The Forest of Hands and Teeth Review: A Unique Zombie Novel That Still Holds Up Today

Another day, another zombie thriller.

Today, we will be talking about The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan and why it is often considered one of the best zombie novels ever written. Zombie stories have become incredibly popular over the years, but this novel manages to separate itself from the crowd by doing something many books in the genre fail to do. Instead of simply focusing on survival and action, Ryan creates a story that blends horror, romance, mystery, and coming-of-age themes into one compelling package.

When I picked up this novel, I expected a fairly standard zombie story. What I got instead was a unique look at a world where the undead have become a part of everyday life. The result is a novel that feels fresh even years after its original publication.

If you are looking for a zombie novel that does things a little differently, keep reading.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth Summary

Mary lives in a small village surrounded by a massive forest filled with zombies.

The villagers call them the Unconsecrated.

A series of fences separates the living from the dead, keeping the villagers safe from the endless hordes waiting beyond the barriers. While the fences provide protection, they also create a different kind of problem.

The village is essentially a prison.

Nobody leaves.

Nobody knows what truly exists beyond the forest.

Everyone is expected to follow the rules established by the Sisterhood, the religious group that controls much of village life.

Mary dreams of something more.

Ever since she was a child, her mother told her stories about the ocean. Those stories captured her imagination and gave her hope that there was a bigger world waiting beyond the fences.

Unfortunately, her life changes forever when her mother is bitten by a zombie.

In this world, there is no cure.

When someone is bitten, their family must make a choice. They can end their loved one’s suffering before they turn, or they can allow them to become one of the Unconsecrated and join the endless ranks of the undead.

Mary makes a choice that many people disagree with.

She allows her mother to turn.

Part of her decision comes from the belief that her father may still be wandering the forest as one of the undead. In her mind, perhaps her parents can somehow remain together.

Her brother Jed does not see it that way.

Furious with her decision, he sends Mary to join the Sisterhood.

As Mary struggles to find her place among the Sisters, she also has to deal with another complication.

Travis.

The boy she has loved for years.

The problem is that Travis is engaged to Mary’s best friend and is expected to marry her in the near future.

As the novel progresses, Mary finds herself torn between duty, love, and her desire to escape the village and finally see the ocean she has dreamed about for so long.

But when the fences protecting the village begin to fail, survival becomes everyone’s primary concern.

Can Mary, Travis, and the others escape before the Unconsecrated overrun everything they have ever known?

You’ll have to read the novel to find out.

What Makes This Zombie Novel Different?

One of the reasons The Forest of Hands and Teeth received so much praise when it was released is because it doesn’t feel like a typical zombie novel.

Yes, there are zombies.

Lots of them.

But the story isn’t really about zombies.

At its core, this is a story about freedom.

Mary wants to make her own choices.

She wants to know the truth about the world.

She wants to see what exists beyond the fences that have defined her entire life.

The zombies create the danger, but the emotional journey is what drives the story forward.

That is one of the reasons the novel stands out from so many others in the genre.

The Zombies Are Actually Scary

One thing I really appreciated about this novel was how Ryan handled the zombies.

In many zombie stories, the undead become less threatening the longer the story goes on. Once survivors learn how they work, zombies often become little more than obstacles.

That isn’t the case here.

One unique aspect of the zombies in this novel is their incredible sense of smell.

They can detect humans from surprisingly long distances.

Even if they cannot see you, they know you are there.

That simple change makes them much more terrifying.

You can’t just sneak past them and hope for the best.

You can’t rely solely on staying out of sight.

The zombies are constantly searching.

Constantly following scents.

Constantly waiting.

It creates a sense of tension throughout the novel because the danger never truly feels far away.

The Sisterhood and Control

Another element I found interesting was the role of the Sisterhood.

They control nearly every aspect of life within the village.

They preserve knowledge.

They maintain order.

They influence who people marry and how they live.

For a group that claims to protect the villagers, they seem awfully interested in controlling them as well.

Throughout the novel, readers are left wondering how much of what they have been told is actually true.

The Sisterhood adds another layer of conflict beyond the zombies, making the story feel much bigger than a simple survival tale.

It Reminded Me of Rot & Ruin

While reading this novel, I kept thinking about Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry.

Both books approach zombies differently than most stories in the genre.

In Rot & Ruin, there is a surprising amount of sympathy shown toward the undead. Readers are reminded that zombies were once people.

The same idea appears here.

The Unconsecrated are terrifying, but they are also former friends, parents, siblings, and loved ones.

Mary’s decision regarding her mother highlights this perfectly.

Instead of viewing zombies as monsters, the novel asks readers to think about the emotional impact of losing someone while still being forced to see them walking around.

That emotional weight gives the story much more depth.

Final Thoughts

When The Forest of Hands and Teeth was first released, critics praised it for being a fresh and unique addition to the zombie genre. After reading it, I can understand why.

The novel takes familiar zombie tropes and gives them a different spin. The focus on romance, family, freedom, and identity helps separate it from countless other zombie books.

I especially enjoyed the atmosphere Ryan creates throughout the novel. The constant presence of the forest, the threat of the Unconsecrated, and the mysteries surrounding the world beyond the fences kept me turning pages.

That being said, readers expecting nonstop action may be surprised. This is a slower and more character-driven story than many zombie novels. The relationships often take center stage, sometimes even more than the zombies themselves.

For me, that worked.

It helped make the story memorable.

If you enjoy zombie novels but want something different from the typical apocalypse story, I would definitely recommend giving The Forest of Hands and Teeth a chance.

It is easy to see why so many readers still consider it one of the best zombie novels ever written.

And the good news is that if you enjoy this one, there are two more books in the trilogy waiting for you.

As for me, I’m always looking for another great zombie novel to read. Let me know if I should continue with the rest of the series or move on to another undead adventure.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

The Forest of Hands and Teeth is a unique zombie novel that blends horror, romance, and survival into a memorable story. It may not be your typical zombie thriller, but that is exactly what makes it worth reading. Until next time, happy reading!

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