Review: The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Pub. Date: March 09, 2010
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Format: Hardcover, 416pp
Age Range: Young Adult

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.

Carrie Ryan grabs you by the teeth with THE DEAD TOSSED WAVES and never lets you go. Before jumping into this book, I felt almost hesitant, wondering if I was ready to embark on another harrowing journey and worried about how emotionally wrecked I’d be in the process. When I opened the book, there was an ominous feeling in the air, leaving me edgy and wanting to chant -“Don’t do it Gabry,” right from get go. I can tell you that Carrie Ryan wastes no time jumping back into the thick of things and this novel starts off with one hell of a bang!

Reading this book through Gabry’s 1st person POV puts you right smack in the middle of the action. I empathized and cringed for her every step of the way. Gabry didn’t think she had the strength and skills of her mother to handle the Unconsecrated/Mudo/Breakers but her actions in this book proved she was just as strong as Mary. The secrets and suspense in this book had me sitting on the edge of my seat. The characters in DTW are flawless. Once again, Ryan drilled into my emotions and had them pouring all over the pages.

When I finished reading THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, the first thing I did was go the Carrie Ryan’s website to see if there would be a sequel. Well, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on THE DEAD TOSSED WAVES even though it's a companion novel. If you thought THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH was good, well THE DEAD TOSSED WAVES is something to behold. Ryan had me on pins and needles with this thrilling installment. With the way TDW ended, I can't wait to find out what's in store for Gabry in the next installment!

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars