A sweet retelling of a spooky classic.
There are more charms than terrors in this reimagining of a supernatural tale.
Valentino’s eye for lavish detail focuses on Kat Van Tassel, an 18-year-old at Ichabod Crane High, named after Sleepy Hollow’s most infamous figure. Trapped in a life that feels all too planned out and a skeptic surrounded by those who believe in ghosts, Kat chafes at the way she’s fated to marry childhood sweetheart Blake, help run the family estate, and fulfill townspeople’s expectations. Kat has other aspirations, and her modern-day story mirrors the past she uncovers while reading Katrina Van Tassel’s diary entries, which are presented in chapters interspersed with the contemporary timeline. Katrina is a distant relative whose life was the source for many of the town’s myths and rituals. Blake attempts a spell with his friends, pushing Kat to participate against her wishes. Increasingly frustrated with him, Kat becomes fast friends with Isadora Crow, a mysterious, dark-haired classmate whom Blake dislikes. As Isadora and Kat explore Katrina’s diary, they begin to have feelings that are stronger than friendship. The young women’s curiosity about the diary grows—alongside their romance, which becomes more than a crush. Mild chills and dual timelines drive the plot; the latter at times are too neatly mirrored. Horror readers hungry for a retelling will find few scares, but the same-sex relationship breathes some new life into the legend. Most characters default to White.
A sweet retelling of a spooky classic. (Paranormal romance. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-368-05461-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: July 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022
A uniquely arranged bouquet of terrors, as disturbing as it is beautiful.
A family’s secrets rise to the surface as a young man investigates a suspected murder.
Evander, who’s 17 and lonely, never leaves his room in the manor on Hazelthorn Estate. He’s told he’s too fragile and is locked away “for his safety” while an elderly butler feeds him brain-addling “medicine.” But one night changes Evander’s life—and the manor’s future—forever. Byron Lennox-Hall, Evander’s billionaire guardian and the family’s patriarch, dies unexpectedly. Relatives descend upon Hazelthorn like vultures as a shocking twist reveals that Byron left everything to Evander alone. Without Byron around to keep his only grandchild and presumed heir, Laurence “Laurie” Lennox-Hall, away from his ward, Laurie and Evander become the unlikeliest of allies. When they were boys, Laurie attempted to kill Evander—but, maddeningly, Evander can’t stop thinking about him. He also suspects that someone murdered Byron. Drews’ latest starts off as a straightforward whodunit and turns into something that’s far more sinister—and delicious. From descriptions of moth-eaten decay to vivid floral imagery, Drews luxuriates in atmospheric prose. Their literary green thumb nurtures intertwining themes of monstrosity and abuse alongside yearning, first love, queerness, and mystery. The slow-burn romance at the root of this blend of gothic and body horror is as tender as it is unforgettable. Evander is cued as autistic, and main characters present white.
A uniquely arranged bouquet of terrors, as disturbing as it is beautiful. (author’s note) (Horror. 13-18)Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781250376299
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
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