The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Synopsis:

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?

I finished this book last night and I have to admit it kept me awake for awhile after finishing it. I am a zombie fan. I love zombie movies like Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and 28 Days Later. There's something different about reading a zombie story as opposed to watching a zombie movie. I think with books I'm more drawn into the world. And what a world Ryan has created.

This book is bleak, unrelenting, heartbreaking, and frightening. In the midst of all the terror, there are these scenes of such beauty and tranquility, that it makes the horror seem that much more stark. It's beautifully written. The characters jump off the page right along with those Unconsecrated.

Most of the recent zombie books I've read have had a more humorous angle and I love that too. There's room for all kinds of writing in the zombieverse. This book is what I expect from a classic zombie novel...utter terror, with a little hope mixed in for good measure. The thing about zombie movies is that while scaring the bejeezus out of you, they really make you think. This book made me think a lot, maybe a little too much since I couldn't fall asleep last night. I kept hearing Unconsecrated moaning outside my window...or it could have been the wind.

I loved this book!! Carrie Ryan has written an incredible debut novel and the classic zombie tale (with a new spin) that I've been waiting for. I can't wait to read the other books in her series. I look forward to having the crap scared out of me over and over again.

To check out another blogger's view point head over to In Search of Giants and read Aerin's review.