Cruz: many of the character are students there; the Outlaw has Beej and Denis construct the special door at one of the art studios. Downtown Clock Tower: the Outlaw recognizes this being the only structure that survived the 1989 earthquake and therefore made it his first thing to destroy. The clock can be found one of the ends of the main downtown strip, where Pacific Ave meets with Mission St. Major themes The story of Rangergirl has elements of fantasy and roots of mythology. The idea of gods that are not currently being worshipped but still exist in modern-day society is an idea that has almost become its own genre. Writers like Neil Gaiman greatly explored this concept. The western setup is something of great use. The book was described as cowpunk, which usually is referred to a style of music, but at the same time, gives the same kind of edge that this story holds. Plus, the fantasy western structure is reminiscent of other stories such as Jonah Hex, Brisco County, Jr., and Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. Reception General critical reception to Rangergirl was mixed. Publishers Weekly found the theme of Rangergirl simplistic and naïve. Kelly Shaw of Strange Horizons praised the first half of the book for its intriguing cast of characters, but criticized the latter half for its adherence to conventions of the Western genre and what he felt was "over-the-top characterization of the Outlaw." Kirkus Reviews also criticized the book's second half, calling it a "thin premise" that Pratt did not have the skill to maintain. Claude Lalumière of the Montreal Gazette praised the novel's blend of genres and Marzi's character development, but noted that the author occasionally turned characters into "mouthpieces for his personal likes and dislikes". Rick Kleffel of the Agony Column at Trash-O-Tron focused on the characters as the main positive, especially unwilling collaborator Denis. He also enjoyed Pratt's detailed invocation of Santa Cruz. Ernest Lilley at SF Revu also highlighted Pratt's portrait of Santa Cruz, as well as the mythological style of the supernatural elements. The Strange Adventures of Rangergirl was a finalist for the 2006 Mythopoeic Awards, but lost to Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. References 2005 American novels Fantasy Westerns Novels set in California Western (genre) novels Bantam Spectra books Books with cover art by Michael Koelsch