Midwestern Strange: Hunting Monsters, Martians, and the Weird in Flyover Country by B.J. Hollars
B.J. Hollars’ Midwestern Strange is an interesting, well-organized, and entertaining account of the author’s exploration of strange creatures, aliens, and odd happenings in Flyover Country. I enjoyed this well-written and personable book but I would have liked more pictures and I wish the writing was livelier and less meandering.
I had no idea that the Midwest was such a mysterious place! I loved reading about the fascinating folklore, history, and people. This book is a great resource for paranormal enthusiasts or those who just like reading about strange phenomena. I hadn’t heard about so many of these incidents and creatures before.
The book is well-written and well-organized. It covers nine phenomena and is divided into case files under the headings of Monsters, Martians, and The Weird. I love that the book focuses on a blend of familiar creatures like The Beast of Bray Road and Mothman as well as lesser-known incidents like pancake-making aliens (yes, really) in Wisconsin and Oscar the Turtle in Churubusco, Indiana.
I like that Hollars doesn’t offer definitive answers about these mysterious creatures and occurrences. He neither confirms nor debunks anything. Instead, he presents information and findings from experts and eyewitnesses. Furthermore, I appreciate his unbiased stance and that he never negatively judges the people or the situations.
I also love that each case file strongly features the people involved in these situations and Hollars often talks to their descendants. I particularly like that he also examines these small towns and the effects that the strange happenings have had on them. This gives the writing a great personal and human touch.
Hollars’ writing style is approachable and witty. However, the writing is sometimes too dry and meanders a bit. Furthermore, some of the case files have too much information and they drag and get boring after a while. Additionally, although there are some pictures in each case file, more pictures would have really livened up the book.
Midwestern Strange is perfect for any mystery or paranormal enthusiast. Although I wish the writing was tighter and more pictures would’ve been nice, this is a great and quick read. I would definitely check out more of Hollars’ work!
Thank you to NetGalley and University of Nebraska Press for this book in exchange for an honest review.
🛸 🛸 🛸 ½ flying saucers out of 5!
