brightbeautifulthings's review
3.0
The Dead & Empty World is a story collection set in The Forest of Hands & Teeth universe. The stories include several during the initial zombie uprising and others that take place later, after humanity has fled to remote areas or formed strongholds in places like Curaçao. “Hare Moon” is a prequel that tells the story of Sister Tabitha. Trigger warnings: death, blood, violence, body horror.
I think I enjoyed this collection more than the actual trilogy. Having read this and Ryan’s short story, “In the Forest Dark & Deep” (one of my favorite Alice in Wonderland adaptations ever), I’ll tentatively say I enjoy her short fiction more than her novels. Her brand of unrelenting darkness works better in a short story, where terrible things are lightning-fast and breath-taking, while in a novel it drags out into dreariness.
Similar to other zombie short fiction I’ve read, the stories about the actual uprising are the weakest. They’ve been told time and again, and the prospects never get better. “Everyone dies” works in some instances, but as a constant, it’s a real drag. The characters in “Flotsam & Jetsam” and “A Game of Firsts” are also the least developed of all the stories, and they were my least favorite in the collection.
“Hare Moon” provides some insight into Sister Tabitha, a quasi-villain from The Forest of Hands & Teeth, but I can’t say I enjoyed it all that much. Her backstory didn’t make me like her any more and, in a way, I feel like I understand her even less. Her decision at the end of the story feels hasty and extreme in the context of the story, but it sets the stage for the uncompromising rules of Mary’s village.
“Scenic Route” is a story of two sisters struggling to survive in a mountain cabin, and it was my second favorite in the collection. The tension-building is good, since we know things are going to go wrong, just not exactly how it’s going to happen. The characters feel more developed, and they’re forced to make difficult, often brutal decisions–or suffer worse fates if they don’t. I was pulling for them, and I found the ending grim but satisfying.
“Bougainvillea” is easily my favorite. It’s set in Curaçao where a businessman has established himself as, basically, a dictator years after the zombie outbreak, and the sense of place is strong and lush. Iza is a strange mix of daddy’s princess and tentative rebel, and her character development is harsh but spot-on. The story shifts between childhood Iza and present Iza, which is abrupt and occasionally annoying, but I came to understand why the story had to be told that way. I enjoyed the hell out of the ending, and the symbolism of the bougainvillea is gruesome in the best way. I’d read the collection for that story alone.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
I think I enjoyed this collection more than the actual trilogy. Having read this and Ryan’s short story, “In the Forest Dark & Deep” (one of my favorite Alice in Wonderland adaptations ever), I’ll tentatively say I enjoy her short fiction more than her novels. Her brand of unrelenting darkness works better in a short story, where terrible things are lightning-fast and breath-taking, while in a novel it drags out into dreariness.
Similar to other zombie short fiction I’ve read, the stories about the actual uprising are the weakest. They’ve been told time and again, and the prospects never get better. “Everyone dies” works in some instances, but as a constant, it’s a real drag. The characters in “Flotsam & Jetsam” and “A Game of Firsts” are also the least developed of all the stories, and they were my least favorite in the collection.
“Hare Moon” provides some insight into Sister Tabitha, a quasi-villain from The Forest of Hands & Teeth, but I can’t say I enjoyed it all that much. Her backstory didn’t make me like her any more and, in a way, I feel like I understand her even less. Her decision at the end of the story feels hasty and extreme in the context of the story, but it sets the stage for the uncompromising rules of Mary’s village.
“Scenic Route” is a story of two sisters struggling to survive in a mountain cabin, and it was my second favorite in the collection. The tension-building is good, since we know things are going to go wrong, just not exactly how it’s going to happen. The characters feel more developed, and they’re forced to make difficult, often brutal decisions–or suffer worse fates if they don’t. I was pulling for them, and I found the ending grim but satisfying.
“Bougainvillea” is easily my favorite. It’s set in Curaçao where a businessman has established himself as, basically, a dictator years after the zombie outbreak, and the sense of place is strong and lush. Iza is a strange mix of daddy’s princess and tentative rebel, and her character development is harsh but spot-on. The story shifts between childhood Iza and present Iza, which is abrupt and occasionally annoying, but I came to understand why the story had to be told that way. I enjoyed the hell out of the ending, and the symbolism of the bougainvillea is gruesome in the best way. I’d read the collection for that story alone.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
behindthepages's review
5.0
A great addition to the Forest of Hands and Teeth world. If you want more tension filled stories give this a read. I promise they are as good as Carrie Ryan's trilogy!
We finally are able to see how bits of the world reacted to the Return. Each short story encounters a different era of the Return, and various characters living through it. How they encounter the undead for the first time, how they handle people they know turning into them, etc.
We are also able to catch a glimpse of how Sister Tabitha was as a young woman and the actions that befell her to create the stern lying woman we know her for from the trilogy.
I enjoyed the Easter Eggs at the back of the book and Ryan's story of how she became interested in zombies, as well as her origins for each short story. I wouldn't hesitate to read more of her work.
We finally are able to see how bits of the world reacted to the Return. Each short story encounters a different era of the Return, and various characters living through it. How they encounter the undead for the first time, how they handle people they know turning into them, etc.
We are also able to catch a glimpse of how Sister Tabitha was as a young woman and the actions that befell her to create the stern lying woman we know her for from the trilogy.
I enjoyed the Easter Eggs at the back of the book and Ryan's story of how she became interested in zombies, as well as her origins for each short story. I wouldn't hesitate to read more of her work.
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