The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

This was one of the big surprises for me out of the Cybils.  I'm not big into Amish stories and I hate horror, so the combination sounded really distasteful.  And, I have to say, on some level it was.  My horror hate did come through a bit.  However, it really stuck with me as a good read, and I was still having nightmares a week later through all the other books I was reading so my subconscious really latched onto it as a chilling thing!

The concept of this book is great: what happens to Amish society during the apocalypse?  And what happens to a smart Amish girl who is questioning her faith and her elders?  Katie is a great narrator and a very well-built character, showing us her humanity and her faith at the same time.  Katie is very conflicted between preserving her way of life by not going against the elders and preserving her way of life by learning what's out there and how to keep it away from their community.  This conflict is great, and serves as a driving plot that really kicks up the drama, especially for such a short read.  The pacing is good, and although the romance seems very fast and a little forced, I went with it because Alex is such a well-rounded character.  The mechanics of the apocalypse are really well done (and I really want to say more about how awesome they are, but I can't without spoiling you!).  I was so enchanted and scared out of my pants that I read this book all in one sitting and then couldn't sleep.  I think any horror fan will find it as wonderful as I did.

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

Since I'm on Vacation this week I can't do Follow Friday, so you get an extra book review instead.

Don’t Sweat. Don’t Laugh. Don’t draw attention to yourself. And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

I started out loving this book’s premise. It’s a nice twist to see a plot about humans hiding in plain sight among vampires instead of vampires hiding in human society. The book doesn’t disappoint, either. The plot is refreshing, with hints of a love triangle that never pan out, a quick pace with lots of tension even though there’s little action or blood, and tons of developing introspection. The vampire society is doled out in small enough chunks that you never feel there’s an info dump going on. The character development is skillfully done, detaching the reader from the characters, especially Gene, in order to show his isolation and emotional turmoil and yet as a reader you’re still drawn to him and root for him. The other characters, though, are harder to like since you know they are ultimately the enemy, which works against some of the things the author tries to accomplish in the book. I’ve heard this billed as a Hunger-Games ripoff, and while I can see the connections I think there’s more than enough unique about The Hunt to draw new readers in.



I received a copy of this book free through NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Jane Jones: Worst. Vampire. Ever. by Cassie St. Onge

For Jane Jones, being a vampire is nothing like you read about in books. In fact, it kind of sucks. She's not beautiful, she's not rich, and she doesn't "sparkle." She's just an average, slightly nerdy girl from an ordinary suburban family (who happens to be vampires.) Jane's from the wrong side of the tracks (not to mention stuck in the world's longest awkward phase), so she doesn't fit in with the cool vampire kids at school or with the humans kids. To top it all off, she's battling an overprotective mom, a clique of high school mean girls (the kind who really do have fangs), and the most embarrassing allergy in the history of the undead, she's blood intolerant. So no one's more surprised than Jane when for the first time in her life, things start to heat up (as much as they can for a walking corpse, anyway) with not one, but two boys. Eli's a geeky, but cute real-live boy in her history class, and Timothy is a beautiful, brooding bloodsucker, who might just hold the key to a possible "cure" for vampirism. Facing an eternity of high school pressure, fumbling first dates, or a mere lifetime together with Timothy, what's a 90-something year-old teen vampire to do?

Fans of the Vladmir Tod Chronicles, You are So Undead to Me, and Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side will feast on this deliciously readable, smart, and fantastically funny debut.

This was one of the cutest books I have read this year. I love the thought of a dorky, un-conventionally-gorgeous vampire with a blood allergy. Jane is loveable and relatable and she makes me root for her every step of the plot. Zachary is a wonderful character as well, somehow managing to capture the wisdom of the immortal along with the permanent immature mentality of a ten year old. St. Onge has a gift with comedy, and Jane’s voice rings true even through her predicaments. From the amusing premise to the twist on current literary trends to the characterization of the players, this book makes me wish it was twice as long so I’d have twice the fun! In fact, I think the length is my only complaint. I really wish there was more book to love.