Review: The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Title: The Dead-Tossed Waves
Author: Carrie Ryan
Publisher: Delacorte Books 
Pub. Date: March 2010
Length: 416 pages
Series: The Forest of Hands and Teeth #2
Summary (from bn.com):

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.

Life behind the Barrier is the only life Gabry has ever know. She follows the rules, and everything goes fine. But when her best friend, Cira and the other kids their age decide to go past the Barrier and into the Ruins, Gabry can't help but follow. After all, Cira's brother, Catcher, whom she's liked forever, is going and finally showing an interest in her. But when the innocent trip turns deadly,  life as she knows it is all about to change.
The Dead-Tossed Waves is a companion novel, however, it is not necessary to read The Forest Of Hands And Teeth before this one. I do recommend it though, because I found it better than This one. The previous novel contained fascinating mythology, which I expected to find in The Dead Tossed Waves. Instead, the story begins right before Gabry's life really starts to erupt. 
Certain parts of the novel lacked the emotion that should have been there. The romance in it was OK, but weak. You don't know much about either of the men, which makes it hard to like them. I couldn't get attached to Catcher or Elias. When Gabry does make her decision, it comes out of nowhere. She's kissing one guy one minute, then declaring her love for another the next. This book is nothing special, but I'll still be looking out for the next book in the series, The Dark and Hollow Places, out in 2011.
This trailer seriously freaked me out, you have to watch it!

Rating:

3 Moons