My Thoughts:
This is not my genre. I think I just said this a couple of weeks ago for She is a Haunting, but this collection of tales through an extended family of Cherokees is a terrifying romp through America. Although this is not my genre, this is my publishing house and I trust the diverse taste that the editors at Levine Querido provide, so I quickly picked this up.

This collection gave me Something Wicked This Way Comes vibes. The Ray Bradbury classic about a circus that comes to town, the seduction and promise with a pulse of horror is mirrored by this collection by Cherokee YA author Andrea Rogers in her debut that will be a classic.

This book was so terrifying that I also borrowed the audiobook just to hear the pronunciation of the Cherokee language in my ear as I was listening and reading. It also has one of the best lines I have read in a long time:

Tsalagi should never have to live on human blood, but sometimes things just happen to sixteen-year-old girls.
The above quote is from the first story, "An Old-Fashioned Girl," about Ama Wilson. The German haunts me still. With these types of books, I appreciate a good genealogy chart like this one, as well as language without translation.

Some of the other stories that I am still thinking about include: "Maria Most Likely," "Amaʻs Boys," "Deer Women," "I Come From the Water," and the final story "The Zombies Attack the Drive-Inn!"

I gave away my advanced copy I picked up from NCTE, but I will definitely order more.

From the Publishers:
Making her YA debut, Cherokee writer Andrea L. Rogers takes her place as one of the most striking voices of the horror renaissance that has swept the last decade.

Horror fans will get their thrills in this collection – from werewolves to vampires to zombies – all the time-worn horror baddies are there. But so are predators of a distinctly American variety – the horrors of empire, of intimate partner violence, of dispossession. And so too the monsters of Rogers’ imagination, that draw upon long-told Cherokee stories – of Deer Woman, fantastical sea creatures, and more.

Following one extended Cherokee family across the centuries, from the tribe’s homelands in Georgia in the 1830s to World War I, the Vietnam War, our own present, and well into the future, each story delivers a slice of a particular time period that will leave readers longing for more.

Alongside each story, Cherokee artist and language technologist Jeff Edwards delivers haunting illustrations that incorporate Cherokee syllabary.

But don’t just take it from us – award-winning writer of The Only Good Indians and Mongrels Stephen Graham Jones says that "Andrea Rogers writes like the house is on fire and her words are the only thing that can put it out."

Man-Made Monsters is a masterful, heartfelt, haunting collection ripe for crossover appeal – just don’t blame us if you start hearing things that go bump in the night.

Publication Information:
Author: Andrea Rogers

Illustrator: Jeff Edwards

Publisher: Levine Querido (October 4, 2022)

Print length: 306 pages

This was a striking work of literary fiction, and its publishers have done it a disservice by classifying it as YA--the fact that its main characters are mostly teens is a feature of its intergenerational structure, not because the stories are about distinctly teenage problems. I think the YA label has dissuaded some adults from reading it, and honestly, this is the sort of book that requires time to think on, and maybe to discuss--which the average teen reader is less likely to do. This is a book that should be read by genre fiction book clubs, for sure--there is SO much to discuss in it.

I loved the structure of this book, how it traveled across centuries, sometimes with small callbacks embedded (special shoutout to the recurring mentions of immortal vampire icon Ama) to create a greater sense of continuity and to trace the trauma of generations as the horrors and monsters faced evolve from outright brutality to more subtle and insidious forms of anti-Indigenous racism and more. Though some stories missed the mark (still not sure what I was supposed to take away from the Goat Man one), many have lingered with me even now, months after reading it--in addition to Ama, a few standout stories included a clinic that erases memories, an eye surgery that enabled the viewer to see ghosts (excellent commentary on medical trauma for Indigenous communities), a riff on American Pickers/Pawn Stars (cleverly told in second-person and ending on a satisfyingly grisly note), and a girl reincarnation dead animals.

The addition of visual art was a nice touch, too. Native stories are often from an oral tradition, so you might expect an audiobook to be the preferred format for this story, but by adding this visual component, the book ensured that there is an extra spark of Indigenous culture embedded between the pages, to further bring the tales to life.

Definitely recommended for those who want a thought-provoking collection of horror, where monsters are secondary to men in the harm they inflict, as well as for those who want to explore more Native American culture and stories. The storytelling structure is different from typical western narratives, but it is well worth exploring and quite rewarding.

I absolutely devoured this book! I cannot say enough just how much I loved the atmosphere that carried throughout each story and just how unsettled I felt once finishing. This will definitely be a book I re-read in the future.

I had a hard time getting into and following this book, but to be honest, I think that was more me than the book itself. I hadn’t realized going into this read that it was more of an anthology style compilation of short stories, and short stories aren’t typically my favorite story format, so that was my fault for not realizing. That being said, there were several stories in this book that I liked. What I really struggled with is that each story is connected to another somehow and I found myself having a hard time seeing those connections and then hyper-fixating of that instead of letting myself become immersed in the story. I also felt that several of the stories were a bit to short or ended too abruptly for my personal liking - they didn’t let me get to know the characters as much as I liked, which is what I often struggle with when reading short stories. However, I do quite appreciate what the author was accomplishing by creating so many interwoven stories that not only touched upon supernatural themes, but of other man made atrocities, as the title suggests.

Thanks NetGalley and Levine Querido for the ARC of this book.

This was great, but it wasn't my favorite. I think some of the stories were great and others were not. This happens a lot with anthologies though. Definitely a great collection, just not my favorite. I do like hvaing these anthologies in my library though because some of the stories are just so perfect.

Truly loved the anthology of the stories. They were easier to digest and follow along with. There was a nice balance of the monsters throughout the story, but also included real life horrors.

'Man Made Monsters' by Andrea Rogers is a fascinating collection of chronologically organised short stories which explore horror to its fullest extent. The stories all centre on a Cherokee family and follow its trials and struggles from the 1830s into the future. While the stories contain all the expected horror motifs, from zombies to vampires, Rogers shows a particular awareness of and sensitivity to the horrors of human society, engaging with the prejudice, violence, and racism which sadly still colour our societies. This is really assisted by the way the stories track one family, exploring how trauma is inherited, how certain evils reappear, and how violence perpetrates itself. As such, this is also a collection which very much has to be read in order. Whereas in other collections you can kind of hop around, read the last story first, etc, 'Man Made Monsters' is best when you follow Rogers' design from one story to the other.

The design and make-up of this collection should also be commented on! While many pages are "traditional", in the sense of black writing on a white page, this is flipped for some pages which really intrigued me. Add to this the illustrations by Jeff Edwards and you have a really intriguing collection which plays with different formats to move between stories and keep the reader on their toes.

As is usual with collections, not every story works as well as the others, but with how they are connected, I really got something from each. I also enjoyed how Rogers would hop from one trope or sub-genre to the other while maintaining the focus. It made for a very varied and yet cohesive reading experience. I would recommend 'Man Made Monsters' to all readers interested in horror, but also to those willing to engage with the effects of violence, social and physical.

Thanks to Levine Querido and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This books seems really promising, but I've tried reading it and I'm just not in the mood for short stories. I need something that catches my attention for quite a bit, so I'm gonna leave it aside and come back to it when it's time.

I will be the first to admit that I am a novice when it comes to indigenous authors and stories but this was amazing! The stories were fascinatingly written in a way that is very accessible for YA audiences. The idea for this collection is just so cool with the separate stories all creating one beautiful narrative, familial, quilt. I am going to keep an eye our for Rogers work in the future as well as those that go bump in the night!

I loved this!!!! You best believe I will be checking out anything else this author comes out with and looking into backlist. Beautiful!

If you crave a collection of short horror stories to keep you up at night (and all day!) , this is the perfect book. Masterfully crafted and bone chilling, it's too good to put down!

4.5 stars!

I thought this was a really well written and well-crafted book. I didn't realize it would read almost like an anthology of short stories, but I honestly felt that made for an even better book. I liked the balance of stereotypical monsters - werewolves, vampires, zombies - and the real life horrors that many minorities experience - colonialism, trauma, disparate health issues. Also the pictures really added to the story and I very much appreciated them. I am always trying to read more books by authors of color and especially Indigenous authors and I appreciated this so much!


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This collection was AMAZING!!! I ended up listening to it on audiobook, which wasn't the best choice in my opinion, but the words on the page themselves were incredibly. Totally recommend!

This book gathers stories from YA author and Cherokee writer Andrea L. Rogers . There is a little bit of everything for horror fans. Werevoles, vampires, zombies and much more! I really liked that there were Cherokee stories in this collection as well. Reading horror stories from other cultures is one of my favorite things. I really enjoyed this collection and I can't wait to read more from this author!

I always have a soft spot for short story collections and this book did not disappoint. The illustration were nice as well . I’m interested in read more from the author

Man Made Monsters was so much more than I expected it to be. This book features 18 stories, each loosely connected to the previous one, and all occurring within an Indigenous family over 200 years.

Each story has a horror element, and like Stephen Graham Jones, the horror is used to highlight the injustices forced upon Indigenous people by society and colonization.

Great read with a lot to say!

Super interesting story! What I really loved was the art inside of the book it was absolutely beautiful. Native stories are on the rise and this is not one to miss.

This was a fantastic little collection of short horror stories. I'm not an expert on the genre, but I do love a good thought-provoking twist on horror. I think it reflects the true history and power of horror. These stories have such a wide breadth that I'm sure there is something for everyone. Not only do they span centuries, there's elements of all the classic horror tropes I can think of.

I absolutely love short story collections and this one was no exception. It was particularly eerie and filled with thrills. As a fan of Stephen Graham Jones, my love for Native American created literature is ever growing and this fueled that love. Highly recommend.

Hate it when this happens but I just couldn't get into it as much as some others. Definitely a fun concept just not really for me I guess.