YA Review: The Outside by Laura Bickle

Title: The Outside (The Hallowed Ones #2)

Author: Laura Bickle

# of Pages: 325

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: September 3rd, 2013

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

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?

My Verdict

I was afraid the book might skip a large period of time and pick up somewhere in the future, but thankfully things picked up right where they ended in The Hallowed Ones. Katie, Alex, Ginger, and their trusty horse named Horace are now stuck outside of the Amish settlement, battling the vampires each night to survive another day.  

With all the background information out of the way, and Katie no longer living at home, I loved that we were able to focus more on just Katie, Alex, Ginger and their relationships.

• Katie- is such a strong character it's impossible not to love her. She doesn't let anyone tell her what to do and always makes decisions based on her heart. 

• Alex- is smart, incredibly brave, and so protective of Katie. I love how he always calls her Bonnett, so cute.

• Katie & Alex- For a couple that was never supposed to be together they sure are perfect for one another. Even though they share vastly different beliefs, I love that Alex respected Katie's ways and though he didn't agree with them, he never tried to change her. 

• Ginger- I really enjoyed getting to know more about Ginger and how she loved Katie as her own daughter. 

Thankfully, this book wasn't as bloody and gory as the first one. There were still a few gruesome scenes but they were farther and fewer between, as well as a lot easier to skim over than last time. 

While the ending does well to wrap things up in a satisfying way overall, I still feel there was more to be learned about this world, a few questions unanswered. Let's just say I was more than a little disapointed to find out there will not be a book three ="(