The journalist and author of books including Monsters Among Us and American Monsters interviews those who relate uncanny encounters that are difficult to pin down as sightings of mistaken animals, hoaxes, or coincidence. Godfrey suspects that these experiences are difficult to define and that our reality operates on a scale from dense matter to realms beyond human perception.
In Godfrey’s latest book...she explores sightings of cryptids (as these mystery entities are known) that are familiar ... But the pages are filled with many cryptids that will probably be new to readers, such as creepy encounters with the 'Deer People' or the strange case of the 'Hawaiian Flying Dogman.' Just when you think things can’t get any weirder, they usually do. I Know What I Saw explores legends, myths, folklore and how real-life monster sightings blur all of this together. What people are actually seeing out there might be a matter of debate, but as in previous books, Godfrey gives her witnesses the benefit of the doubt while sharing their stories ... I Know What I Saw is a fascinating account of eyewitness reports of modern-day monster sightings and will take your mind to an eerie place.
...a passionate and immensely readable breviary of the unknown ... the book is absolutely brimming with human eyes seeing all kinds of things: biped dogs with glowing eyes, 'phantom quadrupeds,' 'dire dogs,' 'witchy wolves,' ghost cats, deer-human hybrids, good old-fashioned werewolves, and a dozen other strange apparitions flash across these pages in a blur—and of course with not one scrap of actual, clear evidence. That’s the besetting weakness of books like this: the leap of faith at the heart of their claims ... It’s hugely entertaining to go along with Godfrey while she interviews so many of the people who say they saw these creatures. Godfrey is a skilled listener and a wonderfully assured storyteller, a very natural combination of sympathy and common sense even when she’s dealing with fairly obvious charlatans ... In one sense, the narratives are the point of an enterprise like this: as a scientific collection of anecdotal evidence, the book is very nearly useless, but as a collection of campfire tales, it would be tough to imagine anything more effective. Take it along the next time you go camping and scare yourself catatonic once the sun goes down.
Journalist Godfrey...presents a striking collection of cryptozoological creatures and fantastical folklore from North America in this enjoyable work ... Godfrey offers possible alternative explanations of supernatural sightings without debunking any stories and is always respectful to believers ... A long bibliography and chronological list of reported sightings is also included. This quirky, deeply researched guide will be a great resource for monster hunters.
