Delacorte Books for Young Readers – March 9, 2010
FYI – This book is a companion to THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, NOT a sequel.
Gabry has lived with her mother in the lighthouse for years. She is content with her friends, her quiet world, and dreaming of life in the Dark City where people enjoy more comforts than she is used to.
Gabry’s friends are more adventurous than she is. They like to sneak out of town and explore the unsafe areas where Mudo roam. They particularly enjoy going to the abandoned and dangerous amusement park on the other side of the fence. Gabry doesn’t want to go where the Mudo wander – she wants to stay safe, but Catcher is going and she wants to be with him. The thought of spending time with Catcher alone and in the dark overpower her thoughts of safety.
Gabry’s trip to the amusement part quickly turns into a disaster. She is forced to grow up fast with very little information. The little she learns from her mother sends her on the biggest adventure of her life. One she never even considered a possibility. The only thing that keeps her going is the desire to learn the truth about her family and save the people she loves.
My first reaction when I started reading THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES was disappointment. I wanted more about Mary. Also, there were several times when Gabry got on my nerves. But, after thinking about the book for a while, I have come to the conclusion that continuing to story of the people surviving life among the Unconsecrated/Mudo several years after THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH was okay. How much more could we have seen Mary do? She’d already survived the trip through the forest and found the ocean. What could she do more exciting than that? Plus, Gabry provides a whole new perspective of life after the Return. I can’t wait to read the third novel in this wonderful series. Keep up the good work, Carrie Ryan.
This is another example of book covers that have changed. The first cover I saw posted on Goodreads for THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES was this one:
So, what do you think? Which one do you like better? I like the first one. I think it matches the cover of THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH and once you read it you will see that the cover model resembles Gabry much better than the girl in the ocean. The current cover makes it seem like the person on the front is one of the Unconsecrated/Mudo washing up on shore. Hmmmm.
Great review of this book. I won this book (ARC) from you in a contest and felt very similar while reading it. I think it was a little more graphic than the first. I am eager to see where the story goes from here. I heard one rumor on the internet that the ending may be changed…have you heard that as well?
I look forward to this book! Forest of Hands and Teeth was one of my favorites in 2009. Do you know when this one is released?
I completely forgot to add the release date on this review. So sorry. I’ll fix that right now. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Yes, Carrie Ryan posted on her Twitter account that the ending has already been changed. She changed it after the ARCs had already been printed. I don’t think it is going to be a major difference though.
Going just by the covers — I like the first one better. Maybe it is the blue.
I have not yet read In the Forest of Hands and Teeth. I’m guessing this one will make much more sense if I do. I’ll have to see if my students will let me have In the Forest of Hands and Teeth one of these days.
I like the first cover better. Much better.
I’m so glad to find out this isn’t a sequel – I’ll go into this better knowing that! I really liked The Forest of Hands and Teeth.
I was surprised when I saw the second cover because I was had already gotten a glimpse of the first one. The first is much better, IMO. It does give you the impression that she might be Mudo. I like this one but not as much as Forest of Hands and Teeth. It took me awhile to like Gabry. I really missed Mary’s voice.
Do we find out who Gabby’s father is?
I am very excited for this book since Forest was one of my favorite reads last year.
Auugh. I hate when they change covers so your series books don’t match… I guess the second cover is fine by me only because I’ve just given away my copy of Forest of Hands & Teeth.
I’ll probably just borrow this one. I was not a FoHaT fan.
I also read an ARC of this, and I’m very surprised to hear the ending’s changed! Hmm. . .must do some digging.
Like the others here, I much preferred the original cover. It didn’t look like anything else, and it matched the first book. Call me a stickler, but I like for books in series to match.
I liked the original cover better. I hate when sequel covers don’t match the original at all.
Loved your review! I didn’t realize this wasn’t a sequel until you mentioned it. That’s good to know because I was expecting to hear more about Mary. This does sound good. I had mixed feeling about TFOHAT but I would like to keep reading this series. I agree about the covers too. I definitely like the first one better.
I like the first cover as well. I also saw the new cover for Forest. It now matches the current The Dead-Tossed Waves cover.
Great review! I can’t tell you how envious I am right now, I can’t wait to read this one! I liked the blue cover more, I thought it went better with The Forest of Hands and Teeth.
oh and I didn’t know there was going to be a 3rd. does it come out in 2011?
i never saw either of these covers!! they have a really simple one of a shell in ireland! love the reveiw.
who is gabbys father? I think I know who it is, i just wanted to be sure though!
It looks like I’m the only one who likes that second cover way better than the first……
I like both covers, though I feel like the first one is not necessarily Gabry but Mary when she washed upon the shore in The Forest of Hands and Teeth.
haha yeah the covers are different for the UK and Ireland, the fisrt one a weird spiky flower, the second a shell on a beach and the third a barbed wire heart. I personally prefer the second book to the first, although it may be a tad more graphic. I have a lot of love for Elias so I think that may be the main reason why though aha.