Special thanks to BOOM! Studios for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Hollow
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Publication Date: 04 October 2022
Genre: YA Paranormal Graphic Novel
Panda Rating:
(4 pandas)
📖 SYNOPSIS
From Shannon Watters, the co-creator of the bestselling worldwide phenomenon Lumberjanes, and co-writer debut author Branden Boyer-White, rising star artist Berenice Nelle (Wanderlicht), and colorist Kaitlyn Musto (Specter Inspectors), comes a supernatural queer romance and adventure set in the infamous town of Sleepy Hollow, available in September 2022.
Isabel “Izzy” Crane and her family have just relocated to Sleepy Hollow, the town made famous by—and obsessed with—Washington Irving’s legend of the Headless Horseman. But city slicker-skeptic Izzy has no time for superstition as she navigates life at a new address, a new school, and, with any luck, with new friends. Ghost stories aren’t real, after all….
Then Izzy is pulled into the orbit of the town’s teen royalty, Vicky Van Tassel (yes, that Van Tassel) and loveable varsity-level prankster Croc Byun. Vicky’s weariness with her family connection to the legend turns to terror when the trio begins to be haunted by the Horseman himself, uncovering a curse set on destroying the Van Tassel line. Now, they have only until Halloween night to break it—meaning it’s a totally inconvenient time for Izzy to develop a massive crush on the enigmatic Vicky.
Can Izzy’s practical nature help her face the unknown—or only trip her up? As the calendar runs down to the 31st, Izzy will have to use all of her wits and work with her new friends to save Vicky and uncover the mystery of the legendary Horseman of Sleepy Hollow—before it’s too late.
⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS
Attempted murder, violence
TL;DR: I knew I was going to enjoy this graphic novel the minute I started reading it! You’d think a story about the legend of sleepy hollow would not be my jam (as a notorious scaredy) and normally, you’d be right, but this had a cosy mystery + modern take to it that made it more fun than scary. It would be the perfect addition to your spooky season reading lists!
I adored the illustration/art style and the colour palette captured the autumnal/spooky vibe perfectly! I also loved the diversity in the story with the inclusion of queer and POC characters. I don’t know how much of a twist this is on the original sleepy hollow tale but I found it really fun and I loved the character twist for the headless horseman—it was totally unexpected but had me laughing out loud because it was awesome.
Izzy, Vicky, and Croc were such great characters with their own distinct personalities. Croc was a cute himbo jock who was a great friend to Vicky. I loved the “coming of age” aspect that we get to see for Vicky in particular. She faces a lot of pressure to live up to and carry the van Tassel name and instead of enjoying the role she was “born to embrace”, the pressure has become a burden. Izzy brought a relatable outsider perspective to a town that was fully and weirdly obsessed with the spooky legend but I loved the unexpected yet strong friendship/bond that forms between the trio.
The only parts of the story that I wished had been better developed had to do with the villain and the romance. I wished that his purpose was actually explained because I didn’t get it and I wished the romance had been less rushed (it escalated very quickly). Overall though, a great Halloween-y read that’s perfect for those who aren’t big fans of spooky things but love a cosy mystery with an intriguing plot and wonderful characters!
Have you read Hollow or is it on your TBR?
dinipandareads 
OKAY BUT COSY MYSTERY AND A MODERN TAKE ON SLEEPY HOLLOW AND A STORY THAT’S MORE FUN THAN SCARY?? HELLO I NEED THIS??
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YES!!! YES YOU DO!!!
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Sounds like a great spin on a classic. I like when they are not retellings, but rather extensions of the original story (like this and books like Splintered)
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It was fun! I don’t know the full original very well but I think this was definitely a fun spin 🙂
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I haven’t read this one, but the art and the synopsis really appeal to me!
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I *love* the art! 😍 And it was a fun story too!
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This wasn’t on my radar, but it sounds so good! Do you think it’s good for 14 year olds because it sounds like something my daughter would like.
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Yes, definitely! I think she would enjoy it 😃
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Yay! I’m going to tell her. She’s really looking for graphic novels with a MM love story (like Heartstopper), so if you know any, keep me in mind!
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[…] ARC Review: Hollow by Shannon Watters […]
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Glad you enjoyed this one so much!
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