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missbeccadawn 's review for:

Crota by Owl Goingback
3.0

This is not my usual subgenre, but I really liked this one! The pacing is really good as all moments between monster attacks still feel tense. One thing I really respected was that the monster felt dangerous for real, and that added to the scare-factor of the novel. I also enjoyed little snips of the Crota's POV, it reminded me a little of Cujo in that way. I was never quite sure what the monster looked like, which is kind of fun to fill in with your imagination but also a little hard to grasp.

The integration of the Native American culture, storytelling, and legends was really excellent as well and a highlight of the book. I'm not sure if Crota is a real piece of mythology or not, but I loved the origin of the monster all the same. The author also does a great job of touching on issues like racism without detracting from the tension of the novel which seems like a very difficult feat.

My biggest gripe was the characters, unfortunately. I get the book is short and no-fuss (it all takes place over a span of days) but I didn't really care much about the characters living or dying. The ending took away from the book to me as well. It's
Spoilerjust way too sugary sweet for a book like this - kill Crota, be done, no magically singing kids please
. Overall, a solid monster read with excellent pacing.