Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | How to Be a Zombie / Undead | 2010 | Serena Valentino | Buy |
| 2 | How to Be a Werewolf / Howl | 2010 | Serena Valentino | Buy |
| 3 | Raising the Horseman | 2022 | Serena Valentino | Buy |
Serena Valentino’s standalone novels show her range beyond comics and Disney. How to Be a Zombie and How to Be a Werewolf, both published in 2010, are humorous illustrated guides that play with monster movie conventions. They are lighter than her other work and aimed at readers who enjoy the genre without taking it too seriously.
Raising the Horseman, published in 2022, is a more substantial young adult novel set in a version of Sleepy Hollow where the Headless Horseman’s legacy continues to affect the town’s residents. The book applies Valentino’s interest in fairy tales and classic horror stories to the Washington Irving tradition, giving it her characteristic blend of sympathy for misunderstood characters and genuine gothic atmosphere.