What does it take to believe in the impossible? For Miranda it's proof; scientific proof and nothing else. When you have a cryptozoologist as a mother, it's hard to keep your life orderly. Miranda is forced to join her mother, Kat, on trips all over the country trying to find evidence of Bigfoot, fairies, and other creatures most don't believe exist. Miranda is a worrier, a perfectionist, and an ex-believer. She agrees to one last Bigfoot expedition, with the plan to finally make her mother admit that there is no such thing. This book had a lot of ups and downs, with a realistic portrayal of a mother-daughter relationship. There was some magical realism throughout the book as well. The character descriptions are pretty basic (hair color, height) but the last name Cho implies an Asian heritage. I would hand this to anyone who is looking for a middle grade novel about searching for answers and embracing the unknown.

I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I began the book - was the story fantasy or more reality based? What I found was an interesting blend of both. Miranda's a highly driven character who dreams of attending an elite leadership summer program. She is class president, hardworking, smart and articulate - and in danger of failing due to absences because her mother, a cryptozoologist, keeps dragging her off to hunt for mythical creatures. The story follows mother and daughter on "one last hunt" (at least, according to Miranda!). The book was a nice blend of mythical and reality. Though I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it when I started, especially since it is out of the realm of what I normally read, it was a pleasant surprise!

ARC Copy...It's very much a narrative on both mysterious things hiding in the world whether its creatures like big foot or the bond between a mother and daughter. The narrative does play out realistically on the ramifications of Kat's lax methods as a parent to "Bean" and how her obsession with hunting monsters has lead to negative results on her family but she is still loving to her daughter. <spoiler> Very likely (although lax in solid parenting) more responsible-loving then the absentee ex-husband who is a washed up start up "ace" which messed up his business/dubious in business practice, and is irresponsible, absolutely refused custody of/or seeing Miranda </spoiler> Miranda is very much the opposite of Kat (factoid-brainy method/thinking) although like Kat is "stuck" in her method of thinking and like Kat that method of thinking is shaken on the trip, in particular her romanticism in her "ideal" father. As for presenting the creatures...well I would its magical realism with a heavy touch of "what if/what happened?"