Book cover of The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Book description

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary's…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

3 authors picked The Forest of Hands and Teeth as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Insecurity is huge in end-of-the-world stories. As humans, we have always sought shelter and security from the wilds of nature, animals, and the things we cannot see in the dark. We created fire and fences and walls and locked doors—to this day, in our modern era, we still need these things. At the end of the world, security is tantamount, but what if you need to go beyond your secured barriers? What if behind these walls, things aren’t actually as safe as you think they are? Finding out why a character would breach their safety is intriguing. After all, a…

Think M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village but with zombies and much, much, much, much better.

It was probably one of the first zombie books that I couldn’t put down and got me really thinking what would happen if zombies were real and took over the earth. We’d probably live in a village like the one featured in the book.

Mary lives in a village, surrounded on all sides by a fence, which protects the people within from what lives in the forest. She follows the rules laid out by the Sisterhood, to keep her safe from the Unconsecrated. But things are not as simple as they first appear. There are secrets within this sanctuary, and when the fences are breached, Mary must make a difficult choice – between her village, and her future. Is there a life beyond the Forest of Hands and Teeth?

It was inevitable there would be a zombie story on my list, but this one…

From Melissa's list on dystopian books for young adults.

If you love The Forest of Hands and Teeth...

Book cover of The Rosewood Penny

The Rosewood Penny by J.S. Fields,

2023 Queer Indie Award Nominee!

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction.

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band they rob from the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive…

Want books like The Forest of Hands and Teeth?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 78 books like The Forest of Hands and Teeth.

Browse books like The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Book cover of World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
Book cover of The Handmaid's Tale
Book cover of The Aviary

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,340

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Forest of Hands and Teeth, you might also like...

Book cover of Murder, Lies and Chocolate

Murder, Lies and Chocolate by Sally Berneathy,

Book 2, Death by Chocolate series.

Rodney Bradford comes into Lindsay's restaurant, offers to buy her small house for double its value, eats her brownies, and drops dead on the sidewalk in front. Next, her almost-ex-husband offers to sign the divorce papers, but only if she'll give him her small,…

Book cover of Tangle of Time

Tangle of Time by Maureen Thorpe,

A spellbinding journey through time and cultures.

When Annie Thornton, midwife and apprentice witch, falls through time to a 15th-century Yorkshire village with her telepathic cat, Rosamund, she befriends Will and Jack, two soldiers returning from the French Wars. Mistress Meg, Annie’s ancestral aunt living in the 15th century, is…

5 book lists we think you will like!