Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers

11 reviews

razzberry_pi's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Really good set of connected short stories following a Cherokee family line from the 19th century into the future, showing the impacts of colonialism and violence. Intertwines fantasy/horror elements within its historical fiction in a really interesting way. 

Some of the threads can be a bit difficult to follow between stories especially since they are from a limited character POV. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Death of parent, and Child death

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Abortion

Minor: War

katrinky's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense

3.5

too gruesome for me, and I didn't think the extensive family tree added much. there were several really beautiful (sakonige) and poignant (deer woman, Ama's appearance in the zombie story, the dad of the girl with the abusive ex, the cousin in the carbon monoxide story) moments, and the artwork is gorgeous. the vocabulary on the back was wonderful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Child death, Terminal illness, Mass/school shootings, Animal death, Grief, Violence, and Sexual violence

readingwithcoffee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Colonisation, Murder, Misogyny, Hate crime, Gun violence, Grief, Child death, Sexual harassment, Sexism, War, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Colonisation and Genocide

laryssa's review

dark emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I like a lot of the early stories and American Predators the most. Ama is the coolest and I could totally read a whole book about her. I really like the illustrations and think it adds a lot to the spookiness of the book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Homophobia, Child death, Death, and Death of parent

rorikae's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers is a collection of horror short stories that incorporate classic horror creatures with the lived experiences of Indigenous teens. I really appreciated that the collection has a variety of stories of different lengths, both those that are short and horrifically to the point along with those that are longer and tell a more developed story. 
Rogers does a great job of creating subtly creeping horror elements that pair with more overt horror creatures . My favorite stories include the titular Man Made Monsters, which delves into ideas of literary monsters and bringing people and animals back from the dead. Maria Most likely, which delves into horrific memories and what would happen if they could be removed. Me and My Monsters, which is a monster love story that looks at how humanity can often be more monstrous than monstrous creatures. Ama's Boys which tackles how a seemingly young girl who is actually a vampire preys on teen boys. American Predators, which follows one boy's experience with shooting a movie and the racism that Indigenous people have to deal with on a daily basis. And Zombies Attack the Drive-In, which deals with domestic abuse, familial trauma, and of course zombies. 
I am fascinated to see what Rogers writes next as she has a great feel for atmosphere and creating creeping horror. I would love to read more of her work, particularly in a longer format as I really appreciate what she did in her longer stories with character development and painting a full picture of the characters' lives.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gore, Terminal illness, Violence, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Colonisation

jenna_smuszkiewicz's review

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I picked this book up on a  whim and I'm glad I picked it up! The illustrations are gorgeous in this. I also think it is cool how we follow a family from the 1830s to the future in 2039. I'm not Cherokee, and I really enjoyed learning some Cherokee words and seeing the syllabary used in the art in particular. There are some classic monsters in here like

vampires and werewolves

but also ones that I think are from Cherokee folklore. Some of the monsters featured here are everyday horrors we face and some characteristics of humans as well. I'm not that big into horror, and I didn't find this book to be that bad. Definitely look at content warnings though. 

My biggest critiques or personal preferences are that while separating it into chapters and jumping around the family tree was cool, I didn't get to really connect with the characters. I'm a big character reader so that's a personal preference thing. I think the jumping around does work for this book though and I get why it was done. Also, one big thing from the family tree that I don't understand:

How is Will Wilson's branch of the tree there? I thought he was the baby that died from the vampire in the first chapter. So, that really confused me.

If you are looking for a unique horror book that showcases many types of things that go bump in the night, I would highly recommend this!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Grief, Animal death, Blood, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Cultural appropriation

devynvictoria's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was so good! This is the first short story collection I’ve read and I will definitely be picking up more. I loved the illustrations before every story and the incorporation of the Cherokee language. I like the premise of following the same family through almost 200 years. My favorites were Man Made Monsters, Snow Day, and Lens. And I love the relationship between the father and his children in Happily Ever After. I definitely recommend! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Domestic abuse, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Medical content, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Terminal illness

Minor: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Lesbophobia, and Child abuse

kayladaila's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Death, Death of parent, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Gore

Moderate: Alcohol, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Genocide, Racial slurs, Animal death, Child death, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Cancer, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Rape, and Child abuse

hilaryreadsbooks's review

4.0

[Thank you Levine Querido for the gifted copy]

Cherokee writer Andrea L. Rogers’ YA debut, MAN MADE MONSTERS, is a thrilling horror collection of short stories, tracing one Cherokee family through generations. There’s monsters, medical experimentation, the dead coming back to life, revenge…this collection is definitely not for the faint of heart. These monsters are man made in many different ways. Some are creatures of popular culture, others are distinctly Cherokee, but the most terrifying to me are those that are man themselves: colonizers, abusers, and the other stone-hearted people who walk hidden among the rest of us.

These stories are fast-paced and often quite short, good for a small, digestible read or a quick story right before bedtime (if you dare). The illustrations by Jeff Edwards are also absolutely gorgeous.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Torture, Physical abuse, Body horror, Violence, Blood, Death, Murder, Racial slurs, Death of parent, and Medical trauma

svangleboyer's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 Man Made Monsters is an AMAZING horror anthology full of Cherokee culture, some scary and some lighter horror stories, and an interesting take on an anthology where the stories all relate to back to the Wilson and/or Stone families.

I have always loved Native American storytelling traditions since I was young and my mother took the whole family to Pow Wows where we watched their dancing, ate their delicious food, and listened to the wonderful storytellers as they take you on a journey. I feel like Man Made Monsters took me right back to those treasured moments and Andrea L. Rogers really brought out the storytelling so well it was like I was transported through time and all the stories. I also really appreciated that the author provided a glossary in the back because I did have to use it a time or two.

All of the stories are FANTASTIC and have a unique twist or spin to them that make them very memorable. While I loved them all, my favorite stories were An Old-Fashioned Girl, Man Made Monsters, Maria Most Likely, American Predators, Lens, and I Come from the Water. They were something I hadn't seen before and will definitely stick with me for a long time to come.

As if the stories were great enough, Jeff Edwards blew me away with his GORGEGOUS illustrations!! I love that he used the Cherokee Syllabary in each illustration because I really enjoy seeing their writing style and their characters.

I HIGHLY recommend Man Made Monsters to all fans of horror anthologies, all fans of Native American mythology especially of the Cherokee nation, and anyone who is curious to learn more about Native American culture. Really though, EVERYONE should read this one. There is something for everyone! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Domestic abuse