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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
I received an e-arc of Hollowed, and I am so glad I was able to get my hands on this book! I truly enjoyed this Sleepy Hollow reimagining with its mystical vibes and use of the same names like Ichabod Crane, Brom, and Katrina Van Tassel. The retelling takes flight into its own story beyond the use of the same names, and I really like the direction it goes.
Fair warning, and I'm so glad the author tells us at the beginning of the book, there are trigger warnings of parental abuse both physical (some active descriptions and others mentioned past tense) and emotional (active and past tense). Anxiety and depression are also solidly grounded in this story as well. All of these were done well and never dismissively handled. I truly liked how Jessica Taylor brought these subjects into the story and allowed them to eventually strengthen our fmc.
Let's talk our main male character, Alexander. Wow!! You would think he would be the broody bad guy, but he isn't. He's my absolute favorite character, except maybe Henry (Katrina's mentor). Alexander is understanding, attentive, protective, and allows Katrina space to be herself and doesn't make her feel bad about it (minus that one argument that he made me mad about...but he's forgiven...). So, not perfect, but damn he's close.
Alexander and Katrina give off "touch him/her and die" vibes and would burn the world for each other. This...I LOVED!!
Overall, I didn't know "who done it" until the last few chapters so when it all came out...yea...I knew...and yea I was pissed!! I also totally understood.
Such a great read and I'm so glad I got the chance to devour it early!
Fair warning, and I'm so glad the author tells us at the beginning of the book, there are trigger warnings of parental abuse both physical (some active descriptions and others mentioned past tense) and emotional (active and past tense). Anxiety and depression are also solidly grounded in this story as well. All of these were done well and never dismissively handled. I truly liked how Jessica Taylor brought these subjects into the story and allowed them to eventually strengthen our fmc.
Let's talk our main male character, Alexander. Wow!! You would think he would be the broody bad guy, but he isn't. He's my absolute favorite character, except maybe Henry (Katrina's mentor). Alexander is understanding, attentive, protective, and allows Katrina space to be herself and doesn't make her feel bad about it (minus that one argument that he made me mad about...but he's forgiven...). So, not perfect, but damn he's close.
Alexander and Katrina give off "touch him/her and die" vibes and would burn the world for each other. This...I LOVED!!
Overall, I didn't know "who done it" until the last few chapters so when it all came out...yea...I knew...and yea I was pissed!! I also totally understood.
Such a great read and I'm so glad I got the chance to devour it early!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5☆
I need to have an Alexander in my life. I loved this reimagining so much and definitely need to do a reread.
Katrina is the daughter of prominent leaders in Sleepy Hollow, but unfortunately, she always seems to feel like a disappointment to them. She then finds out she is this year's Roghnaithe to the Dullahan to save the town. What people don't know is the Dullahan is not who they think he is, and Katrina is much more than they see.
Katrina is admirable with her spirit and caring for people around her. The Dullahan is swoon-worthy. I love his support of Katrina but also their banter back and forth.
The twists in this story surprised me occasionally. There were times I thought it was one thing, but then another led me to second guess myself. The world building is wonderful, and the author brings out the characters' emotions well. I definitely loved this Sleepy Hollow reimagining and can't wait to see more from this author.
I need to have an Alexander in my life. I loved this reimagining so much and definitely need to do a reread.
Katrina is the daughter of prominent leaders in Sleepy Hollow, but unfortunately, she always seems to feel like a disappointment to them. She then finds out she is this year's Roghnaithe to the Dullahan to save the town. What people don't know is the Dullahan is not who they think he is, and Katrina is much more than they see.
Katrina is admirable with her spirit and caring for people around her. The Dullahan is swoon-worthy. I love his support of Katrina but also their banter back and forth.
The twists in this story surprised me occasionally. There were times I thought it was one thing, but then another led me to second guess myself. The world building is wonderful, and the author brings out the characters' emotions well. I definitely loved this Sleepy Hollow reimagining and can't wait to see more from this author.
The book feels more like a YA and quickly written. There was not much world building or relationship building. The whole thing felt thrown together, and the girl gets embarrassed and her “cheeks flush” about three times a page.
◦ I've received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ◦
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I loved this take on a classic fairytale. Hollowed by Jessica S. Taylor is an intriguing reimagining of Sleepy Hollow that adds a fresh twist to the familiar story. Picture a handsome Headless Horseman who’s unexpectedly kind and sweet—definitely not what I was expecting! The fake marriage trope adds an extra layer of fun and complexity to the plot.
In this standalone gothic fantasy, Sleepy Hollow is on the brink of collapse. To keep the town hidden from the mundane world, a resident is sacrificed each year to The Dullahan, the Headless Horseman who guards the veil around the Hollow. Katrina van Tassel, the only daughter of Sleepy Hollow’s most prominent family, finds herself chosen as the next sacrifice. But when she encounters the Horseman, she discovers he’s not the harbinger of death she was led to believe.
As Katrina grapples with the truth, she’s torn between accepting the Horseman’s help to escape or staying to fight the dark forces threatening the town. The book’s blend of deadly magic, betrayals, and secrets kept me hooked from start to finish. While I would have loved a bit more spice, this is a fantastic read for anyone who enjoys fantasy romance without explicit content.
Cross the bridge into Sleepy Hollow and immerse yourself in this dark, enchanting tale!
A wonderfully gothic fantasy standalone of a Sleepy Hollow Reimagining.
Worthless. Disappointment. Useless. Just some of the words used to describe Katrina by her parents, the most prominent and powerful people in Sleepy Hollow. A town full of secrets and lies that comes with a price to protect; sacrifice a member of the town each year to The Dullahan or The Hollow will fall. This year, Katrina is chosen. Attempting to flee from her fate, she is thrown right before The Dullahan, the thing she had hoped to never come face-to-face with. But like all things in Sleepy Hollow, The Dullahan is not what Katrina thinks it is, and truths about the town come to light. There are greater evil’s out there lingering in the fog…
This was an interesting read from start to finish. As a fan of the original book and the film, this was a great reimagining. I felt I was transported to Sleepy Hollow itself and I could feel the fog rolling in. The atmosphere at times could be amazingly creepy, the next it would be full of heart racing action, and then full of swirling emotions and angst. My only let down was that I did figure out who was doing “the thing” (won’t spoil it, you’ll have to read it!) pretty early on. The plot was great and I was kept entertained throughout my read.
I liked Katrina and Alexander as characters. Katrina’s character development was good. I really liked seeing her start overcome the trauma’s and self-doubts given to her from her parents, and eventually come into her own. And Alexander’s backstory was equally as harsh and sad. You could see why he acted in certain ways or said certain things. Their romance was sweet, and the beginning had lots of angst and tension.
If you’re a fan of the original Sleepy Hollow, a fan of gothic fantasy, or a fan of magic and demons, this might be the book for you.
Thank you to Book of Matches Media and Jessica for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Worthless. Disappointment. Useless. Just some of the words used to describe Katrina by her parents, the most prominent and powerful people in Sleepy Hollow. A town full of secrets and lies that comes with a price to protect; sacrifice a member of the town each year to The Dullahan or The Hollow will fall. This year, Katrina is chosen. Attempting to flee from her fate, she is thrown right before The Dullahan, the thing she had hoped to never come face-to-face with. But like all things in Sleepy Hollow, The Dullahan is not what Katrina thinks it is, and truths about the town come to light. There are greater evil’s out there lingering in the fog…
This was an interesting read from start to finish. As a fan of the original book and the film, this was a great reimagining. I felt I was transported to Sleepy Hollow itself and I could feel the fog rolling in. The atmosphere at times could be amazingly creepy, the next it would be full of heart racing action, and then full of swirling emotions and angst. My only let down was that I did figure out who was doing “the thing” (won’t spoil it, you’ll have to read it!) pretty early on. The plot was great and I was kept entertained throughout my read.
I liked Katrina and Alexander as characters. Katrina’s character development was good. I really liked seeing her start overcome the trauma’s and self-doubts given to her from her parents, and eventually come into her own. And Alexander’s backstory was equally as harsh and sad. You could see why he acted in certain ways or said certain things. Their romance was sweet, and the beginning had lots of angst and tension.
If you’re a fan of the original Sleepy Hollow, a fan of gothic fantasy, or a fan of magic and demons, this might be the book for you.
Thank you to Book of Matches Media and Jessica for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I was excited for this, the premise sounded really cool, but this just did not hit for me.
I enjoyed the FMC but the MMC I found to be very condescending and I did not like him.
I also did not enjoy the short choppy chapters.
"I advise you to remove your hand from my wife. Before I remove it for you."
⚰️ Mini Review ⚰️
Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhh! I DEVOURED this book! I couldn't get enough. It was so good. I loved it. I really liked watching Katrina grow and work through all her trama.
The way she kept apologizing for things that weren't even her fault…I felt that hard. I do that constantly and I have no idea how to stop. The way Alexander was so patient with her and understanding. The plot was amazing too. Not just romance which I love, but so good!!! And this cover! It's absolutely gorgeous. Anyways go and get it. It's worth it.
⚰️ Mini Review ⚰️
Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhh! I DEVOURED this book! I couldn't get enough. It was so good. I loved it. I really liked watching Katrina grow and work through all her trama.
The way she kept apologizing for things that weren't even her fault…I felt that hard. I do that constantly and I have no idea how to stop. The way Alexander was so patient with her and understanding. The plot was amazing too. Not just romance which I love, but so good!!! And this cover! It's absolutely gorgeous. Anyways go and get it. It's worth it.