The Outside

Gr 9 Up—Picking up after Katie has been expelled from her Amish community, this sequel to The Hallowed Ones (Houghton Harcourt, 2012) is an amalgamation of popular vampire/zombie/postapocalyptic plotlines. Katie struggles with adapting her Amish beliefs to survival in the outside world. Along with her love interest, Alex; and her friend, Ginger, Katie encounters many obstacles, including one in which she must decide whether to slay Ginger, who has been bitten by a vampire. This ongoing compromise between the faith she grew up with and the current world around her propels much of the story. Unfortunately, this internal conflict doesn't ring true; it comes across as a hook designed to separate this novel from the myriad paranormal books out there. Katie slips easily into "English" ways and flip-flops constantly on her decisions. Additionally, several unrealistic events occur, such as Katie releasing wild animals abandoned in a backyard zoo, and even the starving tigers do not try to attack her. Lack of character development, an unconvincing narrator, and an unoriginal story prevent this offering from appealing to anyone but teens desperate for vampire fiction.—Liz Zylstra, County of Prince Edward Public Library, Picton, Ontario