koalathebear's review against another edition
3.0
1. Ryan's a talented writer and even though I can't say I liked the book, as with the first I felt the same feeling of dread/anxiety/hopefulness and anticipation as I read.
2. Ryan's greatest weakness is that her female characters are incredibly unlikable. Gabry, like her mother, is really a bit too stupid to live. Like her mother (Bella from Twilight :p and most other teen supernatural novels), Gabry's caught in a love triangle. Seriously, you have a scary book all about terrifying zombies - you don't need a love triangle to add tension!!! I did not like Gabry at all - she came across as irrational, stupid and a real brat ... not to mention very ungrateful towards her mother for no reason at all except to add tension to the book.
3. Ryan's male characters, strangely enough, come across much more sympathetically.
4. We learn more about the backstory of the Unconsecrated/Mudo a.k.a. Zombies and it's fascinating. It's probably the best parts of Ryan's writing - the science, mythology and history she describes about these terrifying yet incredibly tragic beings.
As with the first novel, "The Dead Tossed Waves" is very frightening and bleak. It's a little weaker than the first in terms of plotting but I thought it rather better in terms of overall progression of the overall story arc. I'm going to read the third one
2. Ryan's greatest weakness is that her female characters are incredibly unlikable. Gabry, like her mother, is really a bit too stupid to live. Like her mother (Bella from Twilight :p and most other teen supernatural novels), Gabry's caught in a love triangle. Seriously, you have a scary book all about terrifying zombies - you don't need a love triangle to add tension!!! I did not like Gabry at all - she came across as irrational, stupid and a real brat ... not to mention very ungrateful towards her mother for no reason at all except to add tension to the book.
3. Ryan's male characters, strangely enough, come across much more sympathetically.
4. We learn more about the backstory of the Unconsecrated/Mudo a.k.a. Zombies and it's fascinating. It's probably the best parts of Ryan's writing - the science, mythology and history she describes about these terrifying yet incredibly tragic beings.
As with the first novel, "The Dead Tossed Waves" is very frightening and bleak. It's a little weaker than the first in terms of plotting but I thought it rather better in terms of overall progression of the overall story arc. I'm going to read the third one
cmcg917's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
shan198025's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book better than the first. I thought Gabry was whiny but then she's a teenage girl I think they all are. I felt kinda bad for her. She sees her self as weak and dull, which clouds her view of how others see her. I liked Elias a lot, not sure why. Maybe cause he was living his life, trying to be better, move forward and be responsible. Catcher I liked in the beginning and in a few other areas but it upset me that it seemed like he and Cira blamed Gabry for everything. I don't want to give to much away but they sometimes make it seem its her responsibility. I wonder if Annah is in love with Elias too? Cause that could be awkward when they all meet up. I looking forward to Gabry meeting Annah and the whole "you left me in the forest beoych" conversation. Cause technically it was Elias but Annah was her sister she should have had her back. I'm glad se of the questions were answered from book one, regarding what the Sisterhood was hiding and were they all came from. I guess Mary's past is put to rest to now that she's with Harry. I did like that they saw Travis' skull and wondered about. It kinda tied up a dangling thread I thought about poor Travis. Totally looking forward to book three.
jordaneb's review against another edition
4.0
I'm on the fence between a four and a five... The book was really really good but was it one of the best books I've ever read? There are just so many books!! So it's like a 4.8- really REALLY good!
emilyusuallyreading's review against another edition
3.0
What I Liked
This is a great book series for young adults. It's appropriate and still offers some heavy, thought-provoking issues.
I love Carrie Ryan's writing style. She has an excellent grasp on her five senses. She describes Gabry's world with such clarity that it is easy for the reader to feel completely immersed in the forest of hands and teeth. Ryan writes with beautiful metaphors and striking perception.
What I Didn't Like
I liked the first book in the series, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, significantly more than I liked The Dead-Tossed Waves.
I'm not a fan of purposeless teenage angst, of which this book contained quite a bit. Mary, the main character in The Forest of Hands and Teeth grieved for appropriate reasons, but she was also strong, inventive, and determined. Gabry of The Dead-Tossed Waves blamed herself for every single bad thing that happened around her... and Elias blamed himself for the rest. An example of this angst, taken from page 353:. Sometimes all I wanted to do was shake Gabry and demand, "How could any of this be your fault? Stop whining, stop over-analyzing every male relationship in your life, and start actually fighting to survive."
This is a great book series for young adults. It's appropriate and still offers some heavy, thought-provoking issues.
I love Carrie Ryan's writing style. She has an excellent grasp on her five senses. She describes Gabry's world with such clarity that it is easy for the reader to feel completely immersed in the forest of hands and teeth. Ryan writes with beautiful metaphors and striking perception.
What I Didn't Like
I liked the first book in the series, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, significantly more than I liked The Dead-Tossed Waves.
I'm not a fan of purposeless teenage angst, of which this book contained quite a bit. Mary, the main character in The Forest of Hands and Teeth grieved for appropriate reasons, but she was also strong, inventive, and determined. Gabry of The Dead-Tossed Waves blamed herself for every single bad thing that happened around her... and Elias blamed himself for the rest. An example of this angst, taken from page 353:
Spoiler
Catcher will never be better. ...Elias will always be elusive. Even my mother now has Harry. This stupid world keeps spinning and there is nothing I can do. And so I sit in the middle of the path and sob while the Mudo push against the fences moaning at me.lorathelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
This is what a good zombie book looks like. There is an epic journey filled with zombies (Mudo, the Unconsecrated...whatever you like to call them really) and teenagers.
This is the "companion" novel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth. It follows Mary's (main character from the Forest) daughter and her struggle when her best friend's brother gets infected. They eventually must leave their home by the ocean and venture back into the Forest.
A lot of new information is given about the zombies in this book as well as how the current civilizations function. There's even a cult introduced.
One aspect of the book that I would criticize is the main character's (Gabry) indecision between two boys who love her. This is similar to a plot line in the first book. Ryan apparently likes to write about that, however the adventure, survival, and the need for more information about the zombies really overtake that plot line and it can be overlooked.
The book ended with "hope" as Ryan stated in an interview and it was very opened ended. That was the main criticism I had about the first book. But knowing that a third and final book in the trilogy is already written helps the ease that frustration.
This is the "companion" novel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth. It follows Mary's (main character from the Forest) daughter and her struggle when her best friend's brother gets infected. They eventually must leave their home by the ocean and venture back into the Forest.
A lot of new information is given about the zombies in this book as well as how the current civilizations function. There's even a cult introduced.
One aspect of the book that I would criticize is the main character's (Gabry) indecision between two boys who love her. This is similar to a plot line in the first book. Ryan apparently likes to write about that, however the adventure, survival, and the need for more information about the zombies really overtake that plot line and it can be overlooked.
The book ended with "hope" as Ryan stated in an interview and it was very opened ended. That was the main criticism I had about the first book. But knowing that a third and final book in the trilogy is already written helps the ease that frustration.
babydragonmom7314's review against another edition
2.0
How many times can you hear one person blame them self for something? I mean, come on, really now. And, again, does their HAVE to be a love-triangle for a book to be successful? I suppose their was some redeeming value to the "confusion" behind that love-traiangle, but please. It got kind of old. Fast. Reminded me of the relationships in the Mortal Instruments books. And was annoying. Wow. I Just finished reading it and am so ANNOYED! The first book was so much better. I feel like this one was 100 pages too long maybe? And, And, what's with the seeking permission to live her life from everyone else? There are two identical sentences Ms. Ryan wrote about conversations with her mother about how she felt like she was just given permission to . . . live. Feel guilty. Move forward. See the world in a different light. Think for yourself Gabry! Just a little bit. It isn't THAT hard. I mean, yeah, it's confusing being 16. I remember. The angst. Really. But not THAT confusing! And confusing like, oh, let me spend all of this time cowering in a corner, self-doubt, blah, blah, blah.
So Annoyed. W/ a capital "A."
(Just for clarification, I'll read Book 3 when it comes out next year. I didn't hate them. Like some of the characters. Like Elias. He isn't as drively and whiney as Gabry.)
Hurumph.
So Annoyed. W/ a capital "A."
(Just for clarification, I'll read Book 3 when it comes out next year. I didn't hate them. Like some of the characters. Like Elias. He isn't as drively and whiney as Gabry.)
Hurumph.
egraney's review against another edition
2.0
I was really looking forward to reading this as I very much liked "The Forest of Hands and Teeth." But it seems like the author (or publisher more likely)decided strong female leads put off readers. So instead of creating another complicated and independent female character like Mary from the first novel, she instead recreated Bella Swan complete with dueling brooding love interests. Gabry consistently makes, and causes others to make, careless and unnecessary decisions that result not just in the death of individuals but the destruction of entire villages. She is whiny and weak and always looking for someone to protect her. While there are flashes of Ryan's interesting musings on the nature of death and the psychological results of imprisonment as the only means to survivial, this sequel otherwise fell completely flat.
marmoset737's review against another edition
3.0
Not as strong as the first in this series mainly because Gabry is not as compelling a heroine as Mary was (by far the best scenes in this book are the ones between Gabry and Mary). For me, Gabry's just a little too Bella-like in her melodramatic warring feelings for two men and way too much of the book consists of Gabry sitting around feeling sorry for herself. Still though, Ryan does as excellent a job keeping up the suspense and continues to shape the complexities of the post-apocalyptic/zombie-filled Earth that she's created (although I could have used a LITTLE more of a glimpse at pre-Return Earth).
Hunger Games this ain't, but it's still an enjoyable read.
Hunger Games this ain't, but it's still an enjoyable read.
thenerdymom's review against another edition
5.0
" "Is this all there is?" I ask him. I'm so tired of this struggle, of trying to survive when it seems like there's no point to it. When everyone I love dies or changes and I'm left alone. "Is this what life is about? Waiting for death? Looking for it? Inviting it in?"
"No," he says, his voice barely a whisper against my cheek. "That's not what life is."
"Then what is it?" I need him to give me a reason to keep fighting. To keep pushing forward even though it's so hard. Even though I'm not sure I can.
"This," he says, and he presses his lips to mine. "
WHOA. Holy heeellll. I loved this story!
This book is the second of The Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy. My expectations of this book was a continuation from the first book. I would have been intrigued by that. I would have been okay with that. Carrie Ryan decided to take her readers for a spin with this one. This story is about "Gabry" or Gabrielle. You think you've met her in the first book and that it will just be a POV book, but we find that Mary has a daughter and guess what her name is? GABRIELLE.
The Dead-Tossed Waves is the story of Gabrielle trying to figure herself out. She wants to be a strong woman like her mother, she wants to be fearless like all of her friends, but most importantly she wants to continue stay safe. In a world free of the "Mudo/Unconsecrated".
After just one night, Gabrielle finds her world being turned upside down. She decides to let fear go and climb the barriers with her friends (because they do this all the time and nothing ever happens). What do they find behind the barriers? What you will always find in this world..the Unconsecrated.
Because of this night alone, Gabry is faced with a series of events that unfold, forcing her to make difficult decisons. Forcing her to be brave. Most importantly, forcing her to become who she needs to be.
Tears and happiness, adventure and self-exploration--Carrie Ryan knows just how to take you on an emotional rollercoaster. And it's one you want to ride over and over!