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The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Forest of Hands and Teeth Trilogy) Paperback – February 9, 2010

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,625 ratings

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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, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.
   Now, 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?

[
STAR] "A bleak but gripping story...Poignant and powerful."-Publishers Weekly, Starred

"A postapocalyptic romance of the first order, elegantly written from title to last line."-Scott Westerfeld, author of the Uglies series and
Leviathan

"Intelligent, dark, and bewitching,
The Forest of Hands and Teeth transitions effortlessly between horror and beauty. Mary's world is one that readers will not soon forget."-Cassandra Clare, bestselling author of City of Bones

"Opening
The Forest of Hands and Teeth is like cracking Pandora's box: a blur of darkness and a precious bit of hope pour out. This is a beautifully crafted, page-turning, powerful novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it."-Melissa Marr, bestselling author of Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange

"Dark and sexy and scary. Only one of the Unconsecrated could put this book down."-Justine Larbalestier, author of
How to Ditch Your Fairy
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, February 2, 2009:
“Mary's observant, careful narration pulls readers into a bleak but gripping story of survival and the endless capacity of humanity to persevere . . .Fresh and riveting.”

Starred review, School Library Journal, May 2009:
"[T]he suspense that Ryan has created from the very first page on entices and tempts readers so that putting the book down is not an option."

About the Author

   CARRIE RYAN is the New York Times bestselling author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy that includes The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Dead-Tossed Waves, The Dark and Hollow Places, and the original ebook Hare Moon. She has edited the short story anthology Foretold: 14 Stories of Prophecy and Prediction and contributed to many other story collections herself, including Zombies vs. Unicorns, Kiss Me Deadly, and Enthralled. Her work has been translated into over eighteen languages and her first novel is in production as a major motion picture. Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Carrie is a graduate of Williams College and Duke University School of Law. A former litigator, she now writes full time and lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Visit her at CarrieRyan.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ember (February 9, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385736827
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385736824
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 - 17 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 900L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 9 - 12
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.65 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,625 ratings

About the author

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Carrie Ryan
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Carrie Ryan is the New York Times bestselling author of a lot of books. She used to be a lawyer. Happily, she is not anymore. You can keep it that way by reading her books:

If you like thrillers, check out Trapper Road, Book 6 in the #1 WSJ Bestselling Stillhouse Lake series, co-written with Rachel Caine.

If you like zombies, try the Forest of Hands and Teeth series.

If you like clever, fun adventure fantasy for 8-12 year olds, definitely read the Map To Everywhere series (co-written with her husband, John Parke Davis).

If you like cold calculated revenge involving hidden identities and lots of secrets: Daughter of Deep Silence.

If you or your kids like multi-author, multi-platform series like 39 Clues and Spirit Animals, try Infinity Ring: Divide and Conquer -- it's produced by the same publisher (and has vikings and true history!)

If you like true-crime stuff (both fiction and podcasts), check out Dead Air, a serialized thriller co-written with Gwenda Bond and Rachel Caine.

If you want to learn more about Carrie (and especially more about her pets) check her out online at www.CarrieRyan.com. Or Twitter: @CarrieRyan. Or Instagram: @CarrieRyanWrites

If you're pretty sure you won't survive the zombie apocalypse, you're in good company. She won't either.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,625 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoyed the story and found it thrilling. They described the emotional content as poignant, heartbreaking, and eerie. The writing quality was praised as smooth and perfectly phrased. Readers found the book exciting and interesting at the beginning, with great potential for intrigue and mystery. Overall, they described the book as strong and a really strong debut.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

128 customers mention "Story quality"128 positive0 negative

Customers enjoyed the story. They found it thrilling and interesting enough to read the entire trilogy. The book was described as well-written, clever, and believable.

"...It's a bit maniacal, maybe, but understandably so, and it makes for a much more complex, nuanced, adult novel than people typically get from YA...." Read more

"One I started reading I could not stop. 2 nights done, that good. Story well written, with plenty of hair raising scares...." Read more

"...In any case, if you want a good, thrilling zombie read but do not want one based in stark reality and true horror, stay away from this book...." Read more

"...I do recommend this book to those who want an interesting zombie story that is not too much gore or horror that provides aspects of love and religion..." Read more

60 customers mention "Emotional content"43 positive17 negative

Customers enjoy the emotional content of the book. They find it a poignant love story and zombie horror story, with the right amount of romance and action. Readers appreciate the author's writing style that conveys the truth about love and finding love. The book is described as gripping, enjoyable, and relatable.

"...It was lovely in a heartbreaking way. Much like the romance between Mary and Travis. I loved every moment of that, and bought it all...." Read more

"...2 nights done, that good. Story well written, with plenty of hair raising scares. Just great, going to look for a book 2." Read more

"...strange beautiful way about Ryan’s writing and the way she conveys the truth about love and finding love in comparison to the desires and life of..." Read more

"...would have lessened the whole book, the horrible and frustrating things that happen throughout, if the author was to simply tie everything into a..." Read more

58 customers mention "Writing quality"44 positive14 negative

Customers praise the writing quality as well-written, beautiful, and easy to read. They appreciate the strong Mary's voice throughout the novel, and find the atmosphere enthralling. The descriptions and languages are also appreciated. Overall, readers describe the book as poetic and thrilling.

"...are times when the things that Mary says in the novel are so perfectly phrased as to make me actually stop reading and just dwell on them...." Read more

"...However, it is easy to write a character who understands what is going on, who speaks out when they are wronged and who knows that love is worth..." Read more

"...There is a strange beautiful way about Ryan’s writing and the way she conveys the truth about love and finding love in comparison to the desires and..." Read more

"...So much left unsaid, so many regrets and 'If only...' I think they weigh a person down. For Mary this was the hard truth she had to learn...." Read more

34 customers mention "Excitement"34 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's excitement and suspense. They find it interesting at the beginning, with a mix of adventure, post-apocalyptic, love story, zombies, and action. The book is described as thrilling, suspenseful, and heartwrenching. Readers appreciate the refreshing lack of profanity and the ideas about faith and free will that are captured in a tight and raw way.

"...There is a lot of action and a lot of heart-ache, etc etc. While I was reading I at first found myself having many of the same problems..." Read more

"...There are really interesting aspects of religion that are part of life in the village and are also backing the leaders of the village, The Sisterhood..." Read more

"...All in all, I thought the story flowed real smoothly. There was plenty of action and excitement and I thought it blended well with the parts that..." Read more

"...This book at its very basic is about hope. Hope that things will get better in a society filled with the “unconsecrated”, or what we know as Zombies...." Read more

10 customers mention "Sturdiness"7 positive3 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They say it's a strong debut about hope, love, survival, and pursuing dreams.

"...This is a book about hope, love, survival and reaching for your dreams. It is one I am glad I reread...." Read more

"...She was head strong and determined and unwilling to settle...." Read more

"...So imagine my surprise when near the end everything falls apart so quickly. It wasn't the first dire situation, but it was the worst I think...." Read more

"...the book was in great condition. The book looked as if someone bought it and then just put in on their bookshelf...." Read more

53 customers mention "Plot"21 positive32 negative

Customers find the plot descriptive and nuanced. They appreciate the realistic world setting and great look at humanity in this kind of world. However, some feel the book lacks a happy ending and drags on too long, with flat characters and dull, monotonous plot. Overall, the story is described as gray and dark, with death surrounding Mary and her village.

"...My biggest problem with the book was its lack of happy ending, but it's hard to be mad at an author for trying to create a realistic world...." Read more

"...maybe, but understandably so, and it makes for a much more complex, nuanced, adult novel than people typically get from YA...." Read more

"...The negatives included the romance plot. Ugh. I wanted to have all the main characters sit down in a room and go through relationship group therapy...." Read more

"...beautiful moments that really drove the characters to think and reflect on life, love and relationships...." Read more

45 customers mention "Character development"26 positive19 negative

Customers have varying opinions about the character development. Some find the characters engaging and relatable, with a solid and likeable main character. Others feel the main characters lack depth and interest.

"...Mary is a really solid character and I love that she questions everything...." Read more

"...I wanted to throw my book against the wall. Mary was just not a great character for me and I felt like all the time focused on her took away from..." Read more

"...The characters all feel so real. All jaded, but each trying in their own way to hold on to their sanity and persevere...." Read more

"...I liked the supporting characters, I liked the descriptions and the languages, I felt like some scenes (baby) were put in just for shock value, but..." Read more

19 customers mention "Pace"13 positive6 negative

Customers have different views on the book's pace. Some find it fast-paced and intense, while others feel it starts slowly and lacks a clear time frame.

"...I will say that the last 60 or 70 pages were my favorite. The pace was fast, the danger was imminent, and the action was satisfying...." Read more

"A quick, intense read. The story draws you in from the beginning and doesn't let go...." Read more

"...The time frame is also really vague, we know it's in the future but there isn't a clear definition of what year it is...." Read more

"...I found myself reading at a non stop pass as soon as I turned the first page...." Read more

Misprint?
1 out of 5 stars
Misprint?
Not sure what to make of this. Unfortunately I think I got a misprint of some sort. The first page when you open the book was page 297 and continues on through the last chapter of the book and has the acknowledgments and then the first chapter of the second book. Then a few blank pages then it starts on page 25 and then continues on like normal. It then has the last chapter again (where it should be) and then the first chapter of book two again. Highly confused on what’s going on.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2011
    This seems to be one of those books that gets really mixed reactions. I've read more than a few rants that complain of the writing style (present tense), the love aspect, the originality aspect, and Mary herself, saying she's selfish and unlikeable. And most of the things that seem to bother people about this book help me to love it.

    I found Ryan's writing beautifully and painfully evocative, and the present tense lent an immediacy to the narration that really worked. There are times when the things that Mary says in the novel are so perfectly phrased as to make me actually stop reading and just dwell on them. I could see everything so clearly, and sometimes just ached with it. It was lovely in a heartbreaking way.

    Much like the romance between Mary and Travis. I loved every moment of that, and bought it all. This bit is a teensy bit spoilery, so if you haven't read it, look away.

    I know there are people who find the relationship unbelievable, and think that Mary was selfish for a) choosing Travis over Harry for no reason (? did they read the same book I did?), and for feeling like there was something more even than Travis. I understand why people were frustrated by this and thought Mary selfish -- so many people read YA for the easy romance and the lies. I hate to say it, but it's true. I respect Ryan so much more for not making things easy like that. I absolutely loved that, although Mary loved Travis, she realized there was more to the world, and since she lives in a pretty effed up world, there most certainly is. Mary is a woman on a mission, and she doesn't let anything sway her from that. It's a bit maniacal, maybe, but understandably so, and it makes for a much more complex, nuanced, adult novel than people typically get from YA. I appreciated that.

    Same goes for the ending. Some people were really upset about the lack of resolution in the end, and I personally loved it. (And even though I know there is a sequel (and 3rd!), and fully intend to read them, I would have been content with 1 open-ended but powerful book.) It would have been a cop-out to have everything wrapped up neatly. I like a book that makes you wonder and makes you think, and even that makes you uncomfortable. It means the writer was working and doing their job, not just churning out some schlocky mess for $$.

    This isn't to say I thought it was a perfect book. There were times when the prose was a bit purply, and I was worried on occasion that it was about to go over the top. I originally rated it a 4 on Goodreads, but as time passed, I found myself craving it, and thinking about Mary and the things she went through, the choices she had to make, and respecting it more and more. I ended up bumping it up to a 5. It's one of those books that I know I will reread and appreciate in different ways, but that I would reread even if that wasn't the case, just to get back to the beauty of Ryan's writing.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2024
    One I started reading I could not stop. 2 nights done, that good. Story well written, with plenty of hair raising scares. Just great, going to look for a book 2.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2012
    I'm going to start this by saying there are some spoiler alerts. So do not read this if you have any interest in reading the book and haven't yet, unless you like knowing ahead of time.
    The Forest of Hands and Teeth is a post-apocalyptic zombie novel, meaning that it takes place in a time long after the world as we know it has ended. Mary, the protagonist, lives in a village cut into a thick, supposedly unending, forest which is surrounded by a fence keeping the "unconsecrated," ie zombies, out. There is a lot of action and a lot of heart-ache, etc etc.
    While I was reading I at first found myself having many of the same problems stated by "beckyjean" and others who have replied. I was especially frustrated with the lack of drive all of the characters seemed to posses, not to mention how Mary clung to the idea of the sea like a dog with a bone. I kept wanting them to realize that all they had to do was get to where the forest ended and then they could see how much more land and space there was. I wanted them to form a game plan other than "survive until supplies run out." I was mad at how people treated each other, mad when Mary just accepted and even forgave people who wronged her. And yes, I was mad that the honeymoon phase between her and Travis ended so quickly, as many have stated.
    However, I realized that I was putting myself in the mindframe of a person who would be reacting if the zombie apocalypse were to happen today. I know the way the land is comprised, I know and have been to many oceans, and I would be trying to kill as many zombies as I could, not just run away from them. In my mind, if you're stuck in a city overrun by zombies, even if they number in the hundreds or thousands, if each person killed even just five or ten a day their problem would soon be solved. (Or at least lessened in the event that they had to escape.) I also have the luxery of getting mad when people wrong me, of speaking my mind and even cutting people out of my life.
    But to those who have spent several generations living in a secluded, small town, all they know is what they've been told. They do not understand what all is out there. They do not see the bigger picture because they have never even been told that there is a bigger picture. They don't even know what an airplane is, and cannot imagine what would let a person take a picture of zombies from above, like an eagle. And it would make sense that people, back during the initial attack, who managed to create an isolated city would believe that isolation was the key to survival. Keep traveling, keep letting others in and out, and the risk of contamination skyrockets. It is logical then that, over time, the world described at the beginning of the book would come to be, including the way people react.
    A lot of readers have been angry with the protagonist Mary. However, it is easy to write a character who understands what is going on, who speaks out when they are wronged and who knows that love is worth more than the ocean. But is it really realistic? Isn't it more realistic that a person would want to see something that they have always been told was a fairy tale? Or that, if finally given the chance to have something that has been covetted for so long, grievances be pushed into the background until given the time and security to come forward? That is what happened with Mary. She loved Travis all the way throughout the book, but he hurt her. He chose Cassie. Even once he said he loved Mary he didn't come for her. It took her a lot of time and courage to finally bring herself to ask him why. At first she kept quiet because she wanted to enjoy finally having Travis. She didn't want to ruin their chance of being together, and that uncertainty itself was hurting their relationship. It makes sense.
    My biggest problem with the book was its lack of happy ending, but it's hard to be mad at an author for trying to create a realistic world. Personally, I love "and they all lived happily ever after" endings, or something to that degree. But that isn't the most realistic. It broke my heart a little and I felt sick while reading, but I understood the author. It would have lessened the whole book, the horrible and frustrating things that happen throughout, if the author was to simply tie everything into a neat package at the end. I would have had a happier reading experience but been overall dissapointed. I hope that makes sense.
    I gave this book four stars instead of five because I think that the author could have made these points easier to see for people, if what I wrote was even her intention... which is my point. What the author was trying to say is not expressly clear. The book was really bothering me and because of that I spent a lot of time figuring out how I really felt about it, which can be a good thing but can also seriously deter readers.
    In any case, if you want a good, thrilling zombie read but do not want one based in stark reality and true horror, stay away from this book. There are many good zombie books out there that aren't so devastating ("Souless, by Christopher Golden is a good one.) However, if you want a book that really makes you think about what the world and its people would be like several hundred years after modern-day society has ended, this book is a good pick.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on January 20, 2017
    Excellent product, very pleased with speedy delivery. My son loves this.
  • Evey
    5.0 out of 5 stars Super début !
    Reviewed in France on February 28, 2016
    J'ai tout bonnement adoré ce livre.
    Beaucoup de questions, d'actions, les personnages sont tops. Franchement, un très bon livre !! Et le style d'écriture est parfait !
  • R. Wood
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2012
    'The Forest of Hands and Teeth' is far more complex than its blurb insinuates. It successfully creates a love story in one of the most unlikely situations you could - initially - think of: a zombie apocalypse. With its unique take on the zombie tale, 'The Forest of Hands and Teeth', with its narcotic, addictive prose is a breath of fresh air in a genre that has become littered with (pardon the pun) deadwood tales. Ryan accomplishes what few authors have done before her - making every chapter end on a cliffhanger which is in no way contrived.

    The zombies (or Unconsecrated) themselves are a background 'character', though their threat is ever-present and their sudden, frenzied attacks are ferocious. The real shining star of the story is Mary, a teenage girl who is unable to decide what and who she wants in life. A stark reminder that even in the darkest of times, surrounded by death and the threat of infection, life finds a way to shine a light. Though several of the novel's characters seem to serve only as an instrument through which to uncover Mary's deeper hopes, dream and confusion, the novel itself is fantastically driven.

    Ryan has created a dark, haunting world which demonstrates humanity's unending, incessant desire and will to survive against the odds. Both moving and terrifying, 'The Forest of Hands and Teeth' shines like a torch through the haze of similar though inferior post-apocalyptic zombie tales. The novel leaves the reader thirty for more, to uncover the secrets that have been so tantalisingly close throughout. However, this is simply another superb narrative technique by Ryan. Read the sequels 'The Dead-Tossed Waves' and 'The Dark and Hollow Places' and all will fall into place, giving you that "a-ha!" moment that makes all the best series worth reading!
  • Anna
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good
    Reviewed in Canada on September 9, 2020
    The product was perfect only dent in the cover due to shipping and the shipping took twice the time it would have but it’s fine.
  • LeMielCalista
    4.0 out of 5 stars Ein Nervenschauer
    Reviewed in Germany on August 15, 2012
    Mit Skepsis habe ich mir dieses Buch zugelegt - eigentlich bin ich kein Fan von Zombie-Fiction.
    Was soll man als Leser schon mit grölenden Untoten anfangen, wenn es doch so etwas wie Vampire im Kino gibt?
    "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" ist allerdings auch für mich eine große Überraschung gewesen.
    Die Autorin strikt eine solide Geschichte, mit anspruchsvollem Vokabular (Englisch-Fortgeschrittene)
    und Galgenhumor. Es ist aber auch eine Welt der Gefühle, die nichts mit Filmen wie "Resident Evil" gemeinsam hat.

    Mary ist ein junger Erwachsener und lebt in dem scheinbar letzten Dorf der Menschheit.
    Ihr Alltag ist geprägt von bäuerlichen Aktivitäten und dem einen Zaun, der ihr Dorf umgibt - der Zaun,
    der den Tod aus ihrer Welt hält, der Zaun, der den Wald von dem Dorf trennt. Dahinter liegt nichts als Tod.
    Während die Untoten an den Zaunmauern lungern, stöhnen und ihre Hände durch die Gittermaschen strecken,
    lebt Mary ein normales Leben - scheint so. Denn auch ihr Leben entwickelt sich zur Qual, als ihre Mutter
    eines Tages zu nahe an den Zaun geht und von einem "Zombie" erwischt wird. Mit einem Schlag ändert sich alles
    und Mary sieht sich gezwungen zu wählen - zwischen dem, das für das letzte Dorf der Menschheit gut ist, und ihrer Liebe zu Travis.

    Die Geschichte erinnert an viele Filme, doch sie hat nur wenig mit den Hollywood-Blockbustern gemein.
    Manch einer wird das Buch vermutlich als Abklatsch sehen, doch das muss nicht sein.
    Bei diesem Werk ist die Bewertung wirklich ganz subjektiv. Was man jedoch sagen kann: Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist einfach fesselnd.
    Obgleich sie nicht viel der Umwelt beschreibt (wirklich nur das Notwendigste) und sich eher mit Marys Gefühlen aufhält,
    spürt man doch das Düstere, das das Dorf umgibt, den Abgrund, der die Toten von den Lebenden trennt.
    Hat man sich erst einmal durch die 50-seitige Einleitung gelesen und sich in der Geschichte zurechtgefunden,
    kann man das Buch kaum noch aus den Händen legen. Eine alter Hut (Zombies) mit neuen Elementen. Und ein Geheimnis, das einem den Atem raubt.

    + besonders individuelle Charaktere (keine Superhelden oder Hollywood-Schönheiten, sondern einfach Menschen mit Makeln und Fehlern)
    + Spannung und Herzklopfen bis zur letzten Seite
    - Keine leichte Lektüre (Tod, Verzweiflung und Mord)
    - wird zu leicht in Schubladen gesteckt und dadurch oft negativ bewertet

    Fazit: ein spannendes Buch, das zu leicht als „Abklatsch“ anderer Bücher und Filme gesehen wird.
    Wer sich jedoch traut, soll bitte zugreifen und sich selbst ein Bild machen. Die Autorin verdient jede Chance.

    [Legende: + ( = positiv) und - ( = negativ)]