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readingrobin 's review for:

Man Made Monsters by Andrea L. Rogers
3.5
dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A really ambitious indigenous horror anthology that I think hits the mark for the most part. There were some strong contenders, such as An Old Fashioned Girl, Deer Women, American Predators, and Lens, while others seem a little weak in comparison. The focus on a single family was an interesting direction, but I had to refer a lot to the family tree to see how certain characters were related/if their relation had impact on a certain story beyond their own. I think Ama's presence did well to connect certain stories, but I would have liked to see her a bit more throughout the years. 

It was interesting to see horror derive not only from creatures, but also systemic threats that have endangered indigenous people for ages: cultural genocide, colonialism, medical experimentation, the targeted preying of and violence against indigenous women, etc. It really leans into the MAN Made Monsters angle that's apparent in the collection.