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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The voice of this book is so distinct and irresistible, it could have been about characters from any background, but they are werewolves and I could not stop reading.
Awesome journey of self in a cold world. Loved the bits of humor mixed in with the touching and dark story. A lot left to ponder about humanity/inhumanity as well as family structure/purpose. Hard to put down and I truly love the flashback/flash-forward nature of the storytelling.
This is a werewolf story. And like all werewolf stories, according to our narrator, it always means more than one thing. Mongrels follows a family of werewolves - aunt Libby, uncle Darren, and our unnamed narrator - as they migrate back and forth across the southern US, moving whenever towns become too hot to hold them. Mongrels is a coming-of-age story, following our narrator from late childhood into his teenage years, navigating familial bonds and first loves. Mongrels is a story of being poor in America, of living on the margins, of barely scraping by. Mongrels is a horror story, but our protagonists are the monsters in the dark.
I wasn't sure what to make of Mongrels at first. It weaves back and forth in time, jumping from childhood to teenage years and back again, and the POV chapters are interspersed with vignettes of the narrators life as a child told from the third person. It felt rich, but slow, and at first you're not even sure if the werewolves are really real, or a delusion shared by one messed up family. But the story starts to pick up, and you see that werewolves are real, and find out the horrifying truth of what they are capable of and what they are forced to do by their nature. By the time I got to the final segment - a tense and propulsive search for a missing family member - I could not stop reading (listening).
Stephen Graham Jones might not be for everyone. Mongrels has a fair amount of gore, lovingly described by our narrator whose only desire is to sprout fangs like his aunt, uncle, and grandad. Mongrels also has a good deal of body horror, as SGJ doesn't shy away from describing exactly what a werewolf transformation would look - and feel - like. But there's also layers on layers in this story, and the further you read the more you understand about the characters, their past, and how that impacts their relationships with one another. You can't help but care for them, even when they're being awful. There's a reveal near the end that is heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time, and the book ends in a way where anything could happen, and everything is possible. If you're looking for a good read for Spooky Season, give Mongrels a try. As long as you're not too squeamish.
I wasn't sure what to make of Mongrels at first. It weaves back and forth in time, jumping from childhood to teenage years and back again, and the POV chapters are interspersed with vignettes of the narrators life as a child told from the third person. It felt rich, but slow, and at first you're not even sure if the werewolves are really real, or a delusion shared by one messed up family. But the story starts to pick up, and you see that werewolves are real, and find out the horrifying truth of what they are capable of and what they are forced to do by their nature. By the time I got to the final segment - a tense and propulsive search for a missing family member - I could not stop reading (listening).
Stephen Graham Jones might not be for everyone. Mongrels has a fair amount of gore, lovingly described by our narrator whose only desire is to sprout fangs like his aunt, uncle, and grandad. Mongrels also has a good deal of body horror, as SGJ doesn't shy away from describing exactly what a werewolf transformation would look - and feel - like. But there's also layers on layers in this story, and the further you read the more you understand about the characters, their past, and how that impacts their relationships with one another. You can't help but care for them, even when they're being awful. There's a reveal near the end that is heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time, and the book ends in a way where anything could happen, and everything is possible. If you're looking for a good read for Spooky Season, give Mongrels a try. As long as you're not too squeamish.
Whilst Mongrels features some interesting ideas regarding werewolves, it's hampered by a disjointed narrative style that never really seems to flow.
I never thought I'd read shook about werewolves. I also never thought a book about werewolves would make me cry.
Absolutely loved this book. Such an amazing take on werewolves and with interweaved social commentary. So warm and heartfelt, but also intense and scary. I recommend it to everyone, not just those that love horror.
Not what I was expecting, but a good story all the same.
Best werewolf novel: Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones
Best werewolf short story: Wild Acre by Nathan Balingrud
Best werewolf song: Werewolf Shame by Direct Hit
Best werewolf (scene) in a movie: What We Do in the Shadows by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi
These are all true facts about werewolves.
P.S. This book rules.
Best werewolf short story: Wild Acre by Nathan Balingrud
Best werewolf song: Werewolf Shame by Direct Hit
Best werewolf (scene) in a movie: What We Do in the Shadows by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi
These are all true facts about werewolves.
P.S. This book rules.