The Forest of Hands and Teeth: A Review

I'd never have believed that I'd love a dystopian action/adventure/love story with zombies, but I did! The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (Delacorte, 2009) is set in a future world where things have gone terribly wrong. Mary lives in a small village surround by the Forest of Hands and Teeth. The forest is populated by thee Unconsecrated whose constant hunger for human flesh leaves them futilely shaking the fences around the village and moaning. The Unconsecrated are a constant threat. If one of them bites you, infection will course through your body causing illness, death, and return as one of them. Society survives in this village because of the Sisterhood, who makes all rules, and the Guardians, who patrol the fence line and ensure that the boundary is maintained.


Mary has reached the marrying age and is hoping that Travis will ask for her, but marriage in her village is about civic responsibility, not love. Instead of Travis, it is his brother Harry who asks for Mary. She never has a chance to tell him whether she will accept since her mother becomes infected by the Unconsecrated. Mary believes her mother has intentionally allowed this to happen so that she can join her husband who was lost to the forest some time ago. Mary finds herself alone when her mother becomes Unconsecrated and her brother refuses to take her in. She is forced to go to live with the Sisterhood.

Mary’s independent spirit and her faith that there is still a world outside the village lead her into a number of difficult situations. Will she be able to survive? Will she be able to be with Travis? Will the Unconsecrated once and for all eliminate civilization? The Forest of Hands and Teeth keeps you turning the pages to find out.

Paper Daughter by Jeanette Ingold (A Review)

In the summer before her senior year, Maggie Chen decides to take advantage of her opportunity at an internship with the Seattle Herald. Her father, a journalist, has been recently killed by a hit-and-run driver, and Maggie knows how proud he was that she was selected for the internship. She is fortunate enough after only a few days on the job to be involved in a potentially huge story about corruption at city hall involving a local builder.


In addition to her summer job, Maggie is doing her best to help her mother, an English professor, with duties around the house. While cleaning out her father’s office, she finds mysterious notes which, along with clues from his past, lead her to believe that her father may not have been who he said. The mystery of her father and the corruption at city hall seem to be related. Could he have been involved in illegal activities? Did that cause his death?

A secondary story about Fai-yi Li and his sister begins slowly, with their illegal immigration to America, but builds as he begins to become part of the new culture and falls in love. The reader is left to puzzle about how his tale relates to the main story of Maggie. All of the pieces come together nicely, however, in the end.

Maggie is a well-developed character and many teens will relate to her search for her own identity. Fascinating details about Chinese culture also enliven the story. This book will be a hit for readers who enjoy a good mystery.