Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers

Synopsis

Tsalagi should never have to live on human blood, but sometimes things just happen to sixteen-year-old girls.

Following one extended Cherokee family across the centuries, from the tribe’s homelands in Georgia in the 1830s to World War I, the Vietnam War, our own present, and well into the future, each story delivers a slice of a particular time period.

Alongside each story, Cherokee artist and language technologist Jeff Edwards delivers illustrations that incorporate Cherokee syllabary.

Book Review

Overall Rating: 5/5

Spooky Rating: 4/5

“There are plenty of bad men to feed on and that is what I decided to do. Greed and avarice have no mercy. I became merciless too.”

This book took my breath away.

Not only is it stunning, but having all of the stories connected through a family line and taking place in different time periods was brilliant. It covers heavy historical events and how they impacted indigenous folks while also throwing in classic horror elements.

This is not an easy read. It made me so angry and heartbroken, and it requires a lot of effort from the reader. The author incorporated the Cherokee language, and I had to refer to the glossary many times throughout my reading. I personally found this to be a beautiful and essential addition, but some readers might find it difficult to follow.

Jeff Edwards’ artwork was impeccable and complimented each story well. For young adult horror, this collection went hard, and it quite literally changed me. I am not indigenous, but I have always been very passionate about indigenous rights. I specialized in Navajo issues when I was in college in Arizona, which only increased my passion. I loved having the honor of interviewing Andrea about young adult horror and the importance of indigenous voices in general, but especially within the horror genre. I am so blessed to have been given the opportunity to share this book with you all, as it should be essential reading.