RAISING THE HORSEMAN

There are more charms than terrors in this reimagining of a supernatural tale.

Valentino’s eye for lavish detail focuses on Kat Van Tassel, an 18-year-old at Ichabod Crane High, named after Sleepy Hollow’s most infamous figure. Trapped in a life that feels all too planned out and a skeptic surrounded by those who believe in ghosts, Kat chafes at the way she’s fated to marry childhood sweetheart Blake, help run the family estate, and fulfill townspeople’s expectations. Kat has other aspirations, and her modern-day story mirrors the past she uncovers while reading Katrina Van Tassel’s diary entries, which are presented in chapters interspersed with the contemporary timeline. Katrina is a distant relative whose life was the source for many of the town’s myths and rituals. Blake attempts a spell with his friends, pushing Kat to participate against her wishes. Increasingly frustrated with him, Kat becomes fast friends with Isadora Crow, a mysterious, dark-haired classmate whom Blake dislikes. As Isadora and Kat explore Katrina’s diary, they begin to have feelings that are stronger than friendship. The young women’s curiosity about the diary grows—alongside their romance, which becomes more than a crush. Mild chills and dual timelines drive the plot; the latter at times are too neatly mirrored. Horror readers hungry for a retelling will find few scares, but the same-sex relationship breathes some new life into the legend. Most characters default to White.

A sweet retelling of a spooky classic.