Genre: Young Adult Horror
Source: PurchasedI first read The Forest of Hands and Teeth in
2009. I loved it then and decided to
reread it. As I was pulling it up I came across three short stories the author
had written as part of the series. I decided to read these three short ones
before I delve back into the series.
Hare Moon was published in 2011.
Tabitha feels there is so much more in the world than what
is tucked away in her little village. She sees the unconsecrated outside the
fence, she hears them at night. One day she can’t stand it anymore and she
sneaks out into the forest. It is here she meets Patrick and learns there are
other villages outside the fence. Why would the sisterhood lie to
everyone. When she is caught she
realizes her life is changed forever. She knows that no one will ever marry
her. She is doomed to a life in the sisterhood. But what about what lies
outside the fences. This was a quick
short read that gives us an idea of why the sisterhood exists and the reason
for many lies. I definitely recommend
this.
Scenic Route was published in 2013.
Margie and Sally are on their own. They have been that way
since their parents were killed.
They
have found a secluded cabin up in the mountains. Margie is always on alert. She
know that there is no such thing as total safety. For some reason she has felt
that there is someone out there watching them. She has perimeter alarms. They
live life as normal as possible. She and Sally spend time with maps and tour
books planning the next route they will take. Then the book they were looking
at the night before goes missing. The next day Margie sees boot prints on the
porch. Pretending nothing is wrong she checks the perimeters and then sits and
waits. What she finds will change lives forever. I really enjoyed this short
story. We have a story of two young survivors after the return. This one is
told from the perspective of dealing with the other undesirables in the world.
Those who are survivors like themselves with their own type of evil inside.
What Once We Feared was published in 2023
For me this was strange, yet beautiful. After the “infection”
began, the government told people that they shouldn’t panic. They had everything
under control including the infection. They were told to go about their normal
lives. That is why a group of high school kids found themselves on a field trip
when their world went haywire. They are standing outside of a building when
bodies begin to fall. They see the chaos in the streets and decide to head
across town to the most fortified apartment building. It is the building where
Nicky’s father has an apartment. The story goes on to tell about their hopeless
survival as the world turns upside down. It is told from one person’s point of
view. It is his perspective on the events and their chances of survival and how
the world will end.
This was quite an
intriguing read.
