The Outside

The Outside follows The Hallowed Ones, a tale of rampant vampirism overtaking the world and even amid the land of the Amish. While The Hallowed Ones was one of my favorite reads so far this year, I was a bit skeptical that its follow-up could be as good. Color me happily surprised and deliriously engaged with the equally eerie sequel, which opens as Amish Katie, her Englisher sort of boyfriend, Alex, and her Englisher friend Ginger are cast into the vampire-filled world Outside, either to live or to die.

First, I'll say that my creeptastic monitor hit a solid ten early on with the appearance of the nasty vampires and the race to find secure ground every day as the night closed in. With just a vague plan to head north to Alex's family, the three outcasts head out, hoping to find food and shelter along the way. Time after time, Katie follows her heart rather than her head, almost getting herself and her friends killed; time after time, her instincts prove her to be correct. Not wanting to give any major plot points away, I will say that eventually a surviving group is encountered that might possibly offer hope for the future, but naturally major obstacles exist. Lots of action, lots of emotion.

It's Katie's struggles between how she was raised and what the world is now that held me glued to the pages; her evolving relationship with Alex rings very true, but it's Katie's growth personally and emotionally that is the heart of the story. I loved the symbolism of the water throughout, and I loved that Katie grew to be someone who decided to take chances, despite of her beliefs. I loved that Katie felt as strongly about animals as she did about humans, and I loved that she was ready to take on forces bigger than herself for what she felt was right. Most of all, I loved the creepy scenarios, with their dark spaces and terrifying moments.

The Outside is the final book of this two book series, and it's a well-written, unique sort of young adult book. Sure, it's post-apocalyptic, but the settings are different and the characters attach themselves to you. Definitely recommended for those with a strong stomach and eager for a good read.

~taminator40

The Longing Review

I admit it...I like stories set in the Amish country. There's just something about the Amish, the fact that they don't need or want us, that fascinates me. I'm fascinated by the lifestyle and the traditions which seem so foreign to us Englishers. I suppose that's why I continue to pick up Beverly Lewis's works whenever a new book comes out. The Longing is the third in the Courtship of Nellie Mae Fisher trilogy, and it brings the series to a satisfying, if very predictable, close.

The second book in the series left me hanging and ready to move on, and this entry picks up the story nicely. Nellie Mae is mourning the loss of her younger sister Suzy and the ending of her relationship with Caleb, who doesn't believe in the New Order Amish church Nellie's found so intriguing. Nellie's also worried about her older sister Rhoda who has left the Plain life, and her friend Rosanna who has had many miscarriages and has lost her adopted twins. My biggest complaint is that Lewis is often times overly preachy in my view, but once I can get past her need to constantly quote scripture, I can find a good tale set in a place I don't understand but enjoy reading about.

One caveat for Mrs. Lewis, however; it'd be truly nice if she found a different formula for her next series of books. I felt there wasn't much difference in this trilogy than Annie's People, with the Christian situations being very similar. I much preferred her series on Abraham's Daughters which gave us some very different themes. My full Amazon review can be found at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764203126/ref=cm_cr_thx_view. I hope you'll decide to visit the site and vote. And now blogger is acting weirdly when I try to hit enter, so I'll just sign off here as ~taminator40.

The Forbidden (A Good sequel)

While I'd never say I was as eclectic a reader as my dear friend Jenny, I do have to wonder at my tastes sometimes; in the past 3 days, I've gone from Elvis (thank you very much) to Christian fiction (Amish country) to historical romance (Hugh and Bess). I like what I like.

I've always been fascinated by the Amish; the fact that in today's world of modern conveniences they still cling to their principles based on religion is amazing to me. Beverly Lewis, while definitely a Christian author, does an excellent job of bringing the sometimes secretive world to life. I admit to not being quite as enamored of the first book in this series (The Parting), but with The Forbidden, Lewis has begun to tie some threads together and bring relationships forward. While there is still some preachiness, there are far fewer fanatical leanings in this sequel (a good thing, IMHO). I enjoyed this entry so much that I've preordered the final book in the trilogy from amazon so I can see how it will all end up. That's always a good sign.

You can find my amazon review at http://tinyurl.com/5elu2k. "Denki" for looking.

~taminator40

The Parting

Somewhere along the line, I've found myself rather addicted to Beverly Lewis's tales set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. While they are definitely inspirational in tone, I can usually push that aspect aside as I read because she does do a great job bringing the Amish to life, and her characters are always genuine and credible. While there were things I had a problem with in her newest novel, The Parting, I can still say I enjoyed it quite a bit. I wish she wasn't quite so preachy at times; I'd much rather she incorporate some of the more inspirational lines a little less dramatically. But overall, I'm still going to be reading about these people whose culture is so foreign to me. You can find my review at

http://tinyurl.com/2ry7ak.

~taminator40