Book Review: The Dead-Tossed Waves (The Forest of Hands and Teeth #2) by Carrie Ryan

**Spoiler Free**

Reading Level: Young Adult
Pub Dates: Book-March 2010 / Audio-March 2010
Length: 12 hours
Narrator: Tara Sands
Series: 2nd in a series
Acquisition: Library

Summary:

Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She’s content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry’s mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry’s generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother’s past in order to save herself and the one she loves. (Goodreads)

My thoughts:
I absolutely loved The Forest of Hands and Teeth so I was very excited to begin The Dead Tossed Waves. Although, not as good as book 1 in my opinion, I still very much enjoyed it. A zombie story with raw emotion driving the characters forward.

Have to say, Gabry was a little annoying. She seemed very disconnected to her world and to her life. Everything for her is so 'very' and 'never' and 'always' - she 'tries' and she 'can't' and she never really seems to DO anything. Rather, she lets circumstance guide her actions. At times she was very weak, which didn't make sense because her mother, Mary is so strong.

My general problem with Gabry? Too much 'I' - 'I need', 'I want', 'I can't', 'I won't' -- gets old fast. It was told from her point of view but still. I really wanted to see more of Mary. I loved her character in The Forest of Hands and Teeth and I didn't feel like she got enough page time in The Dead Tossed Waves. However, once Catcher and Elias come onto the scene and the action starts moving forward a little more, I really got into the story and stopped being so hard on Gabry.

Audio critique:
Not too bad but it was a little hard to distinguish Gabry's inter monologue from her spoken word. I was confused, at times, as to whether she was talking to herself or speaking out loud. Not a problem if you read the book.

Final verdict:
The Dead Tossed Waves is toted as a companion novel rather then a straight out sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth but I would have to disagree. While although book 2 does take place many years after book 1, the timeline is still intact, the same characters make appearances and we learn more of the overall story. So yeah, defiantly a sequel in my book. AND a good one at that!

If you enjoy zombies and dystopian novels, you'll like this series. The series ends with The Dark and Hallow Places (book 3) but I wish it didn't because I love this zombie invested world Carrie has created and I don't think I'll get tired of it any time soon.

Overall Story Rating:

4 / 5 Stars

Overall Audio Book Rating:

3.5 / 5 Stars

Pre-trilogy Short Stories
Hare Moon - available as an ebook or in Kiss Me Deadly
Flotsam and Jetsam - available in The Living Dead 2
Bougainvillea - available in Zombies vs. Unicorns
Scenic Route - available in Enthralled (September 2011)

Books in The Forest of Hands and Teeth Trilogy:
The Forest of Hands and Teeth
The Dead-Tossed Waves
The Dark and Hallow Places

Linkage Love:
Delacorte / Random House
Listening Library / Random House
Author's Website