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CryptoZoo
All cryptids stay away from humans. Never be seen. And if you can’t run? Hide. It’s the only way to survive.
Cleo was raised with these rules under the kind, gentle feet of her adoptive Papá, the immortal forefather of all Sasquatch. As a blood-drinking Chupacabra herself struggling to prove her place in the pecking order of a new pack, she’s uncomfortably familiar with the threat of mankind’s ambitious traps, hidden trail cams, and lethal hunting techniques. But when her beloved Papá goes missing, the powerful Mothman prophesizes the extinction of all cryptid species looms unless the Sasquatch is found. Swallowing her fear of humans, Cleo volunteers to follow her Papá’s trail into “the Lands of Man”. But to survive the concrete jungle, she’ll have to master a perilous magic to appear as a human herself—and who better to guide her than Manhattan’s charming glamour expert, the Jersey Devil?
As she navigates the insidious, often violent histories between man and cryptid, mortal and immortal, clever disguises and powerful magic may not be enough to save the missing Sasquatch. Aided by the secretive Jersey Devil, haunted by the Mothman’s cataclysmic prophecies, and stalked by murderous cryptid hunters, Cleo will need to adapt to New York City. If she fails, she will lose not only her Papá, but her entire species to mankind’s hunger as the Mothman foretold.
Cleo was raised with these rules under the kind, gentle feet of her adoptive Papá, the immortal forefather of all Sasquatch. As a blood-drinking Chupacabra herself struggling to prove her place in the pecking order of a new pack, she’s uncomfortably familiar with the threat of mankind’s ambitious traps, hidden trail cams, and lethal hunting techniques. But when her beloved Papá goes missing, the powerful Mothman prophesizes the extinction of all cryptid species looms unless the Sasquatch is found. Swallowing her fear of humans, Cleo volunteers to follow her Papá’s trail into “the Lands of Man”. But to survive the concrete jungle, she’ll have to master a perilous magic to appear as a human herself—and who better to guide her than Manhattan’s charming glamour expert, the Jersey Devil?
As she navigates the insidious, often violent histories between man and cryptid, mortal and immortal, clever disguises and powerful magic may not be enough to save the missing Sasquatch. Aided by the secretive Jersey Devil, haunted by the Mothman’s cataclysmic prophecies, and stalked by murderous cryptid hunters, Cleo will need to adapt to New York City. If she fails, she will lose not only her Papá, but her entire species to mankind’s hunger as the Mothman foretold.
542 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2024
4 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 30, 2024
Seriously so good!! Lovable characters, plenty of twists and lots of juicy mysteries makes this a true page-turner. The cryptid aspect of this story makes it fun and fresh to read (I googled so many monsters I haven’t heard of before!) but it’s still packed full of real, human connection and feelings. I’m eagerly looking forward to reading more from JD!
January 5, 2026
Met J.D at galaxycon columbus 2025. gave the greatest no pressure sales pitch for the book, you could really see their love for the content of the book. going through all of Chloe and J.D.(no relation to the author) journey was really enjoyable and I hope anf look forward to more from this univers the author has so lovingly built.
January 18, 2025
It is a fun change from your typical urban fantasy novel. I can't say I've ever gotten into the head of a Chupacabra before! But she does an excellent job of humanizing the cryptids. It is well-written and well-thought-out. Though it goes through a major story arc, it is definitely setting up for a series, with many loose threads and potential for a lot of character development.
June 9, 2024
Since free-text fields don't do footnotes, my personal preference of parentheticals will have to do instead for this review (maybe I'm a Lisp programmer reincarnated, but I digress). CryptoZoo is a refreshing YA fantasy (or documentary if you're a cryptid).
Cleo is a chupacabra who has a great sense of smell and a stubborn streak with the kind of mix of curiosity and impatience that get her in one spot of bother after another despite her good intentions. And you can't really blame her for being impatient when it's her adoptive father who has gone missing and he's not the kind of guy whose picture you can just put out on flyers around the neighborhood (or milk cartons for that matter).
Thankfully for Cleo, she has allies in high places who want to help her and is armed with a childhood diet of movies, magazines, and Floating Goats; however, Cleo, being impatient, is not always accepting of the "hurry-up-and-wait" kind of help that experienced adults prefer. But Cleo doesn't let anything deter her from choosing her own adventure. Not being illiterate in the two languages she speaks. Not me, your reviewer, who hasn't actively been in a Spanish class for 20 years (I remembered a surprising amount and most of it is clear from context anyway). Not being in an utterly unfamiliar environment (and skin). Not having to figure out on the fly who to trust or knowing in advance which of your past decisions will come back to push you into the NYC sewer system and close the grate behind you.
Whether you come for the cryptids, the pop culture references, the historical references, or an excellent read set in New York City, I promise you'll stay for the story that keeps you turning pages and that mix of thrill and disappointment of having finished a really good book.
Cleo is a chupacabra who has a great sense of smell and a stubborn streak with the kind of mix of curiosity and impatience that get her in one spot of bother after another despite her good intentions. And you can't really blame her for being impatient when it's her adoptive father who has gone missing and he's not the kind of guy whose picture you can just put out on flyers around the neighborhood (or milk cartons for that matter).
Thankfully for Cleo, she has allies in high places who want to help her and is armed with a childhood diet of movies, magazines, and Floating Goats; however, Cleo, being impatient, is not always accepting of the "hurry-up-and-wait" kind of help that experienced adults prefer. But Cleo doesn't let anything deter her from choosing her own adventure. Not being illiterate in the two languages she speaks. Not me, your reviewer, who hasn't actively been in a Spanish class for 20 years (I remembered a surprising amount and most of it is clear from context anyway). Not being in an utterly unfamiliar environment (and skin). Not having to figure out on the fly who to trust or knowing in advance which of your past decisions will come back to push you into the NYC sewer system and close the grate behind you.
Whether you come for the cryptids, the pop culture references, the historical references, or an excellent read set in New York City, I promise you'll stay for the story that keeps you turning pages and that mix of thrill and disappointment of having finished a really good book.
November 1, 2024
I read this after seeing it at Anthrocon 2024. I picked it up along with friends to start a book club with the novel. I will say the first few chapters it was a little difficult to get into with the world building and slow burn but you quickly get drawn into the story a few chapters in. The characters are all enjoyable and the twists were fun and un-predictible leaving me wanting more!
February 16, 2026
Lovable characters. Solid world building with easy to grasp rules. If you enjoy urban fantasy, reverse Taken, and more Cryptids then you could fit in a zoo, this is your book.
Honestly an engaging read from start to finish. It twist’d it turned. It moved me because my arms were falling asleep and I needed to adjust to keep reading.
Honestly an engaging read from start to finish. It twist’d it turned. It moved me because my arms were falling asleep and I needed to adjust to keep reading.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews