Review Detail

3.8 24

The Forest of Hands and Teeth (The Forest of Hands and Teeth #1)

Young Adult Fiction 2660

Better than the average zombie book

August 04, 2009 (Updated: June 21, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

N/A

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Reader reviewed by mearley

I
resisted this book for a long time because I just wasn't convinced that
I would enjoy a book about zombies. But after reading so many positive
reviews, I gave in, and I'm glad I did!

Mary lives in a village surrounded by a forest where the
Unconsecrated live. The villagers have always been told that there is
nothing beyond the forest and their only hope for survival is to stay
in the village and not question the Sisters or the Guardians. Mary,
however, remembers stories her mother used to tell about the ocean, and
she longs for something more than village life. After the Unconsecrated
attack the village, Mary and a small group of her friends (including
Travis, a boy she loves, and Harry, Travis's brother who loves her)
leave the village in search of any life beyond The Forest of Hands and
Teeth.

Ryan's first person, present tense narration gives the entire book
an urgency which makes it nearly impossible to put down. Yet the
writing is complex enough that the reader will not want to skim or rush
through. This will appeal to fans of the vampire/werewolf/zombie genre
as well as fans of dystopian fiction.

Guest

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