Ahoy there me mateys! I received this sci-fi/horror eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .

You see, the first mate has a Piney Pa in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, and through him, I had heard of the Jersey Devil. It's just that the idea that the Pine Barrens, of all places, has its own monster was just ridiculous and silly to me. Kinda like the Chesapeake Bay monster Chessie. Seriously, who thinks of this? But it is a THING. Many Southern New Jersey folk I've met on excursions seem to talk about the Jersey Devil with a mixture of fondness and fun. Most of them include "Yes, I have seen it." Cracks me up. Plus I wanted to switch to some sci-fi after reading so many fantasies. I miss the genre. So, mutant monsters that live in that bizarre corner of the world known as the Pine Barrens.

And the first half was great. The death and mayhem in the Pine Barrens cracked me up. The Pineys were portrayed as loner gun-toting inbreed crazy psycho families. Gun-toting loners, yes. I have met a few. The rest was just silly and made me laugh out loud. I liked reading about places and then looking them up to see if they are real. Cranston. Check. Apple Pie Hill. Check. I love stuff like that.

The book also has a family destined to fight the Jersey Devil - the Willets. The family is marked with hoof prints that stem from the family matriarch's encounter with Devil 60 years prior. She moved to New York with her husband, Sam, after the encounter. No one knows why her children have inherited the mark. But they will have their revenge. This involves a tricked out van, lots of ammo, and a bad-ass attitude. I enjoyed this family immensely. Old Sam was just awesomely fun. There is also a cryptozoologist friend who is silly too.

However the second half of the book failed. There is going to be a mild spoiler so read on at yer own peril. Once the Willets have their first real encounter with the Jersey Devil, the plot kinda falls apart. The prepared Willets family just never seems prepared enough. There are kidnappings and side stories that just muddied the waters. Also some exposition in the middle set-up where the final showdown was going to take place. And how they bring down the Devil was good but predictable.

Also the reason for the mark turns out to deal with bestiality which just grossed me out. The descriptions surrounding the Jersey Devil and rape were just a little too unnecessary for me. Plus the "reality" behind the myth was a let down. But it was so close to the end of the book that I chose to finish.

I wouldn't choose to read this book again, and I wish somehow it could have ended with one major fight rather then a longer drawn out mess. Overall a disappointment. But I did enjoy the author's style of writing and other Goodreads fans seem to rather love it. Maybe it's just me.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Kensington Books!

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