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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
Wow. I was not expecting that at all. Totally enjoyed this story and look forward to reading the rest of the books. I guess everyone has been right... What once was popular about vampires has been shifting to a fascination of zombies.
If you liked this, you should really check out the book "Warm Bodies."
If you liked this, you should really check out the book "Warm Bodies."
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
In the future, an unexplained virus turns people into zombies. A small enclave of uninfected survive, protected from the zombies (called the Unconsecrated) by a chain-link fence, at the edge of The Forest of Hands and Teeth.
The first half of this story, where Mary must live at the Cathedral and join the Sisterhood, was compelling - what happened to everyone? what secrets does the Sisterhood know? what really happened to Mary's parents? what's in that book?
The second half focuses more on Mary's inner turmoil, and her burning need to discover whether The Ocean actually exists or is just a made-up story. For me, this is where the book fell flat, and while Ryan has a beautiful writing style, there were too many interesting threads ignored while less-interesting ones were followed.
The ending leads me to wonder if we will ever learn what happens to Mary. All of these open-ended novels are leading me to believe that most writers either can't be bothered or don't know how to craft a suitable ending for the storylines they've created.
The first half of this story, where Mary must live at the Cathedral and join the Sisterhood, was compelling - what happened to everyone? what secrets does the Sisterhood know? what really happened to Mary's parents? what's in that book?
The second half focuses more on Mary's inner turmoil, and her burning need to discover whether The Ocean actually exists or is just a made-up story. For me, this is where the book fell flat, and while Ryan has a beautiful writing style, there were too many interesting threads ignored while less-interesting ones were followed.
The ending leads me to wonder if we will ever learn what happens to Mary. All of these open-ended novels are leading me to believe that most writers either can't be bothered or don't know how to craft a suitable ending for the storylines they've created.
This is possibly one of the worst books that I have ever read in my entire life. I would give it zero stars if I could. Dystopian, love triangle, teenage girl protagonist, the only difference is she doesn't save anyone but herself. Sacrifices every single person that she loves to save her own selfish butt. Oh, and did I mention that the dystopia occurred because of the zombie apocalypse? Yep, they are fighting the undead. And the writing, OMG, is TERRIBLE! I guess the author thought she was being poetic or something but the whole boring book is nothing but Mary's (the selfish, god-awful protagonist) whiny thoughts about these two boys she loves, like some horrible teenage angsty diary. And if I have to read the word "ocean" one more time, gah... mind-numbing. Why did I start reading it you ask? Because it was recommended to me - by an adult no less! Why did I keep reading it (and it took me forever because it is so bad)? I kept thinking somehow it would redeem itself, but alas, no. Uggg. DO.NOT.WASTE.YOUR.TIME.
My first zombie book! Eek!
Favorite Quotes:
It has never occurred to me that God could be separated from the Sisterhood, that the two had not always been so intimately intertwined that one could exist without the other.
Every now and again flames drop like liquid onto the Unconsecrated, which become walking furnaces lighting each other ablaze, spreading the inferno to the structures in the village.
Favorite Quotes:
It has never occurred to me that God could be separated from the Sisterhood, that the two had not always been so intimately intertwined that one could exist without the other.
Every now and again flames drop like liquid onto the Unconsecrated, which become walking furnaces lighting each other ablaze, spreading the inferno to the structures in the village.
A village isolated from the rest of the world, and living under the belief that they are the last of mankind. Living behind a fence which protects them from the Unconsecrated (walking dead/zombies), the village is ruled by the Sisterhood. Mary has always been raised with stories of how things used to be-- buildings that touched the sky and salty oceans stretching out as far as the eyes can see. Despite the teachings of the Sisterhood, she still wonders whether there could be anyone else out there. Are the oceans still there? She's drawn to know what is beyond The Forest of Hands and Teeth that surrounds them.
It's taken me so long to finally read this book. It's been a long time coming. So what did I think? Well, first of all, the thing most striking to me was how much this story felt like the movie The Village. Right down to the red vest Gabrielle wore, which reminded me of the "bad color" in The Village.
I enjoyed the story, but it did start out a little slow. I expected it to be more about zombies, but it really wound up being more about Mary and her conflicted feelings and confusion. The zombies...well, their depiction is sort of...detached. They aren't generally described in great detail, and there is little interaction between them and the residents of the village. The zombies are simply a fixture in the everyday lives of the villagers.
Final word- I enjoyed it. It wasn't quite as good as I had hoped (as I was expecting a more traditional zombie story- creepy and scary), but I still enjoyed it and look forward to the sequel.
It's taken me so long to finally read this book. It's been a long time coming. So what did I think? Well, first of all, the thing most striking to me was how much this story felt like the movie The Village. Right down to the red vest Gabrielle wore, which reminded me of the "bad color" in The Village.
I enjoyed the story, but it did start out a little slow. I expected it to be more about zombies, but it really wound up being more about Mary and her conflicted feelings and confusion. The zombies...well, their depiction is sort of...detached. They aren't generally described in great detail, and there is little interaction between them and the residents of the village. The zombies are simply a fixture in the everyday lives of the villagers.
Final word- I enjoyed it. It wasn't quite as good as I had hoped (as I was expecting a more traditional zombie story- creepy and scary), but I still enjoyed it and look forward to the sequel.
A cold narration of an unlikable "heroine" trapped in a dystopian world where her enemies are either zombies or the religious culty ladies who run her village sanctuary. Not forgetting that she's an enemy to herself given her impossible (and let's face it, improbably) woe-is-me love triangle situation and her obsession with the word "ocean". Considering the YA cliche, arms-length writing style, and not being a great fan of zombie novels generally, I still found it reasonably enjoyable. Until the end,
Mary wants out of the village, dreaming of the stories of the ocean (you will get sick of that word) passed down to her by her mother's mother's mother. But now her father's been turned, there's her mother, brother, best friend Cass and two hunky brothers Harry and Travis to think of. Not to mention the hoardes of "Unconsecrated" who roam the forest beyond the fences, or the Sisters who ruthlessly police everyone with the word of God (and the threat of chucking you out to become a zombie unless you choose marriage or the nunnery.) Luckily there's a fenced off path out. Unluckily, you use it and you'll be killed. Wouldn't it be a shame if everyone else was too busy dying to notice you leaving...
So that love triangle. Oh boy. Two handsome brothers, one she loves and the other who loves her. If only she could be content to marry one and leave the other to her best friend. Sigh. If it weren't for the aforementioned cold first-person style I probably would have given up then and there. The style helped save it from being an all-out over-emotional winge-fest that lots of YA heroines narrate their way into. It also helped that this love triangle was used to set up the rigid structure of the dystopian society Mary lives in - their rituals and customs are nonsensical to the love-addled teens, and so we get introduced to them in a logical, analytical sort of way that avoids info-dumping because it all relates to the narrative. I guess I liked that for the first half at least, the romance was used to further the world-building rather than being the whole heart of the story. The oppressiveness of her love reflects the atmosphere of the village and the forest - everything piles tension on top of tension.
But that ending wasn't a great pay off for all the tension and red-herrings (or red-wearing zombies.) I ploughed through because I wanted answers, but all I got was a lot of love triangle misery and disappointing character deaths. The ocean question got an answer, but even that fell a bit flat being so rushed. Given the queasiness of the atmosphere and general illogical actions of the main characters from this book, I'm not sure I'm really up for more of the same. Especially if it's got another contrived love triangle (it's YA, so that's almost a certainty) that would probably not add to anything plot-wise in the way that I felt this book managed to.
It's an easy read with plenty of tension if a bit unsatisfying. Fancy some heartless YA romance with added death and a side order of more death? You might just like this one.
Mary wants out of the village, dreaming of the stories of the ocean (you will get sick of that word) passed down to her by her mother's mother's mother. But now her father's been turned, there's her mother, brother, best friend Cass and two hunky brothers Harry and Travis to think of. Not to mention the hoardes of "Unconsecrated" who roam the forest beyond the fences, or the Sisters who ruthlessly police everyone with the word of God (and the threat of chucking you out to become a zombie unless you choose marriage or the nunnery.) Luckily there's a fenced off path out. Unluckily, you use it and you'll be killed. Wouldn't it be a shame if everyone else was too busy dying to notice you leaving...
So that love triangle. Oh boy. Two handsome brothers, one she loves and the other who loves her. If only she could be content to marry one and leave the other to her best friend. Sigh. If it weren't for the aforementioned cold first-person style I probably would have given up then and there. The style helped save it from being an all-out over-emotional winge-fest that lots of YA heroines narrate their way into.
Spoiler
Perhaps that coldness is an indicator to Mary's nature - how in the end even her supposed all-encompassing love of Travis can't be enough for her to give up the ocean dreams.But that ending wasn't a great pay off for all the tension and red-herrings (or red-wearing zombies.) I ploughed through because I wanted answers, but all I got was a lot of love triangle misery and disappointing character deaths. The ocean question got an answer, but even that fell a bit flat being so rushed. Given the queasiness of the atmosphere and general illogical actions of the main characters from this book, I'm not sure I'm really up for more of the same. Especially if it's got another contrived love triangle (it's YA, so that's almost a certainty) that would probably not add to anything plot-wise in the way that I felt this book managed to.
It's an easy read with plenty of tension if a bit unsatisfying. Fancy some heartless YA romance with added death and a side order of more death? You might just like this one.
A bleak and rather dull zombie story. The zombies seem to figure more as background noise to an angsty story of teenaged first love foiled by arranged matches in an almost puritanical setting. Kinda like The Scarlet Letter with background zombies.
Although I had a hard time getting started on this book, once I got about 50 pages in I was hooked. Basically, this book is Resident Evil meets The Village. A group of survivors exist in a walled village surrounded by the Unconsecrated (i.e. zombies) constantly in fear of an attack. The are protected by the Guardians and by a religious sect called the Sisterhood. Mary longs for more than life inside the walls and remembers her mother's promises of the ocean, which she has never seen. She gets her wish as the zombies, led by the fast one Gabrielle, destroy the village's defenses and Mary along with her betrothed, her true love, her brother, sister-in-law and close friend flee the village in search of a world beyond the gates.
While this is a zombie book, it's so much more. The struggle Mary has within herselft with regards to the love triangle of Travis and Harry is a driving force. Also her friend Cass is the antithesis of Mary's character. I loved her character - strong female lead who while in love didn't really need a man (much like Katniss Everdeen and Diana from The Luxe books).
Can't wait to read the next one.
While this is a zombie book, it's so much more. The struggle Mary has within herselft with regards to the love triangle of Travis and Harry is a driving force. Also her friend Cass is the antithesis of Mary's character. I loved her character - strong female lead who while in love didn't really need a man (much like Katniss Everdeen and Diana from The Luxe books).
Can't wait to read the next one.