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ashley_dang096 's review for:

Raising the Horseman by Serena Valentino
4.0

A new spin on the classic story of the Headless Horseman and Sleepy Hollow. The story follows Katrina “Kat” van Tassel, the descendant of the original Katrina van Tassel. She lives in the town of Sleepy Hollow, constantly living in the cycle and traditions of the original legend. She is expected to marry, stay in the town, and continue the legacy... but she dreams about more. On the 200th anniversary of the Headless Horseman’s legendary haunting of Sleepy Hollow, Kat has had enough. She wants nothing to do with the town’s superstitious celebrations. Her mother gives her the original Katrina’s diary in hopes it will shed more light on who Katrina was and help Kat understand why her legacy was so important... and Kat suddenly meets Isadora Crow. A mysterious new girl in town who shares the similar interest in her, who is beautiful and charming. Isadora challenges Kat’s expectations of what she wants and who she wants to be with. The more Kat reads about Katrina’s life the more she starts to see startling similarities between the two... and the more she begins to question if the past is repeating.. with a spirit being unleashed, a new stranger in town, and a decision to be made about what path she should take, Kat must uncover the two hundred year old secret and find a way to save those she cares about before it’s too late. This story deals with toxic relationships, both Kat and Katrina find themselves being gaslighted, manipulated, and lied to, and they both have to find the strength in themselves to realize it and to get out of it. It was a fun take on the classic story and I definitely enjoyed how the story portrays healthy relationships and toxic ones, and of course I always adore queer representation. This was such a fun spooky little read with splashes of romance and ghosts and perfect for the autumn/halloween season! As a fan of the classic story, I really had fun with this new take!

*Thanks Netgalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*