Sleepy Hollow

Dax took this story and made it even better. Brought so much more life to this. I loved how the story flows perfectly. You would think that this was the orginal. The characters are well loved and the plot is also set within the correct era. Dax made.the characters more reach able and more desirable..I was able to relate better to the charcaters #sleepyhollow

4.5 out of 5.0. This is a super creepy, super sexy take on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, with Katrina Van Tassel as narrator. Really quick and fun (but CREEPY. Did I mention that?) read!

As opposed to the original story, this Katrina has strong, modern ideas and asserts herself, much to the consternation of her father and the villagers. Often, she acknowledges that she gets away with her actions because of her father's money and position, and you can't blame her. At eighteen, Katrina is expected to follow the restrictive social norms, but she has ideas of her own. (GASP! A female has ideas of her own!)

Ichabod, despite the name, is swoon-worthy, and sparks fly fast as he and Katrina meet. I think Katrina being eighteen and Ichabod a young twenty something gave the attraction and passion of the romance more credibility. There are plenty of obstacles (not the least of which is a headless horseman!)keeping these two apart and some interesting and unexpected twists. Varley does a nice job of casting doubt on the relationship, and readers will certainly question whether or not they have this story figured out.

As a fan of Sleepy Hollow tales, I enjoyed the familiarity of the setting and many character names. All characters, new and old, were authentic and well-written. From the sleazy, lecherous Peter Bottoms to the brutish but mysterious Brom, each unique personality is clearly defined, which makes scenes memorable and eliminates having to turn back pages to figure out who is who.

But what measures the greatness of any Sleepy Hollow tale is the Headless Horseman – and Varley’s version is to die for! (pun intended). The kills are not sugar-coated, and so readers be warned that there is plenty of description and bloody horror in this book – and not only in the Horseman’s kills. Katrina is no shrinking Victorian flower, and she is not afraid to get her hands dirty and play dirty to get what she wants and/or to do what she thinks is right. There were several scenes when I cringed and squirmed with discomfort, which is a real kudo to Varley’s writing skills. My audible “EWWWWWW” while reading was enough to get raised eyebrows and questions from people nearby.

The book concluded a bit rapidly for my liking, and I felt there was one major gap left to fill regarding Brom -- plus the very last sentence leaves a wide-open, unanswered question. Given some of Katrina’s actions, I don’t think a sequel would be possible to get that question answered, so it just hangs there. Arrgh!

I recommend this to young adult and adult readers alike, as long as you understand that heads ARE gonna roll.

Thank you to Dax Varley for giving me an autographed copy of the first version, titled Severed, when I met her at the 2014 Texas Library Association Conference. There were no strings attached, though I am happy to post this honest review in appreciation of her generosity.

Like this review? Read this and more on my blog kristinehallways.blogspot.com

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The author takes the classic tale Sleepy Hollow and reworks it into a newer version, which is from Katrina's point of view. Katrina is a spirited young lady, who doesn't adhere to traditional values. Brom, her father's overseer to the farm, expects Katrina to be his wife despite her objections. The arrival of Ichabod Crane as the school's new teacher, captures everyone's attention, including Katrina's. Ichabod's unique teaching methods and new age philosophy intrigues Katrina and as she and Ichabod spend time together, romantic feelings develop. Yet, their romance is cut short by the arrival of The Headless Horseman, who sets his sights on Ichabod as his next victim.

This version of Sleepy Hollow was easy to read, I loved how Katrina was an independent woman, who wanted to live life her own way. While Brom was pressuring her into marriage, she rejected him and dreamed of the day she could escape Sleepy Hollow. I also liked how she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, a couple of my favorite scenes is where she shut up the town gossips, and how she agreed with Ichabod's teachings despite the objection of her father and his friends.

As for her relationship with Ichabod, I liked them as a couple because of their similar beliefs. I also loved how protective she was of Ichabod when he became the Horseman's next target, however I felt like their relationship moved a bit to fast. After a few days, they were already kissing and declaring their love for each other. I felt like it would've been better to have them struggle with their feelings for each other for a while before cementing them as a couple.

I loved how eerie and gloomy the writer was with her description of the town and The Headless Horseman. Her descriptions made me think I was right there in those scenes, experiencing what was happening.

I enjoyed the story and I thought it was a great modern spin on a literary classic.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters in the book are based on the characters from the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The story is told by Katrina. She is an intelligent young woman in the post revolutionary era. But like many young women during that time period Katrina doesn't have many choices in life. She is due to inherit her father's farm, and she is expected to marry. Someone will need to help her manage the farm, even though Katrina really doesn't need the assistance. She is capable of doing it on her own.

And there are other things going on in Sleepy Hollow. The headless horsemen has returned. And nobody can figure out why. And nobody feels safe. There is no pattern to his killing. Or at least there isn't one that anyone can find. And the villagers superstitions are running wild. Katrina may be the only one thinking clearly. But her ability to solve the problem of the headless horseman could bring about some dangerous events in her life.

Like I said at the beginning of this review, I did enjoy reading this book. I like that the book is told from Katrina's point of view. I like how the author shows just how difficult life could be for an intelligent young woman during that era. And I like that there was a romance between Katrina and the school teacher. But that the romance was only part of the story. I like the murder mystery supernatural feel of the book.

The one thing that I didn't like about this book is that it has a sequel. Will there ever be an end to books that require you to go on to the next book to find out what happens next instead of closure at the end of the book? But the story and the characters are good enough that I would read the second book in the series.

So if you are looking for a book geared toward young adults with a strong female character in it this book will be of interest to you.