Book Review: The Forest of Hands & Teeth

The Forest of Hands & Teeth

by Carrie Ryan.

The Forest of Hands & Teeth I picked up this book because it was billed as an interesting YA dystopia. And it is a dystopia, but it’s also a zombie book. Not my usual wheelhouse, but I went with it. The Forest of Hands & Teeth is the story of Mary, a teen girl who lives in an isolated village deep in the Forest. The Forest is where the Unconsecrated (zombies) roam. All that separates her village from annihilation is a metal fence, which is maintained by the Guardians, who take their orders from the Sisters, who rule the village with a religiously cloaked iron fist. The Sisters tell everyone that they are the only humans left and to go out into the Forest is certain death, while Mary has grown up with stories passed down through the women in her family of a wider world and especially the wonder that is the ocean. In the midst of a love triangle gone wrong and grief over a family tragedy, Mary is left with no other option but to join the ranks of the Sisters. Her curious nature doesn’t fit well with their strict and structured ranks, and she ends up discovering something that could change everything – or destroy everything. There’s a good amount of suspense and zombie attack action. Mary was likable. I didn’t quite buy the love triangle situation, and a lot of plot points (particularly deaths of various characters) were both abrupt and unresolved. The ending, too, was super abrupt; I would’ve liked a little more exploration of that situation and Mary’s reactions to all that happened (trying to avoid spoilers). Overall, though, I enjoyed reading it, even though I don’t usually go for zombie/horror-tinged reads. I’ve got book 2 from the library, as well, so we’ll see how the rest of the series progresses.

I give it 3/5 stars.

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The Forest of Hands & Teeth

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Tuesday Treasure Trove

Tuesday Treasure Trove: this week's round-up of read-worthy links.

Cool thing of the week: Parents call cops on teen for giving away banned book; it backfires predictably. 5 Big Happiness Myths Debunked–And The Power Of Negative Thinking World’s Fair: Isaac Asimov’s predictions 50 years on. The guy was eerily spot-on in many cases. The real reason why an editor isn’t responding to your pitch. Could be applied to any bid or proposal, really. True Life: I’m A Book Club Dropout. Been there. Though current book club is going well! The Doctor Who Coaches Athletes on Sleep. “We would never say, ‘This person is a great worker! He’s drunk all […]

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Recipe: White Wine Marinara Tortellini

White Wine Marinara Tortellini

I know it’s been awhile since I did a recipe post, but the wait was worth it. Because I’m back with a bang – this white wine marinara with sausage over tortellini is tasty. It’s a recipe I learned from my older sister and her boyfriend over Christmas. Though, I didn’t write it down, so it was thrown together from memory and might not be exactly like they make it, but it turned out delicious anyway. Really, the sauce is the star of this entree, and can be served over any sort of pasta, we’re just partial to tortellini. And […]

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5 Things Friday

5 Things Friday

1. My shop is part of this fabulous fairytale giveaway, so if you’ve been eyeing that dragon print, go over and enter! Some other great fairytale-ish prizes, too. 2. Did you know Joss Whedon made a new movie? It was stealth released this past Monday on Vimeo. And it looks good (paranormal romance with lots of feels). I don’t know when that guy sleeps. But needless to say, a viewing party with a fellow Whedonite is on the books for this weekend. 3. I balanced all of my different accounts yesterday, scheduled a handyman to come fix some things, and […]

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Book Review: The Secret Daughter of the Tsar

The Secret Daughter of the Tsar

The Secret Daughter of the Tsar by Jennifer Laam I’ve always been a little fascinated with the Romanov family, so this was a no brainer to pick up when I saw it at the library. As Goodreads says, it’s “a compelling alternate history of the Romanov family in which a secret fifth daughter — smuggled out of Russia before the revolution — continues the royal lineage to dramatic consequences.” The book weaves together the stories of three women: Lena, a housemaid in the Romanov palace; Charlotte, a ballerina living in Nazi-occupied Paris; and Veronica, a modern-day professor of Russian history. […]

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Thoughts That Keep Me Up At Night

Thoughts That Keep Me Up At Night

If you’ve been around the blog for awhile (or Twitter) you’ve probably caught a mention of my insomnia. I wage an ongoing battle against sleep. And most nights, I win. I’ve figured out enough methods and tricks by now that it’s usually enough. But not always. Some nights, despite my best efforts, I just can’t. fall. asleep. Last night was one of those nights. Nothing bad or particularly stressful going on, I just could not get my brain to quiet down. So what’s running through it while I lay in bed awake? Contrary to what you might think, it’s not […]

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Tuesday Treasure Trove

Tuesday Treasure Trove: this week's round-up of read-worthy links.

Fun photo of the week: President Obama Totally Commits To Where The Wild Things Are Reading. Fun video of the week: This Bird Dancing To Another One Bites The Dust. Makes Me Feel Old Video of the Week: Kids React to Walkmans. Realistic Drawings Of Animated Characters. This was slightly disturbing. What Is Your Disney Personality Type? I’m either Pocahontas or Elsa, depending on which test results you go with. I’ll take it. The Golden Era of ‘Fashion Blogging’ Is Over. Thoughts? 5 Things Non-Religious People Want Religious People To Consider. #1 especially. 10 Reasons an Artificial Intelligence Wouldn’t Turn […]

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