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moniquemct's review against another edition
3.0
I received a copy of this book for free through NetGalley
Somewhere between 2.5/3 stars.
I wanted to read this as soon as I saw Sleepy Hollow!
This was jam packed with some raw emotion which I hadn't expected. The writing in this is pretty good and the characters are likable enough but I can't bring myself to give this anymore stars because it didn't hold my attention nearly as much as it could of. I think this premise had a lot of potential and while it certainly wasn't for me, I recommend picking it up and checking it out for yourself.
Somewhere between 2.5/3 stars.
I wanted to read this as soon as I saw Sleepy Hollow!
This was jam packed with some raw emotion which I hadn't expected. The writing in this is pretty good and the characters are likable enough but I can't bring myself to give this anymore stars because it didn't hold my attention nearly as much as it could of. I think this premise had a lot of potential and while it certainly wasn't for me, I recommend picking it up and checking it out for yourself.
hoffnungswolke's review
5.0
Wake The Hollow!!! First things first: I received an ARC of this book from Entangled through NetGalley.
The book came out august 2nd. And I highly recommend it.
Book summary: Tragedy has brought Micaela Burgos back to her hometown of Sleepy Hollow. It's been six years since she chose to live with her affluent father in Miami instead of her history-obsessed eccentric mother. And now her mother is dead.
But while Sleepy Hollow was made immortal by literature, the town is real. So are its prejudices and hatred, targeting Mica's Cuban family and the secrets of their heritage that her mother obsessed over. But ghostly voices whisper in the wind, questioning whether her mother’s death might not have been an accident after all, and Mica knows there's a reason she's here.
With the help of two very different guys—who pull at her heart in very different ways—Micaela must uncover the hidden secret of Sleepy Hollow…before she meets her mother's fate.
I just finished this amazing book. My faith in this story wavered a bit at the end but a few twists and turns and I'm back to loving everything about this book.
I just love the whole story, the writing and the setting of this. I love how the story developed, every little twist and turn. It kept me entertained and kept the tension til the last page. And the mystery part was also so very well done, same with the supernatural stuff. So yay, for amazing storytelling.
Loved the characters. Especially Micaela and Dane (or whatever his real name is). I also really loved Betty Ann and how she took Micaela in and took care of her. And I'm glad she turned out to be the one person she could really trust, I was worried there a bit. I wasn't to keen with Bram, this isn't really a ship kind of thing. It's just that his personality rubs me the wrong way. Just no.
When it comes to relationships, it wasn't as important to me (I just didn't want Micaela to end up with Bram), I was more intrigued about Micaela reconnecting with her mother. Yes, she is dead, but I still feel like at the end of the story Miceala understood her mother so much more and had a much better view of her than in the beginning of the story. And I also cared much more about what happened to Miceale's mother, what was the deal with the journal and what was even going on. And I'm glad the story focused more on that than on the love triangle, that was obviously there but it wasn't as prominent. Thank god.
Overall, I really loved it. Duh!!!
The book came out august 2nd. And I highly recommend it.
Book summary: Tragedy has brought Micaela Burgos back to her hometown of Sleepy Hollow. It's been six years since she chose to live with her affluent father in Miami instead of her history-obsessed eccentric mother. And now her mother is dead.
But while Sleepy Hollow was made immortal by literature, the town is real. So are its prejudices and hatred, targeting Mica's Cuban family and the secrets of their heritage that her mother obsessed over. But ghostly voices whisper in the wind, questioning whether her mother’s death might not have been an accident after all, and Mica knows there's a reason she's here.
With the help of two very different guys—who pull at her heart in very different ways—Micaela must uncover the hidden secret of Sleepy Hollow…before she meets her mother's fate.
I just finished this amazing book. My faith in this story wavered a bit at the end but a few twists and turns and I'm back to loving everything about this book.
I just love the whole story, the writing and the setting of this. I love how the story developed, every little twist and turn. It kept me entertained and kept the tension til the last page. And the mystery part was also so very well done, same with the supernatural stuff. So yay, for amazing storytelling.
Loved the characters. Especially Micaela and Dane (or whatever his real name is). I also really loved Betty Ann and how she took Micaela in and took care of her. And I'm glad she turned out to be the one person she could really trust, I was worried there a bit. I wasn't to keen with Bram, this isn't really a ship kind of thing. It's just that his personality rubs me the wrong way. Just no.
When it comes to relationships, it wasn't as important to me (I just didn't want Micaela to end up with Bram), I was more intrigued about Micaela reconnecting with her mother. Yes, she is dead, but I still feel like at the end of the story Miceala understood her mother so much more and had a much better view of her than in the beginning of the story. And I also cared much more about what happened to Miceale's mother, what was the deal with the journal and what was even going on. And I'm glad the story focused more on that than on the love triangle, that was obviously there but it wasn't as prominent. Thank god.
Overall, I really loved it. Duh!!!
brokebybooks's review against another edition
4.0
Confession time, here’s what I got: I’ve never read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
My experiences have all been with adaptations with Tim Burton’s 1999 film Sleepy Hollow the first to come to mind and pop culture references. Which I love. Hence, jumping at the chance to be a part of this tour.
Now, I’m stuck. I enjoyed it. It succeeds at building an eerie, creepy atmosphere. I loved Mica, except the romance, which was the main letdown. The plot is my absolute favorite part. But I can’t discuss it without spoilers. >:(
So now what?
While The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is fundamental, it’s more about Irving’s past as the town’s idol and Mica’s present issues of nightmares and voices.
Since I knew nothing about Irving, it was pretty interesting to find out about him and the surrounding speculations. Enough so, I actually looked him up online after the fact.
Did you know?
Aaron Burr, a co-publisher of the Chronicle, was impressed enough to send clippings of the Oldstyle pieces [Irving’s pseudonym] to his daughter, Theodosia, while writer Charles Brockden Brown made a trip to New York to recruit Oldstyle for a literary magazine he was editing in Philadelphia.
However, if you’re looking for a retelling like Tim Burton’s, you’ll need to keep looking. It doesn’t rehash the tale and try to make it new. It rolls with it to the contemporary times. Don’t get me wrong, The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow is important but it’s famous ghosts don’t get much screen time. Its prominence and author are the lifeblood of Wake the Hollow.
The atmosphere is right, there’s violence and death, a love triangle, a dashing horse rides, and fortunes to be made or lost, but it’s fundamentally different. Tourists come for the Headless Horseman, but the main attraction in Wake the Hollow is the townspeople.
Paranormal or Magical Realism?
I shelved Wake the Hollow as paranormal and left it at that. That’s where my gut still lies, but several days ago (a week now that this review is posted) I had my mind expanded. One of the amazing I people I follow was involved in this conversation about magical realism, its Latinx authors and influence. It started with white people ignoring Latinx in the genre and generally being assholes.
Now I can’t stop thinking about that conversation when trying to review Wake the Hollow. And that’s a very good thing. First, here’s the two main threads to check out (please come back after you’re done!)
Since I’m white and am not in the loop, I don’t feel quite comfortable labeling Wake the Hollow as magical realism, though it certainly fits the bill. Beyond the wiki definition (yeah, I know), I cannot get past how it goes THIS so fucking beautifully
http://thebrokebookbank.blogspot.com/2016/09/reviewing-wake-hollow-by-gaby-triana.html
Even if it’s not exactly magical realism, I think fans of the genre will enjoy Wake the Hollow nonetheless. It’s more than another retelling of a ghost terrorizing white people or two dudes fighting for a woman’s hand or town fortunes. Of course, it has all of the above intertwined but it’s Mica, a Cuban-descended American, coming home because of her mother’s death.
Saying more might bolster my argument, but it’d ruin the story. Instead, I’d love it for you to read it and tell me what you think. Or I can spoil it privately on request if you’d like to know now.
Romance:
I’m going to sound silly right now and complain of a love triangle in a Sleepy Hollow retelling but yeah, I wasn’t a fan. Not because it was there, but I don’t think it played out well.
Mica is dealing with her childhood friend turned hunky knight and the new professor, who I kept imaging as a Hispanic David Tenement repeating the theme struggling between your roots and your future.
I was on board for quite a while with this actually, having clearly picked a favorite. Then things started happening and Mica made some decisions and things were discovered and…
Like the plot, it didn’t come off smoothly. There weren’t enough clues planted beforehand to support it. Instead, it came out of the blue. “WHAT? But what sense does that make?” I think about it now and I can see it but it abruptly pulled me out of the story while reading.
I wish this had a better foundation so it didn’t feel like a slap in the face and the ending such a disappointment with underdeveloped relationships leading the way. And that’s the only damn thing that brought the book down for me. What a pity.
4 stars: For everything but the romance drama and chunky character twists. But ya’ll know my picky, iffy opinions on romances so take that as you will.
My experiences have all been with adaptations with Tim Burton’s 1999 film Sleepy Hollow the first to come to mind and pop culture references. Which I love. Hence, jumping at the chance to be a part of this tour.
Now, I’m stuck. I enjoyed it. It succeeds at building an eerie, creepy atmosphere. I loved Mica, except the romance, which was the main letdown. The plot is my absolute favorite part. But I can’t discuss it without spoilers. >:(
So now what?
While The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is fundamental, it’s more about Irving’s past as the town’s idol and Mica’s present issues of nightmares and voices.
Since I knew nothing about Irving, it was pretty interesting to find out about him and the surrounding speculations. Enough so, I actually looked him up online after the fact.
Did you know?
Aaron Burr, a co-publisher of the Chronicle, was impressed enough to send clippings of the Oldstyle pieces [Irving’s pseudonym] to his daughter, Theodosia, while writer Charles Brockden Brown made a trip to New York to recruit Oldstyle for a literary magazine he was editing in Philadelphia.
However, if you’re looking for a retelling like Tim Burton’s, you’ll need to keep looking. It doesn’t rehash the tale and try to make it new. It rolls with it to the contemporary times. Don’t get me wrong, The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow is important but it’s famous ghosts don’t get much screen time. Its prominence and author are the lifeblood of Wake the Hollow.
The atmosphere is right, there’s violence and death, a love triangle, a dashing horse rides, and fortunes to be made or lost, but it’s fundamentally different. Tourists come for the Headless Horseman, but the main attraction in Wake the Hollow is the townspeople.
Paranormal or Magical Realism?
I shelved Wake the Hollow as paranormal and left it at that. That’s where my gut still lies, but several days ago (a week now that this review is posted) I had my mind expanded. One of the amazing I people I follow was involved in this conversation about magical realism, its Latinx authors and influence. It started with white people ignoring Latinx in the genre and generally being assholes.
Now I can’t stop thinking about that conversation when trying to review Wake the Hollow. And that’s a very good thing. First, here’s the two main threads to check out (please come back after you’re done!)
Since I’m white and am not in the loop, I don’t feel quite comfortable labeling Wake the Hollow as magical realism, though it certainly fits the bill. Beyond the wiki definition (yeah, I know), I cannot get past how it goes THIS so fucking beautifully
http://thebrokebookbank.blogspot.com/2016/09/reviewing-wake-hollow-by-gaby-triana.html
Even if it’s not exactly magical realism, I think fans of the genre will enjoy Wake the Hollow nonetheless. It’s more than another retelling of a ghost terrorizing white people or two dudes fighting for a woman’s hand or town fortunes. Of course, it has all of the above intertwined but it’s Mica, a Cuban-descended American, coming home because of her mother’s death.
Saying more might bolster my argument, but it’d ruin the story. Instead, I’d love it for you to read it and tell me what you think. Or I can spoil it privately on request if you’d like to know now.
Romance:
I’m going to sound silly right now and complain of a love triangle in a Sleepy Hollow retelling but yeah, I wasn’t a fan. Not because it was there, but I don’t think it played out well.
Mica is dealing with her childhood friend turned hunky knight and the new professor, who I kept imaging as a Hispanic David Tenement repeating the theme struggling between your roots and your future.
I was on board for quite a while with this actually, having clearly picked a favorite. Then things started happening and Mica made some decisions and things were discovered and…
Like the plot, it didn’t come off smoothly. There weren’t enough clues planted beforehand to support it. Instead, it came out of the blue. “WHAT? But what sense does that make?” I think about it now and I can see it but it abruptly pulled me out of the story while reading.
I wish this had a better foundation so it didn’t feel like a slap in the face and the ending such a disappointment with underdeveloped relationships leading the way. And that’s the only damn thing that brought the book down for me. What a pity.
4 stars: For everything but the romance drama and chunky character twists. But ya’ll know my picky, iffy opinions on romances so take that as you will.
feliciasink's review against another edition
5.0
I received this book through NetGalley as a granted wish by the published Entagled: Teen. I also got it in exchange for an honest review. I'm thanking NetGalley and Entangled: Teen for granting me the wish and providing me with the copy of this book.
Hello old friend!! I've never read a book about Sleepy Hollow, but this was like meeting an old friend. It was such an easy introduction, I could say the book and me were like merging liquid. It was so smooth and I loved that fact. Some books are so confusing, you have to read like 60% of the book before you understand the story. This book is definitely on my favourite list!!
Wake the Hollow has a very interesting storyline. It has a nicely balanced build up and a breathtaking plot twist. I can say I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING =O The last part of the story was so thrilling to read I sometimes forgot to breath. I felt my eyes widen and me getting closer to my eReader. So plot-wise is was a very good book. I like books that take my breath away, this one certainly did. It made my heart beat faster and made me want to read quicker and quicker. But now I'm a bit sad that it's over.... =[
I loved Micaela's character very much, we could've been besties. She struggles a lot with her gift and her resentment of past choices. But she is a very strong girl with excellent instincts. She has a gift though, she has to learn to control it in order to stay alive, will she succeed? Like her I don't have an easy family [life], so I know how she feels. No, my mother is still alive, and I'm happy for that, but I've had a lot of rough bumps with my family too. Where the story shocked me was the role of her father in the end of the book. I can't imagine the feeling she must have had when she found out.
Betty Anne, old 'neighbour', is a very kind character. I love her quirkiness. But she is so kind and caring for Micaela. I was glad Mica had someone like Betty Anne in the story. We all need a Betty Anne as our neighbour and friend.
Jonathan Enger, his name is funny for me. Creep in Dutch is engerd, so that was a perfect surname for him. Because he's a creep, obnoxious and annoying. I won't explain him anymore to prevent spoilers.
Bram Durant, best friend of Micaela. Got the hots for her, grew up with her. He is a great friend in the story and cares a lot for Micaela. This is not all there is about Bram. He and Jonathan live together in a small apartment. Both families claim they are the direct descendants of Washington Irving. Their families hold a lot of secrets, and not just about the history of Sleepy Hollow and Washington Irving. Want to know more about those secrets? Go read this awesome book!!
Dane Borarich the teaching assistant in her American Literature class.. Handsome, Harvard grad student, has eyes for Micaela a lot. Is he who he says he is? What does he have to hide? Will he be on her side or try to silence her... for good?
I did feel sad some more throughout the book, because of some events. If you've read the book and see my Origin Story. you will get my point.
So all in all I loved it. The plot was good, the pacing good, I love the characters, it has a good amount of shocking moments, a great amount of creepiness and a good dose of feelings.Another nice thing about the book is that every chapter stars with a quote, I like that!! So I give this book 5 out of 5 quills!!
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bookertsfarm's review
4.0
This book was a very quick read which I found quite enjoyable. Six years ago, Mica left Sleepy Hollow and her mother behind, choosing instead to live with her father in Miami. Mica's mother was extremely wrapped up in the Sleepy Hollow lore and spent her life desperately trying to prove her family's relations to the infamous characters. However, because of her obsession, she lost her husband and her daughter in the process. Now, Mica's mother has mysteriously died and Mica decides to return to her old hometown to get her affairs in order, as well as discover what really happened to her mother and why she was never able to leave Sleepy Hollow behind.
This book has several positive things going for it in my opinion. Triana does a wonderful job weaving the historical lore of Sleepy Holllow, Icbabod Crane and Washington Irving into a present day mystery. She even managed to throw some Frankenstein and Mary Shelley into the mix for some added excitement. Also, the story pretty much kept me engrossed and I pretty much read this in one sitting so that shows that I found it interesting. The ending was pleasantly surprising and if this is in fact a stand alone novel, then it was also a very satisfying conclusion.
Now on to my main complaint - I totally have a love/hate relationship with Mica. I understand she is only 18 (a fact I had to keep reminding myself of repeatedly) and she had a rough childhood in that once she moved away from her mother, there was little interaction between the two and she pretty much felt her mother abandoned her. However, she was one of the most indecisive characters I have ran into in quite a while. There are two male characters prevalent in the book and I won't even call it a triangle because one minute Mica knows who she is interested in and the next she is making out with the other one. I don't believe the relationships ever evolve to the level where you could consider either Dane or Bram a romantic interest. They are a big component of the book but clearly romance isn't (for which I was glad). Also, Mica seemed so confused about what she was planning on doing at times, that even once she made a decision, I just came to pretty much expect her to do something totally different.
As I said, I was very pleased with the ending to this novel and overall, the Sleepy Hollow aspects kept me interested despite my issues with Mica. Once again, I feel Entangled Teen has not let me down and provided me a book in which I was able to lose myself for a few hours and go on another wonderful adventure. If you like the Sleepy Hollow legend or history, then this book is definitely one you should consider. There are enough good things in it that hopefully Mica's immaturity won't bother you as much as it did me.
I was provided a copy of this book by Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review.
This book has several positive things going for it in my opinion. Triana does a wonderful job weaving the historical lore of Sleepy Holllow, Icbabod Crane and Washington Irving into a present day mystery. She even managed to throw some Frankenstein and Mary Shelley into the mix for some added excitement. Also, the story pretty much kept me engrossed and I pretty much read this in one sitting so that shows that I found it interesting. The ending was pleasantly surprising and if this is in fact a stand alone novel, then it was also a very satisfying conclusion.
Now on to my main complaint - I totally have a love/hate relationship with Mica. I understand she is only 18 (a fact I had to keep reminding myself of repeatedly) and she had a rough childhood in that once she moved away from her mother, there was little interaction between the two and she pretty much felt her mother abandoned her. However, she was one of the most indecisive characters I have ran into in quite a while. There are two male characters prevalent in the book and I won't even call it a triangle because one minute Mica knows who she is interested in and the next she is making out with the other one. I don't believe the relationships ever evolve to the level where you could consider either Dane or Bram a romantic interest. They are a big component of the book but clearly romance isn't (for which I was glad). Also, Mica seemed so confused about what she was planning on doing at times, that even once she made a decision, I just came to pretty much expect her to do something totally different.
As I said, I was very pleased with the ending to this novel and overall, the Sleepy Hollow aspects kept me interested despite my issues with Mica. Once again, I feel Entangled Teen has not let me down and provided me a book in which I was able to lose myself for a few hours and go on another wonderful adventure. If you like the Sleepy Hollow legend or history, then this book is definitely one you should consider. There are enough good things in it that hopefully Mica's immaturity won't bother you as much as it did me.
I was provided a copy of this book by Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review.
melissayabookshelf's review
5.0
I've been looking forward to reading this book for months because, as a child, I was enamoured with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow...yes, the Disney version that played on TV every year around Halloween. I even made time to take Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow off my TBR and on to my Read shelf in preparation.
Gaby Triana's modern retelling and expansion of the classics story grabbed my attention far more than Irving's actual book had, in part because it took the best of the story I'd always loved, but added exciting new twists and turns at every possible point. Every chapter begins with a short quotation from Irving's original story and the relationships between Mica, Bram, and Dane correspond to characters people will recognize from Irving's version flawlessly. In addition, the idea that the town of Sleepy Hollow revels in re-enacting the story every year, with young men vying for the role of the Headless Horseman shows Triana's love for the town and the story. However, it is the ways in which the novel veers from what I expected to speak to the rumors that plagued Irving, another famous writer, and Mica and her mother and the supernatural elements that made this a true winner for me. The rumors that a white, male author and his female companion may have endured at the hands of one form of prejudice are universally understandable nearly 200 years after the fact, and thus, they help make the racial prejudice and stigma around mental health issues that Mica's mom lived with in Sleepy Hollow before her death something easier to understand for those who can't walk in her shoes as easily.
Finally, as a seasoned horror fanatic, I know I would've had no trouble reading this book along late in the middle of the night, but that doesn't mean that I don't admire Triana's ability to continually develop and build upon the suspense surrounding what happened to Mica's mom, who is stalking her, and the very real fear that Mica has no idea who she can trust with her personal safety and that of the documents she unearths in Sleepy Hollow. I mean, even though I heard that twists were to be expected and truly believed that I knew what was going on, I was surprised time and time again.
Finally, with a Cuban-American MC from a Cuban-American author, this book will be a great choice for anyone who is trying to up their diverse reads game this year.
Gaby Triana's modern retelling and expansion of the classics story grabbed my attention far more than Irving's actual book had, in part because it took the best of the story I'd always loved, but added exciting new twists and turns at every possible point. Every chapter begins with a short quotation from Irving's original story and the relationships between Mica, Bram, and Dane correspond to characters people will recognize from Irving's version flawlessly. In addition, the idea that the town of Sleepy Hollow revels in re-enacting the story every year, with young men vying for the role of the Headless Horseman shows Triana's love for the town and the story. However, it is the ways in which the novel veers from what I expected to speak to the rumors that plagued Irving, another famous writer, and Mica and her mother and the supernatural elements that made this a true winner for me. The rumors that a white, male author and his female companion may have endured at the hands of one form of prejudice are universally understandable nearly 200 years after the fact, and thus, they help make the racial prejudice and stigma around mental health issues that Mica's mom lived with in Sleepy Hollow before her death something easier to understand for those who can't walk in her shoes as easily.
Finally, as a seasoned horror fanatic, I know I would've had no trouble reading this book along late in the middle of the night, but that doesn't mean that I don't admire Triana's ability to continually develop and build upon the suspense surrounding what happened to Mica's mom, who is stalking her, and the very real fear that Mica has no idea who she can trust with her personal safety and that of the documents she unearths in Sleepy Hollow. I mean, even though I heard that twists were to be expected and truly believed that I knew what was going on, I was surprised time and time again.
Finally, with a Cuban-American MC from a Cuban-American author, this book will be a great choice for anyone who is trying to up their diverse reads game this year.
leahmichelle_13's review
3.0
When I signed up for the blog tour for Wake The Hollow, I had no idea what I was getting in to! I’m not a big horror reader, because of preference rather than because I’m a scaredy cat (I watch Supernatural, no big deal!) and I have no idea of the legend of Sleepy Hollow, but the premise intrigued me, so I signed up, because books like this can really surprise you even if you go in knowing basically nothing.
I do, however, love the idea of ghosts being able to communicate with the living (whether or not I believe in ghosts which is a whole other topic and I’m loathe to give my opinion in case I do indeed offend a ghost) although from what I could tell, for Mica, it was more of an annoyance/distraction than a help, considering she could barely close her eyes without more voices appearing. That would grow old real fast for me, I’m telling you now. I like my sleep not to be disturbed by voices, thank you very much and I thought Mica did amazing to not commit herself to an asylum.
Wake The Hollow was actually a really intriguing, fascinating book. It kept me entertained throughout, and on the very, very edge of my seat most of the time. Especially since Mica is such a great character that you just want to hide her away somewhere so she’s safe, because there was definitely spooky goings-ons, and intrigue and it was just terrifying. I felt on edge the whole time I was reading. The ending was the biggest surprise, almost like a punch in the gut, it really did surprise me. This was a very entertaining (and terrifying) read.
I do, however, love the idea of ghosts being able to communicate with the living (whether or not I believe in ghosts which is a whole other topic and I’m loathe to give my opinion in case I do indeed offend a ghost) although from what I could tell, for Mica, it was more of an annoyance/distraction than a help, considering she could barely close her eyes without more voices appearing. That would grow old real fast for me, I’m telling you now. I like my sleep not to be disturbed by voices, thank you very much and I thought Mica did amazing to not commit herself to an asylum.
Wake The Hollow was actually a really intriguing, fascinating book. It kept me entertained throughout, and on the very, very edge of my seat most of the time. Especially since Mica is such a great character that you just want to hide her away somewhere so she’s safe, because there was definitely spooky goings-ons, and intrigue and it was just terrifying. I felt on edge the whole time I was reading. The ending was the biggest surprise, almost like a punch in the gut, it really did surprise me. This was a very entertaining (and terrifying) read.
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