The Forest of Hands and Teeth

When you wake up and your very first thought is of the book you're reading...well, then, you know it's good. I've just finished The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Does it have problems? Um, yes. I'm amazed no one took the author aside and said, You know, if you keep using "the ocean" as your hit-us-over-the-head obvious symbol for "hope outside the current situation"--and don't insert any other such symbols--and repeat it every other page--you're going to annoy some readers.

This is one situation in which I'd like prefer an e-version of a book--just to search it and see how many times the phrase "the ocean" pops up. Oh, goodness gracious. It gets a bit ridiculous.

That said, the book is really compelling--the protagonist lives in a village in the center of a forest, with only a fence to protect them from the Unconsecrated (aka all of the zombies and former-humans-turned-zombies that inhabit the place). The Sisters, a sect of religious/political women who set rules for the village, have told everyone that there is nothing in the world beyond their walls--except, you know, monsters that will eat you/turn you into them. But then the protagonist sees evidence of a young woman from another village, who the Sisters go to great lengths to hide. And thus the story really begins.

Oh, and there's a love subplot too, but it's pretty lame.

That said, I read this in 1.5 days, rather enjoying myself as I did. Proof that you can love works, just like you can love people, without them being perfect. And yes, I would have said yes to this. With edits.

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An addendum, from the comments. Tahereh mentioned that the whole book is so hopeless, it's a rather difficult (unpleasant) read. I agree.

Um, SPOILER ALERT! So:

I also really disliked that whole bit about how she should have seen that Travis was better than any ocean. Isn't that like saying, "That's okay, girls--give up your dreams. Didn't you know that you can find everything you possibly want in your husband/boyfriend who was about to let you marry his brother? [I would argue that means He's Just Not That Into Her.] Who needs the world out there--be locked with him in a house/fortress/tree house/canned goods storage unit! Let him make inane comments about photographs and don't let it bother you! Waste a ton of valuable weaponry/communications devices shooting at Unconsecrated even though there are more than you can ever take down! And--most of all--never tell the reader if you're sharing a bed or *sharing a bed* with the totally built-up love interest--for months! [Goodness, their scene locked among the *nuns* was hotter than those--what--four months?] Ocean, smoshen. Stay home, try on dresses, and cook."

Uggh.