Review: Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow by Christina Henry

     

Horseman by Christina Henry
Berkley Books (US)/Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: September 28th, 2021
Paperback. 320 pages.

About Horseman:

"Everyone in Sleepy Hollow knows about the Horseman, but no one really believes in him. Not even Ben Van Brunt's grandfather, Brom Bones, who was there when it was said the Horseman chased the upstart Crane out of town. Brom says that's just legend, the village gossips talking. 

Twenty years after those storied events, the village is a quiet place. Fourteen-year-old Ben loves to play Sleepy Hollow boys, reenacting the events Brom once lived through. But then Ben and a friend stumble across the headless body of a child in the woods near the village, and the sinister discovery makes Ben question everything the adults in Sleepy Hollow have ever said. Could the Horseman be real after all? Or does something even more sinister stalk the woods?"

Horseman is a deeply mysterious and atmospheric novel set in the classic town of Sleepy Hollow and following the grandchild of Brom and Katrina, Ben. This is billed as a Sleepy Hollow retelling, but just in order to set your expectation accurately, I’d classify this more as a sequel of sorts to Sleepy Hollow, since the story doesn’t really play with the ore-established Sleepy Hollow plot, but rather takes everything and continues on with it’s own unique story and interaction with the original Sleepy Hollow story. 

Horseman follows Ben as he struggles with learning more about both himself and his family as the legend of the Horseman of Sleepy Hollow seems to be rising back to popularity once again after a few vicious attacks occur in the town. Ben is told different and conflicting things about the Horseman and the town’s past and is left to question whether the stories he’s heard or real or not, how his family has played a role in those stories, and who he can trust to tell him the truth.

This story is, of course, set in the town of Sleepy Hollow, and it has a very isolated sort of atmosphere where inhabitants seem pretty cut off from the rest of the world. In fact, there are brief mentions about the fact that other parts of the worlds are different from Sleepy Hollow and it hasn’t really managed to keep up with any new trends or fashions, etc. It’s sort of stuck in this limbo with no real improvements or advancements. Christina Henry created a very successful atmosphere of mystery, intrigue, and isolation that I think worked really well with the Sleepy Hollow vibe and in creating a story that feels immersive. A great atmosphere is something I can always safely expect from Christina Henry. I can't say too much about the Horseman himself, but I loved how Henry played with the idea of the Horseman itself and sort of created different versions that terrorized the town and a specific character or two in very distinct and different ways, both tangible and non-tangible. 

Ben was a captivating character follow, largely due to Henry’s thoughtful character development and insight into Ben’s own introspection that really brought him to life and let me, the reader, really get to know him and attempt to understand his struggles. Henry does an excellent job of conveying his many conflicts, including those with his grandmother who doesn’t understand or approve of his identity and behavior; his struggle to fit in or find a place within the town; his struggles with understanding what’s going on with the Horseman and trying to figure out what stories are true and what aren’t; and, finally, with his own personal identity struggles as he slowly discovers his own independence and truly learns who he is in an even deeper way than he already has. Ben wants very badly to be like his larger-than-life and commanding grandfather and is often compared to his father, so identity played a large role in this book and it was a theme that I think Henry handled exceptionally beautifully. 

I will admit that this is not one of my favorite Christina Henry books (but honestly, I’m not sure if anything could be Alice or Lost Boy for me), but it is definitely a great one that I really enjoyed that I think anyone who likes an mysterious and atmospheric, character-focused story will also enjoy. I would absolutely recommend Horseman, and I personally had a great time reading it. And, as always, I am eagerly awaiting Christina Henry's next story, whatever it may be. Overall, I've given Horseman four stars!

*I received a copy of Horseman courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Indiebound 

Favorite Horror Tropes

About two weeks ago I joined a Top 5 Tuesday post about some horror tropes that I didn't really care for, so I wanted to make a companion post to share some of my favorite tropes in horror (and, of course, I had to make a matching trope-y title banner!). I've really started to get more into horror in the past couple years, and I've been absolutely loving it. There are a lot of tropes that I probably have too much fun with in horror, but here's a few that tend to come to mind when I think of some horror tropes that I always tend to enjoy seeing. I'd love to hear if you like/dislike any of these tropes, and feel free to share some of your favorites as well!

1. Something's "off," but you don't know what. 

This can take a lot of different forms. For instance, I love when we're in a small town or a new area and the protagonist can tell that something's just not quite right, but can't put their finger on what. Of course, usually weird and/or creepy things start happening and then it starts to get more obvious. I also love when there's a person who is by all accounts a seemingly normal person, but there's just something not quite right about them. Basically anything with a bit of a weird vibe is my favorite, especially when you can't determine why it's so weird, it just is. 

2. Slow reveals

This is actually probably more common in movies, but I've read some books that do this well also. You know how some books/movies will slowly sort of pan towards a scene that doesn't necessarily overtly seem horrifying or disturbing because it's so normal, but as you get closer you realize it's something you want to wash out from your eyes forever? I'm a huge sucker for that, something about the slow realization of horror in front you is just so captivating to me. 

3. "It's not out there, it's in here with us."

This is one of the oldest tropes out there, probably, and is a bit overused at this point, but in general theory and execution and I still find this a great one just because of how undeniably scary it is! No matter what it is you're hiding from, there's something comforting about knowing that it's outside of your house or room or wherever, so the realization that it's actually inside where you are and you don't know exactly where is just terrifying to me. Sort of like how we've had a few wasp nests since we moved into this house that were all outside and that were removed, but then we found a live, angry wasp in our bathroom one night where we used to feel safe from them (this is absolutely the same thing as finding an alien or serial killer in your bedroom, duh). No, thank you. I also think the movie Alien does this one excellently. 

4. Anything gothic.

Going back to the basics on this one, but give me a big, spooky, crumbling mansion that's absolutely going to be haunted any day and I'm there. If a book/movie has any mention of a gothic mansion or castle or a classic haunting, I'm probably going to be at least checking it out. I can't help myself. 

5. Never seeing the monster.

I like this trope in a lot of variations, whether it's the characters and audience never actually see the scary thing, or whether the characters see it, but the audience doesn't. I think the book Bird Box handled this trope perfectly, where you literally should not try to see it, because if you actually do, you are no longer going to be that helpful or lucid enough to describe it (Now, the movie took it in a few weird directions, but that's neither here nor there). 

6. The house hates you.

This also falls under haunted houses in general for me usually, but I love when a house is actively trying to get people to leave the house, or is simply trying to kill them. What's scarier than the big place that's supposed to be a safety net wanting to push you out, often very aggressively?

7. Ancient evils.

This one is very tricky to get right, in my opinion, but when done right it's really fun. I largely tend to love when ancient evils are a problem when it means we get to dive into some history and explore some legends and the like. I always love when a story means characters have to dig through old books (I know, what a surprise) or track down old locals or people who may know something. Finding old things, digging deep into the past, it's something I love in general, so when you put it into a horror atmosphere, it's just that much more fun (usually). 

8. Everything's all wrapped up... or is it?

I don't know if this actually a trope or not, but it's hands down one of my favorite. This happens when a horror story is wrapping up and everything's either back to normal or just cleaned up to fix whatever the problem is, but then the last scene or page has something like, "but they never could figure out why that room always stayed so cold, no matter what they did" or something like that. I wish I had a good example, but you know what I mean, right?

What are some your favorite horror tropes?

Review: Litani by Jess Lourey

    

Litani by Jess Lourey
Thomas & Mercer
Publication Date: October 19th, 2021
Paperback. 316 pages.

About Litani:

"In the summer of ’84, fourteen-year-old Frankie Jubilee is shuttled off to Litani, Minnesota, to live with her estranged mother, a county prosecutor she barely knows. From the start, Frankie senses something uneasy going on in the small town. The locals whisper about The Game, and her mother warns her to stay out of the woods and away from adults. 

When a bullying gang of girls invites Frankie to The Game, she accepts, determined to find out what’s really going on in Litani. She’s not the only one becoming paranoid. Hysteria burns through the community. Dark secrets emerge. And Frankie fears that, even in the bright light of day, she might be living among monsters."

I was born in the '90s, so I didn't really learn about the Satanic Panic of the '80s until a while after it occurred, and I've found it an incredibly interesting phenomenon. I was really excited and curious about Litani when it was brought to my attention, and I had no idea what a creepy, horrifying, yet immensely well-written story I was in for. This was a somewhat slower burn of a read, yet it still felt like a page-turner for me. Litani is one of those books that's scary in the "humans are monsters" sense of scary, which to me is sometimes the scariest. I can't tell you more than that, but just be sure to be ready for some tough topics, as well as a beautiful and heartbreaking story. 

I was completely hooked from page one. The writing style is both casual and sophisticated, and Lourey's use of a first person POV worked well in letting me really get to know our protagonist, Frankie. As I briefly mentioned above, this was somewhat of a slow burn of a read at times, yet somehow it still felt like a page-turner, and I think that had a lot to do with both the subject matter and the way in which Lourey told her story with the necessary drama and horror it deserved, but without overdoing it and making it feel over the top. It felt down to earth, if that makes any sense, and there was such careful attention to detail and characters that I had no issues finding myself immersed in the story. This book was much more heartbreaking than I could have expected for reasons I also didn't expect, and I found myself feeling so much sadness for so many of these characters. There is a lot of tragedy in this book that felt very relatable to me, especially with Frankie's dad, and that resonation made this book even more heartbreaking. 

I think Lourey's characters were one of her greatest strengths in this book, and I found them all compelling in their own unique way. There are a lot of dysfunctional, messed up people in this book, as well a lot of people who are just trying to navigate their way through life in the best way that they know how to, no matter what that means. I was repulsed and intrigued by the same characters as Frankie, and I can't say how much I appreciated the depth that Lourey created for all her characters. 

The setting is also perfectly executed. This is a small town with a lot of secrets that seem to be bursting at the seems, and the constant humid heat that permeates the air feels as oppressive as the weight of those secrets. I really felt the seeming isolation of this town and how everyone in it is almost stuck in this horrible cycle of abuse. It really seemed like a stark contrast whenever Frankie would think about her time living in Pasadena, or when she called her friend June and we would finally get an outsider's voice peaking into this town, and that is all a credit to Lourey's ability to create such a vivid and almost claustrophobic town.

Although I don't have any major complaints with the story overall, I do find myself slightly confused with the inclusion of "The Game" itself, as I feel as though we don't really get much detail or explanation in the way of some of the major points advertised in the blurb. I understand what The Game is in general and what everything means and what is going on, but I feel as though there was a lot of dancing around things (although not others!) that felt a little odd and made a bit of a distanced feel as times right up until the end. The blurb seems to highlight one thing as being a bit more prominent than it was, and it didn't bother me that much, but I do feel it's something useful to point out. 

Overall, I've given Litani 4.25 stars! I truly enjoyed this book (or however you should phrase liking a book that handles such dark topics) and would absolutely recommend it to anyone in the mood for a dark story or has any interest in the Satanic Panic of the '80s.  

*I received a copy of Litani courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Indiebound 

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Gilded by Marissa Meyer, & Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

 

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Publication: November 16th, 2021

Tordotcom

Paperback. 176 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"In Adrian Tchaikovsky's Elder Race, a junior anthropologist on a distant planet must help the locals he has sworn to study to save a planet from an unbeatable foe. 

Lynesse is the lowly Fourth Daughter of the queen, and always getting in the way. 

But a demon is terrorizing the land, and now she’s an adult (albeit barely) and although she still gets in the way, she understands that the only way to save her people is to invoke the pact between her family and the Elder sorcerer who has inhabited the local tower for as long as her people have lived here (though none in living memory has approached it). 

But Elder Nyr isn’t a sorcerer, and he is forbidden to help, for his knowledge of science tells him the threat cannot possibly be a demon…"

Tchaikovsky has a lot of books out that I need to catch up on... so why not go ahead and add another to my list? I'm surprised how short this one is, but I'm certainly curious to check it out!

and...

Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Publication: November 2nd, 2021

Feiwel & Friends

Hardcover. 512 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller's daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue. 

Or so everyone believes. 

When one of Serilda's outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her… for a price. Love isn't meant to be part of the bargain. 

Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever."

This premise sounds very similar to a book I read recently, but I'm still a big fan of retellings and I'm curious to see a different take on a similar idea!

and...

Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

Publication: November 9th, 2021

DAW Books

Hardcover. 224 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"From Africanfuturist luminary Okorafor comes a new science fiction novel of intense action and thoughtful rumination on biotechnology, destiny, and humanity in a near-future Nigeria. 

Anwuli Okwudili prefers to be called AO. To her, these initials have always stood for Artificial Organism. AO has never really felt...natural, and that's putting it lightly. Her parents spent most of the days before she was born praying for her peaceful passing because even in-utero she was wrong. But she lived. Then came the car accident years later that disabled her even further. Yet instead of viewing her strange body the way the world views it, as freakish, unnatural, even the work of the devil, AO embraces all that she is: A woman with a ton of major and necessary body augmentations. And then one day she goes to her local market and everything goes wrong. 

Once on the run, she meets a Fulani herdsman named DNA and the race against time across the deserts of Northern Nigeria begins. In a world where all things are streamed, everyone is watching the reckoning of the murderess and the terrorist and the saga of the wicked woman and mad man unfold. This fast-paced, relentless journey of tribe, destiny, body, and the wonderland of technology revels in the fact that the future sometimes isn't so predictable. Expect the unaccepted."

I've been really curious to try out more of Nnedi Okorafor's work because I'm always hearing so many amazing things about it. I wasn't a fan of her book Akata Witch, but I have a feeling these books are pretty different from one another. I'm excited to check this one out sometime!

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

Top 5 Tuesday: Spooky Worlds I Probably Shouldn't Visit

This week I decided to switch back over and participate in Top 5 Tuesday, originally hosted by BionicBookworm, now hosted by MeeghanReads!

This week's topic is: Spooky Worlds

I love a good spooky world, so I figured I had to join Top 5 Tuesday once again this week to explore some spooky worlds! Below you'll find some spooky settings that I may personally love, but probably wouldn't want to visit because I'd most likely die. And probably painfully. 

The portal world from T. Kingfisher's The Hollow Places
I don't recall if this portal world had any sort of name or title, but holy smokes was it a terrifying place. I'm as equally fascinated by it as I am horrified, but no way am I visiting that place. I may have a hard time getting back...

The Old City (& possibly the New City) from Christina Henry's Alice
I love reading about these cities, but frankly, too many questionable things happen for me to think I should ever visit. 

The forest from In the House in the Dark of the Woods by Laird Hunt
I'll be honest, it's been quite a while since I read this book, so my memory is somewhat vague on details, but I do recall this book having a particular evil-feeling forest that I just think would be better to avoid altogether...

The Otherworld from Neil Gaiman's Coraline
I don't know if this world has an actual name or not, but it's how I tend to think of it. An alternate reality where things are both similar and completely off and dissimilar? No, thank you, I've seen how that plays out for Coraline and I will just have to pass. 

Silla and Nori's aunt's house from And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich
This one takes place in our own world, but whatever weird stuff is happening at these two sisters' aunt's house is plain creepy. I love trees, but these ones are a bit overzealous... and weird, unnatural things are happening that I'd probably rather not be present for. 

Bonus: The Moors from Seanan McGuire's Down Among the Sticks and Bones
I actually might visit this world if I had a chance, but in theory I think it might be better to steer clear overall!

Have you visited any of these worlds (in books, of course)? What are some spooky worlds you like, but would probably rather not visit?

Review: These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

   

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 26th, 2021
Hardcover. 288 pages.

About These Silent Woods:

"No electricity, no family, no connection to the outside world. For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. And that's exactly the way Cooper wants it, because he's got a lot to hide. Finch has been raised on the books filling the cabin’s shelves and the beautiful but brutal code of life in the wilderness. But she’s starting to push back against the sheltered life Cooper has created for her—and he’s still haunted by the painful truth of what it took to get them there. 

The only people who know they exist are a mysterious local hermit named Scotland, and Cooper's old friend, Jake, who visits each winter to bring them food and supplies. But this year, Jake doesn't show up, setting off an irreversible chain of events that reveals just how precarious their situation really is. Suddenly, the boundaries of their safe haven have blurred—and when a stranger wanders into their woods, Finch’s growing obsession with her could put them all in danger. After a shocking disappearance threatens to upend the only life Finch has ever known, Cooper is forced to decide whether to keep hiding—or finally face the sins of his past. 

Vividly atmospheric and masterfully tense, These Silent Woods is a poignant story of survival, sacrifice, and how far a father will go when faced with losing it all."

These Silent Woods follows a father and his daughter, Cooper and Finch, respectively, as they live on their own in the woods in secrecy and do their best to avoid interacting with any other person. The first thing to note about this book is that it is not, in fact, much of a thriller. If anything, I'd call it slow-burn thriller. Since this is one of those books that very much relies on a slow reveal and spoilers are hard to avoid, I've opted to turn this into a mini review in order to highlight major likes and dislikes without giving away details!

What I liked: This was an incredibly well-written character study that really let me dive deep into the mind of a father who has been struggling with his decisions to do what he continues to think is best for his daughter. He is fully connected to reality and understands that things can't last forever, but he does his best to make sure his daughter has the best life that she can. I loved how Grant conveyed Cooper's many fears and concerns in such a visceral way, while still letting the reader come to their own opinions about what was going on. I also think Grant did a great job of setting the scene and atmosphere in a secluded area that has a slightly ominous tone, but is largely contemplative and thoughtful in nature. I also really appreciated how much detail Grant put into crafting the lifestyle of Cooper and Finch and in how they managed to maintain a relatively healthy lifestyle with every factor considered. 

What I disliked: I really didn't dislike much from this story, other than the fact that I Felt as if I was slightly misled about what to expect. That being said, the story that was told was absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking and I was hooked from every page, and don't have that many criticisms. My main issues arose with a few minor plot lines that are introduced and then not fully explored. The ending was also pretty satisfying for me, but then the epilogue itself actually almost left me with more questions than I had at the last chapter, but that may just be a "me" thing. Also, I'm not sure if this was meant to be a big thing or if I'm just sensitive, but there was what seemed to be a small bit of a religious focus near the end that I wasn't expecting and didn't care for due to personal reasons. I wouldn't let this deter you from the book, but it's just something that felt a bit thrown in my face at the end and left me feeling a bit dissatisfied with some aspects. 

Overall, I've given These Silent Woods four stars! I really had a great reading experience with this and will definitely keep my eye out for more books by Kimi Cunningham Grant. It was thoughtful, moving, and beautifully written. 

*I received a copy of These Silent Woods courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Indiebound 

The Friday Face-Off: Book of Magic

     

Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme at Books by Proxy. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe.  You can find a list of upcoming topics at Lynn's Books.

This week's topic is:

Book of Magic

I wasn't entirely sure where to take this week's topic, but as soon as I thought of magic, I pictured Angie Sage's Septimus Heap trilogy since the first book is, quite simply, titled Magyk! I really enjoyed this series as a kid, although I don't think I ever got around to finishing it. There weren't as many covers as I expected there to be, but I still found it fun to look at some of the variations, both big and small!

2005 US Hardcover | 2012 US Kindle 

2008 German | 2010 Chinese

2014 Arabic | 2005 Czech

My choice(s):

I love this classic cover! It completely evokes the idea of magic and gives me the most classic and nostalgic fantasy vibes ever, which was exactly what this book was like as well. 

What cover(s) do you like the most?