The Hallowed Ones

I have so many feelings raging inside me on this one! It was suspenseful, it was terrifying, it was gruesome, it was hopeful, it was... truly unique! I knew little about the plot going in except it was about an Amish girl and possibly the end of the world.

The story is about Katie, an Amish girl with a large heart, and strong opinions both of which lead her into a lot of trouble throughout the book. I really loved Katie. She was so genuine; I loved that unlike others in her community who followed the words of the Elders so blindly, Katie actually thought about things. She always had good intentions in mind, and did what she believed to be right in her heart.

I always find it fascinating to read about the Amish culture. While there is so show more much outside influence in this story, we still get to learn a lot about traditional Amish practices and beliefs. In other books about the Amish that I've read, the language they use really grated on my nerves, but besides the use of "ja" the author didn't make it seem like gibberish.

Major violence warning on this one!! Honestly I would say 18+ the gore is so bad. I had seen it called suspense, not horror, so I wasn't expecting the amount of blood and guts that I got but Make. No. Mistake. this is horror! There was A LOT of blood and gore and let me tell you the author sparred no details. Literally, the most disgusting things I've ever read. Even when I tried to skim over passages, there was so much detail and it went on for so long, I ended up reading things I wish I hadn't. This was definitely the biggest downfall of the book in my eyes. I just don't see why the author had to be so graphic.

Overall, I loved the mystery, suspense, and romance that The Hallowed Ones provided. But the bloody violence is not easily ignored. Let's just say I'm both excited and terrified of reading the next book in the series. show less

Simply put, this book is amazing! As a true lover of horror and the like, I think I love the end of the world, dystopian zombie/vampire tales the most. It has been done many times...probably not much better than Matheson's I AM LEGEND, but let me tell you...THE HALLOWED ONES ranks pretty high, in my opinion. What made it so good was introducing the phenomenon from the Amish community's point of view. Bickle has done a terrific job introducing the reader to the Amish world and then illustrating how they might react if something terrible did happen in the English (what they call us) world. And then she goes one better by creating some of the most creepy and frightening creatures I've read in awhile. As I was reading, I kept trying to show more visualize what they would look like. Every horrifying image I've ever seen in movies or read in books came to mind, but I still couldn't quite settle on the terrifying image my mind was seeing. Not only do we get all of this from the book, but we get a well-written book to boot. No cliche or run of the mill stereotyping. Also, the characters, namely Katie, are wonderful. When Katie goes against the Elders to help a young English man who is injured or ventures into town--alone--to get medicine and supplies, it's not hard to believe. Early on we learn that Katie is head strong and of her own mind. A girl on the verge of Rumspringa (a time when Amish teens get to go off and experience life in the English world), she is ready to explore and set out on her own. She just didn't intend for it to occur in quite the way it did.

I am so pleased with this book. It's not often that I come across a book in this genre (meaning horror/dystopian, although it is classified as YA) that is so well constructed and exciting and engaging as well. I highly recommend it. show less

I was so excited to read this book when it came out last year but I didn't get around to it. I hadn't heard of any books boasting a dystopian world revolving around the Amish.

The novel itself was exciting but slow. There was a lot to admire in the writing. I had a very vivid picture of exactly what the Amish town looked like. I could see the town central as well as the roads that led off to each family’s land. After a while, the mysterious apocalypse began seeping into their culture and that's when some serious stuff went down.

The story unfolds after the main character Katie and her best friend Elijah set off to find out what happened to his missing brothers in the town they were working. They witness sirens and speeding cars going show more down the main road; as well as a crash that leads to Katie’s overwhelming desire to find out the truth behind everything that has been happening around them. The bishops who are in charge of the Amish are insisting that what is happening in the Outside will not affect them.

After realizing they will do nothing about it, Katie makes a distinction between who she is in her plain life, compared to who she thinks she could be in her hopeful fantasies of Rumspringa in the Outside world. She remained the focal point in this story for me. Without questioning herself too much, she begins to see that the Outside isn't how she wanted it to be for her Rumspringa and that she may never get to experience that life. She is also beginning to see the faults in her own culture and tries to make them see that everyone’s safety is at risk. I found her to be very likable and strong amidst an apocalypse that her family and friends were blatantly ignoring.

I will admit I didn’t quite know where this story was going. The beginning was a bit boring but what kept me interested was Katie’s Outside friend Ginger, a middle aged woman who sells Katie’s dogs she breeds every year. She was what held the story together for me until the end when it became more about Katie’s relationship with Alex, the boy she saved.

My feelings toward this novel are complicated. On one hand, I was excited to see a mysterious contagion. On the other hand, I was disappointed with the romance. It had many well written components: suspense, humor, discussions on religion, and an intelligent main character. I also learned quite a bit about Amish culture. But I was left feeling "meh" about the sequel. It's not something I am excited to pick up any time soon. show less

Vampire apocalypse and the Amish.... Definitely not a combination you see every day and something not everyone could pull off. Yet, Laura Bickle does the seemingly impossible and brings to life a incredibly intense and touching story that touches on some very hard subject matters and entertains all at once.

I was intrigued as hell to see how the world of the Amish and the horrors of a vampire apocalypse would all pan out. Everything in this book gelled into a very scary place and a very dark future. The simple world of the Amish with a deep understanding of the land and one's place in life seemed like a haven in a world of monsters and death. Yet, the author wove in little things and small realizations that the world is no longer show more innocent and the Darkness is no longer completely banished outside the community gate. The entire work is a breathe taking example of fantastic world building.

This book was creepy as hell! Not only with the gore and blood inherit to a vampire apocalypse (there was plenty of that), but in the subtle touches as well. The fleeing ravens... The eerie feeling of cobwebs travelling across your face... The utter stillness of an abandoned town... The electric buzzing of still working refrigerators in a empty store... I'm so glad I decided to read this during the day and with the light on at night. I know I would have been peeking in my closet for red eyes or cobwebs otherwise.

I adored Katie. She really made the book for me. Her journey, the heart of this book, showed much strength of character and determination to do what's right. She wasn't afraid to stand up the Elders, pretty much absolute dictators in this scary new world, and fight to preserve life in the form of an injured Alex. She questions the truths being fed the community by their leaders and ventures on a journey to understand why her world is changing so much and how little by little, the Darkness is creeping in. I fell in love with her character from the very beginning. I felt a kinship for the girl who bucks the rules in her own quiet way and yet who can appreciate the beauty in a simple life close to the land. show less

**No spoilers.

3.75 stars



Typically, when I go into a vamp, zomb, alien, etc. dystopian, I expect lots of gore, lots of action, and little lag. Typically, when I don’t get these things, I sulk and bitch profusely. Color me confused as to why I was able to do without with this one. I can’t say that The Hallowed Ones blew me away, but it entertained the crap out of me.

My biggest complaint would be that there wasn’t enough vamp action. The vamps were creepy as hell and vicious, but there just wasn’t enough of them. Additionally, there was little back-story as to their sudden arrival. It read like a zombie apocalypse, actually. Not a bad thing, but why the hell are these vamps suddenly showing up and eating everyone? There was plenty show more of speculation, but no real answers, mostly due to the isolation of the Amish. Their isolation was both a benefit and a detriment to the story. The creepiness of the unknown was a good thing, but not having outside connections meant not getting pertinent info.

Speaking of creepiness, it was sparse. There were no more than 2 or 3 creepy moments and overall, I’d say that this isn’t a very scary read as some purport. Keep in mind, though, I live for horror, creepiness, and everything scary, so I’m hard to please in that department. (If you have recommendations for something super-scary, give me a holler. I’m always on the lookout.)


Even though I craved more vampy stuff, I found myself becoming completely immersed in the story. The focus was more on the characters and it worked for me, in this case.


As far as the Amish ideal in this book is concerned, our MC, Katie, is a rebel. She’s a freethinker and although she pretty much follows the majority of the rules, she always pushes against the grain before doing so. I like her. She does make a couple of fairly stupid moves, but because she’s lived a sheltered life, I found it believable that she’d be naïve in certain things. She had a good spirit, though and she fought for her beliefs. Very likeable.


I can’t say that I’m schooled in the ways of the Amish, but for the most part, I felt that they were portrayed accurately from the little I do know. Bickle did a great job maintaining the authenticity of real day-to-day Amish life. She also did a great job depicting Katie’s struggle with what’s expected of her and what she is/wants to be.


There were a couple of characters that I felt were overdone, but barring them, most of the characters were very likeable and multi-faceted.


This was a pleasant and pleasantly surprising read that fell just a little bit short. I’m absolutely reading book #2 and I’m excited for it. From how this ended, the sequel promises to have more vamp stuffs going on.




For more of my reviews, visit my blog:



show less

One of very few and fab dystopians I've read this year. This is not the first time I'm reading Laura Bickle, and it's not the first time I notice her very sensible approach to female sexuality without any extra drama involved. The characters leap from the pages, the atmosphere is extremely creepy, and the vampires are classically scary and bloodthirsty like in old Eastern European folk stories. There is absolutely nothing sexy about them, and this is exactly what this pretty gory horror story needs. For the fans of World War Z and The Immortal Rules.

I love a good horror novel. Right now most paranormal books tend toward romance rather than horror, so THE HALLOWED ONES by Laura Bickle was spookily refreshing.

Taking place on an Amish settlement, THE HALLOWED ONES follows Katie, a girl on the verge of Rumspringa, the once-in-an-Amish-lifetime experience to experience the outside world for a year before choosing to be baptized Amish. Elija waited a whole year for Katie so that they could take their Rumspringa together, but when something terrifying -- is it a plague? government disaster? vampires or zombies? -- strikes the world outside their settlement, all the plain folk begin to wonder if there will ever be another Rumspringa -- for Katie or Elijah or anyone else.

THE HALLOWED ONES show more takes a classic approach to horror -- the "other" is hardly seen, and rumors of outsiders (including the one Katie is hiding in her barn) and the evil they could bring to the Amish cause a panic that not only drives Katie and Elijah apart but brings forward an unknown mythology passed down through Amish elders that could be the only hope not only for the plain folk but for the entire world.

Laura Bickle's YA debut is a wicked page-turner. There's a new category in the Bram Stoker awards for YA fiction, and I'd love to see this book honored. At the very least, I hope y'all will go out and pick it up, light a few candles, and read it alone in the dark. show less