The Forest of Hands and Teeth By: Carrie Ryan Andrea Zupancic Period 1 – English 12 April 2, 2012

Today, you will be learning about… The Forest of Hands and Teeth 320 pages Delacorte Books for Young Readers The author Carrie Ryan Chose the novel because… Creepy name and cover Recommend it? Yes and No

Plot Summary Post-apocalyptic dystopia Undead plague Been seven generations since the Return Sisterhood and Guardians Protect and serve Control village Unconsecrated Zombies Always around fence Surrounds village Protects from the Forest of Hands and Teeth

Plot Summary (continued) Main character / protagonist Father gone & mother “mad” Required to marry or become a Sister Wants to find true love Life is controlled to sustain existence Begin to forget the horrors of “real” life The “ocean” Huge and unbounded space beyond the reach of the undead Main goal in Mary’s life

Author Biography Carrie Ryan Born & raised in Greenville, South Carolina Graduate of Williams College and Duke University School of Law Former litigator (lawyer) Now writes full-time Lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with Writer/lawyer fiancé Two fat cats One large puppy

Where does she get her inspiration? “Anything and everything. The first line of The Forest of Hands and Teeth came to me after I read an article about the possibility of overfishing tuna. The issue of collective memory came to me when I realized how my memories of my grandmother have been slipping away and how I can't remember the details of the stories she used to tell over and over again.” ~ Carrie Ryan ~

Opinion/Recommendation Plot underdeveloped Is at first realistic Story of a plagued world Which can happen BUT, flawed Townspeople forget past and think they’re the only humans in the world Eventually, feels manipulated/forced Events don’t unfold naturally Characters not-believable In the beginning… Mary seemed real Only wanted True love Real, authentic life Answers from Sisterhood Halfway through the novel… Mary sometimes loses touch with reality Choosing “ocean” over “life”

Opinion/Recommendation Novel… Confusing & irritating Author made poor plot choices at the end If I could be a character… I would be a zombie Only people to have a purpose (sadly) Other characters never lived up to their potential Recommend? Yes Interesting idea/story Super potential for a good book Despite flaws, still interesting to read AND No So annoying at points Want to shake Mary and say “Wake up!” and “Do something!” Too predictable in end half of novel

In Conclusion… The Forest of Hands and Teeth The author Recommend it? 320 pages The author Carrie Ryan Recommend it? Yes and No Thank you!  Questions?

Works Referenced http://www.readingteen.net/2012/01/audiobook-review-forest-of-hands-and.html http://www.carrieryan.com/index.php http://zombieradio.org/