The Forest of Hands and Teeth (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Mar 29, 2010 Katyana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, zombies, post-apocalyptic

This book is scary, intense, frustrating and heart-breaking. It takes place generations after the zombie apocalypse, and almost everyone from Mary's village has forgotten all the stories of the world outside their fence, of the time Before. Only Mary yearns for something more than the small village; it seems only Mary still hopes for a life that is more than just surviving. This story is intense and at times horrific, as you, with Mary, are left bereft of everything but Mary's precious sliver of ...more

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Jan 19, 2010 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it liked it · review of another edition

The first half of The Forest of Hands and Teeth was compelling - creeping menace from beyond the chainlink fence and within. The writing is a contradiction, both spare and lyrical, you are provoked to use your imagination to draw in the details.
Unfortunately the second half of the book was spoiled for me, I grew tired of Mary's selfish, almost narcassitic, thoughts and behaviour very quickly after they fled the Cathedral. I really wanted and hoped for some genuine growth for her character, inste ...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Purple rated it liked it

Shelves: girlpower, young-adult, zombies, series, action

I finished this today at work. ~~Sorry boss, didn't see you there~~. ;p

My thoughts:
...........................petty.........................infidelity............................................................................................stupid............................................................................................damn..it!.....................................................shit...........................................................(hiccups).........(hiccups).......(hicc ...more

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Apr 12, 2010 Nairabell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star, teen-ya-dystopian

Mary has been brought up in a world of simple truths - the sisterhood always knows best, the guardians protect and serve and the unconsecrated will never relent. But Mary's mother told her stories of a world beyond the Forest of Hands and Teeth, of the ocean and of the time before the Return. When Mary's mother becomes infected by an unconsecrated, she chooses to become one of them and so she is sent into the forest. This triggers a chain of events that completely changes Mary's world, making he Mary has been brought up in a world of simple truths - the sisterhood always knows best, the guardians protect and serve and the unconsecrated will never relent. But Mary's mother told her stories of a world beyond the Forest of Hands and Teeth, of the ocean and of the time before the Return. When Mary's mother becomes infected by an unconsecrated, she chooses to become one of them and so she is sent into the forest. This triggers a chain of events that completely changes Mary's world, making her realise that the simple truths she was brought up with are not quite as simple or as truthful as she once thought.

This was one of those books that I kept putting off reading because I'm not a massive fan of zombies and the blurb reminded me of the movie The Village, but where I was left disappointed after that I thoroughly enjoyed TFOHAT. It was the dystopian post-apocalyptic nature of the book that got me to finally grab it from my stack of unread books. The world is well developed, and the author doesn't fall into the common first book trap of info-dumping on the reader. I wasn't expecting much of the book, but the author creates a high-level of tension that she gradually builds and keeps up throughout the duration of the story. I was also surprised by the realism that the author introduced, especially as this is aimed at young adults, although this meant that the book (in my opinion) is definitely readable for adults unlike many YA books.

I liked the characters - the book focuses on Mary as the lead with her friend Cass, romantic interests (and brothers) Harry and Travis, Mary's brother Jed and his wife Beth (sister of Harry and Travis) with Argos the dog and a young boy Jacob joining the cast about halfway through. I agree with other reviewers that Mary got a little annoying at times, but not enough to detract from my enjoyment of the book.

There are questions left unanswered at the end of the book, but not enough to leave the reader feeling unsatisfied. My copy has a sneak peek at the next book The Dead-Tossed Waves at the end, and it's clear that the sequel will be opening the world up a little more and answering some of those questions.

All in all this was a surprisingly tension-filled read that kept me glued to the page until the very end. I'll definitely be picking up copies of The Dead-Tossed Waves and The Dark and Hollow Places to see where the story goes next.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 48/50 ...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Charlotte (Buried in Books) rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I don't do Zombies, really don't do them. They frighten me, that whole eating brains thing, blughhhhh. I couldn't even sit through Shaun Of The Dead for crying out loud.

So I thought that if was going to go Zombie, it was probably best to go the Young Adult route - and boy was that the right decision. I'd read some of the reviews but still didn't really know what to expect.

Mary lives in a village in the forest, it's a forest surrounded by fences - you don't go too near to the fences, because the I don't do Zombies, really don't do them. They frighten me, that whole eating brains thing, blughhhhh. I couldn't even sit through Shaun Of The Dead for crying out loud.

So I thought that if was going to go Zombie, it was probably best to go the Young Adult route - and boy was that the right decision. I'd read some of the reviews but still didn't really know what to expect.

Mary lives in a village in the forest, it's a forest surrounded by fences - you don't go too near to the fences, because the Unconsecrated are always there. Pulling at the fences, trying to get to you, to bite, to spread the infection.

Mary is too young to remember life before the Return. She only knows the stories told to her by her mother - that were passed down through the family. She's never seen the ocean, but the stories of it are what drives her to believe in a world beyond the forest and the fences. A life without the Sisterhood, who govern the village. Left to their care after her Mother joins their Father in the forest - abandoned by her brother, and by the one person she loves - Travis, who's bethrothed to her best friend.

But Mary soon realises that the Sisterhood knows much more, that there is life beyond the fences, which Mary has to face when the fences fail and it becomes clear that the only way to survive is to go to the paths that lead out into the forest.

I will admit that the first third of this book dragged for me. Until the breach in the fences it was slow going, but it did set up the rest of the book. I thought Mary was rather selfish at times, but in the end I understood that the only way she clung to life was to believe that there had to be more than the fences, that the Ocean had to be real. That the stories her Mother had told her weren't lies. How Travis tried to protect her, to ensure that she surived.

Why the 4 stars if I'm not a Zombie fan? There was just something about this book. A terrible sadness, of people clinging together - the feeling that love wasn't enough to protect them. That in end you had to kill those you loved. So much sacrifice.

So the 4 stars are for Mary and Travis - for realising too late that love was enough.

Did I cry? Of course I did. Will I read the next one? Of course I will. ...more

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Apr 19, 2010 Jennifer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

When I began reading this book elements of the story reminded me a little bit of the film "The Village"....it is not exactly like that movie, just some of the elements are the same. I very much enjoyed this story, but was all too conscious on how many times the author wrote the word "unconsecrated". WAAAAY to many times!! But I was able to get by this distraction because I needed to find out how this story would end. ...more

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Jan 22, 2010 Deidre rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series, horror, zombies, ya-teens-not-ya-teens, sci-fi-dystopian-post-apocalyptic

A great title made me get this book, but the contents kept me reading.

What a surprise. Another good "young adult" book. Tense but a bit unfinished, probably to make the kiddies get the next one which forced me to preorder. Worth reading even if you don't like zombies, societies where women are worthless, and teenage angst.

...more

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May 20, 2011 A book away from an episode of hoarders rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook, read-in-2011, dystopian-post-apocalyptic, judged-by-its-cover, dropped-series, epic-titles, cover-love

I really wanted to like this book. Its got zombies and a dystopian element to it and normally I love zombies and I love dystopian fiction. I think the big problem is that I HATED Mary. I spent the first half of the book questioning her sanity and whether or not some of the events were really happening at all. She was selfish and whiny and I'd say 80% of the book was her internal monologue.

However, that being said, I did find myself interested enough in the plot to finish it... to find out where ...more

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