Point of View

Carrie Ryan tells her novel "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" in the first-person and limited perspective from the point of view of Mary. This is done for at least two reasons. The first reason is that the story primarily concerns Mary and there is no one to better tell the story than Mary herself. This allows the reader intimate glimpses into her mind, thoughts, and emotions. This insight is especially crucial given the apocalyptic nature of the novel, and brings the reader that much closer to the action. The second reason is that, in order to maintain an air of mystery about the novel, and not to explain everything fully, the first-person perspective allows the reader to know only as much as the narrator and to thus fill in the blanks and discover new things along with Mary.

Setting

Carrie Ryan sets her novel "The...