Release Date: February 9, 2010 (paperback)
Pages: 336 (Paperback)
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Most Appropriate For Ages: 12+Where I Got It: Won
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 about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, 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?
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I went into The Forest of Hands and Teeth expecting something dark, but good. I got just that and more.
Carrie Ryan immediately builds a fascinating world that's easy to get lost in from the first page. The plot kicks off with a bang and soon you find yourself unwilling to put it down. I've heard so much about how depressing this book is, and sure, it's sad, but it fit with the story, and it certainly didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.
I had kind of a love/hate thing going on with the main character, Mary. One moment she seemed strong and likable, the next she seemed selfish and never happy. In the end I think she grew and learned from her ways, and I enjoyed watching her grow. I loved Travis. A lot. I didn't realize how much romance would be in The Forest of Hands and Teeth when picking it up, but it definitely didn't bother me. I loved their realistic chemistry together.
The writing was absolutely beautiful...which is a hard to accomplish with a gory post-apocalypse. But Carrie Ryan's writing was elegant and was one of my favorite aspects of the entire novel.
The ending was...sad, but some goodness came out of everything too. Overall, a beautifully written sad story that I really enjoyed.
How kid friendly is it? There's no language or sex, but lots of gore.
