DNFing at 76 pages. It's not bad, just boring. I can see how others would like this book. It's just not for me.

Scary and well-written. ( )

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't absorb myself in this book like I have been able with most of the other books Little has written. By description alone, the plot isn't bad, but it's not terribly interesting to read about. There was just no magic here. I read the events, didnt care about them, didn't care about the characters, and didnt really care about the outcome. This was one of those novels I read for awhile, and kept coming back to after reading another book to finish. I was just bored...I can't put my finger on why exactly, but it's a truth. The pace would speed up, then slow down again, repeating it's vicious cycle.

My advice? If you're wanting to sample Little, try one of his other books instead, like the House of the Revelation. ( )

The population of tiny town of Springerville, Arizona is steeped in a variety of legends and myths. Perhaps the most famous of those legends is that of the Mogollon Monster - a hideous half-human, half-animalistic creature that thrives on influencing the mentalities and emotions of either human beings or any species in the animal kingdom. The creature then basks in the resulting chaos that is created by such heightened tensions. The story of Springerville's Mogollan Monster has certainly become legendary, if only because of the number of times the story has been told and retold.

Yet everyone understands that there is really no such thing as the Mogollon Monster. It's all just a legend - an elaborate campfire story told by the locals to attract gullible tourists. After all, visiting tourists love to hear all about the mysterious legends associated with the town; perhaps it gives Springerville something of a macabre reputation - but everyone loves to be scared, right?

This is the most prevalent way of thinking, anyway. At least, it is until an excavation team unearths something very strange. The figurine of screaming woman, the jawbone of a deformed animal, and a child's toy are all found buried together. While this is definitely an odd occurrence, no one expects what happens next.

The townspeople soon begin hearing strange noises in the night, then there is an exceedingly foul odor lingering in the air, and a man's face is found hanging from a tree. Now the locals are making sure to lock their doors. Because after sundown, the campfire stories can seem to take on lives of their own - and legends become very, very real.

First of all, let me say that I really enjoyed reading this book. The story was certainly very well-developed and captured my attention right away. In my opinion, this was a uniquely intriguing plot that dealt with the horror in an unusual way. However, I also have to say that I found the story to be slightly longer than I thought it actually needed to be. I would give this book a B+! ( )

This book was a bit slow getting going, but once it picked up… man, I couldnt put it down!

“Springerville is famous for the legend of the Mogollon Monster. Of course nobody really believes it. It’s just a good campfire story, something to attract gullible tourists-until an excavation team unearths the figurine of a screaming woman, the jawbone of a deformed animal, and a child’s toy. How odd that they were buried together. Odd, too, is the foul odor lingering in the air, the strange noises at night, and the main’s face found hanging from a tree. Now the locals are locking their doors. Because after sundown, campfire stories can seem very, very real.”