Thank you to NetGalley and Quirk Books for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have been around the cryptid block a few times in my life as any person with a love of history and strangeness generally has been, but this book was a new adventure for me. Explaining cryptids through their cities (and their reverence for them or lack thereof) was a refreshing take on the nonfiction monster genre. I often feel like I've seen it all when it comes to books and media about cryptids both foreign and domestic, but this book somehow taught me about monsters I had never heard of before, including some in my backyard! I don't know whether it is more of a monster book or a travel book, but in either case I very much enjoyed it!

As an East coaster and listener of many spooky podcasts I had of course heard of Nain Rouge, the Jersey Devil, Mothman, Wendigos, etc, but many of the hoax creatures mentioned (including the Silver Lake Serpent) and some of the lesser known creatures were totally new to me! This book is refreshing as it doesn't take itself too seriously in the best possible way. The new knowledge I found in this book combined with the truly comedic tone made this book was an absolute winner for me.

I'd recommend this for crytid enthusiasts, anyone who was raised on a steady diet of Scooby Doo, fans of Buzzfeed Unsolved (everyone's favorite ghoul boys), and for anyone who likes to learn a little more about the strange world we live in.