A very eagerly awaited sequel and final book all in one will be the next Friday Reads entry. Thank you Laura Bickle for a great conclusion!
The Outside by Laura Bickle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Outside is the very eagerly awaited sequel to The Hallowed Ones, one of my biggest book surprises this year, and I book I wouldn't doubt to recommend to anyone, even if they're not into YA or fantasy or postapocalyptic books. This doulogy is one I'll make sure the bf will read whenever he has some time to read, free of work.
The usual word of warning, as it's a sequel I'll do my best to avoid spoilers for it, but I won't be able to avoid spoilers for the Hallowed Ones.
The Outside starts pretty much where The Hallowed Ones ended, so we got Katie, Alex and Ginger with Horus/Horace/the white horse dealing with the outside world beyond the Amish settlement. They decide to start travelling North to Canada, to check on Alex's family. They encounter vampires and travel searching for holy ground to rest because despite their defenses, they really can't fight the vampires in big numbers and survival is a gruesome battle for life. Their journey is as dangerous as one could figure and they encounter friends and foes and try to find as much information as they can.
This book is great not just cause of the story and the plot and how the vampires are the monsters of old, not the nice ones nor the sexy ones of recent fame. It's gritty, it realistic to a point and there are unexpected developments, some light moments, a lot of creepy ones and plenty of danger to go around. To tell the truth despite all the creepy moments involving monsters vampires, I had the hardest time reading about the damned snakes, I almost had to take a break before I started hyperventilating! There is a lot of heartbreak in the book but also some swoony bits, some cute bits and the slivers of hope that allow you to go on.
The characters, what can I say about the characters! There's such a great growth for both Katie and Alex. Katie is Outside, but not on her Rumspringa, and she has to figure out who she is and what she believes in now, she needs to live with her choices and see what actions she can and can't take not guided blindly by her faith but not discounting it completely. Katie is such a vivid, complex and real character! Alex is also a great character, he keeps on challenging and supporting Katie at the same time, and their romance, though they both know is due to the situation they've found themselves in, is not less real or significant to the story even if it doesn't lead the story along or is the main motivation of it.
The ending is hopeful enough even without all the answers and with all the heartbreak along the way. This book was quite a journey and succeded in being an outstanding sequel and final book, very well deserved 4 and a half stars!
View all my reviews
The Outside by Laura BickleMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Outside is the very eagerly awaited sequel to The Hallowed Ones, one of my biggest book surprises this year, and I book I wouldn't doubt to recommend to anyone, even if they're not into YA or fantasy or postapocalyptic books. This doulogy is one I'll make sure the bf will read whenever he has some time to read, free of work.
The usual word of warning, as it's a sequel I'll do my best to avoid spoilers for it, but I won't be able to avoid spoilers for the Hallowed Ones.
The Outside starts pretty much where The Hallowed Ones ended, so we got Katie, Alex and Ginger with Horus/Horace/the white horse dealing with the outside world beyond the Amish settlement. They decide to start travelling North to Canada, to check on Alex's family. They encounter vampires and travel searching for holy ground to rest because despite their defenses, they really can't fight the vampires in big numbers and survival is a gruesome battle for life. Their journey is as dangerous as one could figure and they encounter friends and foes and try to find as much information as they can.
This book is great not just cause of the story and the plot and how the vampires are the monsters of old, not the nice ones nor the sexy ones of recent fame. It's gritty, it realistic to a point and there are unexpected developments, some light moments, a lot of creepy ones and plenty of danger to go around. To tell the truth despite all the creepy moments involving monsters vampires, I had the hardest time reading about the damned snakes, I almost had to take a break before I started hyperventilating! There is a lot of heartbreak in the book but also some swoony bits, some cute bits and the slivers of hope that allow you to go on.
The characters, what can I say about the characters! There's such a great growth for both Katie and Alex. Katie is Outside, but not on her Rumspringa, and she has to figure out who she is and what she believes in now, she needs to live with her choices and see what actions she can and can't take not guided blindly by her faith but not discounting it completely. Katie is such a vivid, complex and real character! Alex is also a great character, he keeps on challenging and supporting Katie at the same time, and their romance, though they both know is due to the situation they've found themselves in, is not less real or significant to the story even if it doesn't lead the story along or is the main motivation of it.
The ending is hopeful enough even without all the answers and with all the heartbreak along the way. This book was quite a journey and succeded in being an outstanding sequel and final book, very well deserved 4 and a half stars!
View all my reviews
I'm so happy that you enjoyed it! :-D
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed? LOVED IT! Thank you for writing such a great story!
DeleteI can't read your review yet because I've STILL not read the first book. I need to get on that!I'm so happy you loved it!
ReplyDeleteYes you do, just remember they're a bit creepy, so don't read them mainly at night, not a good idea! ;)
DeleteI can't wait for you to read these, Kristen!
eeek I so have to read this series I have had the ARC of book 1 since before it came out - oops haha. I hear it's super creepy and I'm so happy the sequel delivers as well - I'm all too often disappointed by them. Great review!
ReplyDeleteYeah, some sequels really can't seem to uphold the story, but this one really delivered!
DeleteThanks Giselle!
Snakes?! Eeee! I'm already cringing at the thought of that. I'm so excited about this book though and can't wait to finally read it - hopefully soon! I'm still waiting for my copy to arrive. :P Great review, Pili!
ReplyDeleteOh Sam, I'm so phobic of snakes! I was so cringing while reading!
DeleteI can't wait to hear what you think of it!
I really like the cover of this one, although I had no idea this was the sequel to the Hallowed Ones! The character growth sounds great and it seems like the scary parts really were scary! I don't mind snakes but you have made me curious about that part!
ReplyDeleteLucky you, Alise! I get pretty freaked out about snakes!
DeleteLet me know what you think of it if/when you read it!