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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
Every time I finish a Jones book I feel a tiny bit closer to understanding why I'm such an isolationist. This one is about a soft heart that longs to become a monster, despite mounting evidence that monsters aren't all that exceptional. As always I was completely surprised by the ending. This is on level with Mapping the Interior. It's not YA, but it's easy to see why it's resonated most with the high school/college demographic.
liked this a little less than the only good indians by SGJ but this was still a really enjoyable and immersive read
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is not really a werewolf story but, rather, a story of a poor family trying to scrape by that also happens to be werewolves. Removing the werewolf element would only change about 5% of the total story and most of that 5% is just thrown in towards the end of the novel anyways as something of an afterthought.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, Death of parent, Alcohol, Classism
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot = .50
Characters = 1
Promise = .75
Engagement = .50
Efficiency = .75
Characters = 1
Promise = .75
Engagement = .50
Efficiency = .75
I find that Stephen Graham Jones's narrative style and loose approach to plot structure were not to my liking. Much of his style that garners praise came off to me as flamboyant at best and pretentious at worst.
I love the idea of Stephen Graham Jones's plots based on their jacket descriptions, and I especially love that he serves a Native American voice which channels a unique and sorely needed perspective into horror/popular fiction, but it's the writing itself that acts as a barrier to entry for me.
I will try something else by him in hopes that only Mongrels was infuriating to me, but I'll admit to some apprehension since my problems seem very much ingrained in the style and personality of Jones's prose.
I love the idea of Stephen Graham Jones's plots based on their jacket descriptions, and I especially love that he serves a Native American voice which channels a unique and sorely needed perspective into horror/popular fiction, but it's the writing itself that acts as a barrier to entry for me.
I will try something else by him in hopes that only Mongrels was infuriating to me, but I'll admit to some apprehension since my problems seem very much ingrained in the style and personality of Jones's prose.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
it didn’t actually take me this long to read, I just read a few pages and then was whammied by a bunch of library holds and pre-orders 🙈
I don’t have many thoughts about this one- it was very human, more literary than horror, in a good way. I felt so deeply for the characters and their realities as Other in the US
the ending was a bit fade to black but in a way that I think matches the frequent lack of closure in real life
I don’t have many thoughts about this one- it was very human, more literary than horror, in a good way. I felt so deeply for the characters and their realities as Other in the US
the ending was a bit fade to black but in a way that I think matches the frequent lack of closure in real life
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, Murder
Minor: Rape, Death of parent, Pregnancy
Another great story from Stephen Graham Jones! This one had a good bit more of his humor in it, which I found great because I happen to think him hilarious! It also is all about a werewolf family, and I do love a good werewolf story if you don’t know that about me yet haha.
This was such a cool, unique way of doing werewolves too. It makes them more like what you would think of a werewolf if they actually coexisted with us. Also, I’m from the south and they visit the south a lot and I found that atmosphere to be very on point. This book is set up less like a chronological novel and more like a book that is all about the same characters and their story, but different chapters of their lives. So there is still some connection between the different chapters, but each one is a specific incident or story from their lives at different times.
Darren is a great werewolf, he was probably my favorite character. The interactions between all the characters was also really great.
This was such a cool, unique way of doing werewolves too. It makes them more like what you would think of a werewolf if they actually coexisted with us. Also, I’m from the south and they visit the south a lot and I found that atmosphere to be very on point. This book is set up less like a chronological novel and more like a book that is all about the same characters and their story, but different chapters of their lives. So there is still some connection between the different chapters, but each one is a specific incident or story from their lives at different times.
Darren is a great werewolf, he was probably my favorite character. The interactions between all the characters was also really great.
This book drops you into the life of this family of werewolves and violently jerks you from one story to the next, giving you just enough detail to understand what’s going on. In any other author’s hands, this book would have been twice as long and half as interesting.