“Parenting is never easy, but it’s a hell of a lot harder when your toddler is a chupacabra.”
Strange Lights by Mira González
Published by: Bindery Books; October 6, 2026
Genres: Fantasy | Science Fiction | Paranormal | LGBT | Mystery
Format: Kindle
Pages: 464 pages, paperback
Source: NetGalley
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Buy on Amazon: Canada | USA
Trigger Warnings: Blood, Violence, Emotional Abuse, Physical Abuse, Child Abuse, Profanity, Monsters, Aliens, Magic, LGBTQ+ themes, Confinement, Grief, Depression
Rated: Adult
★★★★☆ | 4 / 5
Summary
Paranormal investigator and cryptozoologist Reggie has embraced her fate as parent to an adopted toddler, Eldi—a blood-sucking chupacabra with a fondness for goats. Reggie wants nothing more than to put her complicated past in the rearview mirror and fade into as much obscurity as her toddler will allow. But a rash of UFOs in the night sky and a couple of crop-circle-carving Roombas force Reggie into an investigation that attracts the attention of an old enemy, an anti-supernatural agency hunting for creatures like Eldi. To outwit them, Reggie must team up with Calvin: a podcaster-turned-werewolf whose charm is a real threat to Reggie’s rule against romantic attachments.
With Reggie’s history quickly catching up to her and Eldi in the agency’s crosshairs, any shred of normalcy evaporates. Reggie must decide: Can she confront her dark past to save Eldi—and an entire alien species—from getting wiped out of the universe?
My Review
Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for providing me with an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I’m glad I stuck with this because the story kept me engaged, and the many plot twists had me invested until the end.
The writing is strong and easy to follow. I don’t typically read science fiction because the genre often relies on convoluted terminology, but this novel leans more toward fantasy with paranormal elements woven throughout. The supernatural aspects felt natural to the story rather than overwhelming it.
The characters are all well developed, including the villain. Each has experienced significant trauma, and seeing how they cope with both their pasts and the events unfolding around them adds an emotional realism that makes them easy to connect with.
Despite being marketed as horror, I don’t think that label quite fits. While there are monsters, aliens, and werewolves, they serve the story rather than creating a genuinely frightening atmosphere.
There is also some queer representation through Reggie, who is gender-fluid and mentions it at one point in the story. Personally, I would have preferred if this aspect had simply remained part of the character without being specifically pointed out.
Overall, this is an original and entertaining story with memorable characters and plenty of surprises. If you’re a fan of found-family dynamics, this book delivers that in a big way.
★★★★☆ | 4 / 5
