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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's okay. I like zombies. I like the concept of the Unconsecrated (they're just zombies), but Mary was annoying, in my opinion. She basically had two things on her mind: Travis and the ocean. Her falling in love with Travis was so sudden; it shocked me. I thought she just had a crush on him and preferred him over Harry for some reason the author didn't explain. I saw more admirable qualities from Harry. He should've been endgame, but I'm glad he didn't end up with Mary because he honestly deserves better. Mary didn't even realize how selfish she was till the end. Also, maybe I'm dumb, but what was the point of the Roman numerals? Were they in order? They didn't seem like they were, so that part confused me. I also didn't understand why 14 was the number Gabrielle wrote on the window. Anyway, it was pretty okay—just not that enjoyable to me. I'll give it a good rating just because it's my first book in years.
I was extremely disappointed in this book and it just made two stars for me.
The characters in this book are very unlikable. The main character Mary is selfish, damaging and probably a bit unhinged (which is something that I can understand living in the hopeless world that they do). But I often did not understand the character’s actions and the motivations behind them. Why did Mary love Travis? I still don’t fully understand what happened to make her fall so madly in love with him – because he lay unconscious on a bed and she sat near him? Why did both Harry and Travis love Mary? None of this was ever properly explained. The characters seemed to have all these realizations and yet I never felt I saw this as the story progressed. It was always more a case of ‘I am changed now because of this’. This fact just added to my inability to connect with any of the characters and towards the end of the book I couldn’t care less about what happened to them. I was almost wishing the Unconsecrated would come and kill them all.
There are also many aspects of this book left unexplained/undeveloped. Normally I do not mind this, as I like when an author leaves things to the readers imagination. But with this book it just did not gel with me. What secrets were the sisterhood hiding? What did they do to Gabrielle? Why was she so fast – is it because she was kept in captivity as she turned? Why would this change anything? How did the breach happen? The fact that I was left with no information to even allude to these questions, made the events seem ultimately redundant in the end.
The best thing about this book were the zombie’s. I loved the foreboding and tense presence of the Unconsecrated. I felt suffocated by their constant clanging against the fence after the living, something that bled through true to the characters as well. The zombie’s hunger and need, the people perpetually living in fear - it was all so stifling and I loved how this was portrayed in the novel.
I also liked how Ryan addressed the different issues one would face in a world over run by zombies (isn’t that just the best starting sentence to a paragraph!). The constant need to survive is always in the back of each of these characters minds. In a world like this that would be exhausting to say the least. When I look at it like this, I can understand why Mary is so hell bent on the Ocean. She just wants there to be an end to it all. She has to believe that there is more than this existence she finds herself in and there has to be something more meaningful to this world. Otherwise what is all this surviving for?
My favourite line in the book is when Mary says, “If we are all that is left, then maybe we weren’t meant to survive”.
How would you handle the extinction of your species? Do we have a right to survive or a need? I loved how this book made me question these facets and I was left feeling suffocated and disturbed by it all.
But even though The Forest of Hands and Teeth had these few redeeming qualities, it did not save it for me. I cannot say if I will read the sequel or not. At this stage probably more towards the latter. I do not care about Mary enough to find out what happens next. All I am really hoping is that the next time she is swimming in the ocean an Unconsecrated jumps out and eats her face off! Fingers crossed!
The characters in this book are very unlikable. The main character Mary is selfish, damaging and probably a bit unhinged (which is something that I can understand living in the hopeless world that they do). But I often did not understand the character’s actions and the motivations behind them. Why did Mary love Travis? I still don’t fully understand what happened to make her fall so madly in love with him – because he lay unconscious on a bed and she sat near him? Why did both Harry and Travis love Mary? None of this was ever properly explained. The characters seemed to have all these realizations and yet I never felt I saw this as the story progressed. It was always more a case of ‘I am changed now because of this’. This fact just added to my inability to connect with any of the characters and towards the end of the book I couldn’t care less about what happened to them. I was almost wishing the Unconsecrated would come and kill them all.
There are also many aspects of this book left unexplained/undeveloped. Normally I do not mind this, as I like when an author leaves things to the readers imagination. But with this book it just did not gel with me. What secrets were the sisterhood hiding? What did they do to Gabrielle? Why was she so fast – is it because she was kept in captivity as she turned? Why would this change anything? How did the breach happen? The fact that I was left with no information to even allude to these questions, made the events seem ultimately redundant in the end.
The best thing about this book were the zombie’s. I loved the foreboding and tense presence of the Unconsecrated. I felt suffocated by their constant clanging against the fence after the living, something that bled through true to the characters as well. The zombie’s hunger and need, the people perpetually living in fear - it was all so stifling and I loved how this was portrayed in the novel.
I also liked how Ryan addressed the different issues one would face in a world over run by zombies (isn’t that just the best starting sentence to a paragraph!). The constant need to survive is always in the back of each of these characters minds. In a world like this that would be exhausting to say the least. When I look at it like this, I can understand why Mary is so hell bent on the Ocean. She just wants there to be an end to it all. She has to believe that there is more than this existence she finds herself in and there has to be something more meaningful to this world. Otherwise what is all this surviving for?
My favourite line in the book is when Mary says, “If we are all that is left, then maybe we weren’t meant to survive”.
How would you handle the extinction of your species? Do we have a right to survive or a need? I loved how this book made me question these facets and I was left feeling suffocated and disturbed by it all.
But even though The Forest of Hands and Teeth had these few redeeming qualities, it did not save it for me. I cannot say if I will read the sequel or not. At this stage probably more towards the latter. I do not care about Mary enough to find out what happens next. All I am really hoping is that the next time she is swimming in the ocean an Unconsecrated jumps out and eats her face off! Fingers crossed!
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was my favourite book for so many years and I would always recommend it to anybody looking for a new book to read but now I'm not sure if I went back I would like it as much. Is it worth reading again now that I'm older?
Naaah. Reading this for the first time in 2025 and we’ve come a long way from YA dystopian romance books. Very dramatic and I couldn’t connect with Mary. Also reading the reviews to how the book progresses when I was iffy about it, really sealed the deal for me.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Overall: 2.25
It has is moments, but there was more that I disliked about this book than I liked. I think the little preview blurb is misleading. It makes it sound more like an adventure than a romance-lite.
It has is moments, but there was more that I disliked about this book than I liked. I think the little preview blurb is misleading. It makes it sound more like an adventure than a romance-lite.
Characters: 1/5
I low key hated all the characters. The narrator is so annoying with her inability to decide what she wants.
I low key hated all the characters. The narrator is so annoying with her inability to decide what she wants.
Setting/worldbuilding: 3/5
Maybe it’s inevitable given that this book is set multiple generations after the zombie apocalypse but I felt like there was so much more lore and world building that could have happened.
Maybe it’s inevitable given that this book is set multiple generations after the zombie apocalypse but I felt like there was so much more lore and world building that could have happened.
Plot: 1.5/5
The skeleton of the plot is really very basic. I think probably 80% of the story was just the narrator pining over one of the boys or the ocean. Take away those elements and this is a really short book. Some of the action scenes were very exciting and heart pounding. I really did not care for the romance-ish aspect of the book.
The skeleton of the plot is really very basic. I think probably 80% of the story was just the narrator pining over one of the boys or the ocean. Take away those elements and this is a really short book. Some of the action scenes were very exciting and heart pounding. I really did not care for the romance-ish aspect of the book.
Writing: 3.5/5
I think the author has above average prose and is really good at poetically articulating the narrators thoughts. Some of the dialogue is terrible though.
I think the author has above average prose and is really good at poetically articulating the narrators thoughts. Some of the dialogue is terrible though.
I loved this book. It's definately one of my new favorite books! :)
I had such high hopes for this book but found myself disappointed. I disliked all of the characters and felt that a lot of times their actions didn't make sense. While I like the premise of the story (and love the title) the book itself just didn't live up.