The Forest of Hands and Teeth
The Forests of Hands and Teeth, written by Carrie Ryan is another work of fiction set in a dystopian society that is on production for its 2013 film release. The story centres on a girl named Mary living in a protected village amidst a forest filled with zombies.
The village enclosed by fences is ruled by the sisterhood of guardians, a matriarchal power force that imposes rules, protects the people, and upholds religion and tradition. The village is believed to be the only human settlement around the world after a massive plague that turned most of humankind’s population into zombies. The sisterhood has a strict system which ensures the preservation of humankind. Men are given the opportunity to choose their brides, and sadly for Mary, the brother of the man whom she is in love chooses her to be his bride.
Mary always dreams of the world outside. Growing up, her mother tells her stories of the world out there, the beautiful oceans and seas located far away from the forest where her village is located. One day, her mother is bitten by a zombie in the forest because she always roams the area searching for Mary’s lost father. The Sisterhood has a rule that every person bitten by a zombie has two options: to be killed or be banished to the forest. Mary’s mother chose the latter knowing that she will find her husband out there.
The story talks about social control, love, adventure, fantasy, bravery, survival, and sacrifice. Unlike other zombie-themed novels which deal on horror and adventure, “The Forest of Hands and Teeth” is an excellent tale of fantasy that will surely stir the imaginations of readers around the world.
