American Monsters

July 28, 2014
Mystery expert Godfrey (Real Wolfmen) collects the eyewitness accounts of Americans who claim to have crossed paths with monsters—at least in the author’s sense of the word. These so called monsters Godfrey defines as beings who are “bigger than they ought to be,” who “hiss, growl... and scream.” They are divided by terrain into three groups: those who roam the land (bigfoots, werewolves, and freakish felines), those who fly across the sky (dragons, oversized bats, and the Mothman), and those and lurk underwater (alligator men, squids, merpeople, and sea serpents). Godfrey frequently draws from myth and folklore and cites cases from history and pop culture, demonstrating extensive knowledge of her subject matter. She offers theories as to why certain regions attract certain types of monsters. Many of the stories she includes are similar tales of people driving and spotting a weird creature, and this piling-on of stories book often reads like a list. Despite its repetitiveness, the book will prove a handy encyclopedia for enthusiastic cryptozoologists of all ages.

September 1, 2014

This latest entry in the study of cryptozoology (the study of unknown animals) is a well-written and fairly comprehensive guide to creature sightings in North America. Well known for her writing in this field, Godfrey (Real Wolfmen) breaks this title into three sections: monsters by air, monsters by sea, and monsters by land. She considers a monster anything that threatens our concept of reality, is huge or incomprehensible, and cannot seem to be captured on film or in reality. The author's books are basically compendiums of our modern mythology. In past works, such as Real Wolfmen, Godfrey writes as a reporter who has collected stories from people throughout North America. Here she continues this approach, but for the first time talks about her own experience spotting unexplained animal phenomenon and openly wonders if there is more to the universe than humans know. VERDICT Ideal for those who want an accessible, straightforward account of sightings of reptoids, man bats, deer dragons, gator men, Wampus cats, and even Sasquatch.--Mary E. Jones, Los Angeles P.L.

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