Book Review
Title: Raising the Horseman by Serena Valentino
Genre: Young Adult, Retelling, Paranormal
Rating: 4.5 Stars
The opening to Raising the Horseman centres around the Van Tassel family and the legend of Sleepy Hollow although this is taking place generations after the original story. We are following Kat Van Tassel who is struggling to deal with the superstitions of Sleepy Hollow and her desire to travel which is contradictory to what her parents want for her which is to take over the running over the house and get married as soon as she graduates. This obviously causes some tension but there seems to be a reason for this as Kat’s mother, Trina indicates when she instructs Kat to read the first Katrina’s diary and then they will discuss if the superstitions and legends are make believe or not like there might be a degree of truth to them that only the direct descendants of the family are aware of meaning The Headless Horseman might be completely real. This opening was interesting and really sucked me into the story and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, we are getting two stories for the price of one as part of this is set in the past following the first Katrina’s story like we are getting the truth behind the legends of Sleepy Hollow and the Headless Horseman. The first Katrina is much like her namesake, Kat since they both feel trapped in Sleepy Hollow and want more from life than their parents are offering them. Katrina did fall in love with Brom at one point as a child since they had similar interests but as he has gotten older and changed she is coming to dislike him more and more and doesn’t want to marry him even though that is what her parents are pressuring her to do. According to the legend she meets and falls in love with Ichabod Crane and Brom gets jealous but I have feeling there is more to it than this. Kat also has similar problems since she has a manipulative boyfriend in Blake and he like everyone else assumes he and Kat are going to get married after graduation even though she doesn’t like his friends or half of the things he does but goes along with them anyway because she doesn’t really seem to have any other friends until she meets Isadora Crow. Isadora is seen as a freak in Sleepy Hollow and even Blake picks on her which Kat doesn’t like and there also might be some attraction between her and Isadora that I can’t wait to see develop.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, Kat is essentially forced by Blake to take part in a ceremony to summon the first Katrina and they end up seeing what Isadora believes is the Headless Horseman but Kat isn’t scared by it at all. Later at home she returns to the diary and learns more about the first Katrina who after a brief falling out with Brom ends up meeting Ichabod Crane and she really likes him since he shares her interests and likes her thirst for knowledge. Her mother also sees her like for the young schoolmaster and decides to have him over for dinner since more than anything Regina wants her daughter to be happy unlike her father who is determined to see her and Brom together because he thinks they are a good match despite the fact his wife clearly sees that Brom wouldn’t make Katrina happy. Seeing Katrina’s excitement at having Ichabod over for dinner and getting to discuss books with him is something that resonated with me since I have been a bookworm all my life and finding someone who shares the same interest to the extent you do is amazing.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, Kat has begun experiencing strange things such as chills and the strange appearance of a woman near Blake. However, during this time she is becoming closer and closer to Isadora and they see the similarities in their friendship to that of Katrina and Ichabod’s which is quickly turning into something more although Brom is trying to throw a spanner in the works. Kat ends up breaking up with Blake since it is clear that they don’t want to same things anymore and he has been using her to further his own image in Sleepy Hollow which isn’t what she wants from her partner leaving the door open for something more between her and Isadora. Back in the past everyone including Brom can see that Ichabod and Katrina are completely smitten with each other and they could very easily end up falling hard and fast for each other which is why Brom is doing his best to prevent this since he feels that Katrina is his regardless of what she wants which makes me really hate him.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, Kat is progressing her friendship and possibly relationship with Isadora but her mother has a strange reaction to the girl’s name and Kat wants to know why but her mother brushes it off inviting Isadora to dinner. Like Kat is related to Katrina maybe Isadora is related to Ichabod who also wasn’t from Sleepy Hollow originally. Kat is also seeing the woman more and more and it is unnerving her but she remembers seeing the woman a lot when she was a child and she doesn’t remember being afraid of her then. She also can’t shake the feeling that Katrina’s life and hers are exactly the same like Groundhog Day replaying over and over again without change and that might be what is actually happening until someone breaks the cycle or there could be simpler explanation of Kat reading the diary and making her life fit around it but I can wait to see how it is going to end.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, the stories are combining more and more now as Katrina in the past leaves Brom for Ichabod but he might be proving himself to be a false person wanting Katrina for himself not out of love but to improve his status like Blake was doing with Kat. In the present Kat learns that Isadora is actually a Crane and is heartbroken that she lied to her but her father helps her sort out her feelings for the girl but Blake isn’t happy about the situation. There are also more supernatural things going on since she hears a voice coming from the Oldest Tree as it bleeds and presents her with Katrina’s locket. The voice tells her the Horseman is bound to protect anyone bearing the name Katrina so she is protected. Katrina’s ghost also speaks to Kat explains that this story and this series of events involves both her and Isadora and to not give up on her yet since they need to know how the story really ends. I think there is going to be some big twist in the final section of the novel and I can’t wait to see what it is.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, there was a twist at the ending and it wasn’t what I was expecting that doesn’t mean it was bad I just think there could have been a little more to the ending. Despite that I really enjoyed the story and following the characters on their journey, I did feel that the pacing was a little off in places but overall it was a great, heartfelt story and is absolutely perfect for the coming spooky season. The tale of the Headless Horseman is one I adored as a child and I have vivid memories of trying to see him on Halloween and it really brought up some nostalgic feelings in me as a reader which is why I am rating this book a little higher than I would have done on its storytelling alone but I do highly recommend it if you are a fan of retelling with a nice twist from the classic tale.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
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