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?

Mary is a poweful, sympathetic heroine with plenty of depth and complexity, which will draw readers into her struggle for freedom. -- Damian Kelleher WATERSTONES BOOKS QUARTERLY The narrative sets a cheerless scene and the careful and often compassionate crafting of the horrors of the living dead add to the horror of the situation which Mary finds herself in. However, one of the great strengths of the book is its ability to make clear the resilience and determination of the human spirit, not only to survive but to search for those dreams which make existence whole. The Forest of Hands and Teeth is an assured debut. BOOKS FOR KEEPS Compelling enough to suggest that zombies may be the new vampires. -- Lisa Tuttle THE TIMES What makes this captivating, apart from the beauty of the prose, its wonderfully measured pace and neat plot twists, is the tension between Mary's dreams and the ever-present knowledge of the evil surrounding the village. For once, the hype surrounding a novel is not exaggerated. The Forest of Hands and Teeth is unputdownable. -- Eric Brown THE GUARDIAN Ryan writes with an infectious style that draws the reader in, buoying them with momentum at the right moments before delivering sequences of tense action. It's a very effective style and one that will surely resonate with fans of similar novels. A worthy and highly recommended read. SCI-FI NOW The Forest of Hands and Teeth truly is so much better than Twilight on numerous levels. Ryan has taken a familiar horror theme - the apocalyptic zombie tale - and refreshed it by setting Mary's story several generations beyond the fall of civilisation, with an intriguing and exciting plot that never quite takes the expected path. The book is well written, the language concise and easy to read. The characters are as realistically flawed as any teen you may meet, and never fall to stereotyping. HORROSCOPE Every once in a while, I come across a book that completely sucks me in from the very first page. 'The Forest of Hands and Teeth' is an astonishing debut, skillfully written by Carrie Ryan, poignantly narrated by Mary, powerfully unforgettable, and better than advertised. The Forest of Hands and Teeth' is one of the best debuts of the year. FANTASY BOOK CRITIC The Forest of Hands and Teeth is diverting, its mixing of romance and zom-conventions oddly engaging. Expect sequels. -- Guy Haley DEATHRAY The Forest of Hands and Teeth is original, gripping and rich in metaphor. In the cluttered zombie fiction market, it stands out like a living creature among reanimated corpses. -- James Lovegrove THE FINANCIAL TIMES I was terrified in parts, but I could not put it down. -- TEEN TITLES Holly Kesterton, Gracemount High Readers who have enjoyed the 'Twilight' series will love this novel, with its strong characterisation, intense atmosphere and supernatural motif. -- Sandra Bennett THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN

Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Carrie Ryan is a graduate of Williams College and Duke Law School. A Forest of Hands and Teeth is her first novel. A former litigator, she now writes fulltime. She lives with her writer/lawyer boyfriend and two fat cats in Charlotte, North Carolina.