The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1.   How does Mary’s struggle represent common or universal conflicts, though her setting and situation are speculative?

2. Mysteries remain at the novel’s end; for instance, Jed’s fate is unknown. Which unanswered questions about the narrative spark the most curiosity for you?

3. Published in 2009, this novel represents a YA trend in post-Twilight fiction of a young female protagonist caught between romance, survival, and critical moral dilemmas. Similar protagonists can be found in Louise O’Neill’s Only Ever Yours, Naomi Alderman’s The Power, and Olivia A. Cole’s Panther in the Hive. If you have read these works, what comparisons can be made between Mary and these other protagonists? (Alternatively, if these works are unfamiliar, what novels in your background feature female main characters who are similar to Mary?)

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. How do the romantic attractions and relationships that you have experienced or witnessed compare to those between Mary, Travis, Harry, and Cass? Jed and Beth?

2. The Tension between Self-Interest and Self-Sacrifice often drives the plot forward. What actions or events from your own experience parallel the novel’s moments of selfishness or selflessness?

3. Which character influences Mary’s final choices the most, and is this character a family member or friend? In your experience, do family or friends hold more sway with older teens?

4. From the beginning of the novel, Mary struggles to strike a balance between her own desires and the village’s expectations and rules. Can you think of a time when you felt constricted by society’s expectations? How did you handle this issue?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How does the book critique the various manifestations of women’s authority and power, especially when such power is warped by the dictates of an intrinsically patriarchal value system? Consider the power dynamics at work in the interactions between the Sisterhood and the villagers who are eligible to marry.

2. Discuss the influence of religion on the village. How does the idea of sin and penance affect the characters’ actions? What does the novel imply about the nature of religious control?

3. In the real world, what societal situations or settings rely on The Persistence of Hope amidst Death? How does the novel, despite its dark premise, extol society’s capacity for hope, no matter how dire the circumstances?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. How does Mary’s narration indirectly demonstrate her differences from the other young women in the village?

2. Structurally, the story takes a sudden turn with the breach of the village, as this crisis forces the main characters to tackle entirely new challenges. How does this event accelerate Mary’s coming-of-age journey?

3. In the first few chapters, Cass speaks out only infrequently, but her words still have a strong influence on Mary. How does this influence shift once the survivors are traveling the fenced paths, and what does this new dynamic imply about the course of their friendship?

4. Explore the significance of the title. How does the act of deconstructing the form of the undead (by focusing on only their hands and teeth) contribute to the book’s nebulous, often poetic tone?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Select a series of scenes in the novel that represent different moods (e.g., sorrow, panic, joy, terror, anger, or passion). Create a playlist that captures these moods and explain the reasons for your choices.

2. The book includes very little description of color, with the exception of the vibrant red of Gabrielle’s vest. Based on the common conventions of color symbolism, what might her red clothing represent? Using this same rubric, what colors best symbolize the other characters, and why?

3. The novel blends romance, horror, and dystopian elements. Imagine that the author had added a different genre or subgenre to the mix. How would the story change if a Western setting or steampunk elements had been used? Be sure to explore how the new genre might impact the plot, themes, and emotional tone of the novel.