Review - The Dark and Hollow Places (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, #3) by Carrie Ryan

Title: The Dark and Hollow Places

Author: Carrie Ryan

Series: 3rd (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Dead-Tossed Waves)

Pages: 374

Published: March 22, 2011 by Delacorte Books

ISBN: 9780385738590

Source: Library

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 Give This ...

 

I've been looking forward to the conclusion of this series for awhile.  I never thought I would enjoy a series about zombies.  But, this story is so much more than that.  It's about the basic need to survive.

While overall I enjoyed this last book, I think Annah is my least favorite character.  While she tries to come across as being tough and able to survive on her own, she's also very needy.  She's constantly seeking approval or love.  I think she's lived with guilt for so long, that she doesn't know how to function without it.  It was interesting to watch her discover and deal with the idea that her twin sister doesn't remember an event that Annah has struggled with her entire life.  I think she's also reckless at times.

But, I enjoyed the story arc.  I liked watching Elias and Gabry's relationship progress.  I liked reading about Gabry and Annah build a relationship that had been lost.  I think my favorite though was the relationship between Annah and Catcher.  Annah really had to learn that she isn't always overshadowed by her sister.  She is capable of being loved for who she is.  

I'm still not completely sure of how the zombies came about and if there's hope for a future either with them or without.  But, I'm happy with this ending if this is the final book.