Review : The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle
Summary (from Goodreads)Title : The Hallowed Ones (The Hallowed Ones #1)
Author : Laura Bickle
Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date : September 25th 2012
Goodreads - The Book Depository
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.
Personal Thoughts
Unique. That was my very first thought upon reading the blurb for The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle. I don't think anybody has written a YA book about vampires in an Amish community. To be honest, I was very much wary to start this book, but my friend Sam @ Realm Of Fiction's review convinced me that I should definitely read the book. After reading The Hallowed Ones, I'm convinced that I'm going to be reading every single thing that Laura Bickle will write in the future.
The Hallowed Ones tells the story of Katie, an Amish teenager days before her Rumaspringa, when she's supposed to go explore the outside world. But Katie's excitement for her Rumaspringa dies down when rumors of dangerous, man-killing creatures walking the face of Earth start to spread. Soon after, a young man, Alex, is found on the verge of death near the border of the Amish community. Unwilling to let him die, Katie hides him in a barn and takes care of his wounds against the new rule set by the Elders : No one goes outside and no outsiders come in.
The characters in The Hallowed Ones were brilliantly written. Realistic and very relate-able, these characters were what hooked me into the story. Katie, in my opinion, was fantastic as a main character. She might appear as this innocent Amish girl from the outside, but inside of her resided this fearless and brave being. She was definitely the high point of the book for me. I loved how she could be this completely selfless, kind, compassionate and generous girl. At the same time, she knew how to stand up for herself and for what she believed was right. I appreciated the fact that although she was part of a community driven by leaders, she didn't blindly follow them. She contemplated the right and the wrong before taking any decision. I was glad that she wasn't one of those characters who would make poor choices without any thoughts. In fact, I thought of her as a smart and level-headed teenager, unlike many YA main characters. The strength and resilience she possessed in the face of the vampire apocalypse was truly remarkable. Moreover, she was incredibly brave and never let fear of any kind become her weakness. She might have had a slightly rebellious touch to her personality for someone belonging to an Amish community, but it simply made her all the more realistic. The secondary characters were also really well-fleshed out. Each one was unique and I thought Laura Bickle did a fabulous job at giving each and everyone a personality, making them all seem very interesting and highly entertaining.
Reading YA books has always been entertaining, but if I'm learning something while at the same time being entertained when reading, then there's no doubt that the book is bound to become a favorite of mine. Laura Bickle's The Hallowed Ones was a very educational book for me because I learned so much about what life is really like in an Amish community through the eyes of Katie. I was fascinated by their simple lifestyle, their customs and traditions and their religion. The plot line itself was highly engaging. There was no way that a book on vampires in an Amish community could not be entertaining, but I was a little wary that the book wouldn't live up to my expectations because it tackles to polar opposite themes ; innocence and evil. However, I'm very happy to say that Laura Bickle approached these two themes masterfully! The Hallowed Ones isn't a book for readers who are squeamish. It's gory, grisly and could be utterly horrifying at times. The author wasn't afraid to write extremely gruesome scenes that were spine-tingling. Some of these scenes were so ghastly that they had me shivering in absolute fear. I love that the author managed to evoke such strong emotions in me. It just proves what a gifted writer Laura Bickle is. There was also a sweet romance that started to bud in the book, fortunately, in the sidelines. It was never overwhelming and progressed at the perfect speed so that the two characters really got to know each other before falling into a relationship. As far as the pacing goes, the story started off with a bang and then slowed down towards the middle and then picked up again at the end. However, even with the slow middle, there was never a boring second. It was non-stop entertainment, in my view!
From my review, it's pretty clear that The Hallowed Ones was a solid 5 stars read for me. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the book features in my top 10 reads of 2012. The Hallowed Ones is a book that I highly recommend. With the realistic characters, the fear-inducing plot line and the stunning writing, this is one book that ensures that you're in for a treat!
Rating
Cover : 4/5
Plot : 5/5
Characters : 5/5
Writing : 5/5
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