Review for The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

With the second book to this series coming out here in the UK soon I decided it was about time I picked this up and got it read, especially because I insisted on getting it in hardcover all those months ago because I couldn’t wait for the paperback and guess what? The paperback is now out and I’ve only just read it. Typical, but that’s just me and my book addict ways. This book is set in the future during a zombie apocalypse. Mary’s village believe they are the last human survivors in the world and are fenced off from the outside and the forest that surrounds them The forest of hands and teeth. Mary’s heard stories of what the world used to be like - buildings so tall they reached the sky, The Ocean - a mass of water that tastes like salt and stretches out as far as the eye can see. But it’s a little hard to believe that these things still exist or even ever existed at all when all she’s ever known is her village and The Unconsecrated constantly moaning and knocking at their fences hungry for the living. Everyone tells Mary that she should be content with the village be happy that she’s safe and not in The forest of hands and teeth, but Mary’s hunger to know if there’s life outside of her village and if they really are the last human survivors is strong, as strong as The Unconsecrated’s need for human flesh and like The Unconsecrated she wont be satisfied until her hunger is fulfilled. I really loved the idea for this book and the writing is gorgeous. It reminded me a bit of the film ‘I Am Legend’ so if you liked that I’d recommend checking this book out. However there were two problems with this book which is why I couldn’t give it the full 5 stars. I didn’t really like the characters I found them a little underdeveloped, and secondly the cover. This is probably the most boring book cover I have on my book shelf which really annoys me because the US cover is gorgeous both the hardcover and the paperback. If I didn’t know what this book was about before I saw the cover I don’t think I would have been drawn to it. However this book is so good that it hardly takes away from it at all, I read it in a day and will definitely be picking up the next book in this series The Dead-Tossed Waves when it comes out in April. 4 stars. My Rating 4/5 stars ****