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I have to admit, I love young adult fiction. I love post-apocalyptic fiction. And I love beatiful writing. Which is why I was lucky when "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" by Charlotte-based author Carrie Ryan recently came across my desk. (Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; 2009, 320 pages, $16.99 hardback)

It's a lyrical and elegant novel, written in the bleak, depressingly beautiful style of a "Children of Men" or "The Road." And while it's aimed at high school ages, it has enough complexity and subtlety for this nearly 30-year-old reviewer.

At first glance, I wasn't sure I'd like it. I'm not much of a zombie gal -- blood and gore aren't really my thing. And this book was about a group of people living in an enclave in the middle of a zombie-filled forest. What makes the novel successful though, in my eyes, is that it is set seven generations after the zombie apocalypse, and we never really find out what happened. So by tthe time we meet Mary, the teenage protagonist, we aren't dealing with the zombies so much as the results of those zombies: She's trapped in a fenced-in compound and by strict religious doctrines -- doctrines that were put into place to keep them alive.

But Mary is growing up, and she's questioning those rules that her society runs on. She knows there's something more, including her mythical ocean, even if everyone else keeps telling her she's crazy. I won't tell you what happens next (don't you hate it when reviews spill too many beans?), but her journey is engaging, if at times heartbreaking, and most teenagers will be able to relate to her.

One note of caution: While not the norm, there are a few scenes that are a bit graphic, but they were worth it in my eyes for the rest of the book.

Final note: While I would have been happy with the open-ended last chapter, I am happy to hear that there is a sequel, "The Dead-Tossed Waves," coming out in March.