The Dark and Hollow Places
Author: Carrie Ryan
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: March 22, 2011
Pages: 384
This book is a companion to The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves. While I try to keep my reviews spoiler free there are somethings that happen in book two that are common knowledge in book three. Proceed with caution if you’ve not read the first two books.
About the Book: There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister’s face when she and Elias left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the horde as they found their way to 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 him to come home ever since. Without him, her life doesn’t feel much different from that of the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Then she meets Catcher and everything feels alive again.
Except, Catcher has his own secrets—dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah’s 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 drenched in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return’s destruction?
While The Dead-Tossed Waves picks up a number of years after The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Dark and Hollow Places starts days after The Dead-Tossed Waves. In this book we focus on Gabry’s twin, Annah. The years since she was separated from Gabry have not been easy. Annah is physically scared from an accident. She’s been waiting for Elias to come back for three years, holding on to her love for him. Her life is made up of just trying to survive. She also bares many emotional scars. She’s torn between feeling guilty for leaving Gabry in the forest and blaming her for her life falling apart.
When they are finally reunited things aren’t how Annah imagined. When she looks at Gabry she sees a perfect version of her self. Gabry has no physical scars, she grew up safe and loved, and, most painful of all, she has Elias. Talk about heartbreaking! Can you imagine? ***sob*** Enter Catcher… he admits to being broken. He’s confused and hurting. In him Annah finds someone she can relate to. They both try to build so many walls around themselves but in the end they care about others too much.
I absolutely loved the way Ms. Ryan builds the relationships between her characters. Every scene serves a purpose and helps the reader to understand more about the characters and the world they live in. They’re all scared of letting anyone too close (understandable… remember the ZOMBIES?!?!) About half way in to the book Annah remarks, “All I’ve ever known is about leaving or being left.” This really sums up the fears that permeate every action. Thankfully the characters choose love and life and because of that they persevere.
I can’t end without saying that I just adore Annah and Gabry! Yea for girls who fight for what they want! They don’t just sit back and let the boys make all the decisions. I’m so sick of female characters who mope about because “he” doesn’t love “her” but don’t ever fight for him! Sometimes you have to fight!
So, yeah… I loved it. It was beautiful and heartbreaking and hopeful and just basically everything I wanted it to be (and somethings I didn’t know I wanted!) I look forward to reading more from Carrie Ryan. You can pretty much guarantee I’m buying anything she publishes!
Mrs. DeRaps
I am so sad that this series is coming to an end. I loved this book and the first two. But, this book was a pretty good conclusion for me. It seemed to wrap up most of the loose ends.
I Read Banned Books
I loved this book too. I hated to see it all end. Boo! I want more!