In Carrie Ryan’s, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Mary often wonders what lies beyond the fences of her village, out beyond the Unconsecrated, the eager flesh-eating undead that rattle the fences protecting the village. Mary becomes an orphan at the beginning of the novel and is forced to either become one of the Sisterhood, the women who rule the village through religious fear, or marry. On the day she is to marry, the fence around the village comes down and the Unconsecrated attack the villagers. Mary and several of her loved ones manage to escape to the fenced path that leads out of the village. As they travel further along the fenced path into the unknown, Mary and her friends struggle to survive with few supplies. Mary’s continued lack of emotional maturity throughout the book strikes the wrong cord because she never seems to outgrow her inherent narcissism despite many harrowing situations that should build stronger character. Regardless, it’s a suspenseful and worthwhile read.
