Tag Archives: Christina Henry

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

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

 

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Description:
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?

 

 

Review:

Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow by Christina Henry is a standalone novel.  Henry has been giving us some modern & dark tales on various stories such as this one.  Horseman takes place 20 years after the headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane events, as Sleepy Hollow has been quiet. Ben Van Brunt, is the granddaughter of Brom Bones, who was part of the stories years before.  Ben (who is a girl, but acts like a boy), is 14 years old, and loves and wants to be like her grandfather; she is strong and tough; as she stands up to the boys who tease and threaten her.  One of those boys is found in the woods with his head and hands missing, and the town is in an uproar, fearing the that the magic and horror is returning. 

Ben tries to find more information about her deceased father, and learns he was killed years ago in the same manner these young boys were.  Brom and Katrina (her grandparents) warn her to stay away from the dangerous woods.  When another boy’s body is discovered in the woods, Ben finds herself being accused by the boy’s father as the one who is using magic to kill his son, and the other boy.  Ben sees the creature who is killing the boys, as well as hearing sounds of the horseman trying to come to her rescue.  Is she imagining the thumping sound of the horse, is the horseman real?

What follows in a dark and intense story, where we follow Ben when she finds herself in danger, as she is taken captive by the dead boy’s father, and she does everything to fight and survive, even if she has to kill.  But when she comes face to face to the creature, her survival is dire; can the Horseman be real and save her?  One of the amazing parts is when Ben is in the woods, I can actually feel the thumping of the hooves as she can feel the Horseman coming. To tell too much more would be spoilers, and with all that happens, you do need to read this book.

Christina Henry wrote another interesting and dark storyline, as well as being scary with chilling scenes.  If you like intense dark stories, based on old tales that are created in the modern world, you should read Horseman, which was very well written by Christina Henry.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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The Girl in Red by Christina Henry – Review & Giveaway

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The Girl in Red by Christina Henry – Review & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
It’s not safe for anyone alone in the woods. There are predators that come out at night: critters and coyotes, snakes and wolves. But the woman in the red jacket has no choice. Not since the Crisis came, decimated the population, and sent those who survived fleeing into quarantine camps that serve as breeding grounds for death, destruction, and disease. She is just a woman trying not to get killed in a world that doesn’t look anything like the one she grew up in, the one that was perfectly sane and normal and boring until three months ago.

There are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night. Sometimes, there are men. Men with dark desires, weak wills, and evil intents. Men in uniform with classified information, deadly secrets, and unforgiving orders. And sometimes, just sometimes, there’s something worse than all of the horrible people and vicious beasts combined.

Red doesn’t like to think of herself as a killer, but she isn’t about to let herself get eaten up just because she is a woman alone in the woods…

 

 

Review:

The Girl in Red by Christina Henry is a Sci-Fi/Horror story that is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood in a Dystopian world.  Henry has written a number of novels of dark retellings of various fairy tales

Three months ago life was normal for Cordelia (Red), and her family, until a terrible Plague has decimated the world’s population.  When her mother starts getting sick, Red’s parents tell her to take her brother Adam and leave for a long trek to her grandmother’s house.  The storyline is in two POV’s; Before and After.  Red has a prosthetic leg (she lost her leg at 8 years old when hit by a car), which makes the walking slow; but she is tough and a survivor, not to mention she carries an ax with her.  She also has to put up with her brother’s constant nagging that they should not be walking so far, instead to go to the quarantine camps, which Red refuses, since more than likely they would die there.

 What follows in a dark and intense story, where we follow Red during her adventure to reach her grandmother’s cabin.  Along the way there are many evils that might represent wolves, but in this world even darker; such as the cough which is the start of the plague and death; the evil men who look for woman and children; and the unknown horror (creature?) that is out there threatening the lives of others.  For Red its all about survival, and she has no qualms to use her ax or whatever to save herself.

The Before covers the beginning before she left, with her mother, father, as well as her trek with Adam.   The After is when she no longer has Adam, and takes upon the responsibility to help two very young children to come with her to her grandmother’s cabin. The daily gruesome trek is filled with horrible dangers, besides the normal dangers of the woods, such as snakes, coyotes, wolves, etc.

Christina Henry wrote an interesting and dark story that was intense, but well written.  I did not really like the open ended way the story left off.  Is there a 2nd book, I do not know, but I suspect there will not be, therefore leaving us a bit open.  If you like Dystopian Sci-Fi Horror retellings of fairy tales, you should be reading The Girl In Red.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

Christina Henry’s publisher is offering a paper copy  THE GIRL IN RED to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

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8. Giveaway open USA only

10. Giveaway runs from June 20 to 24, 2019

 

 

 

 

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