LOVED THIS! Back in May I went to my local Free Comic Book Day and I was thrilled to find a sneak preview comic of HOLLOW, the graphic novel by Shannon Watters (co-creator and co-writer of the incredible series LUMBERJANES and former Sr Editor and Founder of BOOM! Studios) and Branden Boyer-White (award-winning writer of short fiction and debut graphic novelist), illustrated by the incredibly-talented Berenice Nelle.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on the full read of the full graphic novel and it is amazing! It’s set in a moody, October-y small town and high school, with incredible queer rep, and a smart re-telling of everyone’s favorite legend on horseback. I loved the character development (including the parents and families of the main characters) and enjoyed being caught off guard by the plot. The art is just gorgeous, WOW. I loved it and hope to see more retellings from this author duo, and more art from this illustrator.

When I saw that the author of the Lumberjanes was coming out with this new graphic novel, I had to check it out. Hollow is a fantastic queer graphic novel! I will absolutely be adding it to my spooky season line up and recommending it widely. I loved the art style and stylistic choices that were made. Hollow is a must-read for the fall spooky season and I would recommend it to anyone! Thank you to Shannon Waters, Brandon Boyer-White, Boom! Studios, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cute twist. Lovely LGBTQ+ rep without making it the main focus of the plot, but just common place (because that's how it should be!) Little slow and dappy for my liking

This was a fun little queer loose retelling of Sleepy Hollow and have to say I genuinely enjoyed it! It was quick, and as I mentioned before fun read. My favorite part though, was the art. I just loved it; and the whole vibe of it all, that was just so ideal for this time of year.

I recommend you pick up a copy if you’re a fan of graphic novels and retellings.

The vibes are immaculate with this graphic novel! Hollow is a perfect October read. It is a whimsical, spooky, adventure filled joy to read! The characters were all so lovely and the setting of Sleepy Hollow itself and the ties to the story were such magic! The art is also really cute and the scenes are all artistically magnificent! I loved the color schemes of many of the scenes. I really am looking forward to seeing more in this universe! This is a fantastic young adult, little bit spooky and sapphic sweet Halloween read! 5 stars without hesitation!

A great (kind of) reimaging of the Sleepy Hollow Legend in modern day with a queer romance, strong female characters, diversity and just the right amount of scare for this targeted audience (or anyone really) to keep things interesting and perfect for the season. The illustrations are great too.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

This was a cute little queer Sleepy Hollow retelling and I think it did a good and realistic continuation of the story. I love what they did with the horseman and the rest of the characters. I don’t think it necessarily needs a sequel, but it could be fun if it had one and I would read it.

When Izzy Crave move to a town where everyone is obsessed by the legende of the HEADLESS HORSEMAN, they don't believe in such a thing, and begins to study the town history. Izzy is pulled into the orbit of the town's teen royalt Vicky Van Tassel. Izzy, Vicky and Croc discover that Vicky's family has connection with the legend. Now they're been haunted by it. and so they end up discovering a curse on Vick's family generation. now Vicky, Crane and Croc find themselves trying to break the curse and in the midst of it all crane finds themself totally in love with Vicky.

really like this graphic novel, the colors, the drawings... The history itself is too. It's a perfect reading for this month, Halloween coming... Here's a tip for everyone.

*Thanks again NetGalley for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Love love loved this! What could make sleepy hollow better? QUEERNESS! I will be purchasing myself a copy. Loved the story and the art style.

I really enjoyed this. Who doesn't love the Legend of Sleep Hollow? I read this really quickly. It's the first book that I've read written by these authors, but it won't be the last!

Hello Again!

October is basically here (and that is so exciting)! Fall and winter are my two favorite seasons and even if I do not get the magical snowy wonderland I really want, I am still so excited that those seasons are upon us. Since my calendar was officially turning over to October I decided it was a great reason to pick up yet another spooky book! This time a spooky graphic novel! I really wanted to pick up Pumpkin Heads again (this is literally a seasonally favorite of mine and I would love to see a winter version of this book), but I was super fortunate to receive an E-ARC of a new spooky graphic novel. So I decided to pick up Hollow, an upcoming spooky graphic novel! (Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions).

SPOILERS AHEAD

Izzy Crane just moved to Sleepy Hollow, she is super skeptical about the town at first, but her parents got great jobs and are happy to be here, so Izzy is going to try it out. After a few days, Izzy learns that people are convinced that weird things happen in this town based on the legends. Izzy is not quite sure she believes. But for now, Izzy is going to focus on school and friends. Izzy soon forms a weird sort of friendship with Vicky, a famous local teen. Her family makes her participate in all of the Sleep Hollow things every year due to being related but Vicky is not as big a fan as her family is. One night on the way home, Izzy and friends come face to face with the legend of Sleepy Hollow and learn some truths about the legend and the things that even some of the locals are afraid of. But can Izzy and her friends stop the evil that is going on in the town?

I was looking for something spooky and fun and this graphic novel was perfect for that. The story was great (I have always had an interest in Sleepy Hollow and the legend surrounding it) so this graphic novel just indulged that interest even more. The art style in this graphic novel was also super rich and inviting and I found myself enticed by each and every panel I was looking at. This graphic novel comes out on October 4th (just in time for spooky season), definitely give it a try if you are looking for something new and spooky!

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

**Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This is the Halloweeny goodness I have been looking for all my life. A queer Sleepy Hollow-based story in which the Headless Horseman is an actual character who’s, like, *doing stuff??* Gods I loved this.

I absolutely adored the main trios dynamic with Izzy having just arrived in town and trying to fit in, Vicky being the more serious one who what felt like the entire city council counts on to do all the work promoting the town and Croc being the most *delightful* goofball prankster.

Did I mention the Headless Horseman? Yeah. The gourd talks, y’all. And he was great.

If you’re into queer Halloweeny goodness with a really good story, A+ art, great characters and the Headless Horseman, this is your jam. And if you’re not it might be your jam, anyway. This is going to be my comfort Halloween-read from now on.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.*

This is a modern graphic retelling of Sleepy Hollow. Our characters are Vicky Van Tassel, and Isabella Crane, and Bryn. Isabella is new to town and her parents want her to make friends, but she doesn’t get the whole hype around Sleepy Hollow and its history. Vicky, being a real Van Tassel knows more about the history than she ever wanted to. She must live it day-to-day year-to-year, even though she just wants to be a normal girl. Bryn is a prankster, head of the water polo team, and a big sports jock. Isabella gets the shock of her life when she finds out that the headless horseman is real and he’s actually been trying to flag somebody down for 200 years. He needs to tell the Van Tassels he is there to keep them safe both now and in the future. This was a whimsical fun look at Sleepy Hollow. It’s geared towards YA but I think it would be okay for middle grade and younger. There is a page where Isabella and Vicky R fell asleep in the same bed but they’re in their pajamas. Overall, this was a fun atmospheric read and it could possibly have a sequel after all it says “the end for now”.

This cute graphic novel was the perfect October read. Absolutely loved the trio of likable characters, their dynamic with one another and how they came to work together to defeat the villain. The art was also stunning! Definitely would recommend this heart-warming diverse retelling of Sleepy Hollow.

We follow Izzy Crane right after she moves to the small town of Sleepy Hollow. The town is obsessed with Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The longer Izzy stays in town she recognizes the strangeness, and she teams up with Vicky Van Tassel, a descendant of Katrina Van Tassel, and a loveable jock named Croc to help save the town.

I devoured this story! It is no surprise since I love both Shannon and all things Headless Horseman, but honestly, I could read it again right now. The characters were all loveable and charming. I loved watching Vicky and Izzy navigate this mystery and Croc made a wonderful side character. There was so much representation in this book from the main character to the side characters!

The art was beautiful, and it truly captured the spirit of Halloween. I will be picking up this one year after year. It just felt like the embodiment of spooky and friendship. I was looking for a cozy morning with my cup of tea and a quick spooky read and I got exactly that.

Could not have enjoyed myself more! Please if you love spooky graphic novels or the Headless Horseman then please pick this up!

pretty solid read. The conflict between the two love interests wasn't necessary. It seemed like it was just put there to cause tension but it was just annoying. But other than that this was pretty good. I love the 3 main characters, they're all so lovable and the art style is so beautiful.

Starting off Spooktober right

This story was SO FUN. I love those books that capture a perfect blend of comedy, action and subtle romance and representation too.

This is a wonderful queer YA graphic novel based on (but not a retelling of) The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It stars Izzy Crane who's family has just moved to Sleepy Hollow. Izzy can't believe how seriously everyone in town takes the legend of the headless horsemen, but then she gets pulled into a mystery surrounding it and finds that's way more real than she bargained for.

I liked that the cast of characters closely resembled that of the original short story ex. Isabel "Izzy" Crane and Vicky Van Tassel. I also appreciated that this was an entirely unique story with great lessons on being who you are despite outside pressure and friendship. The mystery of the headless horsemen was engaging and will keep readers turning the pages.

This book will be right up there with Pumpkinheads for my annual October (re)reads!

Hollow by Sweeney Boo. HarperCollins, 2022.
Thank you HarperCollins for providing an e-book copy through NetGalley.

Rating: 1-5 (5 being a starred review) 4.5
Format: E-Book Graphic Novel
Genre: Fantasy/Horror

Synopsis
Isabel “Izzy” Crane is the new kid in the town of Sleepy Hollow. Yes, that Sleepy Hollow. And the residents couldn’t be more proud of it. They are constantly putting on spooky shows, tours, and events and boasting about their town’s legend, all of which makes Izzy dubious. Ghosts aren’t real, and the tall tales are just superstition to her. And yet, she gets sucked into the production of it all when she meets Vicky Van Tassel, the descendant of a key figure in the Sleepy Hollow legend who is tired of all the fame, and the ghost of the headless horseman himself. Turns out the legend is very real and still alive, and Izzy discovers an old curse hell-bent on destroying the Van Tassel bloodline. Enlisting the help of the charismatic prankster Croc, Izzy and Vicky must race against the clock to break this curse before Halloween, or else Vicky’s life is forfeit. Can the trio reveal the truth about the legend of Sleepy Hollow without their complicated feelings and conflicting personalities getting in the way?

What I Liked:
Hollow is a fun, spooky mystery story featuring the Legend of Sleepy Hollow lore. Meant for teenagers, the story is not scary, but more a race-against-the-clock type of narrative that will entice readers to keep going. The art is simple and cozy, with stylized expressions, character design, and action that are easy to follow. Izzy and Croc are people of color and Vicky is white. Izzy and Vicky are queer. Overall, this graphic novel is a good treat to get into the Halloween spirit.

What I Didn’t Like:
One of the arguments between Izzy and Vicky was kind of odd. I didn’t agree with either side - Izzy being practical and denying that the legend is serious, and Vicky wanting to act immediately and rush out to immediate danger. As a reader, it’s weird when both sides are “wrong” in a sense because you don’t know who to root for, and therefore emotionally connect with.

Personal bias. I love spooky stories/stories based on folk horror.

Who Would I Recommend This To: Teens who like graphic novels and want to get into the Halloween mood. Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu, Sabrina the Teenage Witch series, and Specter Inspectors by Bowen McCurdy and Kaitlyn Musto are good read-a-likes.

Review Date: October 3rd, 2022

*4.5 Stars*

Izzy Crane has just moved to Sleepy Hollow and cannot believe how seriously they all take "The Legend." Needless to say, she is not a believer but she becomes meddled in weird things after she meets and eventually befriends the gorgeous Vicky Van Tassel.

This was absolutely great. I had a lot of fun reading it, and just thinking "Gay" every other page. The pacing felt a little bit off for me but that happens a lot with graphic novels. It was still amazing, I loved the characters, the budding relationships and friendships, the plot. It was just good fun and still so enthralling.
I loved the artstyle too.
I'm also very excited because of the very last words.
So basically, a great graphic novel, I will keep an eye out for more by these writers and illustrators.