With her mother, Mary, Garbrielle “Gabry” tends the shore of a seatown of Vista. They live in the lighthouse, which sends out a strong beacon every night. Tending this shore is quite different than you would imagine. Tending the shore involves keeping it free of the Mudo which wash up on the shore after high tides. They need to be decapitated and dispatched, keeping the village clean and free.
The lighthouse has always stood for safety to Gabry. When her friends decide to sneak to the abandoned forbidden amusement park Gabry is terrified. She has never broken the rules and does not wish to go out of her comfort zone, especially where danger could be lurking. Peer pressure wins and out she goes. It is in the midst of this danger, she shares her first kiss with her friend, Catcher. All of a sudden a Breaker rushes to the group and infects and kills many of her friends. This is the turning point of Gabry’s life. Everything changes and there is no safety after this.
Gabry is able to escape the attack but the others who survive are sentenced to serve with the Recruiters for the rest of their lives, a group that patrols and protects the villages from the Mudo’s. Her boyfriend, Catcher, is not so lucky and is bitten, sending Gabry into more turmoil.
This book answers many of the questions raised in the sequel The Forest of Hands and Teeth. We find the origins of the villages, what happened in the outside world, how the government works and how the living need to survive. There are many philosophical messages in this book as well as the angst felt by Gabry over being human and able to make mistakes.
This book was a page turner, as you couldn’t wait to get to the end and find out what was happening. It is a fun read for any teen.
Rating: 8
Reading Next: Ship Breaker by Bacigalupi
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