The Dark & Hollow Places - Review

The Dark and Hollow Places (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, # 3)

By: Carrie Ryan

Publication: March 22nd 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

384 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Zombies, Horror

Source: Personal Library

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Goodreads description--There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face before Annah left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the Horde as they swarmed the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.

Annah's world stopped that day, and she's been waiting for Elias to come home ever since. Somehow, without him, her life doesn't feel much different than the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Until she meets Catcher, and everything feels alive again. But Catcher has his own secrets. Dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah has longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah: can she continue to live in a world covered in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?

I just finished The Dark & Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan. I just love Carrie Ryan. Her writing is beautiful and heartbreaking. It took me a little longer to get into the beginning of this book versus the other two, but looking back I really like the way she leads into Annah's story.

All of my predictions for this book were off except two. I won't tell you what those predictions were, right or wrong, because I don't want to ruin anything for a potential reader. But, I'm stoked that my predictions were off because there's nothing more disappointing than knowing exactly what's going to happen before you even get started. I also really liked the last couple of paragraphs in the book binding the beginning of the story, the essence of The Forest of Hands & Teeth, to the ending.

Although I really enjoyed this book, The Dead Tossed Waves is still my favorite in the series and possibly one of my favorite stand-alone books of all time. And though I wish I could give this book 5 stars just because Carrie Ryan is awesome, it fell a little short of The Dead Tossed Waves for me...meaning I'll have to give this book 4.9 stars.

Updated: July 7, 2018