Book Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Series: The Forest of Hand and Teeth #1 
Author: Carrie Ryan 
Publisher: Gollancz
Publication Date: 10th March 2009
Pages: 310
Special Features: Preview of The Dead Tossed Waves 
Goodreads Average Rating: 3.61

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

I don't know what to say about this book really. It is one full of different things and can be described and reviewed in many ways.
It was a great and enjoyable read, though a book which before I started reading it never caught my fancy. I did expect a lot from it, I saw many good reviews on the book, and I will be one of the first to admit it was good, and well worth a read, though the book did not provide me with what other books do.

The story line was one which is rare, and very unique within it's self, not like any dystopian I have read before, but part of the book I just hated.
I felt like the whole trilogy was forced into one quite short book, and that too much happened, which despite what you may say is not always a good thing. This book alone could of made a trilogy, and I partly wish that the first half was a bit more stretched out.

I read the majority of this book during my train journey's to and from college, journey's which last about 20minutes, and I never got much reading done, maybe a chapter or two, though at the end of ever journey I found myself craving more of the rapidly gripping story. Numerous of times I also found myself nearly reaching the stages of an emotional wreck, trust me Carrie Ryan sure knows how to bring tears to your eyes and a lump to your throat.

The world enclosed from the Forest of Hands and Teeth is a village full of isolation from rest of the world, and Mary's home. It's a village which holds a Cathedral, 100 residents, homes and many secrets. The village is a place which throughout the story built up with different intervals of description, and a place I felt was almost like my home, though a home I did not like very much.
The character's I felt we never got to know very much. Some I wanted to punch in the face (sorry for the violence :P) and other's I just didn't want to do anything to. But there was never a character I liked from beginning to end.
Mary, the main character, is a girl who is a dreamer, something which I love to see in people, yet her dreams cause her to become selfish. Though a character I spent the majority of the time feeling sorry for her.
Then there is her bestfriend, Cass, who throughout the WHOLE story does not seem like a bestfriend for even one second. When the book starts through to the end, we do not witness a single bestfriend act between the two, instead I saw Cass as a petty and spoilt girl, who really liked to moan over everything.
There is more character's I would love to talk about, but honestly I felt like I did not get to know them well enough.
Summed up: This book was good, gripping and well written. Yet is lacked alot of the story. The book seemed like it missed out many important bit's and left many strings un-tied, which dare I say I don't think will never be tied.
It is worth a read,and even I will be picking up the next in the series.