Customer Reviews

The Vermont Monster Guide

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This collection has been well-received in our household. As fans of Poe, Lovecraft, Twilight Zone, Kolchak, and the X-Files, we enjoy a good cryptid tale. Living in Fair Haven, Vermont, I particularly like the story of the giant, red-eyed rabbits living on an island in the middle of Lake Bomoseen. Perhaps we could mount an expedition! In any event, there are more than lake monsters in The Vermont Monster Guide, much more, so if you have even a passing interest in monster stories or folklore, this tome is well worth it.

What a great book! I read it all in one sitting and I have to say, there I was, just placidly cruising along, enjoying it when something like the Lake Willoughby cave full of giant eels or Pigman or the winged terror at Irasburg or the illustration for the Vampire Vine popped up and scared me half to death. Not nice, but effective all the same, which was, I assume, the author's goal. Raves for the illustrations too!

Citro has found an astounding variety of creatures--so much more than Champ and Bigfoot---and has dug up some sightings which are beyond bizarre: the Queztalcoatl that crossed the road and the giant multicolored snake spring to mind. There are times when you just have to throw your hands up and say either "what were the witnesses drinking?" or "I have NO idea what this is all about." This book made my night a little longer and darker.

Chris Woodyard
Author of the Haunted Ohio series
[...]

Joseph A. Citro's words, and Stephen Bissette's art do an excellent job of bringing Vermont's monsters to life. The book is split up in three types of crypto-creatures, earth, water, and air. Some are humorous, a few absurd, and many of them scary and possibly real. A fun read, that you may have to keep the lights on if reading late at night :)

Some of the creatures in this almost seemed feasible, I enjoyed these tales. There were a few that just seemed like run of the mill generic ghost stories not unique to our area.

A very fun book, highly recommended. Citro's writing is breezy and entertaining, with just the right mix of mystery and humour. Bissette's illustrations are perfect for the subject matter, as you'd expect from his past work. He keeps the base of the work very firmly in nature, which makes it all the more chilling when he adds his own unique twist.

This is a fun, cute overview of Vermont's possible (or actual) monsters. I got this book to read about the unknown sea creature in Lake Champlain, but there is so much more! The artwork is great, the writing light and funny, and there are some ringers (furry trout) in there to keep you honest. A book to read, then pass on to a friend.

I LOVE the cover art with it's nod to old comic cover layouts (E.C.?).
What's great about this book is not just it's content, but its level of eerie fun. It neither dismisses the events and creatures covered in the book any more than it embraces them as facts. Regardless of the outrageous nature of the alleged creature the reporting presents an unbiased listing with witnesses and the incidents as if it were a good newspaper article (yeah, that's a bit elusive in our real "news" these days so you might want to consult the library's microfisch files to see what an unbiased news article used to look like).
The production itself is too much fun. For all intents and purposes it IS an inexpensive, campy, field guide to spooky happenings in Vermont. The many drawings provided by Stephen Bissette, known for his pencil's and inking on DC comic's Swamp Thing, Tyrant- the story of life and death in a family of tyrannosaurs, and his Spider Baby Graphix stories, among others, is the perfect art for this book. It's just the right amount of creepy with a touch of camp (not the goofy kind either) to propel the reader into the reports with a visual reference to raise those hairs on the back of the neck. Joseph A. Citro, the author, provides the wit of a straight faced reporter, never attempting denigrate the contents of the report or the witnesses who provide their experiences to that end.
This inexpensive book is a must for people who are followers of the weird and a great introduction for those who are just curious. I originally bought this book just to see Stephen Bissette's wonderful, expressive, drawings. I was surprised by the professional content and how it was treated as well as the useful nuggets of information; like what to do if you're attacked by a giant snake.
Always carry a sharp knife.
I hope there are more of these to come covering the weird in all the states.

Citro hits the mark with this excellent book. Focusing on the folklore and monsters of Vermont (duh) this book does more than just act as a catalogue, it spins wildly vivid tales with each turn of the page. However, it is the fantastic artwork that makes this book rise above others in the field. The images are menacing, fascinating and fun all at the the same time. This book can be many things to many different people. It can either be a fast paced page-turner, it can be an in depth creature study, or it can be a legitimate research tool for the folklorist. All in all, this book could not be better. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I really enjoyed reading this book and have read all of Joe Citro's books. I believe it is meant as a tongue in cheek and is loads of fun to read. The illustrations are very well done and also possess a sense of humor.I would have given it 5 stars except I prefer Joe's more serious works such as "Passing Strange: True Tales of New England Hauntings and Horrors", of which we have our fair share. But this book is a nice joyous break from his usual writings and I am so happy to have it.