Horseman

A Tale of Sleepy Hollow

By: Christina Henry

Narrated by: Em Grosland

In this atmospheric, terrifying novel that draws strongly from "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," the author of Alice and The Girl in Red works her trademark magic, spinning an engaging and frightening new story from a classic tale.

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.

More than thirty 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 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?

Critic reviews

“Fans of gothic horror will be eager to follow Ben into the woods.”--Booklist

"With visceral visions of nightmares, creepy prose and a pace as fast as the rush of horses’ hooves, Henry’s take on Irving’s classic story is a one-sitting read, a chilling romp into the forest that will remind readers that sometimes the scariest monster in the room is human nature ."--BookPage

Praise for Christina Henry's novels

"Satisfyingly upends the familiar tale of a clever girl, a dangerous wolf, and a brave savior, and folklore fans will enjoy this bloody near-future variation on a familiar theme."—Publishers Weekly

"An engrossing page-turner that will delight anyone who loves running through thought experiments about the apocalypse.”—Paste

"A riveting rewrite of Peter Pan."--The Wall Street Journal

"Multiple twists keep the reader guessing, and the fluid writing is enthralling....This is a fine addition to the shelves of any fan of children's classics and their modern subversions."--Publishers Weekly

"This wild, unrelenting tale, full to the brim with the freedom and violence of young boys who never want to grow up, will appeal to fans of dark fantasy."--Booklist

"A horrifying fantasy that will have you reexamining your love for this childhood favorite. Smooth, velvety prose blends well with the deliciously complex characters and intricate story line."--RT Book Reviews (top pick)

"It's full of magic and passion and courage, set against a convincing historical backdrop....Henry's spare, muscular prose is a delight. I loved this novel."--Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

Love C Henry, this wasn’t my fave

This was a fun retelling but this wasn’t my favorite book of hers. I loved her Alice retellings so much more, and the Hook story. This was good but a little more drawn out than I feel was necessary.

What it lacks in substance it makes up for with suspense!

I wasn’t anticipating a YA novel, but The Horseman is definitely for a younger audience. I appreciated the main character’s struggle, but it took over every aspect of his personality in the book, and made him one-beat. There are some really intense scenes in here, and I love the twist at the end, but this book’s main character had me so entirely frustrated because there was no depth to him. This book seems unfinished, I hope it will be revisited with later editions!

The best ghost story I've heard in a long time.

I really did not think I would enjoy this book. I had never heard of the author, I was less than two paragraphs in and did not like the narrator, and I just did not have high expectations. Then, it quickly took off and wove itself into this incredible coming of age ghost story. It is ghostly and eerie and perfect. Highly recommend.

Creative headless horseman

Horror but not so gory. It still reads light and kept me wanting to read more

Fun Ride

So, I finished my #SpookyReads for October with Horseman by Christina Henry. I absolutely loved the reinvention of this tale. Without giving anything away, I will say the new take on this beloved ghost story was so creatively conceived and so perfectly brought to life through Henry's really exceptional writing talent, that I have to give this book high praise. She really creates the spookiest atmosphere and a very endearing young protagonist in Bente. I found myself dreading every time that kid went into the woods. The book also starts off with a (fairly shocking and gruesome) bang and pretty much maintains it's suspenseful momentum to almost the end. I also give high praise to the author for weaving the gender identity theme into the story with deft but bold hands. I applaud that Bente's identification as a boy/a grandson was not just nudged out into the open but was firmly placed on the table of this tale as a component worthy of such attention. You just do not see that happen in fiction that is not specifically written for that intent! My only tiny critique would be at the end I sort of felt like the author fell into the trap of "explaining" a bit (how the villain came to be and why, etc.) I see that so often in ghost stories and it's unnecessary and even a bit boring. It was not so prolonged or overt that I didn't enjoy the book but it was enough that there was noticeable pause in my compulsive reading right at the very end. I still highly recommend this book. It's creative. It's fun. And, it's so awesome to see a character exploring their gender as part of the story. Huge kudos to Henry on that.