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The Dead-Tossed Waves

Initially I didn't want to read this. The Forest of Hands and Teeth didn't need a sequel and why is EVERYTHING being turned into a series these days?

Then, I read a bunch of reviews here in bloggy land and learned that it's not a direct sequel, but rather the story of Mary's daughter. A related story in the same world? Now that I can handle. And crave. Like the Mudo crave to infect...*

Gabry has grown up in the lighthouse with her mother, helping her rid the beach of the Mudo after high tide. But one night, she sneaks outside the barriers of town, to the ruins of the old amusement park. Disaster strikes. Gabry gets away, but her friends that survive are severely punished. She goes back to look for Catcher, who is one of the missing, and what happens pushes Gabry, her mother, and others back into the Forest, running from the Recruiters, who help keep the Mudo at bay...

Did you like the first one? It has that same suspense and horror with a romantic subplot feeling. It's gripping. I'm not really one for horror-filled zombie stories, but I love the world that Ryan has built. I loved learning more about it, how the Return spread, how people survive, what's been happening elsewhere, outside of the forest, and off the beach. (We do get a few unresolved questions from Forest of Hands and Teeth answered.)

I could have done without the constant Elias vs. Catcher drama. THERE ARE ZOMBIES AFTER YOU! WHO CARES? But I did love Gabry's changing relationship with her best friend. And, I have to admit, I CANNOT WAIT until March, when we get The Dark and Hollow Places, which is Annah's** story. So, another related book, but not a direct sequel, which I really like.

*Yes, I am a book zombie. Like you didn't know that already. It's all about MY braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaains.

**If you don't know who that is, I'm not going to spoil it for you.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

“The air outside the Barrier seems different, seems to hum with possibility. And every time I draw a breath of it I feel as though I’m leaving behind who I used to be and becoming something else.”

In The Dead-Tossed Waves, a companion book to The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, Gabry and a group of her friends sneak outside the protective Barrier around their town and face the horror of the Mudo, people infected by a deadly virus that kills them and then brings them back to viciously attack, bite, and spread the infection.

I picked up The Forest of Hands and Teeth last summer because I was intrigued by the title, and after I read it, I passed it on to my sister and my nephew. We all shivered at the thought of those ferocious former humans out in the wilderness, waiting.

As this summer winds down, our two sons and many of their cousins and friends are packing and planning and preparing for new adventures in the exciting world outside the protection of the homes they’ve always known, leaving behind who they used to be and becoming something else.

Good luck, you guys! Stick together in the wilderness. Know that you can always come back to the comfort and safety of home. And watch out for the Mudo!

JoAnn Early Macken

P.S. You still have until 11 p.m. (CST) to enter our giveaway drawing for Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I don’t), written by Barbara Bottner and illustrated by Michael Emberley. See April's interview of Barbara for details.

I was able to get a lot of "audio" reading done this month, finishing three, and really loving two of those three. Head on over to and link your audiobook reviews at Audiosynced, this month at Abby (the) Librarian.

Frindle by Andrew Clements


I know, I know, I'm a librarian and I have yet to make my way through Andrew Clements' books. Each one that I've actually read, I've loved, and this one was probably my favorite. The reader, John Fleming, did a great job and kept me completely engaged from start to finish.

This is a quick read and a great choice for a family road trip. You could make it through a couple of books this length in a few hours.


Audiobook borrowed from my local library


 The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

I'm going to really push this one on you! I've read the book and was just using the audio version as a refresher in anticipation of The Dead Tossed Waves. I didn't count on being completely taken in by the reader, Vane Millon, and feeling as if I was really experiencing the story for the first time. This reader is the BEST reader I have ever come across and I'm going to be frantically searching for more titles she's read.

One of the few times I'll actually say that the audio version was better than the actual book. Loved it!


Audiobook borrowed from my local library

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Unfortunately, this is the one that I didn't enjoy quite as much as the others. I know that so many of you just love this book and it may be because I listened to the audio rather than reading, but I really felt the entire story was just ok. Almost cheesy at points. And the reader, Eden Reigel, sounded about 9 years old through the whole book, even when Ella was almost out of her teens.

Just not great for me. But I know that there are lots of Ella fans out there, so go check it out for yourself!


Audiobook borrowed from my local library

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan. Delacorte Books, an imprint of Random House. 2010. Review copy supplied by publisher. Companion to The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Carrie Ryan's book tour.

The Plot: Gabry has been raised behind the safe walls of Vista. She lives in a lighthouse with her mother, Mary, gazing beyond the boundaries of her town, looking out to sea, but never wanting more than the safety she has. Beyond those safe borders are the Mudo. The border walls are secure against the Mudo and their bites that infect, kill, leaving the bitten to return as one of the Mudo.

One night, Gabry and a group of her friends slip over the protective wall to go to the abandoned amusement park. Whether its because the Mudo have always been so far away, or because they have never breached the wall, or because as teens they believe nothing can ever happen to them, they leave Vista for a few hours one night.

The Good: Do I really have to tell you that it does not end well? And this is only the first few chapters. It just gets worse from there... (or, actually, better, because this book is awesome and it is one of my favorite books of 2010).

And do I really have to tell you the Mudo are zombies? But, like Ryan's first book which told a teenage Mary's story (The Forest of Hands and Teeth), the "z" word is never mentioned. I wonder if, in a world where the unthinkable happened -- zombies are real -- to use that word would just be unbearable.

Gabry joins her friends in the ill-fated forbidden trip to the amusement park because of her crush on Catcher, her best friend Cira's older brother. This one action causes unforeseen consequences (and because they are unforeseen I don't want to give too much away here!). Those consequences include meeting Elias, a stranger who becomes a friend; Gabry fleeing into the Forest; and a love triangle between Gabry, Elias, and Catcher.

Zombies are fun because it can be such a great metaphor when done well. As in The Forest of Hands and Teeth, they reflect fear, of choices and life. Zombies are also the greater world; sometimes scary, sometimes threatening, but they should never be an obstacle to friendship, to family, to love, to happiness.

I love that this is not a straight sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth. They are set in the same world, yes, but the story lines and character arcs are independent of each other. While The Forest of Hands and Teeth showed the zombie world from an isolated village, The Dead-Tossed Waves reveals a greater world, with remnants of government, of trade, of organized fighting forces and different religious reactions to the walking dead.


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© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy

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Donna Gambale said, on 3/30/2010 11:54:00 AM

Glad you loved it! I really enjoyed Hands and Teeth and was hoping the sequel would be great. I'm also happy it's not a direct sequel.

Peaceful Reader said, on 3/30/2010 12:19:00 PM

This sounds very interesting-your review certainly makes me want to read it! Best books of 2010 is a big statement!

vvb32 reads said, on 3/30/2010 10:14:00 PM

sounds good. i'm definitely adding this to my reading batch.

Jodie said, on 3/31/2010 1:19:00 PM

I'm a big fan of books that aren't straight sequels. Sometimes it's nicer to explore the same world, without the same characters.

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By: Cheryl Rainfield, on 3/23/2010
Blog: Cheryl Rainfield: Avid Reader, Teen Fiction Writer, and Book-a-holic. Focus on Children & Teen Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Carrie Ryan, author blog tour, Uncategorized, Add a tag

Carrie, tell us what’s behind the first line of The Forest of Hands and Teeth “My mother used to tell me about the ocean.” The line leads to The Dead-Tossed Waves.

Author Carrie Ryan. Photo credit: Darren Cassese

Carrie Ryan:
One day at work I read an article online about the overfishing of Tuna and I thought to myself how odd it would be if tuna became so rare that the next generation would rarely every eat it when right now it’s so ubiquitous that I have cans of it sitting on my shelf (and always had). It made me think about what’s so common today that might not be common (or might even be gone ) in future generations.

When I was walking home from work that night thinking about this, the first line “My mother used to tell me about the ocean” just literally popped into my head and I was so struck by it that I pulled out my blackberry and emailed it to myself. The whole drive home I kept thinking about it and when I got home I pulled out my computer and wrote about 2,000 words.

I hadn’t really planned on writing a post-apocalypse zombie book but I needed to start a new project for National Novel Writing Month and I wanted to try a new voice (to basically clear an old character’s voice out of my head). The Forest of Hands and Teeth really started out as more of an experiment — me trying something new — than anything else.

As I wrote, the theme of the first line really stuck with me — this idea of what we forget through the generations and I really did wonder if a world cut off from everything else could forget about something as large as the ocean. This really hit home with me when I was telling my fiancé about a story my grandmother told me when she was ill, just before she died. In her story, she attended a college dance wearing lavender stockings and one of the chaperones asked her to leave because her stockings were inappropriate. Her mother, my great-grandmother, was also at the dance and she gave the woman the most perfect response that was cutting and proper and oh-so-clever. It’s a line that so perfectly explains the strength of the women in my family.

But I can’t remember what that line was. I’ve asked everyone else in my family if Nana ever told them that story and none of them had ever heard it. I was the one the story was entrusted to and now it’s gone forever. I really wanted to make that a part of Mary’s world — all the things that we take for granted and don’t bother passing on eventually become lost… including the ocean.

---

Wow. That’s powerful! Thank you, Carrie.

You can see more from Carrie Ryan along her blog tour:

Posts already up:
3/21 Reader Girlz
3/22 Mundie Moms

Posts to come:
3/24 Just Blinded Books
3/25 The Story Siren

---

If you’re a fan of Carrie Ryan’s books, you’ll

3 Comments on Carrie Ryan blog tour stop, last added: 3/23/2010

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Amy said, on 3/23/2010 5:23:00 AM

Wow, I loved The Forest of Hands and Teeth and just finished The Dead-Tossed Waves over the weekend. So interesting to hear how she got the concept!

At some point this week (probably!) Kailana (over at The Written World http://myreadingbooks.blogspot.com/) and I will be posting some type of joint review for this book as well

Cheryl Rainfield said, on 3/23/2010 5:31:00 AM

That’s great, Amy! I hope lots of people go check out your review.

Alyson Greene said, on 3/23/2010 8:16:00 AM

I love The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves because they have zombies, but also because they’re about so much more than zombies.

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Posted on 3/7/2010
Blog: Books, Boys, Buzz (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  zombies, Michael Cera, zombie movies, Amanda Ashby, Carrie Ryan, Zombieland, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg, boyfriend, Add a tag

I just finished watching Zombieland for the first time. I've been wanting to watch it for a while, and when Hollywood video called to wish me happy birthday last week and told me I could have a free rental, I decided to go for it.

While I'm more of a vampire and werewolf fan, I have nothing against zombies. I read and loved Zombie Queen of Newbury High by the lovely Amanda Ashby, The Forest of Hands and Teeth by the lovely Carrie Ryan (by the way, The Dead Tossed Waves is due out March 9!) and my TBR pile just acquired Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I've watched some zombie films too, like Shaun of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead (which reportedly was the movie choice for my parents' first date), and a fairly recent one that dealt with zombies and the apocalypse but for the life of me (pun intended) I can't recall its name! Grrr.

Okay, that was quite a birdwalk from what I set out to write about today. What I was going for was a theme about BOYS. And yes, while zombies as subject might be hot, I have yet to see a zombie dude we non-zombie girls drool over.

In Zombieland, Jesse Eisenberg played "Columbus," a non-zombie character reminiscent of the characters Michael Cera usually plays--like in 2 of my favorites, Juno and Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist. You know, kinda dorky, awkward, nervous, quirky, charming, sweet, honest, and kinda-sorta cute if you squint just right. At one point in Zombieland, Columbus asks the little sister (played by Abigail Breslin) of the girl he's crushing on (played by Emma Stone) what her big sister's "type" is. The little sister says, "Bad boy," so Columbus drops their popcorn bowl on the floor (trying to be a "bad boy," if you didn't catch that). Yeah. Doesn't quite work. So, I'm not sure if it's the fact that they're in the midst of an apocalypse and the supply of hot non-zombies is severely depleted, Columbus's personality ultimately wins her over, OR she's flat-out tipsy from Bill Murray's 1996 (if I remember correctly) wine, but (please skip to the next paragraph if you haven't seen it yet and don't want a spolier) our sweet little Columbus gets to first base with his crush. Yay!

Now, that's what I wanted to write about today. What's YOUR type? Do you like the type of guy who goes shopping with you and tells you which sandals to buy? Do you like the guy who is "all business" and has his future AND your future

8 Comments on What's Your Type?, last added: 3/9/2010

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Lenore said, on 3/7/2010 8:20:00 AM

Zombieland was so much fun. I loved that scene where he was trying to be "bad"!

Ella Press said, on 3/7/2010 8:53:00 AM

I loved Adventureland where Jesse played the same type of guy -dorky and awkward. I'll have to see this!
And as for my type, I don't really have one, or I don't know what it is yet!

Michelle said, on 3/7/2010 9:49:00 AM

I'm not really sure if I have a type. Everyone I've ever liked for the most part has been different. I like dorky and adorable tough, that's cute. I guess I just want someone who's respectful and who listens, someone who has a good sense of humor and is patient with me haha. I'm really laid back so I don't want someone who's super high maintenance and of course you want to have things in common. I guess I'll know when I meet him. ;)

Billy Burgess said, on 3/7/2010 10:24:00 AM

Zombieland was a fun movie. I also like the movie Shaun of the Dead

Wendy Toliver said, on 3/7/2010 12:06:00 PM

Lenore, I loved that scene too!
Ella Press, I still need to see Adventureland.
Michelle, those are some great qualities!
Billie, I liked those two movies, too.
Thanks for commenting!

mariska said, on 3/7/2010 8:19:00 PM

I like the type of guy, humorous, kind, sweet, Smart, protective, responsible..cute :)

i found that in my DH !

Mena said, on 3/8/2010 8:13:00 PM

I want to marry my best friend. I want him to be someone who treats me with respect and who I want to become more like. And I want him to call me out when I'm off-base- to help me improve. I want us to have fun together, to be able to talk for hours, or to just "be" together.

Bee said, on 3/9/2010 3:01:00 AM

I like guys who are sporty and smart..lol

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13. Scary Zombies!

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By: Jennie, on 11/13/2009
Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Carrie Ryan, YA, Fiction, Horror, zombies, survival, Add a tag

The Forest of Hands and Teeth Carrie Ryan

The Return happened generations ago and now Mary's village is isolated, with its fortified fences and ruling Sisters. Mary has always known that no one believes her mother's stories of the ocean, passed from generation to generation, because to venture beyond the village is death. They are the only survivors.

Mary has questions and dreams that extend beyond what she knows, but the Unconsecrated (that means ZOMBIES) keep her at bay. She will marry a man she does not love, she will do what the Sisters tell her to do. She will believe in her mother's ocean and buildings so tall they touch the sky.

Then, when the fences break, she and her friends are forced to run through the forest and confront what they have been told and what they have dreamed of.

Gripping and chilling. It alternates between being a love story, a survival story in this post-apocalyptic landscape, and straight-up horror. Mary (and so, the reader) never fully learn all of the Sisterhoods secrets or reasons. I also like how you're not overly sure which religion the Sisters and the villagers practice (or even if it's one we'll recognize in our pre-zombie world). The name Sister implies nuns, but there is a spot on the outer doorways that Mary always touches that has religious significance, something that made me think of a Jewish muzuzah.

The end of the story is a little abrupt, but overall, I liked it, and I don't like horror or survival stories!

Why are there so few serious zombie books being published for teens? Everything I see is of the lighter variety.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

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14. Da Surname Meme

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By: Cate Gardner, on 8/31/2009
Blog: The Poisoned Apple (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Meme, Laurie Halse Anderson, Jack Gantos, Arkham Tales, Sarah Rees Brennan, Carrie Ryan, Stuart Neville, Nathan Shumate, Philip K Dick, Add a tag

The wonderful Nathan Shumate, editor of Arkham Tales has tagged me in a most wonderful meme that proves I do have a lot of books on my shelf and leaves me thankful I don't have a really weird, long name. Here be the rules....

From the biggest bookcase you have, pick out one book whose author’s last name starts with each letter of your last name. If you have no books by an author whose last name starts with a particular letter, go to the next letter. If you have two of the same letter in your last name, get two separate authors, not two books by the same author. Bonus: If you can, pick the first book you haven’t read off your shelf, unless you’re one of those people who’s read all the books you own.

- Post the first sentence of each book, along with the author and title. Feel free to skip prefaces and such, especially if they’re by a different writer.

***

I expect you might think the story I am about to tell you is untrue or perversely Gothic in some unhealthy way. (Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos - read and most truly a brilliant book).

So she tells me, the words dribbling out with the cranberry muffin crumbs, commas dunked in her coffee. (Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - read and loved).

My mother used to tell me about the ocean. (The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan - excellent, sequel now please).

Peter Trilling watched quietly as the other children played in the dust by the side of the porch. (The Cosmic Puppets by Philip K. Dick - memorable).

Maybe if he had one more drink they'd leave him alone. (The Twelve by Stuart Neville - to be read).

And out of the Darkwood Mr Toppit comes, and he comes not for you, or for me, but for all of us. (Mr Toppit by Charles Elton - to be read).

The pipe under the sink was leaking again. (The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan - can't wait for the sequel).

***

And I tag: Aaron Polson, Carrie Harris (who can make hers up if she wants and do a super twist on it), Jamie Eyberg, and if he has the time, Barry Napier (to wake him up).

10 Comments on Da Surname Meme, last added: 8/31/2009

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Jamie Eyberg said, on 8/31/2009 10:28:00 AM

Thank god my name isn't any longer.

Kim Kasch said, on 8/31/2009 10:33:00 AM

Very fun! I loved reading the first lines. Thanks for this post.

K.C. Shaw said, on 8/31/2009 10:51:00 AM

Fun meme! It would be hard for people with last names like Kuchenbrugger or whatever. :)

I really want to read The Demon's Lexicon. I read the first chapter online and liked it a lot. Maybe I'll pick up a copy this weekend.

Cate Gardner said, on 8/31/2009 11:54:00 AM

Jamie, Your Y would bother me...

Kim, KC, I wish now I'd added you to the tag list as your surnames are delightfully short.

Laura Eno said, on 8/31/2009 12:12:00 PM

Fun! Once again, I'm thankful for a short name.

Carrie Harris said, on 8/31/2009 12:25:00 PM

Of course, now that you said I CAN make it up, you realize that means I NEED to make it up. :)

Jeremy Kelly said, on 8/31/2009 3:49:00 PM

That's a genius line from wintergirls.

katey said, on 8/31/2009 4:08:00 PM

The Forest of Hands and Teeth is so on my to-buy list. Man.

Fun meme!

Aaron Polson said, on 8/31/2009 4:52:00 PM

I like tag. I like this meme.

Danielle Ferries said, on 8/31/2009 6:21:00 PM

Great Meme. I've read The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs, it was most interesting and I enjoyed.

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15. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

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By: Alissa Lauzon, on 5/11/2009
Blog: What I'm Reading Now (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Carrie Ryan, Add a tag

Everyone in Mary’s village lives in fear of the Unconsecrated- the undead creatures who dwell in the forest outside the fences of the village. The constant threats from the Unconsecrated rule life in the village and govern the choices everyone makes. After her mother is bitten by an Unconsecrated, Mary finds that she no longer has options. She must either choose to join the Sisterhood, the

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16. The Forest of Hands and Teeth review

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By: Amanda, on 4/28/2009
Blog: A Patchwork of Books (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Carrie Ryan, Add a tag

So first Stephenie Meyer made me fall in love with vampires. Then she made me fall in love with werewolves. And now? Carrie Ryan has made me fall in love with zombies...well maybe not the actual zombies, but the idea that zombies can be added into a young adult novel and it can be thrilling, enjoyable, and heart-wrenching all at the same time. Darn those author women.

Taking place in a post-apocalypse era, The Forest of Hands and Teeth follows Mary, a young girl residing in a village surrounded by a zombie-filled forest. If someone gets too close to the fence or happens to be crazy enough to leave the village, he or she will be bitten and will also turn into a flesh-driven zombie. After the "death" of her mother, Mary is sent to live with the Sisterhood, the strict religious government system of the village, out to force the residents to forget that there was ever a world before zombies.

Mary is soon forced to live out her worst nightmare when the fence is breached and zombies are all over her village, forced to flee with a few other residents, all of them must work together to stay alive, though none are even sure that's what they want to do at all.

Incredibly haunting and a total page-turner, Carrie Ryan's first book had my heart in my throat throughout the book. There's love, heartbreak, action, and ZOMBIES! Crazy, but sooooo enjoyable.

Definitely recommended for teens and those adults that just couldn't get enough of Twilight.

To learn more or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Carrie Ryan
320 pages
Young Adult
Delacorte Press
9780385736817
March 2009

4 Comments on The Forest of Hands and Teeth review, last added: 4/30/2009

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Nicola said, on 4/29/2009 6:00:00 AM

I'm reading this right now! I just skimmed your review (I can't read reviews of books I'm reading or about to read, kwim) but did read the last sentences. So far I'm loving it too. I'm not really into Twilight but this is really well written and yeah, zombies are cool!

Melissa said, on 4/29/2009 7:10:00 AM

Nice review. I can't wait to get around to reading this at some point!

Kailana said, on 4/29/2009 9:53:00 PM

I am looking forward to reading this very soon!

Mama Librarian said, on 4/30/2009 4:32:00 PM

Oh, man, I love zombies. I can't justify reading it during the school year (YA and all) but man, over the summer, I am getting me some zombie ACTION! (Um, that sounds bad...)

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17. Turning Folk Green

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By: Catherine J Gardner, on 3/14/2009
Blog: The Poisoned Apple (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Neil Gaiman, Sand, Carrie Ryan, Space and Time, Dead Girls, Talebones, Neil Shusterman, Add a tag

The post to make you all feel very, very jealous. Look at the goodies that I received in the post over the course of a week.

I shall list them all and then sit back and watch your green-o-meter increase with each line.

From left to right (top row):

Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley (MG)

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston (YA, First Novel)

Talebones issue 37

Sand issue 3

Space And Time issue 106

From left to right (bottom row):

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson (YA)

Dead Girls Don't Write Letters by Gail Giles (YA)

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (YA, First Novel)

Unwind by Neal Shusterman (YA - reading, fricking brilliant)

Actually Unwind is leaving me with a slight dilemma. It's one of those books that is so wonderful (I am sure the other books are too, but I haven't got to them yet) that you want to pass it onto someone else. Half my family don't read books (the shame) and as for the ones who do... It's not my mother and cousin's type of book, the little ones are too little and the not so little one is still too young at only 9 years old. As for my friend, she has had a book for the last eight or so years in her desk drawer and she's still only on about page nine. Why am I surrounded by these people? Anyhow, as such it will join the other goodies in the competition due some time this month.

11 Comments on Turning Folk Green, last added: 4/6/2009

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Rebecca Nazar said, on 3/14/2009 7:36:00 AM

Good thing my favorite color is green.

K.C. Shaw said, on 3/14/2009 7:49:00 AM

I am less green than I would be if I didn't have my brand-new ereader to play with, and if I hadn't already read Wondrous Strange (which is good). Enjoy the books! (That reminds me to go check the mail, because, yes, I'm expecting books.)

Catherine J Gardner said, on 3/14/2009 7:53:00 AM

Rebecca, mine too.

KC, you most definitely beat me on purchases this week. I keep imagining how easy it's going to be for you to read all the pdf magazines that are available, and I am trying to resist buying one.

Jamie Eyberg said, on 3/14/2009 8:03:00 AM

Quite a compilation. Looks like some most excellent reading. Yes, I am a little green.

katey said, on 3/14/2009 11:15:00 AM

I am totally green, and I imagine I still will be come St. Pat's, so that's good timing at least.

Mmm lots of stuff I need to try in there too... And American Gods! One of my favorites!

Brenda said, on 3/14/2009 12:13:00 PM

Wow! I need to have a talk with my mailman...he never brings me such wonderful gifts!

Enjoy!

Nora MacFarlane said, on 3/14/2009 1:22:00 PM

Shamrock. That's the color green I am at the moment.

Catherine J Gardner said, on 3/14/2009 2:26:00 PM

Of course my intention was to turn you all green in time for St. Patrick's Day. :) It's my Irish blood.

Jeremy D Brooks said, on 3/14/2009 8:59:00 PM

Getting books in the mail is so awesome...that's been one of my favorite things since I was little and used to order stuff from the Dr. Who Appreciation Society newsletter.

Andrea said, on 3/15/2009 1:03:00 AM

I'm totally green. I love getting good stuff in the mail especially books. Doesn't happen often.

Catherine J Gardner said, on 3/15/2009 3:09:00 AM

Jeremy, I don't think I've ever stopped loving getting things in the post. A few years ago I went ebay mad.

Andrea, this week will just not be the same.

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18. How They Got Here: 2009 Debut Author Carrie Ryan

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By: Kate Messner, on 3/11/2009
Blog: Kate's Book Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  carrie ryan, how they got here, the forest of hands and teeth, Add a tag

This post is part of a year-long series of blog interviews I'll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here." 

It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids.  2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors.  (You'll even be able to read some successful query letters!)  If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!


Today...Carrie Ryan, author of THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH!

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, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.

Now 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 by so much death?




Welcome, Carrie! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.

Actually the VERY first thing I wrote (that I remember) was a poem when I was in middle school. I read it to my dad and he was like "what book is that from?" and I told him I'd written it. I remember the look of surprise and pride on his face and it made me realize that I could write something he thought was publishable!

What books did you love when you were a kid?

Any and all books! I loved Nancy Drew and then Sweet Valley High and then Christopher Pike books. I learned how to speed read staying up until two in the morning reading Christopher Pike, too afraid to put his books down!

Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?

So many teachers were mentors to me and I was so excited to be able to send them a copy of my book! I wrote my first short story for Mrs. Carter, my high school English teacher and she encouraged me so much. She's definitely one of those teachers who everyone remembers and everyone tells stories about at reunions :)

Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge.  When and where do you write?   Do you have any special rituals?  Music?  Food & beverages?

With The Forest of Hands and Teeth I would write in the evenings after work. I was a lawyer preparing for trial during part of it and sometimes the only time I could find was the 8 minutes while I was waiting for the water to boil for Mac'n'Cheese! Now I'm a full time writer so I generally write during the day once the procrastination becomes too much!

I try really hard not to have any rituals, but most days I end up writing while I sit in my chair with a diet coke by my side (and often a cat draped somewhere).

Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?

Attack revisions! Generally I start with the big picture stuff, trying to think through the best way to approach the issues. Then, once I have a plan of action I go in and rewrite what needs rewriting and putting notes in the margins of other things to change. Finally I do a read through to make sure it all fits together. Mostly I just try to have an open mind and try to think of different ways to approach each problem.

What’s your best advice for young writers?

Read and write. I really think that reading is one of the best ways to learn craft, to see how other writers structure a story, structure characters, pacing, etc. I also feel like sometimes people really *want* to write, but never actually sit down and write.

Oh, and to remember the love -- remember that you love writing and that's why you do it :)

What’s special about your debut novel?

It's special to me because I wrote it as a love letter to my fiance. I know that sounds kind of strange given what the story is about, but he was literally with me every step along the way as I wrote and wanted to know the ending as much as I did!

What were the best and worst parts of writing it?

The best were the moments that everything around me disappeared and I was in Mary's world. When the words just flowed. The worst were the moments when I didn't know what happened next and I was afraid of ruining the story!

How did you find your agent and/or editor?

Just sent him a query letter! I did a lot of research into agents and figured he might be interested based on other projects he represented. He emailed asking for more and then offered representation.

And here's the letter!

Dear  ________:

I read on Publisher's Marketplace about your recent sale of _______ 's zombie novel, ___________ , and thought you might be interested in The Forest of Hands and Teeth, my 70,000-word literary post-apocalyptic novel targeted to the young adult market.

Generations after the zombie apocalypse known as The Return, Mary's life is as circumscribed by her community's strict religion as it is by the fences that form her village's only defense against the hordes of the undead -- the Unconsecrated -- who dwell in the surrounding forest.

Her faith is shattered the day her mother becomes infected by the Unconsecrated, and her belief in her community is destroyed when she secretly witnesses the Church leadership imprison, then condemn, a miraculously non-infected outsider who somehow finds a safe path to the village. The only other person who questions their Puritanical lifestyle is her betrothed's crippled brother, Travis, who has been assigned to wed Mary's best friend. Mary is torn between her duty to friends and society and her growing love for Travis.

When the Unconsecrated breach the fences and overrun the village, Mary, Travis, and their intendeds are among the few survivors. Now, their only chance is to brave the outsider's path through the deadly Forest in an attempt to discover the only thing that Mary still believes in -- that there is a world beyond the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

I am an active member in Romance Writers of America and several of its subchapters. The Forest of Hands and Teeth is my third completed manuscript and will appeal to fans of Alice Hoffman, Libba Bray, and Meg Rosoff.

Per the submissions guidelines on your agency's website, I have pasted below the first chapter and synopsis. I would be delighted to send the full manuscript at your request. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Carrie Ryan

Thanks for sharing your fantastic query, Carrie!

You can read more about Carrie at her website, and of course, you can ask for THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH at your local independent bookseller.  You can also order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!

Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series... Neesha Meminger, author of SHINE, COCONUT MOON, will be stopping by on Tuesday, March 24.

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