Review || Crane by Stacey Rourke

Title: Crane

Author: Stacey Rourke

Publisher: Anchor Group Publishing

Format: Ebook

Genre: New Adult, Paranormal

Series: The Legends Saga #1

Rating: ★★★★★

Summary:

The Horseman is unending,

his presence shan’t lessen.

If you break the curse,

you become the legend.

Washington Irving and Rip Van Winkle had no choice but to cover up the deadly truth behind Ichabod Crane’s disappearance. Centuries later, a Crane returns to Sleepy Hollow awakening macabre secrets once believed to be buried deep.

What if the monster that spawned the legend lived within you?

Now, Ireland Crane, reeling from a break-up and seeking a fresh start, must rely on the newly awakened Rip Van Winkle to discover the key to channeling the darkness swirling within her. Bodies are piling high and Ireland is the only one that can save Sleepy Hollow by embracing her own damning curse.

But is anyone truly safe when the Horseman rides?

Thoughts:

First of all, can we just take a look at the cover? I’m so completely in love with it. Whoever designed it needs a high five or two.

I wasn’t actually sure what to expect from this story when I started it. I thought I was “just” going into a slightly creepy retelling of the Sleepy Hollow Legend. However, the book is so much more than that. It is hilarious, but at the same time it was very freaky. There were scary parts, which only got scarier because I was reading the book in the middle of the night.

Crane is a retelling of the Sleepy Hollow legend. It’s told from a dual perspective of Ichabod Crane and Ireland Crane. The first perspective is the one of Ichabod Crane; A man who moves to the town of Sleepy Hollow with his two brothers in arms, Rip Van Wrinkle and Washington Irving. Our second perspective is from Ireland Crane. She is the first Crane to set foot in Sleepy Hollow since Ichabod.

We jump between perspectives and time periods, and it works beautifully. Basically we get two stories all wrapped up in one. The language when we are looking in the perspective of Ichabod is so different from when we follow Ireland that it all works perfectly together. The parallels between the past and present time were very well done. You could clearly see the legend unfold once again in present time.

I pretty much adored all the characters in the book. They were all so different, but at the same time they were all lovable. Okay, maybe there were a few that weren’t exactly “loveable”, but they were so well written nonetheless. Ireland Crane, was such a badass main character. She was so down to earth and incredibly witty. She was a strong woman and she knew how to fend for herself. She took matters into her own hands, and she was a quick thinker.

Rip Van Wrinkle, a man out of his time. I loved the reluctant friendship that kind of struck between him an Ireland. Their interactions were so witty and hilarious., and they almost had me in tears from laughing so much. He was a fresh breath of air, and he really added something different to the story. He, as well as Ireland, had some hilarious one-liners throughout the story. He stuck with Ireland no matter what, and proved to be incredibly knowledgeable and useful. There definitely was a difference between the Rip in the past, and the Rip we see with Ireland.

“Just when I think you can’t get any creeper, you astounded me by reaching a whole new plateau. What did you do to yourself? You’re twitching like a meth head.” 

“Went into the kitchen. Consumed any products that claimed to boost energy. Ate a bowl of those disgusting brown rinds.” 

“Rinds? That’s coffee, dumbass. You’re supposed to brew it.” Rip rambled on as if she hadn’t spoken, which—judging by his herky-jerky gestures—he might not have been aware she had.

There’s a slight romance in the story. It’s still significant, but not something that takes over the entire plot, which is a nice thing. The story mainly focuses on the terrors the horseman creates and how to deal with those.

All in all, I absolute loved the book, and I don't think there was anything that I didn't like about it. It's definitely one of the best books I've read this year, and it has skyrocketed to place among my favorite books.

This is definitely not the last book I’ll read from this author. There is a sequel to Crane, called Raven, which I hope to pick up very, very, soon. 

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. It’s a perfect read for Halloween or just of you’re in the mood for a sort of different read in the fall.

Have you read the book? Does it sound like something you might enjoy?