The Hallowed Ones

by Laura Bickle

The Hallowed Ones Series, Book One

Book Description

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.

MY THOUGHTS: 4 OUT OF 5 FLEURS DE LIS

The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

Katie and Elijah are members of the Amish community, and preparing to soon go on their Rumspringa (sort of like a mini-break that lets you decide if you want to become a lifelong member of the Amish). Katie dreams of the life Outside, but soon her hopes of leaving are dashed. A helicopter crashes in the cornfields. Everyone is put on quarantine. For all intents and purposes, the end of days has occurred.

But for some reason, Katie and the rest of her community are left untouched. That doesn’t mean the terrors Outside aren’t lurking and waiting for their chance to strike, though. And when Katie saves an Outsider on the brink of death, her world’s just beginning to change in ways she never could have imagined.

I must say, this was my first ever book that involved the Amish. It’s not something I would have normally picked out, but the chance to learn about a new facet of society intrigued me. The supernatural elements intertwined with the religious ones in a truly unique way.

Katie is a very cool main character. Though her upbringing requires her to unfailingly obey a strict set of rules, there’s something in her that rails against following blindly. Her rebellious spirit does not fit in with that of the rest of the community, and before long she learns that everything she’s known her entire life is being challenged.

While some might classify this is a vampire book, it’s not, really. I mean vampires are an integral part of the story, but for the most part, they’re a background threat. Ironically, the place where Katie should feel the most safe is the place she begins to fear. To me, this book was more about questioning authority and the natural processes that go along with coming of age (although in an extremely unusual situation).

A couple of things that bothered me: firstly, the book took a little while to get rolling, in my opinion. I was never bored with it, but after the initial helicopter crash I was waiting for SOME action to happen. The vampires don’t even make an appearance until near the mid-point of the book. But make no mistake, these are not the romanticized creatures in some other stories. They are ruthless killers, and there’s blood and gore aplenty left in their wake.

Secondly, I thought the romance moved a bit too quickly. I also found it a bit predictable, what Katie decided to do towards the end. I knew it would only lead to something bad for her….but maybe it will turn out well in the end.

Obviously this is a series, and I’ll be very excited to read the next installment!
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