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.

La historia me gusto, no me encanto pero dio lo suficiente. El romance lo más destacable, no se si el romance en si, la representación, me gusta leer contenido lgbt+. El arte grafico la verdad no me gusto tanto, siento que le falto calidad.

Hollow is officially my new favorite graphic novel.

A playful take on the story of Sleepy Hollow with queer representation. Gorgeous story art and a fantastic sense of humor, this graphic novel tackles the van tassel family line and a curse that follows.

You will fall in love with the headless horseman in this story and the teen cast of characters that are flawed and charming in equal measure.

Highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys Sleepy Hollow atmosphere and lore. It’s inclusive and wholesome… 5 stars.

This is an incredibly sweet, 'high'-but-really-low-stakes YA/middle grade graphic novel about the legacy of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," with a sapphic twist and some great POC characters to break the traditional/puritan heteronormative/white-centered story's mold. It's very fun, though the danger is somewhat minimal (for being allegedly life-or-death) and the resolution is quick. Much of it reads more like middle grade than YA, even though the characters are high school juniors, though the romance is more YA. Very sweet and perfect for a chill spooky-season read.

Hollow is a fun, spooky, queer-inclusive adaptation of the story of Sleepy Hollow. A perfect read for a rainy October evening. I loved the illustration style and the relationships between Croc, Izzy, and Vicky. I think 6th-12th grade students will connect to the characters and enjoy the adventure.

The convergence of one of my favorite comic creators and one of my favorite spooky subjects was just as perfect as I expected it to be!

Hollow was fun, spooky, gay and adorable. I loved the premise, the twists, and the campy Halloween vibes. The magic systems got a little mucked up in the process but I was having so much fun with the characters and the story it didn’t really matter.

I loved this graphic novel and I hope we get more like it soon! This is the perfect sweet & spooky mystery to enter Halloween season with.

I'm a huge fan of Sleepy Hallow and never pass up a chance to check out a retelling. This one was super cute and I really liked the art style.

What an absolutely perfect spooky season read! The art is gorgeous, the plot is exciting and heartwarming, and the characters are easy to love. Hollow is a beautiful coming-of-age story, with some magic, mystery, and Halloween mixed in. Don't miss out on this one!

Hollow OGN was just delightful - I really have nothing bad to say about it at all. It’s a short, sweet, sapphic Sleepy Hollow re-telling with some great action sequences and gorgeous artwork.

I’ve always been a huge fan of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow (dating back to when I saw the Tim Burton movie WAY too young) and have a love for the town itself, so I’m a sucker for reimaginings. And Hollow OGN is a creative and fresh take on the classic tale! The plot is a lot of fun - you have MC Izzy Crane who just moved to Sleepy Hollow, NY and immediately falls in with town heiress Vicky Van Tassel and prankster Croc Byun to uncover this mystery that only they can solve. The main characters are dynamic and easily lovable - I really loved them all. I especially loved Croc’s overdramatic attitude - he was just delightful. I also loved how this story inverted expectations with certain plot elements and character development. Having the Horseman become a central character was unexpected and a really fun touch!

This is very minor, but I also appreciated how true-to-life the town seemed. As someone who’s travelled to Sleepy Hollow many times, the exterior drawing of the high school is uncannily accurate.

This is the perfect queer read for spooky season. I adored this - I wish it were a little longer just to enjoy it further. I. ended up reading it in one day - and could have read it in a single sitting. I can easily see myself picking up a physical copy and going back to this story each spooky season! Just so much fun!

My only complaint about the entire thing (and does not reflect upon my rating of the book, but just as some feedback) was the arc’s formatting and quality. The Netgalley app was extremely buggy and made it very difficult to enjoy the story - every time you touched the page, it would jump forward and you were constantly having to backtrack. The art quality was also extremely poor. I’d love to see this in a physical format to actually enjoy the gorgeous art style, but the images were so blurry at times that you couldn’t’ really make out what was going on. If you’re going to offer electronic review copies of graphic novels, they need to be accessible to the readers to get the full experience.

This was an enjoyable graphic novel based on the legend of Sleepy Hollow. It features a gang of teens trying to get to the bottom of a series of sightings of the Headless Horseman and uncovering sinister forces.

The characters Izzy, Vicki, and Croc were fun and Croc was a great source of comic relief. This book has great diverse rep with a range of ethnicities, differently abled characters, and of course our sapphic main characters.

The art style in this book had a few faults but was cute overall. The story was fun but ultimately forgettable. I’d recommend this as a short, sweet YA graphic novel perfect for the spooky season.

A queer, adventurous, Halloween graphic novel set in Sleepy Hollow, and it was such a fun read! I really enjoyed this one. I very much loved all the main characters, adored their friendships and relationships, and the illustrations are wonderful! Will definitely be recommending this to all my Halloween lovin pals this spooky season!

This was such a fantastic retelling of Sleepy Hollow. A must-read for spooky season!

The art style was beautiful. I kept getting lost in the colours and the details.

Izzy and Vicky were an absolute delight. Their relationship was adorable to watch play out amongst the more spooky plot. They were just the absolute sweetest.

I LOVED the portrayal of the Headless Horseman. They were not at all what I expected and their involvement in the story was so much fun.

This story is a great mix of fun, sweet and spooky and I’ll be recommending it to everyone this Halloween!

Hollow is a wonderful, creative graphic novel. I had a smile on my face from the first panel until the last. It is full of beautiful sapphic romance, himbo friendship, and deep town lore. If you want a jolt of spooky that will not be a bit scary to ring in Halloween, this is your perfect bet.

Full review on Talking Comics podcast episode 566

What a great graphic novel right in time for fall in New England. We live relatively close to Sleepy Hollow so these stories always hit home really well. I thought the art style was great, the characters were well written and the plot was entertaining.

Thank you to BOOM! Box and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

"Hollow" was a sweet and spooky story and the perfect read for a cozy autumn evening. I'm not very familiar at all with the headless horseman legend, but the story did a good job of filling in my gaps of knowledge.

I did find the plot somewhat predictable, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the ride (so to speak). The dialogue was particularly witty and had me laughing out loud a few times. I also loved the representation, not only of LGBTQ+ identities, but also disabilities.

The characters were all very wholesome and quite well-developed, considering how short the novel is. This seems to be the start of a series and I will be interested to see the characters developed further.

I'd recommend this to anyone interested in retellings of spooky legends and good old-fashioned high school drama. Grab a cozy blanket, your fave hot drink, and get ready for a sweet story of mystery and monsters.

This was so great! Hollow is a fun, spooky graphic novel that takes place in Sleepy Hollow and follows the descendants of the classic Headless Horseman characters. It’s a very cool premise with great follow-through. The main characters are all likable. Izzy is nerdy, awkward and logical, Vicky is funny and defiant and Croc is their himbo prankster pal. Vicky and Izzy have a great romance, and Croc helps complete my fave friendship dynamic (himbo/sapphics) in a delightful way. Also delightful is the ghost of the Headless Horseman they befriend.

This is all helped by the art, which is vibrant and fun and immediately makes the reader feel all the nice fall feelings. It’s the type of book that’s spooky but not super scary. The bad guy is creepy, but the story is never without laughs. I think this has wide appeal for graphic novel readers and I’m excited to get my hands on a physical copy.

I read this graphic novel in one night because I simply couldn’t put it down. I loved the representation, the new spin on the classic Sleep Hollow story and the romance! I loved the relationship between Izzy and her mom, too. Her mom was the best, so supportive of everything in her life! This is going to be part of my Fall Reading List every year!

This is a fun and atmospheric read for Spooky Season, especially if you’re a big fan of the Sleepy Hollow legend. It’s one of my all-time favorites, and I loved this modern update to the story.

The plot is clever and well-crafted, and full of Halloween vibes that amp up a terrific ghost story. I really liked the way this book ties its story to the original legend.

The art is terrific, wonderfully spooky and evocative of both small town cozy fall and creepy hauntings. The book also has an unusually good art to text balance, and feels aware of how much the visuals matter for a story like this.

Loads of fun and suitable for both a YA or an adult audience.

Super cute and perfect for Fall! Shannon Watters can do no wrong in my opinion. My department was on the fence about purchasing this one, but I think our teens will really enjoy it. Hoping there will be future volumes!