Review: The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan, her Nine Rules for Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse, and News about the Third Book!

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (February 8, 2011)
Author's Website:  CarrieRyan.comBuy the book:  Paperback, Hardcover
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.

The Dead-Tossed Waves is more of a companion novel than a sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth.  It still has some of the same characters and is in the same post zombie-apocalyptic setting, but you don't have to have read the first to read the second (but really there's no reason not to).  These books are incredible!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! The Dead-Tossed Waves was even better than it's predecessor, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, in my opinion, and I'd put it right up there with the Twilight Saga. But, even if you didn't like Twilight, you might like this book. Carrie Ryan is an amazing writer. These stories are so imaginative and evoke an enormous range of emotions. Just like when I read FHT (my review), I found myself frequently holding my breath, either because of fear, or because of the torment of the emotional roller coaster and love triangle.

The characters in this book are fantastic.  I loved reading about Gabry.  Her outlook on life and the world around her is so completely different than Mary in FHT.  While Mary couldn't wait to get out and get away, always wanting what she didn't have, Gabry seemed perfectly content to let things alone.  That is until (of course) her world is turned upside down.  Some might say that this book is depressing, which I can understand, but I always felt like there was still hope, that there was still something worth fighting for.  And I love that about Ryan's writing.  You could practically feel the desperation of the characters dripping off them.  My stomach was just in knots for them!  I just loved it!

I absolutely can NOT wait until I get my hands on the next book The Dark and Hollow Places.

Check Mate!!

• Sexual Content:  Just kissing
• Profanity:  None
• Violence:  Lots of Zombie violence

For more details go to The Dead-Tossed Waves on Parental Book Reviews.

 (From Carrie's web site)











Carrie says...

"There's a third book in the series and it should be coming out in Spring 2011. It's already written and the title is The Dark and Hollow Places. I've seen a cover comp and in total love -- can't wait until I'm able to share it!

I also have three short stories set in the World after the Return (the same world as The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves)."



Antho title: Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love

Antho editor: Trisha Telep

Release date: July 27, 2010

Short story title: Hare Moon

Short story description: my story is about Sister Tabitha from The Forest of Hands and Teeth when she was Mary's age. It answers a few more questions about the village, the Sisterhood and Tabitha's motivation. As it turns out, she was quite the passionate teen :)

Antho title: The Living Dead 2

Antho editor: John Joseph Adams

Release date: September 2010

Short story title: Flotsam & Jetsam

Short story description: right around the time of the Return, when no one really knows what's going on, a group of seniors go on their senior cruise and infection breaks out on the ship. Two boys escape in a life raft -- one of them's infected.

Antho title: Zombies vs. Unicorns

Antho editors: Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

Release date: September 21, 2010

Short story title: Bougainvillea

Short story description: set about ten years after the Return on the island of Curacao, a girl discovers what it takes to survive as pirates threaten.



Nine Rules for Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: (Provided by Carrie Ryan and MacLean Space)
1. Learn how to can, pickle and preserve. You know how you wanted to start that "all natural" diet? Well, now's your chance!

2. Start fattening up your cats and dogs now. Zombies may not eat animals but that doesn't mean you can't in a pinch!

Read the rest at MacLean Space