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Man Made Monsters
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.
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.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2022
232 people are currently reading
15644 people want to read
About the author
Andrea L. Rogers
13 books159 followersAndrea L. Rogers is a writer from Tulsa, Oklahoma and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. She graduated from the Institute of American Indian and Alaskan Arts with an MFA in Creative Writing. Currently, she is splitting time between Fayetteville, Arkansas, where she is a Ph.d. student at the University Arkansas and Fort Worth, Texas, where her family lives. Her book Mary and the Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Removal Survival Story was named an NPR Best Book of 202) by both NPR and American Indians in Children’s Literature.
Ms. Rogers is on the Board of the Fort Worth Public Library.
A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, she is currently revising a middle grade mystery, writing an adult literary horror novel, and working on a series of picture book manuscripts.
All text and images © Andrea L. Rogers 2018 – 2021, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
Ms. Rogers is on the Board of the Fort Worth Public Library.
A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, she is currently revising a middle grade mystery, writing an adult literary horror novel, and working on a series of picture book manuscripts.
All text and images © Andrea L. Rogers 2018 – 2021, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 593 reviews
October 12, 2022
Video: https://youtu.be/GW9fZye3H2w
This is such a cool, well-crafted project! Man Made Monsters is a YA collection of short stories in the horror genre, organized chronologically from the 1830's to the future. They follow a Cherokee family through time, with stories including horror tropes from vampires to ghosts to zombies and more. But often the true horror of the story will be rooted in human violence, racism, misogyny, homophobia and systemic oppression. As is often true with collections like this, some stories are stronger than others, but it works so well as a cohesive whole and is ambitious. I will definitely reading more from Rogers in the future and think this is collection well worth your time! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This is such a cool, well-crafted project! Man Made Monsters is a YA collection of short stories in the horror genre, organized chronologically from the 1830's to the future. They follow a Cherokee family through time, with stories including horror tropes from vampires to ghosts to zombies and more. But often the true horror of the story will be rooted in human violence, racism, misogyny, homophobia and systemic oppression. As is often true with collections like this, some stories are stronger than others, but it works so well as a cohesive whole and is ambitious. I will definitely reading more from Rogers in the future and think this is collection well worth your time! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
February 27, 2023
Huge thanks to Goodreads and the publisher, Levine Querido, for this awesome giveaway hardcover I received a while back. Manmade Monsters was a delight.
This was a unique book in so many ways for me. First, the format: the pages were a blend of standard black font on white page, plus white font on black pages. These mixed with two-page spreads that introduced the next story, with illustrations done in white against the black. It was so cool, both the blend of pages and the creative, almost title-card style presenting the next story.
Second, I'm usually annoyed at family trees at the start of books; they're often unnecessary or overcomplicated to understand anyways. This one was different; the different stories follow different generations of the same family, so that tree was helpful and tying it all together. But there's another chilling aspect to including it: in a horror anthology, you can't help but wonder at the branches of the tree that end with no offspring stemming from them.
Third, the use of an anthology to explore a linear timeline of intergenerational trauma, particularly that of an Indigenous family, was an excellent choice. I understand the various stories were submitted to different publications at some points, but tying them all together like this was to great effect for me as a reader. Ama was an amazing character and a somber thread to tie together two centuries of lineage complicated by racism, domestic and male violence, and apocalyptic plagues.
And lastly, the stories were all equally intriguing but varied widely from creature features, to ghost stories, to sad teen tragedies, to a modern setting in an era of regular school shootings, to a zombie apocalypse. I highly recommend reading every story, in order, for full effect.
Jeff Edwards' artwork was a fantastic inclusion to flesh out the stories. The growing Indigenous horror genre is amazing.
This was a unique book in so many ways for me. First, the format: the pages were a blend of standard black font on white page, plus white font on black pages. These mixed with two-page spreads that introduced the next story, with illustrations done in white against the black. It was so cool, both the blend of pages and the creative, almost title-card style presenting the next story.
Second, I'm usually annoyed at family trees at the start of books; they're often unnecessary or overcomplicated to understand anyways. This one was different; the different stories follow different generations of the same family, so that tree was helpful and tying it all together. But there's another chilling aspect to including it: in a horror anthology, you can't help but wonder at the branches of the tree that end with no offspring stemming from them.
Third, the use of an anthology to explore a linear timeline of intergenerational trauma, particularly that of an Indigenous family, was an excellent choice. I understand the various stories were submitted to different publications at some points, but tying them all together like this was to great effect for me as a reader. Ama was an amazing character and a somber thread to tie together two centuries of lineage complicated by racism, domestic and male violence, and apocalyptic plagues.
And lastly, the stories were all equally intriguing but varied widely from creature features, to ghost stories, to sad teen tragedies, to a modern setting in an era of regular school shootings, to a zombie apocalypse. I highly recommend reading every story, in order, for full effect.
Jeff Edwards' artwork was a fantastic inclusion to flesh out the stories. The growing Indigenous horror genre is amazing.
July 29, 2024
Here you will find many short stories woven together by a common thread. You will need to refer back to the family tree often as you read. Andrea L. Rogers has done a fantastic job at drawing the reader into a family’s legacy as the world revolves and changes, decade by decade. I was also thrilled to learn more about the Cherokee language and culture.
I’ll be reading this one again. Also, to a certain character who has a “d” in his/her name—that was cold, stone cold. If I learned anything from these stories, it was to be really, really careful about what you say and do around certain people. Otherwise, you could find yourself facing a manmade monster. I’d advise against putting yourself in that situation.
Thank you to Levine Querido and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my unbiased feedback.
I’ll be reading this one again. Also, to a certain character who has a “d” in his/her name—that was cold, stone cold. If I learned anything from these stories, it was to be really, really careful about what you say and do around certain people. Otherwise, you could find yourself facing a manmade monster. I’d advise against putting yourself in that situation.
Thank you to Levine Querido and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my unbiased feedback.
July 7, 2022
This is now one of my all-time favorite books. I couldn't put it down and already am telling everyone I know about it. What boggles the mind is how every aspect of it could stand on its own to be a solid, well-received book. It has new takes on old monsters from a Native perspective; centers young women; weaves in themes of colonialism and cultural destruction. All of these elements would lead to an incredible book by clearly one of the best writers out there. But, what knocks this book into the stratosphere is the linking of the stories through a family tree (so well organized, when easily could have become a mess), as well as the different styles of writing Rogers tackles throughout it. Perspectives change from story to story, and even style of writing (newspaper articles, etc.). Regardless of narrator, they are fully formed within a sentence or two, their terror, curiosity, or pride leaping off the page. I feel as though I got a peek into a very cool person's brain, and it was a real privilege. I was sad when it was over!
January 26, 2023
This debut YA collection of short horror stories by Cherokee author, Andrea L. Rogers was one that immediately caught my eye. The cover itself is beautiful and the illustrations inside are even more stunning. And always trying to read more books by Indigenous authors, I knew I wanted to go out of my comfort zone and picked this one up.
I don’t really read a lot of horror. If you’ve been here, you know already knew that. But, this is exactly the type of horror that I like. It’s horror but it’s fantasy and sci-fi. It’s not gory, but will leave you with a haunting feeling that will stay with you and follow you into your dreams (it did for me).
The collection follows an extended Cherokee family across centuries, from the 1830s to the future. And while the stories are very loosely linked, they represent POVs from different family members and their stories about different monsters.
You get the usual horror tropes like vampires, werewolves, and zombies. But, you also get plenty of the not-so-blatant-but-equally-if-not-more-horrifying themes of colonialism, historical trauma and cultural erasure that the Indigenous people have endured for hundreds of years. The parallels between these monsters and men are not lost on me.
More than just horror, I highly recommend this one if you’re interested in learning more about the Indigenous culture and reading from their voice. Honestly, even if you’re not interested in that, you should read this anyway.
Some of my favorite stories were “An Old Fashioned Girl”, “American Predator”, “Deer Women”, and “I Come From the Water”.
Thank you @levinequerido for the gifted copy!
I don’t really read a lot of horror. If you’ve been here, you know already knew that. But, this is exactly the type of horror that I like. It’s horror but it’s fantasy and sci-fi. It’s not gory, but will leave you with a haunting feeling that will stay with you and follow you into your dreams (it did for me).
The collection follows an extended Cherokee family across centuries, from the 1830s to the future. And while the stories are very loosely linked, they represent POVs from different family members and their stories about different monsters.
You get the usual horror tropes like vampires, werewolves, and zombies. But, you also get plenty of the not-so-blatant-but-equally-if-not-more-horrifying themes of colonialism, historical trauma and cultural erasure that the Indigenous people have endured for hundreds of years. The parallels between these monsters and men are not lost on me.
More than just horror, I highly recommend this one if you’re interested in learning more about the Indigenous culture and reading from their voice. Honestly, even if you’re not interested in that, you should read this anyway.
Some of my favorite stories were “An Old Fashioned Girl”, “American Predator”, “Deer Women”, and “I Come From the Water”.
Thank you @levinequerido for the gifted copy!
October 5, 2022
This was incredible, I’m not sure I can do it justice. Some thoughts, in no particular order:
The creeping horror, the feeling of something is not right was done to perfection in these stories. Supernatural or human, the horror was something that was right in the corner of your eye, causing unease without being overt - I think that’s a balance that’s hard to achieve, and it really elevated the experience, to be right in the same space as the characters.
The entire setup for this book was incredibly neat. It’s more one long story in snapshots, than a more traditional anthology/collection of short stories in my opinion. It follows one family through time, past, present, future, and I loved seeing all the different pieces connect through the book. It became all of one piece, by the end.
The art! Incredible - this added to the atmosphere of the book so much. Perfectly fit the stories, as well as being just gorgeous in their own right.
It’s easy to note the obvious supernatural horrors - vampires, werewolves, etc - but the human side was impeccable as well. Concerns of the time periods - from health to being taken away to school shootings even…it covered it all. Lots of focus on family, both as positives and as negatives. The juxtaposition of the supernatural parts alongside the modern moments like school shootings is just…jarring. In a positive way. It’s hard to describe.
These stories really stay with you, I’ll be thinking about them for a long while. Definitely highly recommend this book! Beautifully crafted on all levels.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All the opinions are my own.
Read more reviews on my blog:
https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
The creeping horror, the feeling of something is not right was done to perfection in these stories. Supernatural or human, the horror was something that was right in the corner of your eye, causing unease without being overt - I think that’s a balance that’s hard to achieve, and it really elevated the experience, to be right in the same space as the characters.
The entire setup for this book was incredibly neat. It’s more one long story in snapshots, than a more traditional anthology/collection of short stories in my opinion. It follows one family through time, past, present, future, and I loved seeing all the different pieces connect through the book. It became all of one piece, by the end.
The art! Incredible - this added to the atmosphere of the book so much. Perfectly fit the stories, as well as being just gorgeous in their own right.
It’s easy to note the obvious supernatural horrors - vampires, werewolves, etc - but the human side was impeccable as well. Concerns of the time periods - from health to being taken away to school shootings even…it covered it all. Lots of focus on family, both as positives and as negatives. The juxtaposition of the supernatural parts alongside the modern moments like school shootings is just…jarring. In a positive way. It’s hard to describe.
These stories really stay with you, I’ll be thinking about them for a long while. Definitely highly recommend this book! Beautifully crafted on all levels.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All the opinions are my own.
Read more reviews on my blog:
https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
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January 28, 2025
How different were zombies from the soldiers and settlers who wanted our land? The spiral that was history was exhausting when you could recognize it.
I don't think I have ever read anything quite like this.
Man Made Monsters is a YA collection of vaguely connected short stories blending fantasy, horror and science fiction featuring queer Cherokee (mostly queer, mostly Cherokee) leads through two centuries. The leads are all related, although the connection throughout is pretty light.
She vowed she would be more conscious, more present, convinced that she could cure herself of her carelessness.
Like most short story collections, some hit harder than others. All were really good, and a lot were fantastic. The range is breathtaking (as is the scope of this project—Rogers wrote the first story in 2001). There are illustrations before each story, and the illustrations are absolute perfection.
Last night, just south of Fort Worth, there had been what the weather people called a five-hundred-year flood. It was the second five-hundred-year flood in three years in that part of Texas.
I don't really want to spoil it for you, but one of the characters quotes Hamlet's "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
Check the trigger warnings before you go in.
I don't think I have ever read anything quite like this.
Man Made Monsters is a YA collection of vaguely connected short stories blending fantasy, horror and science fiction featuring queer Cherokee (mostly queer, mostly Cherokee) leads through two centuries. The leads are all related, although the connection throughout is pretty light.
She vowed she would be more conscious, more present, convinced that she could cure herself of her carelessness.
Like most short story collections, some hit harder than others. All were really good, and a lot were fantastic. The range is breathtaking (as is the scope of this project—Rogers wrote the first story in 2001). There are illustrations before each story, and the illustrations are absolute perfection.
Last night, just south of Fort Worth, there had been what the weather people called a five-hundred-year flood. It was the second five-hundred-year flood in three years in that part of Texas.
I don't really want to spoil it for you, but one of the characters quotes Hamlet's "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
Check the trigger warnings before you go in.
September 9, 2023
Short stories is a hit or miss for me and this was a HIT! Although this categorized as YA, is this really YA?! The content felt like it’s for adults (18+). This is perfect for spooky season and ya girl was SPOOKED. 👻
November 26, 2022
A collection of short stories following a Cherokee family through the generations, Man Made Monsters is a really cool project. The title works in multiple ways, as each story deals with some sort of paranormal or strange entity, juxtaposed with the very real monstrosity that comes from regular ol' humans.
There are some really great stories and some okay stories, but I loved the framework of this being a story of a family through time, from the 1800s to the near future. I loved flipping back to the family tree and seeing who we were following, and how they were related to the last story.
I very much enjoyed reading this, and I'll definitely have to check out what else Andrea L. Rogers has to offer.
There are some really great stories and some okay stories, but I loved the framework of this being a story of a family through time, from the 1800s to the near future. I loved flipping back to the family tree and seeing who we were following, and how they were related to the last story.
I very much enjoyed reading this, and I'll definitely have to check out what else Andrea L. Rogers has to offer.
November 9, 2022
If I could give this book all the stars in the universe I would blanket it in them. I feel unworthy to have read these, and frankly overwhelmed with the beauty and horror in them. The way that each stands on their own but are interwoven and infinite. Just fully blown away but the thought and heart, let alone the stories Andrea shared with us. I think that "I come from the water" will be one that I read over and over again. Wado Andrea Rogers, for sharing your heart. Honestly I'm in tears as I type that because I don't have words for how meaningful it was.
November 30, 2022
I don't yet have the words to properly review this book.... but wow! I definitely recommend!
January 8, 2023
I loved this book. From Hell Hound whose last line gave me absolute chills, to Deer Woman which was one of my absolute favorite chapters, to Ama who is the vigilante vamp I never knew I needed but I firmly believe is out there kicking ass and taking names, I was fully immersed in these stories and am sad it came to an end.
If you love classic monsters like werewolves, vamps, Frankenstein, zombies and aliens this is definitely the book for you. Just be warned the humans are far more frightening than anything that went bump in these pages.
Trigger warnings: Please note that there are depictions of domestic and dating violence, abuse and self harm in this novel.
If you love classic monsters like werewolves, vamps, Frankenstein, zombies and aliens this is definitely the book for you. Just be warned the humans are far more frightening than anything that went bump in these pages.
Trigger warnings: Please note that there are depictions of domestic and dating violence, abuse and self harm in this novel.
December 16, 2022
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
July 12, 2023
Queer and horror. Horror and queer. You show me a publicly despised outcast enragedly skulking in the far reaches of society, you show me a good time. Couple that with my interest in my country's disenfranchised, couple that with the sick artwork and even sicker premise, couple that with this work being available in the teen section of my workplace, and I was more than ready to try something new. As it stands, my preference for the historical rather than the modern bucked against this work's trend of lengthening its chapters the closer it got to the present day, while the more 'typical' US teenagery the plot/setting/events got, the more my eyes glazed over. However, you don't look a gift horse in the mouth, much less an indigenous one, and my mediocre rating is more an indication of how this work competing against the wealth I've read on the various subjects it undertakes. I will say, though, that this is the first that has tackled the indigenous, the queer, and the horror all at once, and depending where you are and life and what you (think you) are looking for, this well crafted edition could really be something special.
I have a soft spot for horror with a human twist. It's what keeps me coming back to Guillermo del Toro and pushes me to seek out others whose view of the 'monstrous' is all too aware of the kyriarchy that shapes and breaks and buries those definitions until what is good becomes what above all else makes a profit and everything evil is everything else. True, I also have a reasonable, if lessened with my age, appetite for gore and terror, and I'm still much more comfortable with watching characters being torn apart than putting my trust into any popular definitions of 'romance' or 'comedy. So, this short story cycle thrilled me the most when the fear of the living balanced with the longing of the dead and the violence of the defenders was not used to excuse the violence of the state: in other words, not all blood was spilled alike, and sometimes, the fucker really had it coming. In terms of individual tales, my favorite of the bunch is 'Snow Day' (the best horror is that which is intertwined with catharsis), with 'The Zombies Attack the Drive-In!' following up as a slightly flawed, but overall quality conclusion. As for everything else, I thrilled whenever there was queer or a particularly bad ass auntie vampire, as well as if the continuums running through each tale rang as true and as profoundly as does the Cherokee concept of the culminating passage of time as occurring in a single room. It wasn't enough to push this wizened reader into the four star zone, but the audience who falls within the genre prescribed age range are in for a treat.
The conversation regarding indigenous representation in US literature is always going to be a complicated one so long as the settler state on Turtle Island is allowed to exist. I'm not as keen on the idea of being able to read my way to social justice as I used to be, but when push comes to shove, I'm always going to veer more towards reading a Mean Spirit sort of book rather than a Killers of the Flower Moon. As such, the fact that I'm a tad older than the target audience of this work showed itself in my reception of it, but this is still a high quality edition imbued with strong themes and quality of artwork. More importantly, it represents a future for teen literature, as well as literature in general, that I'd be more than happy to see more of and, hopefully, find something that fits my aesthetics as well as it does my good intentions. In any case, if you're looking for a thrill that grapples a great deal more with the true history of horror in the 'land of the free, home of the brave' than much of the jumpscare trash out there, check this out today. Bonus points if you can get it from a local library, as that'll tell the folks working there that this author is worth keeping an eye on, and speaking as someone in charge of that sort of thing, that kind of diverse interest is what makes the work worth doing.
I have a soft spot for horror with a human twist. It's what keeps me coming back to Guillermo del Toro and pushes me to seek out others whose view of the 'monstrous' is all too aware of the kyriarchy that shapes and breaks and buries those definitions until what is good becomes what above all else makes a profit and everything evil is everything else. True, I also have a reasonable, if lessened with my age, appetite for gore and terror, and I'm still much more comfortable with watching characters being torn apart than putting my trust into any popular definitions of 'romance' or 'comedy. So, this short story cycle thrilled me the most when the fear of the living balanced with the longing of the dead and the violence of the defenders was not used to excuse the violence of the state: in other words, not all blood was spilled alike, and sometimes, the fucker really had it coming. In terms of individual tales, my favorite of the bunch is 'Snow Day' (the best horror is that which is intertwined with catharsis), with 'The Zombies Attack the Drive-In!' following up as a slightly flawed, but overall quality conclusion. As for everything else, I thrilled whenever there was queer or a particularly bad ass auntie vampire, as well as if the continuums running through each tale rang as true and as profoundly as does the Cherokee concept of the culminating passage of time as occurring in a single room. It wasn't enough to push this wizened reader into the four star zone, but the audience who falls within the genre prescribed age range are in for a treat.
The conversation regarding indigenous representation in US literature is always going to be a complicated one so long as the settler state on Turtle Island is allowed to exist. I'm not as keen on the idea of being able to read my way to social justice as I used to be, but when push comes to shove, I'm always going to veer more towards reading a Mean Spirit sort of book rather than a Killers of the Flower Moon. As such, the fact that I'm a tad older than the target audience of this work showed itself in my reception of it, but this is still a high quality edition imbued with strong themes and quality of artwork. More importantly, it represents a future for teen literature, as well as literature in general, that I'd be more than happy to see more of and, hopefully, find something that fits my aesthetics as well as it does my good intentions. In any case, if you're looking for a thrill that grapples a great deal more with the true history of horror in the 'land of the free, home of the brave' than much of the jumpscare trash out there, check this out today. Bonus points if you can get it from a local library, as that'll tell the folks working there that this author is worth keeping an eye on, and speaking as someone in charge of that sort of thing, that kind of diverse interest is what makes the work worth doing.
October 25, 2024
This was a great October read, just the right amount of creepiness for me. I thought the balance of supernatural and more realistic horror was really well done, and the circularity of the stories felt very fitting. The family thread running through the book worked well also, enough to make me want to re-read the stories just to retrace the pattern. The illustrations are really beautiful and I enjoyed seeing how they would fit in with each story. Altogether, a well-written collection with a strong concept.
Thanks to NetGalley and Levine Querido for providing an ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and Levine Querido for providing an ARC.
November 30, 2025
I will be thinking of this book for a long time. It was confusing at times, with all the different people. But I love that the short stories follow a family for many generations. And damn, what a strong ending with those two last stories.
Read
November 24, 2022Dnf 20% lost interest
March 17, 2023
I'm a solid 3.5 on this one. It's not really successful as a short story collection because the stories don't really work independently from one another, even though they differ wildly in tone and content. Some (Snow Day, Lens, Shame on the Moon, American Predator) are effective and straightforward old-school spooky stories that are deepened and enriched by the overarching narrative. Some (Ghost Cat, I Come From the Water) were schmaltzy filler that would've done better as standalone feel-good middle grade stories.
The gorgeous layout and rich concept do most of the heavy lifting. The actual storytelling is uneven, and the family connection through time is very cool but not really utilized to any great effect. The stories that are good, though, are really really good.
The gorgeous layout and rich concept do most of the heavy lifting. The actual storytelling is uneven, and the family connection through time is very cool but not really utilized to any great effect. The stories that are good, though, are really really good.
August 14, 2022
"Man Made Monsters" is a wonderful collection of horror stories both familiar to me and completely new; I requested this ARC due to Stephen Graham Jones's praise and I wasn't sorry I had. As is the nature of many short story collections, some I preferred more than others, but the ones that hit hard will stay with me for a long while. I was particularly pleased to see The Deer Woman here (learned about that one from Jones's The Only Good Indians) as well as zombies! I really enjoyed how characters from one story might be referenced in another. Because this is a YA collection, nothing really scared me, but there were several unsettling moments for sure! My only complaint is that a few of the stories felt a little short. That's probably a compliment to Andrea Rogers, because I could have spent more time enjoying her tales.
Also, I read this on the Kindle, so my formatting was funky, but what I could see of the art was absolutely lovely.
Also, I read this on the Kindle, so my formatting was funky, but what I could see of the art was absolutely lovely.
September 18, 2022
I really liked the concept of this book and learning about Cherokee folktales but sadly, for me, it missed the mark.
It took me about 100+ pages to get into it and I found the connection between the first few stories confusing.
I did however like some of the stories after that once I stopped trying to figure out how they were connected.
I think a lot of people will like this book because of the way it is structured but like I said, maybe not really for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!
It took me about 100+ pages to get into it and I found the connection between the first few stories confusing.
I did however like some of the stories after that once I stopped trying to figure out how they were connected.
I think a lot of people will like this book because of the way it is structured but like I said, maybe not really for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review!
August 31, 2024
✨Book Review✨
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
This novel is a series of short stories revolving around a singular Indigenous family tree with a mix of supernatural elements. The stories vary in length and time period across the United States. Each story offers its own unique perspective, with different protagonists, plots, and conflicts. Each story is a surprise waiting to reveal itself, featuring references to werewolves, vampires, ghosts, and zombies. Readers will be taken through a cultural experience mixed with supernatural phenomena.
Highlights:
⭐️ Unique and different novel format.
⭐️ Each story follows a singular family tree. I felt this was a unique spin and something I haven’t seen in other novels before.
⭐️ Variety of supernatural elements. You never knew what was coming next in a story. Stories included vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and more.
⭐️ Ama’s story and reappearance was my favorite.
Pitfalls:
❌ The family link between stories wasn’t visible enough for me as a reader to notice. While I think the intention of this is a highlight of the novel, I feel it wasn’t executed strongly enough. I think if a family tree was included at the beginning or end of the novel, it would have cleared up a lot of my confusion, and I would have been able to make the connection the author intended.
❌ Several stories were just a miss for me. While those stories weren’t for me, I would still recommend this book to those who like horror and supernatural elements.
Thank you, NetGalley and Levine Querido, for the ARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
This novel is a series of short stories revolving around a singular Indigenous family tree with a mix of supernatural elements. The stories vary in length and time period across the United States. Each story offers its own unique perspective, with different protagonists, plots, and conflicts. Each story is a surprise waiting to reveal itself, featuring references to werewolves, vampires, ghosts, and zombies. Readers will be taken through a cultural experience mixed with supernatural phenomena.
Highlights:
⭐️ Unique and different novel format.
⭐️ Each story follows a singular family tree. I felt this was a unique spin and something I haven’t seen in other novels before.
⭐️ Variety of supernatural elements. You never knew what was coming next in a story. Stories included vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and more.
⭐️ Ama’s story and reappearance was my favorite.
Pitfalls:
❌ The family link between stories wasn’t visible enough for me as a reader to notice. While I think the intention of this is a highlight of the novel, I feel it wasn’t executed strongly enough. I think if a family tree was included at the beginning or end of the novel, it would have cleared up a lot of my confusion, and I would have been able to make the connection the author intended.
❌ Several stories were just a miss for me. While those stories weren’t for me, I would still recommend this book to those who like horror and supernatural elements.
Thank you, NetGalley and Levine Querido, for the ARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review!
May 10, 2023
This novel is a YA collection of short stories in the horror genre. The way it is organized chronologically from the 1830's to the future is so well done, and I absolutely love that. The novel follows a Cherokee family through time, and it includes stories of vampires, to ghosts, to zombies and more. Instead we learn that the true horrors of the story will be the people, and rooted in human violence, racism, misogyny, homophobia and systemic oppression.
Some stories are stronger than others, but it works so well as a cohesive whole that I forgive immediately the one story that was so short and so confusing, I’m not even sure what was happening (that could very well be my fault!). I especially loved the last two stories in this novel, I Come From Water, and Zombies Attack the Drive-In. Those were the best, for me.
This is my first Rogers novel, and I am hoping Rogers has a very long career in writing because I will definitely read them.
DeLanna Studi and Lane Factor were the phenomenal narrators for the audiobook version of this novel. I enjoyed their performances a great deal, and I hope to come across more of their work again in the near future. Great work, you guys!
4 stars, and recommended to other horror lovers out there.
Some stories are stronger than others, but it works so well as a cohesive whole that I forgive immediately the one story that was so short and so confusing, I’m not even sure what was happening (that could very well be my fault!). I especially loved the last two stories in this novel, I Come From Water, and Zombies Attack the Drive-In. Those were the best, for me.
This is my first Rogers novel, and I am hoping Rogers has a very long career in writing because I will definitely read them.
DeLanna Studi and Lane Factor were the phenomenal narrators for the audiobook version of this novel. I enjoyed their performances a great deal, and I hope to come across more of their work again in the near future. Great work, you guys!
4 stars, and recommended to other horror lovers out there.
May 20, 2024
I met this author at an author event in Little Rock and had to get her book. Andrea L Rogers is Cherokee and this book is a collection of short stories in the horror genre. What is unique about this collection is that it’s woven over a couple hundred years with the same extended family. It’s starts off strong in 1830s Texas as the Texas Rangers are pursuing a Cherokee tribe. Should they be worried about the lawmen or some vampires wandering into camp. My favorite is probably about alien sea creatures living in the families pool. And no horror collection can be complete without zombies.
There also profound monsters of man and colonialism too. I really loved being immersed in Cherokee folklore and horror from an indigenous family’s lens. I didn’t think it was too gory but haunting all the same.
There also profound monsters of man and colonialism too. I really loved being immersed in Cherokee folklore and horror from an indigenous family’s lens. I didn’t think it was too gory but haunting all the same.
January 25, 2024
Man Made Monsters is a fascinating horror-inspired short story collection written about an extended Cherokee family from 1839 to 2039. Although it is a YA book, it reads very adult. I found the stories intriguing, as supernatural or horrific events befall the family throughout the years. The stories often didn't link well, and despite a family tree at the beginning of the book, some details don't add up. The one continuing thread that showed up in the later stories was Aunt Ama, who makes a memorable debut in the first story and then plays a pivotal role in the last. However, the diverse voice of the author Andrea L Rodgers was welcome, plus each chapter opened with haunting illustrations by artist Jeff Edwards. All in all, this was a unique collection that I found very worthwhile.
My favorite stories were An Old-Fashioned Girl, Shame on the Moon, Snow Day, and The Zombies Attack the Drive-In.
My favorite stories were An Old-Fashioned Girl, Shame on the Moon, Snow Day, and The Zombies Attack the Drive-In.
November 19, 2023
I love this book, it was amazing read.
December 3, 2025
genuinely loved this book, I just need to read a version of this where it’s less a collection of short stories and more one giant narrative because I need more details on basically everything that happened here. give me a play by play of Ama’s centuries of life I BEG
November 19, 2024
“Before we covered it with dirt, Janie spit into the dark earth.
I laughed. ‘Any last words?’
‘I hate those stupid preppy kids,’ Janie said.
‘Yeah, me too.’”
— from “Shame on the Moon”
This collection of short stories is ✨perfect.✨ While anyone could read this collection as a purely five-star, perfectly entertaining horror read, the way Rogers ties together Indigenous history & culture with gothic & horror tropes all while exploring themes of monstrousness & violence, childhood & family dynamics, feminism & queer identity, family & isolation from community, death & grief, & genocide & epigenetic trauma, elevates this book to a whole other level.
Click here to read my full review of MAN MADE MONSTERS complete with my full thoughts, further reading suggestions, & more of my favorite quotes!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
CW // the horrific violence & inhumane injustice of u.s. imperialism with graphic anti-Indigenous violence, murder of family members, & animal death, suicide, abortion, MMIW, boarding schools, a brief school lockdown scene, car accident
November 15, 2022
i am in the queue for the taylor swift eras tour, but just know, this is a competitor for my favorite book i've read this year.
August 20, 2025
An amazing book, beautifully written. I loved learning more about cherokee folklore and history through this book. All characters felt fleshed out and real, which can be a challenge in a book of short stories.
The final story ties the past present and future together beautifully.
The final story ties the past present and future together beautifully.
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