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Outsiders
"Outsiders" is a young adult story about a small town that invites a group of foreigners, to the town, to teach them about their way of life in America. However, the newcomers aren’t all they appear. The main character, Hannah, falls in love with one of the "outsiders", and finds herself in compromising circumstances due to this forbidden love. Once the horrible intentions of the outsiders are revealed, Hannah must find the courage and strength to save her town.
- GenresYoung Adult
61 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 18, 2013
1 person is currently reading
26 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 20, 2013
Umm...okay.
I tried really hard to be open minded about this book - like with every book I set out to read. I'm kinda like a HSC examiner or marker - I'm looking to give the student as many marks as I can, but I can only mark what they give me. This book was like a coal mine. There were plenty gold nuggets...they were just hidden deep within it. They weren't mined and given the chance to shine.
The storyline was jumpy - skipping months between chapters. It was very like a fanfiction in composition, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. However, the main protagonist was very hard to like. She was (for lack of a better word) loud, frank and slightly hysterical at times.
The events that made up the plot didn't flow together. It was almost like they appeared out of thin air - jigsaw pieces from different puzzles trying to fit together. From visiting missionaries and cute guys, to secret parties, to secret relationships (love at first sight is promoted - relationships happen out of nowhere!), shootings, takeovers and people finding out they're...pregnant.
Again; there were times when we reached a crossroads and I thought "It would be so cool if the opportunity was taken to let the story go differently, or take that path." But that option was never chosen. The story just kept wandering a little aimlessly, to be honest, which made it difficult to engage with.
I look forward to seeing more works from this author in the future - ones that hopefully keep up the powerful narrative voice and connect with the reader a little more.
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March 26, 2013Let me start off by saying that this book was a lot shorter than I thought it was going to be. However, don't take that as a con to reading it; even though it was shorter than most, it was very well written and captivated me from the beginning.
Nicole Franklin has a way of writing that made me long for the next part of the story. The plot carried along nicely. Due to the book being short and the author wanting the plot to cover a certain period of time, you sometimes had big time gaps summed up in a paragraph or two. I liked this, however, because I felt as if it fit really well with the story. It wasn't necessary to be updated everyday or even every week with what the main characters went through.
Speaking of characters, I absolutely loved Hannah, Jaise, and Nickolai. All the charries had a lovable asset about them, but the formerly named three were definitely the ones I fancied the most. Hannah and Jaise were favourites for obvious reasons. The main notion, though, was that their love for each other was so constantly solid. It was never "It could be actual feelings" or "I might be in love with him/her"; they knew they were in love and acted as such (as much as they could anyway). In Nickolai's case, I adored the fact that he never gave up trying to get with Hannah, although I'm sure he realized she didn't want him. Takes some dedication to keep pursuing even after rejection, wouldn't you say?
Overall, Outsiders was a great book to read, and I'd gladly recommend it to others that were interested in indulging themselves in Patterson Falls.
Nicole Franklin has a way of writing that made me long for the next part of the story. The plot carried along nicely. Due to the book being short and the author wanting the plot to cover a certain period of time, you sometimes had big time gaps summed up in a paragraph or two. I liked this, however, because I felt as if it fit really well with the story. It wasn't necessary to be updated everyday or even every week with what the main characters went through.
Speaking of characters, I absolutely loved Hannah, Jaise, and Nickolai. All the charries had a lovable asset about them, but the formerly named three were definitely the ones I fancied the most. Hannah and Jaise were favourites for obvious reasons. The main notion, though, was that their love for each other was so constantly solid. It was never "It could be actual feelings" or "I might be in love with him/her"; they knew they were in love and acted as such (as much as they could anyway). In Nickolai's case, I adored the fact that he never gave up trying to get with Hannah, although I'm sure he realized she didn't want him. Takes some dedication to keep pursuing even after rejection, wouldn't you say?
Overall, Outsiders was a great book to read, and I'd gladly recommend it to others that were interested in indulging themselves in Patterson Falls.
April 12, 2013
I think the idea for this novella was great. When I read the synopsis I thought it was very interesting and had great potential. I understand that novella's are to be short but I think there are some great ones out there that have been complete no matter how short. This one, however, was not. It jumped off into what felt like the middle of the story. There was no description of the characters or the town. I need to connect with the characters when I'm reading but I had absolutely no way of doing that. Then the main character proceeded fell in love after what seemed like a two minute conversation with a stranger. Not to mention I found her generally unlikeable. And I found her "confession" of love completely unbelievable and unrealistic. I cannot imagine any girl ever speaking that way. I will say that the few pages of the book I did find myself interested in what happened next, but overall I just felt the whole thing was rushed and incomplete. I would be interested in seeing this fully developed into a complete book, because I do think there could be a story to tell there.
March 30, 2013
Honestly, when I got a copy of the book from the author, I was pretty excited. The excerpt was intriguing and I was eager to start reading it. But sadly, the book didn't quite reach my expectations. The story was shorter than what I expected and the romance happened too quickly for my liking. I guess it would've earned two more stars if the author took it slow and tried to build the story piece-by-piece, detail-by-detail up to the plot. It was just so fast-forward that it didn't give me enough time to internalize the basic aspects of the story.
The "outsiders" who came to Hannah's town all acted strangely and I didn't understand why the people hadn't developed any suspicions about them and their intentions. Why would they all be so quick to trust these strangers? I mean, the "outsiders" are supposedly said to be harmless and extremely focused on serving God and helping His people but still, that doesn't mean the locals should've trusted them enough to accommodate them into their homes. Weren't they worried about these strangers being psychopaths? I mean, psychopaths are pretty good at blending in and acting normal. They are good at manipulating others admitting to the normal behaviors of people. So why didn't people ever think about that? With the weird way they spoke -- like they were in the eighteenth century or something -- and the hard, unblinking looks they gave other people, I would've refused to let them enter my home.
And the romance. Man, this book is chronically suffering from the worst case of INSTALOVE man has ever known. There was no chemistry between Hannah and Jaise, only physical attraction and/or lust. I didn't believe for one second that they truly loved each other (I was more or less convinced they were addicted to each other's bodies and the physical pleasure they received from each other late at night) and I absolutely hated how the main character kept obsessing and chasing after a guy she barely knew. (And in my opinion, the guy should chase after the girl, not the other way around.) I also didn't understand why this other guy, Nickolai, was keen on getting Hannah; she had been nothing but horrible to him throughout the entire book. Sure she was beautiful, but if a girl like that simultaneously humiliates and rejects you at the same time, you should learn how to stay away. She's just not worth it.
The ending was outright gloomy and tearful -- the "love" of the protagonist's life dies right in front of her eyes and she experiences a miscarriage just a few moments after she learns she's actually carrying his baby. After the entire incident, her town is infamously known for being captured by a group of pompous, dominating sickos and the main character, along with the surviving locals, have to live with the entire memory of getting captured. It was sad really. I was expecting a happy ending, but...
**Thank you to the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I'm sorry I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have.
The "outsiders" who came to Hannah's town all acted strangely and I didn't understand why the people hadn't developed any suspicions about them and their intentions. Why would they all be so quick to trust these strangers? I mean, the "outsiders" are supposedly said to be harmless and extremely focused on serving God and helping His people but still, that doesn't mean the locals should've trusted them enough to accommodate them into their homes. Weren't they worried about these strangers being psychopaths? I mean, psychopaths are pretty good at blending in and acting normal. They are good at manipulating others admitting to the normal behaviors of people. So why didn't people ever think about that? With the weird way they spoke -- like they were in the eighteenth century or something -- and the hard, unblinking looks they gave other people, I would've refused to let them enter my home.
And the romance. Man, this book is chronically suffering from the worst case of INSTALOVE man has ever known. There was no chemistry between Hannah and Jaise, only physical attraction and/or lust. I didn't believe for one second that they truly loved each other (I was more or less convinced they were addicted to each other's bodies and the physical pleasure they received from each other late at night) and I absolutely hated how the main character kept obsessing and chasing after a guy she barely knew. (And in my opinion, the guy should chase after the girl, not the other way around.) I also didn't understand why this other guy, Nickolai, was keen on getting Hannah; she had been nothing but horrible to him throughout the entire book. Sure she was beautiful, but if a girl like that simultaneously humiliates and rejects you at the same time, you should learn how to stay away. She's just not worth it.
The ending was outright gloomy and tearful -- the "love" of the protagonist's life dies right in front of her eyes and she experiences a miscarriage just a few moments after she learns she's actually carrying his baby. After the entire incident, her town is infamously known for being captured by a group of pompous, dominating sickos and the main character, along with the surviving locals, have to live with the entire memory of getting captured. It was sad really. I was expecting a happy ending, but...
**Thank you to the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I'm sorry I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2013
Looking at the given summary doesn’t always speak what resides inside the book. When i read the synopsis, i expected a lot, a very lot out of it, but sadly i was disappointed. The story was simple, fast, short, and non clarifying. It actually didn’t clarify what was happening. To me it felt like it was a small part of a huge book about what wrong was happening in Patterson falls. There were no details, nothing that would actually made one wonder that ah yes, this is possble, or yeah, this could’ve happened. The story was revolving hopelessly without knowing the actual path.
I expected a clarification, and i expected to actually believe that yes this is real, this might have happened somewhere. I am a believer, but i couldn’t believe in anything. I just felt this is not how the world works. The details were missing, and by details i don’t only mean about where they came from, why they did what they did, and how it happened but i mean that everything was sudden and clear. I really love when things are coiled, and while mentioning a love story, i starve for beautiful moments. The proposal, the cuddles, the beautiful time they would spend together, and the very sweet little romantic moments. To be honest i missed it, the very feel that they were in love didn’t touch my heart. I was not convinced that maybe what they had was true love, and most of all “ it didn’t make me think”.
Unfortunately, it didn’t reach to my expectations. The whole atmosphere was very light, and the book demanded intensity which was not provided. The theme when looked at was very good, but somehow it wasn’t at that level as i expected it would be. May be i expect too much, may be yes, but hey, what is the joy in reading if you don’t have expectations already. But i would say good try though.
book was given to me by the author in exchange of an honest review
I expected a clarification, and i expected to actually believe that yes this is real, this might have happened somewhere. I am a believer, but i couldn’t believe in anything. I just felt this is not how the world works. The details were missing, and by details i don’t only mean about where they came from, why they did what they did, and how it happened but i mean that everything was sudden and clear. I really love when things are coiled, and while mentioning a love story, i starve for beautiful moments. The proposal, the cuddles, the beautiful time they would spend together, and the very sweet little romantic moments. To be honest i missed it, the very feel that they were in love didn’t touch my heart. I was not convinced that maybe what they had was true love, and most of all “ it didn’t make me think”.
Unfortunately, it didn’t reach to my expectations. The whole atmosphere was very light, and the book demanded intensity which was not provided. The theme when looked at was very good, but somehow it wasn’t at that level as i expected it would be. May be i expect too much, may be yes, but hey, what is the joy in reading if you don’t have expectations already. But i would say good try though.
book was given to me by the author in exchange of an honest review
March 28, 2013
Wow. I just finished this novella today and it's unlike anything I've ever read before.
My favourite part was the point of view, the protagonist, Hannah, leaves us some blanks to fill in. From the beginning, she's never completely clear on the details or where these "outsiders" are from. In a full-length book this might have bothered me, but I felt like it fit this novella, and ultimately added some intrigue.
I loved the beginning, and how the protagonist was ultimately human, and didn't achieve any superhuman feats. She did what she could, and did what most people would have been forced to do in her situation. She brings human abilities to the table (which is so rare these days in books), and her actions have an impact. I'm trying so hard to not put any spoilers into this...Hopefully, I succeeded.
Overall, a really interesting read that definitely gets you thinking. Glad to have read it!
My favourite part was the point of view, the protagonist, Hannah, leaves us some blanks to fill in. From the beginning, she's never completely clear on the details or where these "outsiders" are from. In a full-length book this might have bothered me, but I felt like it fit this novella, and ultimately added some intrigue.
I loved the beginning, and how the protagonist was ultimately human, and didn't achieve any superhuman feats. She did what she could, and did what most people would have been forced to do in her situation. She brings human abilities to the table (which is so rare these days in books), and her actions have an impact. I'm trying so hard to not put any spoilers into this...Hopefully, I succeeded.
Overall, a really interesting read that definitely gets you thinking. Glad to have read it!
April 21, 2013
When the small town of Patterson Falls decides to open its homes to outsiders little did they know that they were embarking on a nightmare.
Now when I read the blurb for this book I thought it was a little vague but it sounded interesting enough. When I started to read I found the whole thing to be very rushed and sometimes confusing. A lot of the scenes were so lacking in description that even my imagination couldn’t fill in the blanks. I think the main problem was trying to fit it all into a novella and not enough time was spent giving us the information we required to make sense of the plot. The characters were flat and I struggled to connect with them, which left me with no feeling for them or their situation at all.
The actual writing was comfortable and I found no issues with copy editing my problem is purely with the execution of the plot, and character development.
Copy supplied for review
April 7, 2013
I was rather surprised when the author asked me to send me this book so I could read it and give it an honest review but I was also really intrested. So, there were some good stuff and some not so good stuff about this book. The first thing that I didn't really like was that the book was really short. If a book is that short the author doesn't have much space to describe the characters and the history of the town. On the other hand the story of the book is really intresting and didn't turn out as I expected. In addition, there were characters I liked (Jaise) but characters I really disliked (the main character). The writing at most parts was good and an easy read. Overall I felt like something was missing at the end and both the story and the characters were not fully developed but it was a light and interesting read.
March 28, 2013
This was a short little novella about foreign Outsiders coming into Patterson Falls. You can't always trust people you don't know and this book is a great example of that. Not everyone is what they seem. The foreigners are suppose to be there to help the small town and what they have in store threw everyone for a loop.
Hannah the main character and her mother don't trust the new comers. That is until Hannah fall in love with Jaise one for the foreigners. But Nickolai has his eye on her due to her family jewels.
What happens when love, trust, and betrayal mix together? This book definitely answers that question.
Hannah the main character and her mother don't trust the new comers. That is until Hannah fall in love with Jaise one for the foreigners. But Nickolai has his eye on her due to her family jewels.
What happens when love, trust, and betrayal mix together? This book definitely answers that question.
May 7, 2016
I really enjoyed this novella! It was a quick read but it was unlike anything had read before. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time wanting to know what was going to happen. Although some aspects were a little too fast over all it was extremely interesting and slightly terrifying since something like what happened in Outsiders could happen anywhere.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Outsiders. It has me on the edge of my seat and anxious the entire time. Although the ending was sad I thought it was perfect for the overall tone of the novella. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend Outsiders to anyone who wants a thrilling, quick read!
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Outsiders. It has me on the edge of my seat and anxious the entire time. Although the ending was sad I thought it was perfect for the overall tone of the novella. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend Outsiders to anyone who wants a thrilling, quick read!
April 13, 2013
I really enjoyed this short story. It was a very fast paced read that absorbed me from the beginning.
The residents of a small Pennsylvania town invite a group of foreigners to live with them for a year to experience how Americans live. However, the outsiders are not what they appear to be and have a completely different agenda.
I was very impressed with the character development and plot considering the length of the novella. I am looking forward to reading more from this author! I recommend this novella!
Ebook provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
The residents of a small Pennsylvania town invite a group of foreigners to live with them for a year to experience how Americans live. However, the outsiders are not what they appear to be and have a completely different agenda.
I was very impressed with the character development and plot considering the length of the novella. I am looking forward to reading more from this author! I recommend this novella!
Ebook provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
September 7, 2016
*I received this free. Thanks to Bailey Vaughn.*
It was a short story, but even so, it definitely grasps your attention in the beginning. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down until the end. I was saddened when , though that made it more interesting, because most novels/novellas, the characters end up
It was a short story, but even so, it definitely grasps your attention in the beginning. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down until the end. I was saddened when , though that made it more interesting, because most novels/novellas, the characters end up
March 31, 2013
This was a really good book and very unique but I thought that at the beginning it went a little to fast and didn't get into enough details. The story was set up very quickly and then the ending was very quick. I'm not quite sure if I liked that because I like an equal amount of all parts. The ending kind of disappointed me but other than that it was very good and like I definitely haven't ever read anything like it before.
April 7, 2013
To me this book could have been A really, really good book. The plot was very interesting. It was suspenseful and entertaining but the reason the book got only 3 stars was because everything happened WAY TO FAST! The main character falls in love with Jaise before they even have a 5 min conversation. The book did tell u that they talked, but the reader never really experienced it. I'm not even sure I got to read a conversation where they talked for more then 1 minute. We also hardly ever got to experience how The main character lived during captivity. In one chapter months had passed. The book was way to short for my liking. It only had about 65 pages. I also felt that the author gave us no descriptions or details! I didn't really know how anyone really looked, let alone the main characters and I didn't really know anything about Their town.
If the book had more detail and everything just slowed down a little then the book would have gotten at least 4 stars. I mean I felt nothing for the characters. Even as she watched her love die and had a miscarriage. And I'm the kind of girl that would cry for almost anything sad or even bittersweet in a book. But this book gave me no time to feel for the characters. I didn't even feel that bad for her that Jaise died . And I don't think she felt that bad either! She was thinking of getting an abortion right after her love/baby daddy just died only because she didn't want her family to find out about the baby. And when she's at the hospital when all this ends the doctor tells her about the miscarriage and she doesn't care actually she seemed happy.
Another thing I didn't like was that while she was in a coma because she crashed her car everything went back to normal. But according to everyone because she crashed her car she saved them all. In The ending of the book the main character slightly changes. at the beginning of the book she was an alcoholic and immature but in the end she changes a little and learns to appreciate that she Is alive. We also never got to see how the people went back to their normal routine. One second the main character is in the hospital and then a year has passed and she's in college like she planed and the town is doing fine again.
I honestly think this book could have gotten more stars and if the author could have put more detail and made it a little longer then it would have been a great book. like I said the plot was really good and it did have suspenseful moments that kept me wanting more. I do suggest everyone read it. Who knows u may actually like it.
If the book had more detail and everything just slowed down a little then the book would have gotten at least 4 stars. I mean I felt nothing for the characters. Even as she watched her love die and had a miscarriage. And I'm the kind of girl that would cry for almost anything sad or even bittersweet in a book. But this book gave me no time to feel for the characters. I didn't even feel that bad for her that Jaise died . And I don't think she felt that bad either! She was thinking of getting an abortion right after her love/baby daddy just died only because she didn't want her family to find out about the baby. And when she's at the hospital when all this ends the doctor tells her about the miscarriage and she doesn't care actually she seemed happy.
Another thing I didn't like was that while she was in a coma because she crashed her car everything went back to normal. But according to everyone because she crashed her car she saved them all. In The ending of the book the main character slightly changes. at the beginning of the book she was an alcoholic and immature but in the end she changes a little and learns to appreciate that she Is alive. We also never got to see how the people went back to their normal routine. One second the main character is in the hospital and then a year has passed and she's in college like she planed and the town is doing fine again.
I honestly think this book could have gotten more stars and if the author could have put more detail and made it a little longer then it would have been a great book. like I said the plot was really good and it did have suspenseful moments that kept me wanting more. I do suggest everyone read it. Who knows u may actually like it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2013
The plot sounded really interesting, but because so much happened in such few pages, it spiraled down from there.
SPOILERS:
Likes:
The narrator's voice in the first page or so. (Once she spoke out loud though it wasn't convincing though)
Dislikes:
-The dialogue between any of the characters was unnatural and none of them had their own voice.
-The romance was a story of lust, not love. Just because characters say "I love you" doesn't make it true. It's not only about convincing each other, it's about convincing the reader as well.
-A bunch of things that happened in this book would not happen in real life--ever. Most of the things that happened seemed too coincidental and that made this story even more unrealistic. (The town being disconnected from the rest of the nation just because it's an hour or so away, there would always be contact in a week or so.)
-Killing off characters in a short story or novella is really hard to pull off and it didn't work in this story. While I didn't get a good grasp on any character in this story, I did feel somewhat invested and for people to just be dying because the author probably feels that's what "must happen" doesn't justify it.
-The part that bugged me the most was probably near the end when the guy who was stuck in the ditch told Hannah how she was pregnant. At first it sounded like Hannah didn't even know, which took a while to reveal she did but didn't tell anyone. Her being pregnant just made this story even worse. He then continues to say that Jaise knew... It had only been two months, I doubt in real life a guy like him would know.
-There were also a bunch of details that could be taken out since they were mentioned once then never again: Kevin and his infatuation with Hannah (he never appeared again after the party), Sara and her epilepsy (interesting but no where in the story did she suffer through an episode-- so pointless), others I can't think of right now.
-I didn't understand the point of the congregation for coming. This small "isolated" town didn't seem even half as religious as the author made it sound (with teachers/mothers giving away alcohol to minors, the teens drinking all the time, mother+daughter "selling" themselves, etc). I don't even know why the city church would agree to the Easterners coming.
SPOILERS:
Likes:
The narrator's voice in the first page or so. (Once she spoke out loud though it wasn't convincing though)
Dislikes:
-The dialogue between any of the characters was unnatural and none of them had their own voice.
-The romance was a story of lust, not love. Just because characters say "I love you" doesn't make it true. It's not only about convincing each other, it's about convincing the reader as well.
-A bunch of things that happened in this book would not happen in real life--ever. Most of the things that happened seemed too coincidental and that made this story even more unrealistic. (The town being disconnected from the rest of the nation just because it's an hour or so away, there would always be contact in a week or so.)
-Killing off characters in a short story or novella is really hard to pull off and it didn't work in this story. While I didn't get a good grasp on any character in this story, I did feel somewhat invested and for people to just be dying because the author probably feels that's what "must happen" doesn't justify it.
-The part that bugged me the most was probably near the end when the guy who was stuck in the ditch told Hannah how she was pregnant. At first it sounded like Hannah didn't even know, which took a while to reveal she did but didn't tell anyone. Her being pregnant just made this story even worse. He then continues to say that Jaise knew... It had only been two months, I doubt in real life a guy like him would know.
-There were also a bunch of details that could be taken out since they were mentioned once then never again: Kevin and his infatuation with Hannah (he never appeared again after the party), Sara and her epilepsy (interesting but no where in the story did she suffer through an episode-- so pointless), others I can't think of right now.
-I didn't understand the point of the congregation for coming. This small "isolated" town didn't seem even half as religious as the author made it sound (with teachers/mothers giving away alcohol to minors, the teens drinking all the time, mother+daughter "selling" themselves, etc). I don't even know why the city church would agree to the Easterners coming.
April 6, 2013
When the author sent me the summary of the story with her request for me to read it, I thought it was actually really interesting. Agreeing to review like this isn't something I normally do. The story was also short *like 65 pages* so that made it easier to agree to. Anyways, I sat down to read it in one sitting, and the story was actually a decent and interesting read.
The town is actually kind of isolated in it's thinking. I had a hard time really getting a grip on the time period because of this, but it wasn't that big of a concern for me. Hannah, the main character, sets up the town pretty well for you to visualize it. The idea is that some strangers come in, associated with the church, and basically have these false pretenses. Their true reason for being there is actually incredibly creepy, and the solution is still a bit sad.
All in all, I have never quite read a story like this one. The writing was decent, though there were a few parts that could be fixed up. Editors tend to do that kind of work though, so I think the plot and storyline have huge potential. Considering it was only 65 pages, there were a lot of places that kind of seemed rushed. I know that sounds like bad things, but in all honesty, if the author were to expand on a few things and makes this novella into a novel, I would seriously buy it. I think just expansion would fix a few minor spots and really make this into a great novel. Hannah's relationship with the outsider in the beginning when she is starting to fall in love with him for example. I wanted more. I wanted sweet moments. I wanted to really understand how she had fallen for him.
Still the plot was intriguing, the ending satisfying, and the writing good. I enjoyed reading the story, and I look forward to see what the author does with it in the future!
The town is actually kind of isolated in it's thinking. I had a hard time really getting a grip on the time period because of this, but it wasn't that big of a concern for me. Hannah, the main character, sets up the town pretty well for you to visualize it. The idea is that some strangers come in, associated with the church, and basically have these false pretenses. Their true reason for being there is actually incredibly creepy, and the solution is still a bit sad.
All in all, I have never quite read a story like this one. The writing was decent, though there were a few parts that could be fixed up. Editors tend to do that kind of work though, so I think the plot and storyline have huge potential. Considering it was only 65 pages, there were a lot of places that kind of seemed rushed. I know that sounds like bad things, but in all honesty, if the author were to expand on a few things and makes this novella into a novel, I would seriously buy it. I think just expansion would fix a few minor spots and really make this into a great novel. Hannah's relationship with the outsider in the beginning when she is starting to fall in love with him for example. I wanted more. I wanted sweet moments. I wanted to really understand how she had fallen for him.
Still the plot was intriguing, the ending satisfying, and the writing good. I enjoyed reading the story, and I look forward to see what the author does with it in the future!
April 19, 2013
Outsiders by Bailey Vaughn is a good, quick read of approximately 20,000 words/60 pages. Can you imagine being a teen in a small town, almost completely cut off from everyone most of the time? Well, that's precisely the case for Hannah and the rest of Patterson Falls, Pennsylvania. The leaders of the town invite a group of foreigners to live with them in their homes and learn about America while being "Brothers in Christ." Unfortunately for the townspeople of Patterson Falls, the "outsiders" are not what they seem to be.
I will say that in the beginning, I seemed to have a hard time getting into the story, but a few chapters in, I read with more ease. The premise of the story is very inviting. Hannah finds herself involved with one of the outsiders, Jaise, which is expressly forbidden. (Who doesn't get wrapped up in forbidden love?) And, after the outsiders turn on the town, things get even more mysterious.
The story had all the makings of being a great novella, but for me, it just fell a bit short of greatness. Everything seemed to happen way too fast and at times felt forced. The romance was practically instantaneous between Hannah and Jaise when they had barely spoken. The central twist in the story seemed to come on very quickly and the characters barely seemed to have a reaction to it despite how life-altering it would have been for them. During this section of the story, weeks were summed up into a few paragraphs. I will say nearing the end, it got much more suspenseful and was a page-turner for me.
All in all, it was a good novella to pass some time. I think my biggest problem was that it's a great idea for a story (let me reiterate how much I loved the premise) and with some more details and character development, it could have been lengthened out into a really awesome novella (or even into a novel)!
I will say that in the beginning, I seemed to have a hard time getting into the story, but a few chapters in, I read with more ease. The premise of the story is very inviting. Hannah finds herself involved with one of the outsiders, Jaise, which is expressly forbidden. (Who doesn't get wrapped up in forbidden love?) And, after the outsiders turn on the town, things get even more mysterious.
The story had all the makings of being a great novella, but for me, it just fell a bit short of greatness. Everything seemed to happen way too fast and at times felt forced. The romance was practically instantaneous between Hannah and Jaise when they had barely spoken. The central twist in the story seemed to come on very quickly and the characters barely seemed to have a reaction to it despite how life-altering it would have been for them. During this section of the story, weeks were summed up into a few paragraphs. I will say nearing the end, it got much more suspenseful and was a page-turner for me.
All in all, it was a good novella to pass some time. I think my biggest problem was that it's a great idea for a story (let me reiterate how much I loved the premise) and with some more details and character development, it could have been lengthened out into a really awesome novella (or even into a novel)!
April 26, 2019
This book is about a small town that invites a group of foreigners to their town to see and learn about living in America. They call it an "experiment", and their agreement is that each family would get a guest for one year, bigger families get two guests. But the outsiders are not what they seem. We follow Hannah, a seventeen year old girl who is looking to fall in love with one of the foreigners. She got what she wanted but he has a secret and because of this secret, their love is forbidden. When the truth is revealed about the real intentions of the outsiders, Hannah has to find the courage to save her town, but at what expense, what will she have to lose?
There is always something happening in this story, it is very fast passed and I love that! Hannah is an ordinary high school girl; she likes to have fun and loves her friends, it's not hard since she's known them all her life. I really liked her character, she surprised me with some of the choices she made, but she's a brave girl! Hannah's parents are very loving toward her. Her love interest's name is Jaise and he is different from the other outsiders, he actually can express his feelings. The outsiders look like they don't have much fun; they're pretty uptight and strange which made me wonder if they had ulterior motives. I believe this story to be an enjoyable read, I was at the edge of my seat at times because of its suspense. I also think the plot was great. I recommend this book to everyone. The only thing that I can say is that I want more! In a good way, I want to read more from this author and looking forward to reading what else she has in store for us in the future.
There is always something happening in this story, it is very fast passed and I love that! Hannah is an ordinary high school girl; she likes to have fun and loves her friends, it's not hard since she's known them all her life. I really liked her character, she surprised me with some of the choices she made, but she's a brave girl! Hannah's parents are very loving toward her. Her love interest's name is Jaise and he is different from the other outsiders, he actually can express his feelings. The outsiders look like they don't have much fun; they're pretty uptight and strange which made me wonder if they had ulterior motives. I believe this story to be an enjoyable read, I was at the edge of my seat at times because of its suspense. I also think the plot was great. I recommend this book to everyone. The only thing that I can say is that I want more! In a good way, I want to read more from this author and looking forward to reading what else she has in store for us in the future.
April 4, 2013
Outsiders had all the makings to be a great novella. The plot sounded interesting and seemed as if it could have had a lot of suspense. But I thought Outsiders just failed across the board. The descriptions were not even there. I didn't know what most of the characters looked like, what the town looked like or even what some of the characters were like as people.
The romance element of this was pretty bad. Hannah falls in love with someone in a heartbeat and he falls equally in love with her without so much as a 5 minute conversation between the two of them. You could assume they had something in common and did have an actual conversation, but this was never mentioned in the story.
The suspense is one of the better things in this novella because it was there but with this plot there was pontential for so much more suspense.In the last few chapters it does become a bit of a page turner so i did feel that there was suspense just not as much as there could have been.
My biggest problem was that it moved through the story so quickly. For example when Jaise tells Hannah what's going to happen to her town, she barely seeems to have a reaction to it because it wasnt written.
I gave this two stars solely for the good plot and the suspense. And if that's all you're looking for in a story then maybe this is for you. But if you want more out of a story, I would look elsewhere.
The romance element of this was pretty bad. Hannah falls in love with someone in a heartbeat and he falls equally in love with her without so much as a 5 minute conversation between the two of them. You could assume they had something in common and did have an actual conversation, but this was never mentioned in the story.
The suspense is one of the better things in this novella because it was there but with this plot there was pontential for so much more suspense.In the last few chapters it does become a bit of a page turner so i did feel that there was suspense just not as much as there could have been.
My biggest problem was that it moved through the story so quickly. For example when Jaise tells Hannah what's going to happen to her town, she barely seeems to have a reaction to it because it wasnt written.
I gave this two stars solely for the good plot and the suspense. And if that's all you're looking for in a story then maybe this is for you. But if you want more out of a story, I would look elsewhere.
March 31, 2013
Outsiders is a short little novella about a small town that gets a visit from a mysterious group of people that will be staying for a while. Soon enough, the town realizes there people are not what they seem, but, could they be realizing this a little too late?
This novella made me love small towns more. I always like stories with small towns, because we get a more "homey feel to it".
In this story, the protagonist's name is Hannah, and she's a really relatable character. She's tired of living in a small town, and wants to go to college and make a better life for herself. Things change when she meets Jaise, one of the visitors, and feels a deep attraction for him.
Hannah was outspoken, honest, and headstrong. She knew what she wanted and when she wanted it.
For a story with so little pages, you don't expect good character development or good plot building, but with this novella, you do.
I didn't think there were any plot holes, and the story was nicely developed.
The only reason why I took of a star from my review, was because of Hannah and Jaise's relationship. I find that with a story so short, the love felt more like "instalove". It felt sometimes too forced to be real.
Overall, Outsiders is a good novella. With only about 65 pages, there's no reason why you shouldn't read it.
This novella made me love small towns more. I always like stories with small towns, because we get a more "homey feel to it".
In this story, the protagonist's name is Hannah, and she's a really relatable character. She's tired of living in a small town, and wants to go to college and make a better life for herself. Things change when she meets Jaise, one of the visitors, and feels a deep attraction for him.
Hannah was outspoken, honest, and headstrong. She knew what she wanted and when she wanted it.
For a story with so little pages, you don't expect good character development or good plot building, but with this novella, you do.
I didn't think there were any plot holes, and the story was nicely developed.
The only reason why I took of a star from my review, was because of Hannah and Jaise's relationship. I find that with a story so short, the love felt more like "instalove". It felt sometimes too forced to be real.
Overall, Outsiders is a good novella. With only about 65 pages, there's no reason why you shouldn't read it.
April 14, 2013
Outsiders was a great short story.
The writing was easy to read and the way she tells is great too. She shows by the way she writs. You get a great visions from the town for instance.
The few chapters after that were a bit confusing. They kept me wondering about the foreigners, who were they, what the hell were they doing. That's actually a compliment, because that really kept me reading. The way Nikolai act is a bit strange for me, maybe a bit too much. He is just in to her from the beginning. Maybe this could have some extra attention, because it became unnatural.
The further you read the story, the weirder it gets. And personally I think it went too fast. You were kept in excitement for something to happen, but a page ahead you already got to the answer of your question.
Compliments will go to the writing, because that is what made me continue. But tips are for the keeping people wondering some more.
I really liked the end, though. When Hannah tell about her being in college, and the whole story turns out to be something from ''a dairy'' or something.
It is overal a great short story. But it kept me with some questions about the foreigners.
It isn't a story I'm going to read again.
The writing was easy to read and the way she tells is great too. She shows by the way she writs. You get a great visions from the town for instance.
The few chapters after that were a bit confusing. They kept me wondering about the foreigners, who were they, what the hell were they doing. That's actually a compliment, because that really kept me reading. The way Nikolai act is a bit strange for me, maybe a bit too much. He is just in to her from the beginning. Maybe this could have some extra attention, because it became unnatural.
The further you read the story, the weirder it gets. And personally I think it went too fast. You were kept in excitement for something to happen, but a page ahead you already got to the answer of your question.
Compliments will go to the writing, because that is what made me continue. But tips are for the keeping people wondering some more.
I really liked the end, though. When Hannah tell about her being in college, and the whole story turns out to be something from ''a dairy'' or something.
It is overal a great short story. But it kept me with some questions about the foreigners.
It isn't a story I'm going to read again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2013
I received a free copy of Outsiders from Bailey Vaughn for my honest review.
This was a quick, interesting read. The whole time I really had no idea how it was going to end or where it was going; it was a page turner. It has great potential.
The grammar wasn't the best and it was often confusing. Usually, I won’t be too harsh about it; I understand it’s difficult for an independent author to have professional proofreading done. But, this really did take away from the story and was rather distracting. Also, I feel like the author could have been more descriptive. There were a lot of times where it was hard to picture the situation.
Being from a small town in Pennsylvania myself, I understood how life was before the Outsiders overtook them. I could relate to the weather patterns and everything.
I enjoyed this book and I really liked how Hannah's situation did work out. It was depressing, but as she said, it was better the way it did end up. It's a nice refreshing change from those typical miraculous endings to so many books.
This was a quick, interesting read. The whole time I really had no idea how it was going to end or where it was going; it was a page turner. It has great potential.
The grammar wasn't the best and it was often confusing. Usually, I won’t be too harsh about it; I understand it’s difficult for an independent author to have professional proofreading done. But, this really did take away from the story and was rather distracting. Also, I feel like the author could have been more descriptive. There were a lot of times where it was hard to picture the situation.
Being from a small town in Pennsylvania myself, I understood how life was before the Outsiders overtook them. I could relate to the weather patterns and everything.
I enjoyed this book and I really liked how Hannah's situation did work out. It was depressing, but as she said, it was better the way it did end up. It's a nice refreshing change from those typical miraculous endings to so many books.
April 14, 2013
So much potential lost. I barely ever like novellas and this was no exception. Only I don't think the length was the issue.
Ever meet someone speak to them for 5 mins and a few months later confess your love for them, without having spoken to them more then the 5 mins? No? Me either. A smile, good looks and 5 mins introduce yourself love does not make. Lust folks, all be it thats a stretch too.
I don't know these characters because there was no build up. I was never given the chance to build reader devotion to them.
The story idea I was there so much potential (had a Red Dawn) type vibe going for it (A top 10 favorite movie of mine BTW)
Please try again with this book build the story and characters give them a chance don't rush through the story. if we are meant to love two characters and want them together give us more looks of them getting to know each other conversations ups downs. Before you through them into bed together.
Ever meet someone speak to them for 5 mins and a few months later confess your love for them, without having spoken to them more then the 5 mins? No? Me either. A smile, good looks and 5 mins introduce yourself love does not make. Lust folks, all be it thats a stretch too.
I don't know these characters because there was no build up. I was never given the chance to build reader devotion to them.
The story idea I was there so much potential (had a Red Dawn) type vibe going for it (A top 10 favorite movie of mine BTW)
Please try again with this book build the story and characters give them a chance don't rush through the story. if we are meant to love two characters and want them together give us more looks of them getting to know each other conversations ups downs. Before you through them into bed together.
April 5, 2013
I was so excited when the author contacted me and sent me this novella for review. The ideas in this story were extremely original, I really like the plot and the writing style was very enjoyable. It was an easy, quick read.
This novella had the potential to be a great book- it had everything necessary, except length. I would have very much liked for the book to be longer, and am sure that by slowing down the pace, the novella would have been greatly improved. The storyline was far too fast-paced for my liking. Another reason why I didn't rate it higher was because of the unbelievable love affair in this story- the main character falls in love with one of the "Outsiders" before she even had the chance to have a conversation with him. Overall, it was not a bad read, but not one I would reread anytime soon.
This novella had the potential to be a great book- it had everything necessary, except length. I would have very much liked for the book to be longer, and am sure that by slowing down the pace, the novella would have been greatly improved. The storyline was far too fast-paced for my liking. Another reason why I didn't rate it higher was because of the unbelievable love affair in this story- the main character falls in love with one of the "Outsiders" before she even had the chance to have a conversation with him. Overall, it was not a bad read, but not one I would reread anytime soon.
September 3, 2013
I received this book in exchange for an honest review
Overall i found the book to be great, with the whole idea of a town being subjected to captivity in their own town and homes by the 'outsiders' that they welcomed into their community. I really got into the first few chapters but from there it went a little too fast for me.
For instance in the last 2 chapters, Hannah's parents mention being rescued by marines, this interested me, but i felt like i needed more. It would have been great if that scene had been included in more detail and slightly further back into the story but overall a great story and quick read. Perfect for one sitting!
Overall i found the book to be great, with the whole idea of a town being subjected to captivity in their own town and homes by the 'outsiders' that they welcomed into their community. I really got into the first few chapters but from there it went a little too fast for me.
For instance in the last 2 chapters, Hannah's parents mention being rescued by marines, this interested me, but i felt like i needed more. It would have been great if that scene had been included in more detail and slightly further back into the story but overall a great story and quick read. Perfect for one sitting!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2013
This book should be getting 5 stars :(..I just wish this was about 200 pages longer.
The author had an awesome idea behind this story, it felt different to me and kept me reading more and more.
Everything was so rushed though that it was hard to catch up. We didn't get to learn many past details about the Village, its people and most of all the Outsiders.
I hope the author gains enough confidence in writing (awesome plot) and rewrites this book giving it all the details and little stories that it is missing.
This could easily be a 5 star book in the future.
The author had an awesome idea behind this story, it felt different to me and kept me reading more and more.
Everything was so rushed though that it was hard to catch up. We didn't get to learn many past details about the Village, its people and most of all the Outsiders.
I hope the author gains enough confidence in writing (awesome plot) and rewrites this book giving it all the details and little stories that it is missing.
This could easily be a 5 star book in the future.
April 29, 2013
I liked this book quite a bit. The only downside was that the beginning of the book seemed rushed, and it took me a few page to understand what was happening. I have never read a book like this one before, once I got past the beginning I really didn't want the book to end.
April 3, 2013
the novella was very good. I did enjoy the plot. it was something different than What I'm used to. with that being said the character were developed well but there were some parts where I was confused about the plot and What had taken place. the novella was a fast read but an enjoyable one.
July 25, 2013
I was asked to review this book a while back & have just now gotten to it.
While I liked the idea of the story, it moved way too fast for me. I mean, it was only 65 pages for s story that should have been around 300.
While I liked the idea of the story, it moved way too fast for me. I mean, it was only 65 pages for s story that should have been around 300.
March 28, 2013
I liked the story! Kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for what would happen next. It was well written thought it wasn't long. Can't wait to see if something more will come :)
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