I have always loved the story of the Headless Horseman, and I simply devoured this novel, not just because of what it was rooted in, but also because it was incredibly well done. The story follows the latest Katrina Van Tassle, in the town of Sleepy Hollow. She feels confined by her gaslighting boyfriend, and family who desire her to get married and ultimately take over the family legacy. Her mother warns her to be wary with all of these large notions in her head, as there is a real Headless Horseman spirit in town, and guides her to the original Katrina’s diary. As she embarks on this journey between past and present she notices their lives resemble one another. She breaks it off with her boyfriend and begins to find interest in Isadora Crow (who not so shockingly is the descendent of Icabod). However, their is evil among them, but who is the real culprit, and was Ichabod truly ran out of town by the Headless Horseman. Lesbian/Bisexual representation.

This was a fun, modern take on the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I actually hated the original version and found it dark, heavy, and bleak, but found this retake delightful.

Do you love a good Sleepy Hollow retelling? If so, you should add this one to your list. Katrina or Kat Van Tassel is one of a long line of Katrinas in the small town of Sleepy Hollow. All she wants is to leave and go to college but tradition stands in the way. This go a little crazy when the old legend is woken up and Kat soon finds out that there is more to the legend than she was told.

I loved the plot to this story and how the journal comes into play. I’m hoping there will be some kind of sequel where you find out the rest of the story.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC of this title. I enjoyed reading this title. Would recommend for my library.

A fabulous twist on the Headless Horseman/Sleepy Hollow tale. Highly recommended to fans of retellings and stories that put a twist on a well-known (or not so well-known story).
Kat Van Tassel is a descendant of Katrina Van Tassel and is expected to live out her life in Sleepy Hollow, carrying on centuries-old traditions. But she dreams of a life outside of Sleepy Hollow (as did her ancestor, Katrina). I wasn't very familiar with the Sleepy Hollow legend, but you don't need to be to enjoy this book. The story alternates between the original Katrina's story and Kat's life today. Kat and her friend, Isadora read the original Katrina's diary and they find many parallels to Kat's life.
I love Valentino's writing and am a big fan of her Villians stories. If you like those books, you will enjoy this one too!

This Sleepy Hollow retelling or sequel or something features two girls solving the mystery within the fog. Set in the modern era, I found the modern times excellent but the “past” sections difficult to get through and eventually just skipped them. If you have a middle-grader very into the Sleepy Hollow television series, or the legend of Sleepy Hollow, I might recommend it; otherwise, I’d give it a pass. (Also there’s a cute f/f pairing which is cute to see in a middle-grade novel!)

I'm admittedly not super familiar with the Sleepy Hollow story except for some character names and the Headless Horseman aspect, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. It helps you to dive in without needing to be well versed in the lore.

The book jumps back and forth between the modern day and the time when the Ichabod Crane story takes place from the point of view from Katrina that lived then and the Katrina that lives now. I loved the parallels between their stories and even though I was able to figure some things out before the main character did, there were still some fun surprises throughout.

I wanted to love this one as the Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of my favorite stories. But it fell flat for me. The historical aspect wasn't research enough. The original story takes place in 1790 and it's suppose to be 200 years between Katrina and Kat but if that's the case either the historical time periods off or Kat's story takes place in the 1990s. But it doesn't seem like it does because her and Isadora text a lot. I don't think that was a thing in the early 90s. Not to mention Kat's and Isadora's relationship felt rushed. I anted more from it.

I didn't really like this. The dialogue was stilted, and the ending was unsatisfactory. It felt like a retelling that all of a sudden tried to be horror? It was weird.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

2 stars.

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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A modern retelling of Irving's Sleepy Hollow? Count me in! Or not. I wasn't a huge fan of how this was told. The writing was a bit too simplistic for my tastes - okay, the writing was simply...not good at times. I didn't enjoy the "ancestor hates their legacy" trope either, and didn't feel like it was effectively used here. Kat's parts of the book were meandering and maddeningly missing personality. I liked Katrina's parts okay, but not enough to make up for the modern-day parts. There is so much potential with the myth of the headless horseman, and I feel like it was totally wasted in favor of teen angst and talking about the town. This was almost a DNF for me.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I have been locked out of my netgalley account for a few months and was not able to see which books I had on my list or even know to check if they downloaded properly, in order to properly read and review. I do apologize and am doing a 3 for neutral. Will update once I’m able to obtain a copy and read!

<i>Disclaimer: I received an ARC from Netgalley & Disney Publishing in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Second Disclaimer: I *just* watched Disney's <i>The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad</i> before reading this, since we're heading to Disneyland in a few days and I wanted my kids to have the context of The Headless Horseman before we went.

If you are considering reading this book, do yourself a favor and just watch <i>The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad</i> on Disney+. The 30 minute short from 1949 has a better story, and it has Bing Crosby.

I love you, Disney. You know I do.

And I am always willing to give authors I'm not a fan of a second chance because you never know.

But I gave Serena Valentino like, eight, chances with those Villains books. And I *still* gave her another chance with this one.

The thing is? In the right hands, this could have been an *amazing* story. Give it to Maggie Stiefvater! She could have told an amazing, truly spooky, unsettling story that got at power dynamics and female aspirations and the pull between staying in a small town and seeing the world. (And she would have researched it and ensured historical accuracy...)

This book had all the hallmarks of Valentino's writing that I've come to know and bitch about from the Villains series including, but not limited to:

--An outsider female protagonist
<i>"Kat slammed her bedroom door behind her. She instantly felt silly for making such a fuss. It was typical teenage behavior, and Kat hated to be typical." </i>
I lost count of how many times Valentino established Kat as DiFfErEnT -- because she liked to read and lost track of time reading and because she's different than all the other Katrina Van Tassels.

--Whiplash from the 180 degree turns characters do.
EG: Kat's mom and...maid? servant? IDK... HATE Isadora -- then 2 seconds later, they love her and are hugging her and are inviting her in for hot cocoa and cookies. Same with Katrina's parents. First they hate Ichabod, then they love him, then they hate him.

--Insta-Love. LITERAL INSTA LOVE.
As in, Isadora walks onto the page and despite going to school with her for months and never talking, Kat spends 5 seconds with her and knows she loves her. (This happens a lot in the Villains series. Characters meet and they're INSTA-BFFs.) I'm not saying you can't have a gut feeling about a person, but this isn't a crush or friendship -- Kat goes from Zero to Love in the span of seconds.

--Repetitive and cringey dialogue.
There's no nuance to the dialogue, and it doesn't read like natural speech patterns. All the characters -- including 1800 Katrina and modern-day Kat -- sound the same.

--SO MUCH Telling, not showing.
<i> "What happened to your face?"
He just shrugged. "Like I'm going to tell you in front of Crow. What are you two doing anyway looking so cozy?"
She realized he wasn't going to tell her what happened while Isadora was there, and there was no sense in asking again.</i>
Like, WUT. He *literally* just said he wasn't going to answer the question; why is there a need for Kat to "realize" that, as if she was inferring something that was somehow unclear or vague about his statement?!

--Historical Inaccuries are RIFE here.
I'm not 100% sure on these, because I'm not a history major, but there were some elements that just seemed wrong. The historical Van Tassels throw a Halloween party every year, where kids are dressing up as witches and devils and ghosts and I'm pretty sure that wasn't a thing in the years following the American Revolution...and marshmallows? The desserts Mrs. Van Tassel makes just seem anachronistic -- relevant for modern readers, but surely not in 1800s America.
I don't expect 100% historical accuracy from Disney, but it feels like Valentino did the bare minimum here.

--PLOT HOLES and random characters that don't come back.
Like Raven, the barista? No purpose. Could have removed her from the story with no change.
Same with the headmaster. And again, I JUST watched the Disney "movie" this is based off of, and there was absolutely NO NEED to reference Toad and Badger. It was awkward and forced, and didn't even matter -- the purpose was apparently that "finals are right before Halloween" because Sleepy Hollow is DiFfErEnT, but it DIDN'T MATTER because Kat just skipped her final to go hang with Isadora and then school was never mentioned again.
Why does everyone love Katrina van Tassel in the town?
IDK. It's never explained.
Why is Katrina van Tassel cursed and trapped with the Horseman in a tree?
IDK. It's never explained.
What happens to Blake -- and do his parents not care that he's missing?
IDK. It's never explained.

The American Girl books I'm currently re-reading with my daughter feel more historically accurate than this. (Certainly no one there is running around complaining that "UGH, my dad would murder you if he saw us!" in the 1800s.)

The potential was THERE. Like, in the right hands, this could have been a sinister, spooky retelling about the hold of the past. Like a Tom-Riddle's-diary moment where the act of reading the first Katrina van Tassel's diary slowly possesses the reader and wipes out the dreams and desires and individuality of the reader, warping her into a Stepford-type china doll. A sort of Dorian Gray story, but with a diary that sucks out individuality and difference and replaces it with a buxom blonde with a peaches-and-cream complexion.

Nope. Just go read Washington Irving, or listen to Bing Crosby tell you the story.

I listened to this one with Zach on our way to and from school and we finished it up on the drive back from Reno. We both really enjoyed it for different reasons: I loved it for the modern twist on the Headless Horseman story and Zach loved it for its spooky vibes, mysterious plot and dynamic characters. I think this will be a new thing we do on the way to school and home from school from now on.

Every descendant of the original Katrina Van Tassle is named after her. They are fated to inherit the family business, land and wealth so long as they share a name. They have been blonde and beautiful for generations and marry burly men who take their last name and work the fields. Kat is different. She thought she loved Blake... but she loves to read and wants to go to college out of town. Will fate have her follow in her legacy's footsteps, or will she be free to make her own way? Read on to find out!

What I love:
I love the play on names.
There are so many literary allusions and homages to the original text that it makes my English teacher soul happy.
I love the modern romance aspect.
I love the twist on the legend. None of the characters are whom you thought you knew... all of them are different in a delightful way!
The Headless Horseman - oh man. Even though he's a ghost, he may be my favorite character in this story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC and audiobook.


Description from NetGalley:
The two-hundredth anniversary of the Headless Horseman's legendary haunting of Sleepy Hollow is approaching, but Kat van Tassel wants nothing to do with the town's superstitious celebrations. As a descendant of the original Katrina van Tassel, Kat knows she’s expected to fulfill her ancestor’s legacy by someday marrying her longtime boyfriend and running the prestigious family estate. But Kat dreams of a life outside Sleepy Hollow.

Then Kat meets Isadora, a new girl in town who challenges Kat to reexamine those expectations, opens her eyes to the possibility that ghosts are real, and makes her question who she truly wants to be . . . and be with.

When Kat is given the original Katrina’s diary, a new legend begins to take shape, one that weaves together the past and the present in eerie ways. Can Kat uncover a two-hundred-year-old secret, and trace its shocking reverberations in her own life, in time to protect what she truly loves?

I really enjoyed this. The narrator did a great job, and the book is well written. I’m pretty sure this is the first of Kat and Isadora’s adventures in Sleepy Hollow as well. It is a mirror/retelling of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, which did leave me wanting some more. The diary pages did not read like diary pages, more like a second timeline, but I understand the set up.

Overall: 4/5

I am such a sucker for any and all retellings of The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow. Raising The Horseman by Serena Valentino caught my eye because it seemed like such a unique take on the Halloween classic. And so, I gladly picked this book up in time for spooky season — ready to be transported into the familiar tale. As it turns out, this story was not quite what I hoped it would be. However, I am sure there is an audience for it — just not me. Raising The Horseman by Serena Valentino caught my eye because it seemed like such a unique take on the Halloween classic.

Kat Van Tassel is one young woman in a line of women sharing the same name. The name is passed down from generation to generation through the Van Tassell family women, living in Sleepy Hollow, NY. Set in modern times, this is the story of a young lady who chafes against her destiny to settle down, marry and remain in Sleepy Hollow. Kat wants to go to college far away. She wants to write. Her dreams are big. There is a new girl in town, Issa Crow, who catches Kat’s eye. The two turn out to be friends but maybe something more. However, trouble looms in the form of Kat’s ex who is trying to raise the spirit of her great many times over grandmother, the original Katrina Van Tassel and the Headless Horseman.

I really wanted to like Raising The Horseman much more than I actually did. Afterall, this book is a sapphic retelling of The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow. That is so awesome. Unfortunately, it just felt so disjointed. The pacing was a little off. I didn’t ever feel like I got to know any of the characters super well. Kat also seems very immature for someone about to be headed to college — she reads more like a middle schooler. Still, this book did inspire me to google Sleepy Hollow real estate — so that is a bit cool. Also, it didn’t take me forever to read and did have some fall vibes.

Scheduled to post 10/1/22.

Where did I stop? 24% in

Why? I was so incredibly excited for this book and so incredibly let down by it. The prologue is just a tl;dr of the headless horseman story. It adds nothing to the story I'm supposed to be reading. The third omniscient voice is just not a fit for me. I don't know if I've ever seen it in YA, but it created such a huge narrative distance between me and Kat that I just couldn't care about her. I appreciate what the voice was trying to do, but I just don't think it fits for YA. Then Sleepy Hollow is made to be this incredibly isolated (vaguely inbred? there was some real insistence how few people leave and move there, so I'm not sure what else to think about that) town and it's not. It's just a suburb that happens to have this story tied to it. So I had a lot of trouble suspending my disbelief for that. On top of that, there's SO MUCH repetition in the storytelling. You are reminded that Kat is a Katrina constantly (seriously, it's like multiple times per page). You're told Kat missed the Longest Twilight celebration constantly. You are told where that celebration was supposed to have taken place (in the cemetery) constantly. It got old quick. I was struggling by the time I stopped reading. I'll just read the original story, if it's all the same.

A few days late but, A big thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for approving me of a copy of an e-arc of this book!
I absolutely loved it. No words.

Kat Von Tassel is having a hard time living up to her ancestors' standards. As the decendant of the beloved Katrina Von Tassel, Kat's life in Sleepy Hollow is predetermined with very little room for her own hopes and dreams, including who she marries and where she lives. When Kat's mom, "Trina" Von Tassel, gives her the original Katrina's diary, Kat finds she has more in common with her namesake than she ever realized. And maybe there's a chance for her to follow her heart where it truly wants to go...

Thoughts: There's no other way to say this, but... I love the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and was looking forward to reading this story, but sadly was really disappointed. The plot idea wasn't awful -- a contemporary decendant of the original Katrina Von Tassel struggling to live up to expectations while also putting a twist on the Sleepy Hollow origin story -- and kudos to the inclusion of LGTBQ characters, but the writing really ruined all of it. Blake's character is a laughable trope of the bad gaslighting boyfriend, Isadora's "secret" is incredibly easy to guess and it's awkward that it has to be spelled out for Kat (especially considering she's supposed to be smart), the dialogue is cringe-worthy, the ending is rushed, and the characterization just doesn't make sense. In one line, Isadora is nervous, then two sentences later both she and Kat are laughing (for no apparent reason), and then Isadora is nervous again in the next paragraph. What??? Honestly, it read like bad fan fiction in my opinion. There's an interesting twist with the original Katrina VT and the Sleepy Hollow legend, but beyond that this book was really not good. The first two chapters intrigued me and the writing was actually relatively okay at that point, but it went downhill fast. If this was written better, it would have some serious potential, but it fails to meet even mediocre expectations.

**Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for a free DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

I really enjoy Serena Valentino's Disney Villains series so when I saw Raising the Horseman I knew I would enjoy it also. This is such a cute YA adaptation of the legendary Headless Horseman tale. Set in modern day Sleepy Hollow, teenager Kat Van Tassel is a direct descendant of Katrina Van Tassel and as such has certain responsibilities she's expected to take on. But she's conflicted with doing what's expected of her and doing what she wants for herself. She's given Katrina's original dairy where she learns the real mystery of the Headless Horseman and is able to better see a future for herself.

I have been a huge fan of Serena Valentino for a few years and I was so excited to read this story.
In this story, the current Katrina Van Tassel is dealing with a weird life that she feels is mimicking the original Katrina Van Tassel in the spooky town of Sleepy Hollow. Kat is given Katrina's diary by her mother in hope for Kat to learn the truth about the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane.
I love stories with diaries but I was disappointed that the diary parts did not read as a diary.
I was also disappointed in Kat's need to find herself but still fell into a new relationship despite saying she didn't need too.
The plug for political views leaves a lot to be desired as well. Because of this I didnt feel the strong connection between the old Katrina and the new Kat that she was trying to force.
The story had a great basis but I feel it was poorly executed and could have been much better.