Raising the Horseman

About This Audiobook

Serena Valentino reimagines Washington Irving’s classic not as a cautionary tale, but as a teen gothic fever dream. The story follows modern-day Kat Van Tassel—a descendant of Ichabod Crane’s love interest—as she discovers Sleepy Hollow’s legendary Headless Horseman isn’t just folklore. At the bicentennial anniversary of his rampage, the past refuses to stay buried, and Kat must confront a vengeance-driven ghost whose grudge spans centuries. Valentino’s prose drips with atmospheric dread, blending historical horror with the raw emotional stakes of adolescence. This isn’t a retelling that panders to nostalgia; it’s a reinvention that feels like a campfire story told under the stars, with all the chills and whispers intact. The audiobook’s strength lies in its eerie authenticity—this isn’t a polished Halloween tale, but a messy, moody confrontation with grief and justice deferred. Natasha Soudek’s narration amplifies that tension, her voice shifting seamlessly between Kat’s sarcastic teen wit and the Horseman’s guttural, otherworldly snarls.