A review by dylansmphillips
Monster Manual by Wizards RPG Team

5.0

The Monster Manual by Mike Mearls is not an essential read for all Dungeons & Dragons players; however, those that plan to ever DM even a one-shot would find this book a game changer. The compendium of monsters gives better insight into each type of creature you can have within your game world from challenge ratings and monster sizes to even variants on a few of them for a different flavour of fiend. The only downside is that the nifty organizational charts for CR levels and environments, is found in the [b:Dungeon Master's Guide|22219679|Dungeon Master's Guide (Dungeons & Dragons, 5th Edition)|Mike Mearls|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403177184l/22219679._SX50_.jpg|49475329] rather than in this book unlike the other supplements that contain both within the same text.

TL;DR: Great for DMs and lore seekers, not needed for casual players.