The Hallowed Ones, by Laura Bickle (Book Review)

Title: The Hallowed Ones
Author: Laura Bickle
Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Amish
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 9/25/2012
Publisher: HMH

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★★★★☆

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.

I'm excited to talk to you about my first book of 2017: The Hallowed Ones, by Laura Bickle.

In reviewing this book, I'd like to start at the end because I feel that it's an important point that there is a sequel to this book and the ending of The Hallowed Ones left me wishing that I already had a copy of The Outside already available to read. 

(I don't, and I won't be able to purchase it until the end of January, during which time I plan to squirm until I can get my hands on it!) 

Since without a doubt some of my readers would prefer not to purchase a book that leaves off on a "cliffhanger," I felt that this should be mentioned at the beginning of the review. 

If that's not your thing, you might want to skip this book because the action picks up fast at the end of the novel, leading into an impressive climax and leaving me salivating for more.

So then, let me tell you about this book. I was thrilled to receive this book among my gifts for Christmas last year, and I began to read it Christmas night. This is exactly the sort of book that I love: Something dark and creepy in the night that the protagonist must fight off in order to save the day. I love a book that sends shivers down my spine and if it gives me nightmares, all the better.

The concept of the book was unique. Bickle takes the Amish setting that so many readers have come to love from Christian romance authors and turns Amish fiction on its head by introducing the end of the world. When I first picked the book up, I was expecting zombies, but what I got was more akin to I am Legend, by Richard Matheson.

Bickle managed to make vampires scary again.

See, the great thing about zombie fiction -- the thing that holds my personal interest -- is that niggling sense that this is something that could happen. I believe people love The Walking Dead because the possibility truly scares them.

The Hallowed Ones shoves vampires back into the darkness where they belong, leaving the reader with the question of "what if...?" That is what I loved the most about this book. We live in a world of daywalking vampires, some of whom sparkle (and hey, there's nothing wrong with enjoying Twilight if you do!).

Bickle does a fantastic job of building suspense by creating an atmosphere of safety and protection, a small community that is separated from the Outside by its segregation and conformation.

There are two major points that stand out in this book's favor.

The first is undoubtedly the imperfections of the main character. I felt that she was well developed, interesting, and that her defiance against the Plain way of life was appropriate for this story. Even the most defiant characters in much of Amish fiction are at least trying to fit in with their community and culture, but Bickle didn't hesitate to point out the flaws in the Faith. 

This gave the book and it's narrating protagonist a unique perspective on the story. I loved this!

The second is the introduction of pow-wow (North American folk magic) into the story line. I've never read a piece of Amish Christian Fiction that addresses the practice of folk magic, and though this could have been jarring, Bickle handled it well, without making a big deal out of the presence of the hexenmeister until later in the book. I'd have liked a bit more history on this, but Bickle took the route of trusting her reader to use available resources to find more information, and that's something I respect in an author.

These factors make this a five-star book for me and in all honesty, I wish that I could stop there, but there are a few problems with the novel that I feel ought to be addressed.

The first is the obvious trend of love triangles in young adult fiction. These simply are not necessary to move a story along and this story would have moved fine without any romance at all. Introducing two romantic interests into the story is boring, tired, and over-done. I'd prefer to read fiction that doesn't include this unnecessary element, and I feel that it is insulting to young readers.

I am (at least these days) nearly always disappointed by novels that include a love triangle. My recommendation is that Bickle avoid it in the future. She has such a good thing going without it that this just detracts from the story.

The second thing that detracted from my enjoyment of the book was the use of confusing language. Bickle describes Elijah's mare as "a female horse" and mentions a large number of "bulls" on the property. While it's possible that the family owns several bulls, it's unlikely, and unlikely that they are that docile. It struck me at the time of reading that these were more likely steer than bulls.

She also refers consistently to the Amish prayer cap as a "bonnet." To be clear, this is a plain prayer cap and this is a plain bonnet. The two terms are not interchangeable. (This is a topic with which I am more familiar than some, as I have in the past chosen plain dress, including a head covering. I'm very familiar with the different covering types.) For those who have read a lot of Amish fiction, this language may be conflicting with what the reader already "knows."

On one final note about this book, I want to make it clear that it builds slowly, so readers who are looking to get straight into the horror might find that it's a long time coming. This appears to be so that the author can work on the romantic element (which is superfluous, in my mind, as the story itself is so excellent), and for those who aren't at all interested in romance might be frustrated with the slow development toward the climax.

The climax was, however, worth it. I was on the edge of my seat, chewing on my nails, eager to find out what would happen next. Much to my chagrin, the book did leave me with a lot of unanswered questions and a strong desire to purchase the sequel. Darnit!

All in all, I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in dark vampire stories. Please note that this is not "Christian fiction" and should be avoided by those who dislike horror as a genre!

If I could give a book 4.5 stars, I would, but alas: I only have whole stars to give, and I must leave this one with a 4-star rating. You may click here to purchase the book on Amazon. Please be sure to read my review on Goodreads and follow me if you enjoyed this review!

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