The Dead-Tossed Waves - Carrie Ryan

[Please note that this is the second book in a series. While this review is mostly spoiler free, perhaps you'd like to check out my review of The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Book 1) instead!]

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
Series: The Forest of Hands and Teeth #2
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 9, 2010
Source/Format: Bought || Paperback

Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She’s content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry’s mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry’s generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother’s past in order to save herself and the one she loves. (from Goodreads)

Who would have thought that I would completely fall head over heels in love with a book about zombies? Certainly not me. And yet, The Dead-Tossed Waves reeled me in with the wonderful writing. Carrie Ryan managed to make me fall in love with her characters while unapologetically plunging me deep into her twisted, apocalyptic world. This series is phenomenal, and the second book is even better than the first.

This novel revolves around a new character: Gabry, who lives in a lighthouse with her mother in the town of Vista. Honestly, it took time to warm up to Gabry. She was amicable and pleasant, and reminded me of myself with her hesitant, quiet, comfortable ways. But I spent at least half of the book frustrated with her inability to simply allow herself to let go and do things. I understood the fear and the rule-following habit, but I wanted more from Gabry. Thankfully, she does grow up a bit in this novel. And the courageous, loyal, stubborn girl that we catch glimpses of early on finally makes an appearance and stays.

Apart from our heroine, there are a few secondary characters of note. The ones that stand out the most in my mind are Catcher and Elias. Catcher is the boy she's known for her entire life, who she grew up with, who she could possibly have feelings for. Elias, on the other hand, is the boy who appears in her life when she most needs him to and affects her in ways that she could never have imagined. Both the boys are important in Gabry's journey, and play a role in who she has become at the end of the novel.

As with The Forest of Hands and Teeth, the idea of the zombies definitely scared me. In the first, they were referred to as the Unconsecrated; in this one, they're called Mudo. This time around, they weren't just scary; they were actually beings I felt sorry for. There are questions about them raised here, questions of whether or not they should be outright killed on the spot or given a chance to prove their humanity. While my knee-jerk reaction is obviously to get rid of them, there's something to be said for those who have Returned - especially as they were once family, friends or someone familiar.

But the Mudo were not the scariest beings in this book. That honor belongs equally to two groups that we become familiar with - the Soulers and the Recruiters. The Soulers are a religious group who appear to worship the dead, with some members even believing that becoming Mudo is a form of immortality. The Recruiters are the military group who basically control resources and the fight against the Mudo. Obviously, they're of opposite extremes - and just seeing their actions was scary. I was fascinated to learn about them, but the things both groups were capable of is truly disturbing and left me with a bad taste in my mouth (as they were probably meant to do).

Story-wise, I can't reveal much for fear of spoilers. The one thing I will say: it is good, solid storytelling. The link between this novel and its predecessor is well-done, but it is a completely different story than before. I liked that it felt original and fresh as I read it, and not just a rehashing of the same story as the first one. 

The book drew me in completely, and that's certainly a credit to Carrie Ryan's writing. She managed to get to me to care about the characters as much as I cared about the ones in The Forest of Hands and Teeth, or perhaps even a little bit more. I experienced so many emotions - anger, sorrow, joy, fear, pain - as I read, and it was one of the books that invited me to experience them especially intensely. 

I loved, loved, loved The Dead-Tossed Waves. Carrie Ryan has managed to write a book about zombies that's enjoyable and gripping and really, really great. It was a book that surprised me with how intensely awesome it was, and I would highly recommend it.