Review: The Dead Tossed Waves

The Dead Tossed Waves

By Carrie Ryan

Publication date: March 9, 2010

My rating: *****

My review:

In this sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Gabry and her friends sneak across the barrier that protects the seaside town of Vista from the Mudo, the dangerous undead who can infect with a single bite. Gabry prefers to follow the rules but she is persuaded to go along by a boy she cares about. That night Gabry experiences happiness she never thought possible but the evening has unforseen consequences. Now Gabry has to leave the safety of her town and brave the Forest of Hands and Teeth in the footsteps of her mother.

I didn't know if I would like this as much as The Forest of Hands and Teeth but in some ways I liked it even more. The first book involved more explanation of the Return and the world in which Mary, the main character, lived and in The Dead Tossed Waves the story seems to take off more quickly. Gabry is a very different character than Mary. She is scared to take risks and likes to stay safe at the lighthouse where she and her mother live. Gabry deals with a lot of fear throughout the book but she is stronger than she thinks she is. I liked that she wasn't a zombie killing warrior girl. Instead Gabry is like a real teen experiencing realistic emotions as she faces those frightening and difficult challenges.

Gabry has two love interests in the book. One is Catcher, the older brother of her best friend Cira and the other is Elias, a young man with a mysterious past who wants to help her on her quest. Both are fantastic and bring different things to their friendship with Gabry but my favorite was Elias. He had been through so much suffering but he was an amazing guy. He gets Gabry to see things in a different way and to let go of her fears.

Just like with The Forest of Hands and Teeth I felt on edge while reading most of the book, wondering how things would turn out. I thought the ending was suspenseful and now I am anxiously awaiting the third book. The Dead Tossed Waves is a beautifully written dystopian novel. It explores the themes of family relationships, loyalty, friendship, and what makes us human. If you enjoyed The Forest of Hands and Teeth, you definitely don't want to miss The Dead Tossed Waves. For those who are new to the series I would suggest this to you if you liked The Hunger Games or enjoy dystopian fiction.