Review: The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

The Dark and Hollow Places

by Carrie Ryan

Reading Level: Young Adult
# of Pages: 384 pages paperback
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (March 22, 2011)

There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face before Annah left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the Horde as they swarmed theDark 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 Elias to come home ever since. Somehow, without him, her life doesn't feel much different than the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Until she meets Catcher, and everything feels alive again.

But Catcher has his own secrets. Dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah has 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 covered in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?

I have been dying for this one, and it did not disappoint! I was anxious to see where Carrie would take us next with this story and was so glad to see Annah again and to see where she has been. There was allusion to her in the previous novel but to see her come to life and get to know her even better was such an amazing route to go. I bit my nails off as she struggled through the challenges and rooted for her as she found herself through the trials and tribulations.

Being able to see Gabry, Catcher and Elias in a new light was also refreshing. Catcher captured my heart in the last novel and I was glad to see him find himself through Annah. They mirrored each other in many ways and their growth as individuals as well as a pair was essential to this novel. There are always elements within a novel that stand out, but the strength these characters show and the way Ryan has written them continues to astound me.

I fell in love with her writing when I opened The Forest of Hands and Teeth (even though there was quite a bit of hesitation- I didn’t know about these zombies) and am so glad that I listened to Jeremy and Jeffery from Novel Thoughts and Travis from InkedBooks when then told me to read this series.

Visit Carrie's site HERE for more info on her books and other fun stuff!

Read my reviews of Carrie’s other books also...

The Forest of Hands and Teeth review HERE

The Dead Tossed Waves review HERE

Carrie will also be visiting my school and you can see the video promo HERE.