of a personality. Or rather, she didn't have the passion and fire in her like her mother, Mary did in the first book. Granted, as the story goes along she does find her voice, but I actually found myself liking the other characters more than her.

One of the best parts of this book is the love triangle between Gabry, Elias and Catcher. I must say, Carrie Ryan knows how to create drama! Catcher is the boy-next-door all around good guy and Elias is the mysterious, tortured soul. Who to pick? I really liked both of them for a lot of different reasons. Catcher really changes throughout the book so I felt like he was the most developed character.

The zombies are still here and just as bad as ever. We do find out a little bit of information about them, however so that's appreciated. One thing that I didn't like about this book is that the characters are forced to go through the forest by way of the narrow fenced-in paths and I thought that was a little redundant since a lot of the first book is spent there as well.

Overall, I liked this book almost as much as the first, there were just a few things lacking for me.

(On a side note I just want to say I think the covers in this series are beautiful!)