Review: The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

A companion novel to Ryan’s debut, The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Gabry has grown-up in the quiet, sheltered seaside town of Vista with her mother, Mary. While the world outside rages with Mudo (zombies), Gabry feels safe within the fences – until one night she makes a fatal mistake that changes her life forever…

Author: Carrie Ryan

Pages: 416

Published: 2010

Bottom Line: A great second novel in what is shaping up to be a very exciting trilogy. While this story presents many similar plot elements and conflicts, it is nevertheless an enjoyable and exciting read from start to finish.

The zombie apocalypse is upon us again with Carrie Ryan’s thrilling companion to The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Rather than being a direct sequel, The Dead-Tossed Waves is set quite a few years in the future. Mary, our heroine from The Forest of Hands and Teeth, is the lighthouse keeper in the sheltered, seaside town of Vista – the perfect place, she believes, to raise her teenaged daughter, Gabry.

Although the whole world is overrun by the cannibalistic undead, Vista feels safe – high fences and militia keep the zombies at bay, and the waterlogged dead who wash up on shore are quickly dispatched every day. However, as anyone who is familiar with the laws of the zombie apocalypse would attest to – something will, inevitably, go horribly, horribly wrong.

I have a confession to make. Zombies absolutely terrify me. There is a small part of me that is quite certain that a zombie apocalypse could (and will) happen and dreads it immeasurably. I made the tragic mistake of reading The Dead-Tossed Waves in the darkness late at night, and it left me feeling uneasy, paranoid and just plain afraid.

As I walked through my dark, silent house to get a glass of water after I finished the book, it would have taken only the slightest creak of the stairs or groan of the wind to put me into a state of zombie panic. That being said, I am always impressed by the tenacity and pure will of live of Ryan’s heroines – I can’t imagine being able to live in a world full of stark, constant terror and danger without wanting to hurl myself out of a window.

In this book, Gabry is a law-abiding, zombie-fearing, “good girl” who is tempted beyond the fences that surround her town in order to visit an abandoned amusement park with her friends. Though Gabry is reluctant to go and frightened by the consequences, it is the encouragement of Catcher, her best friend’s brother and her greatest crush, that finally convinces her.

The situation spirals rapidly out of control, however, as the teenagers are attacked by a Breaker – a type of extremely fast and vicious zombie. The repercussions of this night change Gabry’s life profoundly – she must grow up quickly and decide whether she wants to live her life safe and secure within the walls of the city, or follow her heart and risk everything for love.

I found that The Dead-Tossed Waves mirrored many of the plot elements and conflicts that made The Forest of Hands and Teeth such a compelling read – though not necessarily in a detrimental way. There is an angst-ridden love triangle, a heroine who must question the very traditions and laws that have kept her safe, unexpected twists and turns, zombie mayhem and friendships fractured in the face of calamity.

I am not entirely sure whether Carrie Ryan intended for these plot parallels between mother and daughter (Mary and Gabry) in order to illustrate that no matter how hard one tries to shelter one’s child from the horrors and mistakes of the past, history will always find a way to repeat itself (especially in the midst of a global zombie apocalypse), or whether she is simply recycling what worked well in her first novel. However, plot parallels or no, The Dead-Tossed Waves is an exciting, edge-of-your-seat read.

It is packed with enough interesting characters, action, unexpected plot twists and startling revelations that will keep you guessing and turning pages until you’re done. I am tremendously excited for the third installment which, judging by the ending of this book, should be a straight sequel. The Forest of Hands and Teeth series definitely has all of the makings of a great young adult fantasy trilogy.

If you enjoy thrilling coming-of-age tales replete with love, loss, life lessons, and hordes of the undead, shamble over to your nearest bookstore and pick up The Dead-Tossed Waves.

(Follow the link to read my earlier review of The Forest of Hands and Teeth)

Three Zombie Books You Should Be Reading Right Now (Before It’s Too Late)

Everyone loves a zombie!

Who doesn’t want to read about a dessicated heap of animated flesh lusting after your soft, warm innards?

Books about zombies are terrifying, they’re exciting, and they give you great tips on what to do (and what not to do) if a zombie apocalypse happens to hit your home town (or planet). You’ll get to spend hours debating your zombie survival plan with friends and family – just remember, don’t be too specific or that sailboat you were planning to escape in might be spirited away by a conniving cousin.

Here are three books that every undead enthusiast should read, ranging from a graphic novel to a quasi-historical report to a teen horror fantasy.

Quick links to the reviews:

The Walking Dead

World War Z

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

The Walking Dead

Author: Robert Kirkland

Artist: Charlie Adlard

Issues: 70

Status: Ongoing

This graphic novel is absolute zombie perfection. Guts, gore, surprise deaths, a group of mismatched survivors trying to keep out of zombie maws, hope, despair – it’ll keep you at the edge of your seat from page one, and the only source of disappointment will be reaching the end of an issue.

This is the story of Rick Grimes, who wakes up from a coma to find that the whole world has gone to hell in a handbasket. Zombies roam the Earth and survivors are few, scattered and scared. Rick, a former cop, sets out to find his wife and son in the deadly wasteland that is post-apocalyptic America. Rick soon learns that the hordes of flesh-eaters aren’t necessarily the most terrifying things in a lawless world.

I absolutely love The Walking Dead. I’ve been buying the series in hardcover trades and cannot wait for the next one to come out – they all seem to end, frustratingly, in cliffhangers.

This is an intensely human story of love, loss, the relationship between human beings and the zombies that seem hell-bent on destroying them. There are moments of pure hope and pure despair in this series, and though you root for Rick and the other survivors wholeheartedly – sometimes you just can’t see how they could possibly make it.

The Walking Dead isn’t a gentle zombie tale – there are deaths when you least expect them, and no one’s favourite character is safe. There is heartbreak and situations that make you wonder whether or not it would be preferable just to give up and become a zombie because life is simply so hard.

Also, the art in The Walking Dead is great. The level of detail is sometimes so gruesomely amazing that you can’t help but stare into a maggoty eyesocket or a mangled limb.

All in all, The Walking Dead is a series that’ll make you think, feel, and truly care about the characters and their struggles against zombiekind.

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World War Z

Author: Max Brooks

Pages: 352

Year: 2006

The full title of this book is World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War and it is, without a doubt, one of the most terrifying books you’ll ever read.

The reason for this is that it is all written as a series of first-hand interviews compiled as part of a United Nations report on the zombie apocalypse.

It is written extraordinarily realistically, and sometimes it takes your entire power of logic to convince your mind that this simply is not real, and that no zombies are currently trying to break down your door in order to feast on your brains. This is a true pageturner, but it’s best to read it with the lights on and a shaolin spade at the ready.

World War Z follows the zombie pandemic from its apparent start in China to its terrifyingly fast spread from country to country and continent to continent. The book compiles accounts from around the world, including South Africa, Israel, Canada, the United States, India, Japan, Cuba and the United Kingdom.

It is absolutely fascinating to see how Brooks envisions each country dealing with the spreading calamity – China denies it, the United States produces a “vaccine”, Japan is evacuated, Israel builds walls, and the Canadians flee to the north hoping to freeze the zombies in their tracks… I won’t say how effective or ineffective any of these plans are – you just have to read this one for yourselves.

Brooks’ World War Z is chock full of social commentary and political criticism, but what you’ll truly come out with in the end is a creeping sense of unease. The atmosphere of this novel is so unrelentingly grim and violent that it made me anxious for days on end – and made me to quickly procure a copy of Brooks’ Zombie Survival Guide to improve my chances.

I definitely recommend this novel, and guarantee that by the end of it you’ll be formulating a survival plan for yourself based on those of the characters in the book. My ideal plan is to find a deserted or sparsely inhabited island somewhere and defend the beaches of the seaborne undead. Anyone want to join me?

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The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Author: Carrie Ryan

Pages: 312

Year: 2009

Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth is something the world simply hasn’t seen enough of: a young adult zombie apocalypse novel. Honestly, when I started this book I had absolutely no idea what to expect, but once I started it I just couldn’t put it down.

Aside from the wonderful danger presented by the zombies, The Forest of Hands and Teeth has an overarching sense of mystery and foreboding that is almost palpable.

I’ve been recommending this one to all of my friends, and for all of those Twilight-phobes – this isn’t just another rehashing or formulaic supernatural love story – this is a very gripping, original and beautiful book (but don’t worry, there is some romance).

This is the story of Mary, who lives with her family in a village surrounded by a thick, seemingly impenetrable forest and a large, intricate chain-link fence.

The village is ruled by a strict religious order called The Sisterhood, who control every aspect of life with the help of their dedicated military order, the Guardians.

No one remembers what life was like before the fenced village, and before the Sisterhood expect for old, muddled stories that have been passed down of concepts like the ocean.

At the fence, thousands of ravenous zombies moan for the flesh of the villagers every second of the day…

The Sisterhood has told the villagers that there are no other humans but them, and that there is nothing beyond the forest except death and devastation. Nevertheless, Mary has always wondered if there could be anything more. When a mysterious girl comes from the Outside, the whole village is put into turmoil and Mary’s life is turned upside-down.

There is too much excitement to spoil in The Forest of Hands and Teeth, so my synopsis must be short. Needless to say, this is another edge-of-your-seater that is chock full of sympathetic characters, deep, dark mysteries, hordes of the “Unconsecrated,” tenuous and difficult relationships, and action. For those who love young adult fiction, this is a must-read and I defy you to put this book down before the bitter end.

Also, I believe there is going to be a sequel – I can’t wait!

What are your favourite zombie reads? Let me know in the comments!

Underappreciated Author: John Bellairs

I’ve decided to start a new weekly series dedicated to books, authors and films that simply don’t get the recognition that they deserve.

Our first author to be profiled in Criminally Underappreciated is the master of the macabre, the sultan of suspense and the earl of eerie – John Bellairs!

I first discovered his book The Curse of the Blue Figurine in grade school and was immediately hooked. I stayed up all night reading the tense, supernatural gothic mystery (with the lights on, closet doors firmly closed, and ushabtis locked away, of course) and couldn’t stop until I was sure that Johnny Dixon and Professor Childermass didn’t meet a grisly end.

After that delightful night of scares, surprises, and spirits, I began to scour my local library for more.  Thankfully, Mr. Bellairs was a prolific writer and I gleefully filled my days reading and rereading his brilliantly written, clever, and undeniably creepy stories.

To this day, however, I have not managed to meet a single person (in the flesh) who has read a John Bellairs novel. I truly encourage you to pick up one of his many books. Though they were written to suit a young adult audience, they more than stand up to the test of time and are eminently enjoyable.

Why He Is Underappreciated:

Bellairs died in 1991, so his books aren’t exactly current. Moreover, the novels are set in the past (The Curse of the Blue Figurine takes place  in 1951), a decision that seems to have fallen out of favour with young readers, who prefer a contemporary setting.

I am sure that he is quite well-loved by older readers, but after an onslaught of supernatural romances such as Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, and Beastly, a skimming of the dustjacket might leave youngsters asking “where is the tortured, twisted, unrequited love?”

Perhaps when well-written, suspenseful, supernatural mysteries that don’t leave a saccharine taste in your mouth come back into vogue, John Bellairs will be king.

Why You Should Read His Books:

How are John Bellairs’ books worth reading? Let me count the ways.

• Superb storytelling. Not simply a good, solid Nancy Drew-esque mystery, but an edge-of-your-seat, macabre tale set in an immersive world where anything is possible. Though I have read and reread his books so often that my copies are soft, velvety and falling apart, I still get these nostalgic urges to pull them out of my bookshelf and stay up all night.
• They will actually give you chills and thrills. I am not ashamed to say that some of these stories still give me the willies. Bellairs is a master of atmosphere and fills his books with creepy locations, lurking menaces, and a really fantastic sense of the unknown. You don’t know what is going to happen when you turn the page. You may think you have reached the climax and that things can’t possibly get any stranger or more tense, and yet you haven’t even scratched the surface. Bellairs fills his stories with enough twists and turns to always keep you guessing.
• Memorable characters. Johnny Dixon and Professor Childermass, Anthony Monday and Miss Eells are all a part of my childhood. They are smart, funny, utterly human, and spectacularly sympathetic characters who you want to follow on adventures again and again and again, even if they give you the creeps. Thankfully Bellairs wrote each of his boyish protagonists a series of their own, so there’s no need to stop!
• They’re not just spooky… Bellairs is the kind of skilled author that can infuse even the scariest situation with his wry wit.
• You’ll learn something. As an english professor with a lifelong interest in history and archaeology, Bellairs was a bit of a know-it-all in the best sense. He integrates his considerable knowledge archaeological artifacts into The Curse of the Blue Figurine, which sparked my great interest in Ancient Egyptian history and mythology.
• Edward Gorey! The covers of all of the John Bellairs books that I read were by Edward Gorey, a famous artist known for his macabre illustrations. Edward Gorey’s evocative gothic cover art drew me in immediately, and John Bellairs did not disappoint. Sometimes it’s quite all right to judge a book by its cover, you might discover a gem!

Selected Bibliography:

These are some of my favourite books of John Bellairs’. He has an extensive biblography, and for more information on these or any of this other titles please visit Bellairsia. I will not include synopses now as I plan to review these books in detail in the near future!

Conclusion:

Spine-tingling, brilliantly written, and positively brimming with suspense, John Bellairs’ books are utterly satisfying and should be a must read for all fans of mystery and the supernatural.

They will definitely make you think twice about poking your nose where it doesn’t belong, even if tantalizingly dusty old artifacts beckon from basements, attics and creepy trunks.