Dead Strange: The Bizarre Truths Behind 50 Unexplained Mysteries

by Matt Lamy

This amazing collection contains entries on everything from the bizarre to the horrific, from the spooky to the just plain confounding. The book gives essential background information on fifty famous mysterious events and the people involved, discusses the impact of particular myths and beliefs, and provides updates on the latest investigations being undertaken in an attempt to find answers to these baffling phenomena. From Loch Ness to Bigfoot, spontaneous combustion to Roswell, each entry is supported with sidebars related to pop culture and comes with a wealth of photographs.

Genres: Nonfiction, Paranormal, Horror, History

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2012

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great nonfiction read similar to Scandalous. I loved reading about the mysteries that have become of the stuff of urban myth. The book seems to cover all the bases, including myths that surfaced from true events to ones of more fantastical backgrounds - from Area 51 conspiracy theories to the Dead Sea Scrolls, from Jack the Ripper to Vampires. It devotes 2 - 3 pages to each mystery, explains what the theorists believe, what the skeptics say, and includes pictures, though they are sometimes grainy and old (for example, Big Foot, who just never seems to be willing to take a good picture). The narrative voice is again personable and at times humorous, however in some articles (particularaly ones having to do with religious subjects) it is obvious the writer had a hard time keeping his own skepticism from leaking into the pages. Appropriate for middle school and up, a great choice for reluctant readers and those who love conspiracy theories.

[Kaethe]

Another book in which the "bizarre truths" aren't really given much attention so as to keep the mysteries alive. There is no mystery to crop circles, except why people want to make them, perhaps, and why other people stake so much on unnatural explanations. The fascinating truth behind alchemy is that it became chemistry. The puzzling mystery behind Noah's Ark is that anyone thinks an old boat could possibly prove anything.

The section on alien abduction particularly bothered me, because he missed the point entirely: as with multiple personality disorder and ritual satanic abuse, people were given memories by the therapists who were supposed to help them.

Library copy.

[Mrs. Kenyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a reader who is interested in the supernatural, mysteries and weird facts, then “Dead Strange” may be the next book for you. Matt Lamy explores 50 world-famous stories and brings together current and past information into quick snippets of reading. The items selected run the gambit from superstition, religion, mythology, folklore and science. Lamy consistently plays the devil’s advocate to give the reader a well-rounded understanding of each topic. Side bars are included with most mysteries which give additional information to enhance the reader’s knowledge. Many intriguing photos and art work are also included to give supporting evidence for or against the topic presented. This non-fiction book would be great to keep on hand for quick reading without worrying about completing a story.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming sampler of 50 interesting topics. The photo captions are amusing.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this would be a perfectly fine children's nonfiction book option, but there are simply others that do it better.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the strange myths and stories. The some of the stories in this book are jack the ripper, the real dracula, poltergiest, and voodoo. The book helps explain and solve the strange stories and myths.Vlad dracula enjoyed watching people being skinned, boiled alive, and impaling people. This story originated in europe.


I would reccomend this book to people who enjoy scary things and mysrtery. Due to the explanation of these strange occurances and myths. I enjoyed this book because i love mystery due to the unknowing aspect of this book. But the stuff in this boo is explained and i get to know more things about stuff i didnt even know was real. Book is meant for someone who is a learner. This is a great book.

[Kayleigh Wiebe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it was a staff recommendation at the library, but overall I did find this one a bit disappointing. Going in, I thought it would debunk some of the most popular conspiracy theories. What I got were just summaries of well-known “mysteries” (a.k.a. conspiracy theories), without any analysis or real critique. Not sure I would recommend this, even as a primer on these subjects, because I just think a more critical lens needs to be taken while consuming this type of content.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything inside that keeps fascinating me since childhood days: alchemy, alien abduction, Amityville, Anastasia, Area51, Atlantis, Bermuda Triangle, El Dorado, Holy Grail, Lourdes, Men in Black, Nostradamus, Quija boards, Roswell, Stonehenge, UFO crashes, Yeti, zombies and many more. If you're into mysteries this is a great overview. To the point, great photos and illustrations. I devoured this one and can highly recommend it!

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'll save my rant and simply state that the word "Truths" in this title is a mind-numbingly generous use of the term.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be rather fascinating. Humans do seem to find the strange and mysterious rather compelling and the number of things covered in the book makes that clear. I didn’t necessarily agree with all of the conclusions that the author came up with, but he does a nice job of including the different opinions related to each issue. I especially appreciated how he included the discoveries that science has made that either support or contradict the accepted ideas. For example, when he writes about the Shroud of Turin, he talks about its appearance, what people believe about it, and the tests that scientists have done on it that suggest its no where near old enough to have covered the body of Jesus Christ. I also appreciated how he left room for the reader to believe as he/she wants. The fact is for a lot of these mysteries, there is currently no definitive answer. An interesting book for readers who enjoy real-life mysteries, many of which still have no final answer.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book really raises so many questions about lifes greatest mysterious it sends your mind on loops and turns trying to just scratch the surface of all of these unforgotten tales.It starts all the way from the beginig of time to what might of been the way we as humans came to be on this planet earth wich is also known as the big bang theory.this book even talks about how we might have already made contact with other life forms outside of this planet theres so many stories to uncover some you might of heard before and many that you havent heard of.this book is filled with wonder and excitement also with chilling and terrifying mysterious that make you wonder is there more to life than we really think.

[carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This amazing collection of the weird and wonderful contains entries on everything from the bizarre to the horrific, and from the spooky to the just plain confounding. The book includes some of history's most astounding tales of the strange and supernatural, and tells in vivid detail the story behind the events and the people involved, the impact of particular myths and beliefs, and the latest investigations being undertaken in an attempt to find answers to the world's most baffling phenomena.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love books about creepy stuff like this. I know there's probably a logical explanation for most of this stuff, but I'd like to believe that some of it is true. It is geared towards young adults, but any interested reader should enjoy it.

[Bunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun read. I learned about things I hear reference to, but knew nothing about. Good read.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a feeling that this will be the most requested book of my non-fiction booktalk to the middle schoolers! A fun and interesting read.

[Shaun Brady · Rating 2 out of 5]

A light quick read, but lacking almost any substance. I would have preferred less stories and more information because two pages for a lot of these mysteries just isn't enough.

[Yosef Shapiro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not so sure how factual these stories are.