Review: Crane

Image Source: Hannah Tu

The first in the Legends saga, Crane by Stacey Rourke is a chilling retelling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Hoping to start life over after a bad breakup, Ireland Crane moves from New York to the small town called Tarrytown. But a quiet life isn’t what she gets as she discovers the monster from the tale lives inside her; if she doesn’t learn to take control of the Headless Horseman, she’ll leave a trail of rolling heads and dead bodies behind her.

Written in a parallel structure, Crane alternates between Ichabod Crane in the 18th century and Ireland in the 21st century. Those not familiar with the original tale will not be confused as Rourke provides enough information through Ichabod’s eyes; though some information is changed to fit the plot, the major details remain the same. Although it may seem as though Rourke didn’t make much effort with the original, the novel has a great balance of entertainment and suspense. Each of the characters have traits that make them memorable in their own way: Ireland has a sassy personality despite being cast as a villain by the universe and Rip Van Wrinkle has endearing quirks despite waking up years later.

Crane is engaging and horrifying, perfect for readers who want a modernized version of Sleepy Hollow or a character struggling with good and evil inside her.