This is an unusual, yet beautifully written postapocalyptic zombie tale that at its core is a story of love, sacrifice, and hope.
Mary’s world is one of rules. Rules based on commitment and faith guided by the hand of the Sisterhood. Their guidelines keep the town in order…safe from the Unconsecrated that linger outside. You are not meant to question any of it, let alone what’s beyond The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Mary wants more. She wants to love…wants to see the ocean…wants freedom. Will any of that be possible?
I’d seen a lot of sf&f blog posts about it back when it came out in hardcover and was curious. Christmas giftcards + paperback release made for a perfect time to finally check it out. I show the paperback cover here since that’s the version I read, but I really like the hardcover’s artwork better.
Anyway, Mary’s story is a haunting one and her pain seeps from the pages. Each grief she feels, the shock, betrayal, and desperation we feel it too. That was eloquently executed.
The setting was also fantastic, with it’s constant moaning of the Unconsecrated. Eek! How they just learn to accept the constant sound of them is freaky. Really…
I did have a few issues with the story though. At times I found it hard to like Mary and her self-absorbed nature. I also thought a few too many questions were left unanswered. But I understand we heard the story through Mary’s perspective alone and she didn’t know the answers. The couple of attempts to have her allude to a few were awkward. For example, trying to show Travis a picture when they are trying to escape was silly in it’s poor timing and only lended more to her being self-absorbed.
I also couldn’t understand why the characters who made it out of the village did…a little too convenient those choices were. But that’s forgivable.
I was surprised by how dark this story was. It was unexpected, yet fitting to the nature of the tale. But if you are looking for escapism and happy endings, this isn’t the story for you. Overall, I enjoyed it and I love all the analysis of character decisions that are stirring inside my head now. It’s great when stories leave that mark behind. And well, zombies! I’m sure I mentioned zombies, right? :P
