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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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 ~

7. 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”

8. 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

9. 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?

10. Works Referenced