Short Synopsis

After moving into an old house on Hudson street, Henry, the youngest, makes a new friend named Bonnie. His parents believe Bonnie is imaginary, but Henry’s older sister suspects otherwise…and she’s right.

My Thoughts on The Imaginary Friend

There was an air of familiarity to the story—family moving into an old house with a restless spirit seeking something it once lost—but it didn’t feel stale.

Although I could easily predict that Henry’s imaginary friend wasn’t imaginary and that bad things would happen, I still held my breath at certain sections and even gasped at a certain revelation about Bonnie. That’s how this story garnered my respect, because it’s not easy to write a truly creepy story while still respecting your audience’s sensibilities.

Rather than rely on blood and guts for scares, Cropper uses vivid language that gets under your skin and for truly young (or sensitive) readers it could cause nightmares.

Final rating: B+

Short Synopsis

A boy regretting his decision to bury some of his poetry with his deceased girlfriend decides to dig her up and get them back, but receives a shocking surprise when he does.

My Thoughts on The Wrong Grave

I didn’t know what to expect from Kelly Link’s writing, but having read this story I can say it was a pleasant experience. This story was so many things—comical, dark, and poignant—and her writing style and subject matter aligned well with my own morbidity. (Dealing with Death has a way of skewing one’s personality; what one, who has not dealt with Death, might find disturbingly dark another may find amusingly dark.)

Each of the characters’ personalities were delineated, naturally flawed, and none of them seemed stock. I even found myself wanting to know more about the story’s anonymous narrator who had me chuckling every few pages.

As far as a plot or point to the story, there really wasn’t one that I could discern, but that was OK. It was just a charming sliver of another, longer story that I won’t ever know—unless, of course, Link ever decided to write it, at which time I would eagerly read it. Instead, I’m left to wonder and speculate and dwell on what happened to Miles and that girl he dug up.

Final rating: B+

Title: Morpheus Road: The Light
Author: D. J. MacHale
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0438-0
Story Length: 344 pages
Genre: Young Adult/Psychological Horror

Back Cover of Morpheus Road: The Light

It begins with mysterious sounds, a fleeting face outside a window–all things that can be explained away. That is, until he comes face-to-face with a character who only exists on the pages of a sketchbook–a character Marshall himself created.

Marshall is quickly convinced these strange incidents have something to do with his best friend, Cooper, who has gone missing. Together with Cooper’s beautiful but aloof sister, Sydney, Marshall searches for the truth about his friend while ultimately uncovering a nightmare that is bigger and more frightening than he ever could have imagined.

Three Quick Points About Morpheus Road: The Light

• Point 1: More of a creepfest than a gorefest. Although I’d definitely place this book in the horror category, there’s a relatively small amount of blood and guts.
• Point 2: So. Much. Tension. It just didn’t stop. Right when you think all is well–BAM!–something else jumps out at you.
• Point 3: There’s a mystery begging to be solved. Too bad the second book isn’t out yet, because (and I can’t believe I’m going to say this…) OMG I can’t wait for it!

My Thoughts on Morpheus Road: The Light

(Below are my thoughts on the book. If you want a full rundown of the story, you can read the story summary, but be warmed: it includes spoilers.)

I actually kept flipping the last page back and forth hoping there would be more. I was hoping that by some miracle, the last page would transform into the second book in the series so I could continue because there was a huge teaser that left me bug-eyed and slack-jawed. But let me back up.

The story is narrated in Marshall’s own voice. He’s a somewhat idyllic sixteen year old who still plays video games, reads comic books—oops graphic novels, as he would correct—and builds model spaceships. On the surface he was somewhat immature, but it worked for him. He was a good kid through and through, though some would call him a geek through and through.

However, his best friend Cooper is his complete opposite. Cooper is a lady’s man, risk-taker, and borderline bad boy. In the beginning, I didn’t really feel the chemistry between these two characters, but as the story progressed and I witnessed the lengths to which Marshall would go for his friend, it felt more natural.

Then there’s Sydney. Oh, Sydney. I’m used to seeing the angst-ridden and brooding hero in YA literature, but this time it’s an angst-ridden and brooding heroine. Sydney is snarky and unapologetic in her virulence. But as the story progressed, we get to see a different side to her. She truly did evolve as a character and I absolutely love the evolution of her relationship with Marshall. It actually felt like an organic part of the story.

As far as character development goes, this book did an excellent job of making the main characters (Cooper and Sydney) real; they were imperfect and made mistakes and grew from those mistakes, while (most of) the secondary characters, including the villains, had just enough personality to make them entertaining.

Where this book shone, though, was the tension. This isn’t the typical horror that has killer clowns climbing out from under the bed with a scythe to lop off heads. This is the kind of horror that makes you question your own sanity. You’re inside Marshall’s head as he’s experiencing weird happenings—blood that can’t be explained, his character coming to life, the ground opening up and swallowing a VW Beetle—and it doesn’t take long for you to start questioning what’s real and what’s not right along with thim. This book had my heart racing more than a few times.

It’s also fast-paced. There are sections that offer a brief respite, but before you’ve had a chance to fully catch your breath, you’re swept up again. Not only that, this book was actually funny. Even under all the pressure, Marshall still had a sense of humor. Granted, in some of his quips, he makes references to bands, celebrities, and television shows which might be foreign to the younger generation and might date the book in a few years, but it was tastefully done.

I’ll admit there were a few moments where this book slipped into cliché-land, but frankly, it’s more than forgivable. This is one of the better YA horror-thriller-suspense-with-a-dash-of-mystery-thrown-in books I’ve read in a while.

Slightly wild tangent: I have to point out that although this is the first book in a series, it had a complete story in itself with the promise of another, bigger one lurking around the bend. In fact, it was a single sentence in the Epilogue (which I can’t share because it would be a MASSIVE spoiler) that made me ask WTF happened and when is the second book being published?

Lately I’ve been noticing a trend where the first book in a series is basically a prequel with no self-contained story—like a set up where nothing actually happens—and it always irks me when I come across them (am I the only one who’s noticed this and is annoyed by it?), which is why I appreciate this tidbit about Morpheus Road: The Light.

Rating: Worth Every Penny [HC] [B+] (?)

Title: The Devouring
Author: Simon Holt
ISBN: 978-0-316-03573-6
Story Length: 231 pages
Genre: Young Adult

Back Cover of The Devouring

When dark creeps in and eats the light.
Bury your fears on Sorry Night.
For in the winter’s blackest hours
Comes the feasting of the Vours.
No one can see it, the life they stole.
Your body’s here but not your soul…

Three Quick Points About The Devouring

• Point 1: A bit chilling. At least, the beginning was. What would you do if some dark creature offered to eat your fears?
• Point 2: Mmmm, cheesy cliché filling. The entire middle section of the book is devoted more to shock value than fear factor.
• Point 3: Curiosity inducing. If I didn’t know better, I’d say I’ve been brainwashed because I’m anxious to read the next installment.

My Thoughts on The Devouring

(Below are my thoughts on the book. If you want a full rundown of the story, you can read the story summary, but be warmed: it includes spoilers.)

Some parts were good, and some parts were lame, but something must have been done right because I have a burning desire to read the next book.

The story unfolded well. We get the back story on Regina and her family. Her mother left her along with her brother and father. No one knows what happened to her and their family hasn’t been the same since.

One way Regina copes is by drowning herself in scary stories and she’s managed to rope her little brother Henry into it by reading him scary bedtime stories. One of the stories was about entities called Vours.

Then, on Sorry Night, when Regina and Aaron, her best friend, decide to call a Vour, their plans go awry while Regina’s little brother is possessed.

I have to say, the unfolding of Henry’s devouring was downright chilling—that makes up the first quarter of the book. I was hoping the momentum would continue, but it petered out and the story became something straight out of a B horror movie.

Although Henry is acting differently (like people and pets dropping dead in his presence), neither Reggie nor Aaron wonder whether he’s possessed until well after any clear thinking person would have. But I was willing to forgive that.

What I had difficulty forgiving was the gore-for-scare effect filling out the story, some of the dialogue was pure cheesy cliché, and character development left much to be desired.

Call me jaded, but anyone who’s ever watched more than a few classic horror movies would see right through it—in fact, I laughed a couple times. I truly wish it had more of the creepy ominous effect displayed in the beginning, but if wishes were pennies, I’d be a millionaire.

But what has my panties in a bunch is the fact that I really, really want to read the next book. The Devouring ended at the beginning of a bigger mystery. It’s not to say that The Devouring wasn’t a full story in and of itself—it was—but the story left me wondering: Who is Eben really? What are the Vours? And what is their plot?

That’s why this book was so difficult to rate. On one hand, a chunk of the story I would consider lame in the horror department, relying more on gore than suspense with gore, but on the other hand, it did an amazing job of painting a larger story and piquing curiosity. So, with that in mind, I’m middle of the road.

Rating: Get It Used [solid C] (?)

Back Cover of Being Dead

They may be dead, but thee certainly not gone. They dance with the living, sleep under your bed, and follow you home from school.

In this deliciously creepy collection of seven stories, Vivian Vande Velde follows the haunted souls of yesterday beyond the grave into our world–a place they just aren’t ready to leave.

Three Quick Points About Being Dead

• Point 1: The cover is creepier than the stories. Of course, that doesn’t mean there isn’t some level of nerve-altering in at least one of the stories.
• Point 2: A mixed bag. A few of the stories seem like incomplete thoughts, but the remainders have the power to make one gasp, laugh, or misty-eyed.
• Point 3: Smooth and fast reads, all. Each story flows from one page to the next making this book an exceptionally fast read.

Full Review of Being Dead

Typically I break my reviews into two parts: synopsis of the entire story and my personal thoughts. Since Being Dead is a short anthology of ghost stories, I decided to offer a brief synopsis followed by commentary for the individual stories. I did my best to avoid major spoilers.

These stories range from mildly creepy to hilarious to poignant, but you’d be hard-pressed to find one which will keep you awake with fright (unless, of course, you allow your imagination full reign of the possibilities).

Drop by Drop, a modern parable, tells the tale of a teenage girl, moving to a rural area with her family, who becomes haunted by a young girl. The build up and tension created in the story is excellent, if not classic and despite anticipating each creepy element, I enjoyed it. However, the climax dropped dead; it was too predictable, but there was a twist (the lesson one should learn).

Dancing With Marjorie’s Ghost is a cautionary tale; woman comes back from grave at the request of her “grieving” husband. Its main tenet is to be careful what you wish for (and watch out for karma). Some aspects of it reminded me of The Monkey’s Paw. Despite its seeming familiarity, it was a simple, quick, and fun read.

Shadow Brother is the story of a family torn apart when the eldest son, Kevin, is drafted for the Vietnam war and dies in battle. Stricken with grief and guilt, his father spirals downhill. Unfortunately, this story fell apart partly because of the characterization—I didn’t believe the relationship between Sarah, Kevin’s younger sister and the story’s narrator, and her cousin Dwight—and because it seemed more like a patchwork quilt than a well-rounded story.

Ghost Story is rather straightforward: Collegians start moving into a haunted house, then quickly move out. That’s the entire story, but it had me chuckling by the end.

For Love of Him had plenty of unrealized potential. It’s about a young man who becomes captivated by the old gravestones of a man and woman who wouldn’t have been much older than him when they died. His obsession takes a near deadly turn, but the intervention of a mysterious (almost) stranger saves him. The atmosphere and backstory had plenty of room for growth, but it was vague in all the wrong places and petered out resulting in a highly predictable ending.

October Chill looks through the eyes of a young girl dying from a brain tumor who meets the ghost of a colonial soldier while working in a recreated colonial village and falls in love. By the end of the story I was wishing it were a full-length novel because I was intrigued by the young man’s story and wanted to see more development between them; it all happened and ended too quickly although the story was certainly enjoyable. More heart-tugging than scary with a bittersweet ending.

Being Dead, the book’s namesake, transpires during the great depression. A sardonic newsboy meets with a good bit of luck moments before his untimely (and surprising) death. Despite being dead, he must find a way to deliver an important message to his mother. The voice and pacing is vastly different from the previous stories. But it was smooth, poignant, and hilarious. The emotions were tangible from anger to frustration and by the end of the story, when the final message is delivered, I was misty-eyed. By far the most balanced and well-written story in the bunch. This story was the book’s saving grace.

Despite not loving every story, Ghost Story, October Chill, and Being Dead certainly made the book a worthwhile read.

Rating: Worth The Price [B-] (?)

(Small note: Had it not been for two of the stories—October Chill and Being Dead—the book would have dropped at least one letter grade.)

Being Dead available from Amazon

Back Cover of The Well

If Hamlet thought he had issues, he should have talked to Cooper Warner.

His mother’s normally sunny demeanor has turned into something—homicidal.

And what’s worse, she has help in her hunt for Cooper: A ravenous monster living at the bottom of the old well in the woods behind their house. She’s determined to deliver her 14-year-old son straight into the creature’s eager clutches. Cooper turns to his girlfriend, Megan, for help, but then, to his horror, the creature takes her prisoner.

Now, it’s up to Cooper to fend off his murderous mother, finish his Hamlet paper, and enter the putrid lair at the bottom of the well to rescue Megan. And when he confronts the creature, Cooper must make the toughest decision of his life: kill, or be killed.

This horrific tale, inspired by Hamlet, puts a modern, terrifying twist on the Shakespearean classic.

Three Quick Points About The Well

• Point 1: This book needs a hacksaw—a big one. And to stop trying to sound cool. Most of the words contained within The Well’s two covers is effluvium. The repetition, the analogies, and the random references to every celebrity or HPotM (Hot Product of the Moment) wears a bit thin.
• Point 2: Why hasn’t Cooper been eaten yet? By chapter 11, that was the question I asked. I figured if he was eaten, it would put everyone (including Cooper) out of their misery.
• Point 3: Hamlet? Really?!? The only tenuous connection I saw between this story and Hamlet was the shoe-wedged storyline about Cooper and his classmates studying the play and hating every minute of it.

Full Review of The Well

Before reading the full review, please note that there may be some spoilers. I tried to keep it vague enough not to spoil the entire story, but be warned. If you’d rather not take any chances, skip the synopsis and go straight to the final thoughts.

The Well Synopsis

The story opens with the Well-Monster telling the audience that he’s been trapped for two centuries and when he finally gets out, he’s going to do naughty things to exact his revenge.

We then switch to Cooper’s point of view as he’s trapped at the bottom the well (yes, with the Well Monster). He’s rescued by his brother Faulkner, who then goes into sudden denial about seeing their mother toss his kid brother down a well.

Of course, rather than try to convince his brother that something sinister is going on, he decides to try and run away from his problems. Unfortunately, the Well Monster has great and terrible powers and it sends creepy green oozing vines to find Cooper wherever he goes—sitting at his desk at school, viewing his MySpace page at home, having dinner with his girlfriend’s family.

Of course, no one besides him can see these creepy vines, so he appears to be going insane.

He also hears the monster’s voice inside his head, which lends to his increasing dementia.

Finally he can’t take it anymore and with the aid of his girlfriend (technically, ex, since he pushed her away to save her life), they decide to kill the Well Monster.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work out as planned and Cooper is back at the bottom of the well, his girlfriend has gone missing, his stepfather is acting creepy, his mother seems randomly possessed, and there’s a big mystery surrounding the affluence of the vineyard on which the well resides.

Final Thoughts On The Well

I wanted very much to like this book. In fact, I wanted to love it.

I could do neither.

Coming in at just over 300 short pages, this should have been one easy afternoon read. It wasn’t. Everything about this book is superficial and tiresome.

The story is told mostly from Cooper’s point of view, but a few chapters switch to the Well Monster’s third person POV. No big deal, and I felt those switches helped the book entirely because those chapters were economical in their writing.

None of the characters, or their relationships with one another, were believable. Cooper is a sarcastic kid, but throughout most of the book, it reads like he’s trying too hard for a laugh. He was all over the place—character-development-wise—as was his brother.

The relationship between Cooper and Megan seemed obligatory and, again, the actions were inconsistent.

Then there are the never-ending analogies and references to celebrities, TV shows, or hot products that are sure to date this book in a few years.

“Wasn’t spelling out the school’s letters with all the passion of Fall Out Boy groupies.” –pg 58

“Made money like a Coke machine from his jobs delivering babies and making wine.” –pg 87

“It was so…ordinary, so normal, when I’d just been running from Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” –pg 122

“The truth hit me in the solar plexus like a UFC fighter.” –pg 127

“For a second, I could believe I was in a Manga comic or, one of those prisoner dudes in Battlefield Earth.” –pg 144

(*These quotes were taken from an ARC, so someone may just take a hacksaw to it before its release…one can hope.)

That’s only a small sampling—there’s plenty more, sometimes three on a page. The first couple of times, it was cute, but by chapter 11, I was skimming whole chunks of text and wishing Cooper would just be eaten already.

Here’s where it really nicked, though—there is an entertaining story in there (yes, you heard right), but it’s almost snuffed out due to poor, long-winded writing. It’s a shame really.

Rating: Save your money (?)

The Well at Amazon

Back Cover of Dark Places

I have a meanness inside me, real as an organ.

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” She survived—famously testifying that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who’ve long forgotten her.

The Kill Club is a secret society obsessed with notorious crimes. When they locate Libby and pump her for details, she hatches a plan to profit off her tragic history. For a fee, she’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings…and maybe admit her testimony wasn’t so solid after all.

As Libby’s search takes her across the Midwest, the narrative flashes back to the events of that day, replayed through the eyes of Libby’s doomed family members—including Ben, a loner who’d recently begun a disturbing friendship with the new girl in town. Piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer.

Three Quick Points About Dark Places

• Point 1: Multiple personality disorder. The book alternates between three different perspectives, the main character Libby Day (in first person), and Patty and Ben Day (in third person).
• Point 2: A twisted Jerry Springer episode. None of the characters had any redeeming qualities, but on some level, they were truly human. And the situation, as it unfolded, was truly out there but on some level you have to wonder could this possibly happen?
• Point 3: Smartly written. I am surprised and delighted at Flynn’s smart and fluid writing style.

Full Review of Dark Places

Before reading the full review, please note that there may be some spoilers. I tried to keep it vague enough not to spoil the entire story, but be warned. If you’d rather not take any chances, skip the synopsis and go straight to the final thoughts.

Dark Places Synopsis

The Days were not a wealthy family. In fact, money problems plagued the single mother of four and their vagrant father was little help—he was usually part of the problem. Patty Day was left to manage a family and a failing farm by herself. And that is the bleak setting for this story.

Twenty five years after her mother and two sisters were slaughtered, Libby Day finds herself nearly penniless. Since she feels she’s far too messed up to find legitimate work, she’s easily swayed into dredging up her past by the offer of quick and easy cash.

Back in early January 1985, when the unthinkable occurred, Libby’s brother Ben had been accused, arrested, and convicted of the murders—partly due to Libby’s own testimony. But as Libby starts looking at the actual events of the day, she realizes that her memories of the night might not have been accurate.

With the help of a group of Ben-lovers, Libby begins to investigate her path in order to find the truth and reconnect, on some level, with her brother.

As Libby puts the pieces of the puzzle together, working from the present to the past, we the readers get to see the events unfolding from the past to the present through Patty and Ben Day’s perspectives beginning on that fateful morning.

And the answer to the mystery is not necessarily what you think…

Final Thoughts On Dark Places

I’m still debating whether I really liked Dark Places. Actually, I know I liked the prose and flow and was enthralled by the execution, but I don’t much care for or about any of the characters. I didn’t connect to any one of them on an emotional level, nor did I sympathize.

Flynn has this way with words that just tugs at your physical senses, and she deftly handled switching between the various points of view (Libby, then Patty, then Libby, then Ben, and so forth). One problem, however, was that it became difficult to connect with the characters. Right when I thought I was finally connecting with Libby on some level, bam I’m thrown into Patty’s or Ben’s story and vice versa.

Some of the switching also provided lulls in the story right when the action from one character’s perspective began to pick up, so it was constantly building tension then dropping like a stone.

That said, it could have much more to do with the actual people themselves as opposed to Flynn’s shifting between characters. Libby is a bitter kleptomaniac who’s deeply troubled, partly due to what happened to her family and partly because that’s who she is.

Patty, though I hate to admit it, is probably a good reflection of most struggling mothers and of the three characters, I connected the most with her (despite not being a mother myself). Her stress was understandable and her motives are clear. She was real.

Ben was just twisted in ways that I’m still trying to piece together. How much can be blamed on just being a teenage boy with a sucky life and just plain having a screw loose isn’t exactly clear. Either way, I couldn’t connect with him at all. He may very well reflect some teenage boys (actually, I’m certain he does), but he was just too incongruous.

Then there’s the Ben after he’s all grown up. Him I actually relate to and was glad to see that he’d learned much from his youth (spent mostly in prison).

One section of the book completely took me out of the story. Unfortunately, I can’t say much else because it would be a HUGE spoiler. Let’s just say that a chapter just randomly appeared out of nowhere from a different perspective and it left me scratching my head and wondering WTF?

And I never did quite figure out Lyle’s entire role in the story, besides being the catalyst for Libby to learn the truth about her family’s slaughter. While on the subject of Lyle and the Kill Club, from the description, I had expected a whole lot more money to be changing hands. It just seemed odd that Libby would be so desperate for cash that she would trudge through those old memories for a few hundred dollars here and there, but I guess in Libby’s world, that’s par for course.

At the end of the day, this story needed at least one redeeming character to provide some level of balance. Lyle came close, but not quite. It would also have helped had the momentum and tension of each character’s story built upon each other. (Not to say every chapter was jarring, but a few toward the middle and end were.)

Aside from the characters, I also loved the common thread throughout the book: Money (or the lack thereof). It was interesting to watch how the desperation caused by a lack of money could destroy the lives of everyone involved and leave those in its wake an empty shell of a human.

I fluctuated between really liking and just liking this book. I loved the writing and the story, but unfortunately, the characters and the balance just left too much to be desired.

Rating: Get It Used (?)

If you enjoy dark psychological thrillers, then this may be up your alley. There’s a good chance you’ll love it, but you may be rubbed the wrong way by the characters. You’ve been warned.

Get Dark Places at Amazon

Back Cover of The Forest of Hands and Teeth

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, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.

Now 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 by so much death?

Three Quick Points About The Forest of Hands and Teeth

• Point 1: Love square surrounded by zombies. You’d think there would be plenty of drama when you have two guys in love with the same girl and another girl being in love with those two guys without throwing zombies into the mix, but you’d be surprised.
• Point 2: Storytelling lost to the ages. One thread throughout the book was the stories Mary’s mother told her, yet we the readers aren’t told these stories, only their synopses.
• Point 3: So many unanswered questions. Such is life. You’re presented with a question, but you become sidetracked and you don’t realize you never received an answer until it’s too late.

Full Review of The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Before reading the full review, please note that there may be some spoilers. I tried to keep it vague enough not to spoil the entire story, but be warned. If you’d rather not take any chances, skip the synopsis and go straight to the final thoughts.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth Synopsis

Mary lives in a gated community surrounded by The Forest of Hands and Teeth and in that forest live the Unconsecrated (flesh eating zombies, in other words). It’s the only life she’s ever known.

When her father is bitten by one of the Unconsecrated, Mary and her brother Jed decide to start keeping a closer eye on their mother because they’re not certain she can be trusted to remain sane in the wake of losing her husband.

It doesn’t work, however, because Mary is distracted by a childhood friend, Harry, who declares his desire to court her and lingers with him a little too long allowing her mother to get too close to the fence.

As Mary watches her mother turn and sent out into the forest to join the other zombies, her world comes crashing down around her. She loses her faith in God. She’s being courted by a boy she does not love and the one she does love (his brother) is courting her best friend. Her brother Jed is angry about their mother and refuses to allow Mary back into their home, so she’s forced to live with and join the Sisterhood and that means good-bye freedom.

While in the Sisterhood’s charge, Mary discovers they’ve been keeping secrets, but becomes distracted when her true love, Travis, is brought in with a badly broken leg. Each night she visits with him and tells him stories of the ocean and eventually, their love for one another grows.

By some miracle, Harry decides to go to the Sisterhood and claim Mary. In doing so, she’s no longer required to join the Sisterhood. Unfortunately, Mary’s heart belongs to another and to make things worse, that other belongs to Cassandra, her best friend. Let’s just say things get extremely muddled from there and will not properly render in a synopsis.

Then there’s a breach of the fence. The village is overrun by slow moving zombies and a fast one, which they aptly call The Fast One. Before leaving the Sisterhood, Mary had a brief interaction with The Fast One and discovered her name was Gabrielle and the Sisters had something to do with her turning.

In all the chaos, Mary, Harry, Travis, Cassandra, Jacob, a young boy, Jed, and Beth, his wife and Harry and Travis’s sister, are all forced into the maze of fences that lead into the unknown.

Final Thoughts On The Forest of Hands and Teeth

I have to start off by saying I truly didn’t care for Mary. I didn’t connect to her emotionally and had no idea why she thought the things she thought or did the things she did half the time.

Her mother’s Return was a pivotal time in her life because it seemed as though she was close to her mother, however, we’re not shown the extent of that closeness. Told? Yes. Shown? No.

For instance, Mary’s mother always told her stories of a time before the Return, but we’re not drawn into the stories. Instead, we’re offered synopses of these stories and as a result, we don’t get to see that bonding between mother and daughter. It would have simply been nice to hear the words coming from Mary’s mother’s mouth as a beautiful memory.

Since I didn’t get that emotional bonding, I had to go on blind faith how guilty Mary truly felt about not getting to her mother before she wandered too close to the fence.

As the book progressed, I began wondering what was so captivating about Mary that would make two guys strive for her love as Harry and Travis, two brothers, did. From my point of view, she seemed a little too flighty and a bit whiney for my liking. Of course, that doesn’t make Mary a bad person, just someone I didn’t connect with.

Another area of contention was Cassandra. We’re told how she is, or how she was, by Mary, but never shown this. No flashbacks of moments where she and Cass were being carefree or laughing over Mary’s stories or anything of that nature. All we’re shown is the current Cass who seems somewhat unreasonable and selfish, until the end when my respect for her grew.

All of that notwithstanding, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. The narrative was smartly written. It was the story and the mystery surrounding the Sisterhood, the forest, and the fences that made the book compelling. Frankly, I would have been just as fine if the whole love square thing were hacked right out of it and we were left with five people, a child, and a dog trying to figure out the puzzle.

Their society, in light of events, became ultra-religious and honoured constancy above love. Marriage was one of convenience and survival rather than for love. It was about keeping the bloodlines clean (I assume, of inbreeding) and elaborate binding rituals were created to see that traditions were upheld.

The Sisterhood controlled their secrets and they apparently had many, even from the Guardians and The Guild who were tasked with keeping the village safe and the fences strong.

It’s hinted at multiple times that The Sisterhood has some knowledge of where the Unconsecrated came from and what lied beyond the forest, but in their lust for power and domination, those secrets were fiercely guarded. Mary’s desire to figure it all out is the driving force behind the book.

At the end, Mary does get her answer, but we readers are still left with plenty of unanswered questions. Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. And though it may sound a little masochistic, I actually like the not knowing. It gave me some hope.

Rating: Get It Used [B-/C+] (?)

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*On a completely unrelated note, I have to warn you that the word scrabble is used at least one too many times in this book. Every time my eyes landed on it, I had to sigh and wonder why.