ARC Review: The Outside (The Hallowed Ones #2) by Laura Bickle

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: September 3, 2013
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
320 Pages

One girl. One road. One chance to save what remains…

After a plague of vampires is unleashed in the world, Katie is kicked out of her Amish community for her refusal to adhere to the new rules of survival. Now in exile, she enters an outside world of unspeakable violence with only her two “English” friends and a horse by her side. Together they seek answers and other survivors—but each sunset brings the threat of vampire attack, and each sunrise the threat of starvation.

And yet through this darkness come the shining ones: luminescent men and women with the power to deflect vampires and survive the night. But can these new people be trusted, and are they even people at all?

In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, it’s up to one Amish girl to save her family, her community, and the boy she loves . . . but what will she be asked to leave behind in return?

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While The Outside didn't quite live up to its prequel, The Hallowed Ones, it isn't a stretch to say that Laura Bickle is one amazing storyteller. That's also not to say that I didn't enjoy The Outside. It's a fantastic novel, for sure. The author has taken a leap and given a classic story a phenomenal twist. I never expected to like this series as much as I have. This book, this series really, is a horror fan's dream with its suspense, action and originality.

Katie is no longer protected by the safety of her Amish home. She's been banned for trying to help an outsider as the world around their tiny community was crumbling after a vampire plague. Now she's fighting the darkness of the outside with only her dear Alex, their friend, Ginger and her trusted horse. When all seems to be lost, they come across a miracle that might just save them all--if they can get people to believe in the unknown.

These character. Golly gee. I just love them. I adore their strength and loyalty and how hard they love. I also like that Katie is honest with herself. She admits that she would've followed the path of her people had the apocalypse not occurred. She doesn't delusion herself with false truths. And Alex? I swoon so hard for the smart guys. He is so good for Katie, even if they have their struggles. I even liked the minor characters.

This book is just so dang good. The plot isn't fast-paced, but it isn't so slow that you can't enjoy the story. There is so much packed into three-hundred pages, but it fits together wonderfully. Nothing felt like too much or too little. Readers will feel so much over the expanse of The Outside. Bickle makes us fear the unknown, teaches us to cherish those we care about and love them even when they are gone. I found this novel to be surprisingly emotional, and I loved every minute of it.

I love the way this novel ended. Not everything is perfect, but the characters have moved forward and are finding a way to live. I'm so impressed by this series, and I'm sad that there won't be more, but Laura Bickle has definitely become an author to watch for me. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review via Netgalley.

Interview with Laura Bickle

The Hallowed Ones (The Hallowed Ones #1) by Laura Bickle

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: September 25, 2012
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
320 Pages

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.

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INTERVIEW:

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi, and thanks so much for interviewing me! 

I live in the Midwest with my husband, where we’re owned by six semi-reformed feral cats. My professional background is in criminal justice and library science. My husband and I are amateur astronomers, and I have a collection of vintage She-Ra action figures that is quickly growing out of control.

2. Describe The Hallowed Ones in ten words or less.

Hmmmm….WITNESS meets 28 DAYS LATER.

3. How did you come up with the idea for The Hallowed Ones? Did you already know a lot about the Amish community or did you have to do extensive research?

I live not too far from a large Amish settlement. When I was a child, my parents would take me to visit, and I was fascinated by a world very different than the one I lived in. I’d see Amish girls my age over the fence and wonder what their lives were like. It was interesting to go back after all this time and see that I had changed, but that world had not.

I also did a good deal of reading…there are a lot of great books out there that look at the Plain way of life from a sociological perspective. National Geographic has also done a number of very good documentaries about the Amish. 

I’m acutely conscious that I can’t know or understand everything about the Amish, never having lived in an Amish community. But I learned enough to develop an immense respect for the Amish way of life. 

4. There are tales of mythology in this novel. Do you know many mythological tales?

My mom was a school librarian, so I spent my summers sitting in a sunny nook, reading every book in the mythology section. They did percolate there, and it’s fun when they boil up in stories.

5. What made you include these stories within the book?

Katie, the protagonist, is a young Amish woman. Her community is essentially in lockdown after widespread violence in the outside world. She defies those rules and rescues an injured man, Alex, who turns out to be an anthropologist. Alex is full of myths and stories, and he serves to challenge Katie’s perspective at various points in the book.

6. How long did it take you to write The Hallowed Ones? How do you write a story, ie. scene by scene, beginning to end? Is there any part(s) that really gave you trouble?

It took me several months. I always start from the beginning and work to the end, like the reader does. I think that helps with continuity.

The hardest part for me in starting a story is the beginning. The blank page intimidates me like nothing else!

7. I know that there is a sequel in the works. Do you plan on elongating the series further? When will book two come out?

The second book is called THE OUTSIDE, and it will be coming out in fall 2013. 

I think the second book pretty much finishes everything I need to say about Katie’s story.

8. Can you give us some details on book two? (I'M SO CURIOUS AFTER THE WAY THE BOOK ENDED! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!)

LOLOL. The first book left us with something of a cliffhanger, yes….but the second book will deal with how Katie survives in the world outside her community.

9. What is the most memorable line that you've ever written? What is the most memorable line (or quote) that you've ever read?

Hmm. I think I like the first line of THE HALLOWED ONES: “After the end of the Outside world, the Plain folk survived.”

The most memorable line I think I’ve ever heard is from an old movie, THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI: “No matter where you go, there you are.”

10. What inspires you to write? Certain music, certain people, certain situations?

I always have a lot of fun writing fantasy. I love asking those ‘what if’ questions and building worlds around the answers. 

For THE HALLOWED ONES, I was wondering who would be best-equipped to survive a large-scale disaster. It occurred to me that the Amish would be uniquely equipped to survive.

11. What would you like your readers to take from The Hallowed Ones? Is there something you hope everything feels after finishing the novel?

Just the “what if” question… What if the world came to an end? Where would you go, and what would you do?

12. Do you have a favorite genre of literature? What are some of your favorite books?

Fantasy is the genre that I love the most. My all-time favorite is Robin McKinley’s HERO AND THE CROWN. I read it when I was a pre-teen, and fell in love with fantasy ever after. It was the first book I’d read that had a female protagonist who slew her own dragons. I was hooked.

13. What made you want to be an author? When did you know that writing novels was what you wanted to do with your life?

I’ve always been scribbling, since I was old enough to hold a crayon. I didn’t believe, until recently, that other people would want to read what I wrote. It’s incredibly exciting to hear from folks who’ve enjoyed the stories I tell.  

I work at a library now. I have, at various times, worked in criminal justice, in information technology, and in government. Dreams change, but writing has always been with me.

14. What does your writing space look like? Is there a certain environment you need to be in while writing?

My favorite place to write is out on the patio, where I can hear the frogs and the crickets. I can’t write very fast or well in front of the television or in coffee shops…I have to really shut the door on distractions to get focus. When the weather’s cold, I have an office set up in the back of the house. It gets eastern and southern sun, and is thoroughly coated in cat hair.

15. What is some advice you have for aspiring authors?

I really suggest that writers try National Novel Writing Month at least once. It got my excuses and blocks out of the way, and helped me learn that what I thought were my limits were not really limits. They were just walls I’d set up in my head.

QUICKIES:

Celebrity who has your undying affection?

The cats want me to say “Maru.”

A place you've never been, but are desperate to go to?

I’d love to visit Japan someday.

Something you could spend all day doing?

Reading.

Favorite book of 2012?

FEVER by Lauren DeStefano.  

Favorite book of all time?

Robin McKinley’s THE HERO AND THE CROWN.

Biggest pet peeve?

The fact that I can never find jeans that fit. Grrr!

Favorite food?

Spaghetti.

Something you could never live without?

Hot baths. My favorite simple-but-luxurious thing.

Favorite movie?

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON.

An author you wish you could have lunch with? (Dead or Alive)

Bram Stoker.

Thanks so much to Laura for joining us today and to my friend, Veronica, without whom, this interview probably wouldn't have happened! And find my review of The Hallowed Ones HERE.

What did you think of the interview?

Book Review: The Hallowed Ones (The Hallowed Ones #1) by Laura Bickle

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: September 25, 2012
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
320 Pages

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.

VISIT THE AUTHOR:

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

FIND THE BOOK:

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble

Review:

The Hallowed Ones has to be the creepiest book I've ever read. I'll be honest, I was a little hesitant to pick it up - only because I'm not a big fan of horror. Horror flicks, haunted houses, scary stories - yeah, all of that? No can do. But the summary of this novel was just TOO GOOD to pass up. When I read another review on Goodreads stating that the horror these people face are vampires, and not the sparkling, "ooh, let's fall in love" vampires, my determination to read it was furthered. Vampires in an Amish community? Holy originality, Batman! Laura Bickle takes a real chance with this novel and in my opinion, she pulls it off brilliantly.

Katie is of the Plain folk, or the Amish as most of us know them. She is getting ready for her Rumspringa, a time when Amish young adults have the chance to go out into the Outside and live with the English, following their lifestyles. She is excited to experience this and do so with the Amish boy she has grown up with and is sure she will marry, Elijah. What no one expects is the sudden danger that takes over the Outside and threatens to tear apart the carefully built world of the Plain folk. 

While horror is generally a genre that I don't touch, I found myself fascinated with the plot line and the characters. Katie is a strong young woman. She's courageous, brave and progressive. I would love to have her for a friend. She's loyal, and a true heroine. She wants the best for her people, but cannot stand as they turn their heads and feigned ignorance. My feelings toward Elijah can be summed up in three adjectives: pathetic, immature and arrogant. Katie deserves so much better. I loved reading as she stood up for herself and didn't let the customs of her community dominate her feelings. Alex is another character that I loved. While he is from a completely different background, he listens and actually cares about how Katie feels. Their interactions made me smile and I root for them one-hundred percent!

There is drama beyond the fear of what roams in the dark in this story. The Hallowed Ones is a tale of darkness, betrayal and lies, but also of falling in love and discovering the person you want to be. The readers will watch as Katie grows, learning who she needs to become so that she can survive and live without regret. It's not what you'd expect from a horror novel, because it is really so much more. This novel really has it all.

And some other interesting things from the story: you know that saying, "You learn something new everyday?" The Hallowed Ones has scenes that could definitely apply to that phrase. I learned several things - including how to birth puppies in an uncomplicated pregnancy. This book is not only fascinating because of its premise, but also because it teaches you a few things about the culture of the Amish and different tales of mythology! Not what you'd expect for Vampires vs. the Amish, right? Except, while that is the main plot idea, that's not what the story is really about. This story is about staying true to your beliefs and keeping yourself when the rest of the world is at its end.

Read this book. That is my advice to you.