Short description
Mary lives in a small village governed by the religious Sisterhood and bordered with a fence to keep out the Unconsecrated--a horde of the undead. 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.
Long description
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? Carrie Ryan lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. You can visit Carrie at www.carrieryan.com.
Review
Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, February 2, 2009:
Mary's observant, careful narration pulls readers into a bleak but gripping story of survival and the endless capacity of humanity to persevere . . .Fresh and riveting.