As a lifelong fan of the folktales, mythology, and straight up ghost stories, I was so excited to dive into Freaky Folklore! Comprised of a collection of stories from around the world - including Latin America's La Llorona, the Strzyga of Poland and Ukraine, the Tokoloshe of South Africa, and the Philippines' Manananggal, to name a few. This book introduces the reader to many well known creatures and cryptids, as well as a few that might not be as familiar. 

Entries are paired with a colorful illustration of the monster, as well as a short fictionalized encounter. I appreciated the number of creatures included in this work, but I would have loved to see more background and a longer story for each entry. Perhaps even stories of actual encounters? Though a fun addition, the fictionalized tales were often a bit too short to build up any true terror or horror, and ended up feeling flat. 

Freaky Folklore is a broad, though not exhaustive, compilation of monsters and their tales from a variety of different cultures. While an interesting concept for a book, I do wish it had lived up to it's claim of "terrifying tales." 

Thank you to Wellfleet Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.