Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Krista

Ever since she was child, Mary yearned to see the ocean. Most of the
people in Marys village think she is foolish to think anything but
their village exists. They have always been told that their small
village was the only thing left after the Return. The village is
surrounded by fences, so the Unconsecrated (zombies) cant reach them.
After Marys mom is taken by the Unconsecrated, Mary must join the
Sisterhood. There, she learns that the Sisterhood has been keeping
secrets, and that her village is not the only thing left in the world.
Does this mean that a vast area of water, unaffected by the
Unconsecrated still exists? And how far will Mary go to find the ocean?

First of all, I loved The Forest of Hands and Teeth. The
novel was thrilling and took no easy way outs. I liked how Ryan chose
the focus on the apocalypse after it happened. This gave the novel
unique feel. My favorite thing about the novel was Mary. She was a
flawed person, but a realistic character. I did not like all of her
decisions, but I understood that her decisions were her choices. I know
that must sound confusing, but what I mean is that Mary knew what she
was doing the entire time was what was best for her. Although, admittedly, some readers will be frustrated with how far Mary was willing to go to reach her dream.

I also enjoyed the part where Ryan subtly touched on religion and
its flaws. When I reached the end of the novel, I was sad. I wanted
more! However, because the point-of-view surrounded around Mary, more
of a resolution would have been impossible.

I cant wait for the companion novel!