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1.16k reviews for:

Mongrels

Stephen Graham Jones

3.93 AVERAGE


Velskrevet, godt sammenstilt bok som jeg bare ikke likte. Hovedpersonen lever med sin varulv-tante og onkel - et flyktig liv der deres lov og moral ikke matcher resten av samfunnet.
For meg representerte varulv-klanen for mye som ga meg sterk motstand, såpass at boka mista meg. Det blir for mye drap, blod, hjerteskjærende konsekvenser.
Boka er god. Den har referanser til Shakespeare, til de store motsetningene i USA, til biologi osv, men innholdet er så brutalt at jeg rett og slett ikke orka å like denne.
adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

A really compelling coming of age story about a young orphaned boy who doesn't quite fit into the world roaming the country with his aunt and uncle. Oh yeah, and they're werewolves. The author said that this is an analogy of being a Native American trying to fit in the world. Even if you don't know that this book is still a completely unique take on werewolves. Possibly a realistic sketch of what it would really be like for werewolves trying to get by in the world. 
victoria_bnb's profile picture

victoria_bnb's review

3.25
mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Took awhile to get into the book because it was less horror than I was expecting. In the beginnin  the only horror aspect was that they were werewolves. It came across more as literary fiction when the family was focus of the book with not a lot plot.
There are some horror aspects integrated into the stories, mostly gruesome details of the body horror they go through when transforming or eating. It does have some darker tones with how the family has to interact with society as outcasts. But these darker tones are more supports for the coming of age story and in keeping with the flaws main characters. 
Storyline is a mostly linear series of short stories spanning the protagonist's adolescent years, focusing on themes and sense of place than by actual events.
I liked the book overall but it was hard to get into when i wasn't getting what i had expected.
ssingerm's profile picture

ssingerm's review

4.5
dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
ohwhatagloomybook's profile picture

ohwhatagloomybook's review

DID NOT FINISH: 48%

Not paying close enough attention to it
adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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
emuishere's profile picture

emuishere's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 39%

A clever take on werewolves - a real horror perspective, and one that deals with poverty and illegal Immigration. It was too violent for me, and I think that combined with the slightly disjointed / vignette style writing put me off.
adventurous dark emotional medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

WHY I PICKED IT UP

I might have just grabbed it based on its cover.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT IT

Super imaginative, lots of original werewolf lore. A story about a family struggling at the fringe of society, and all of the violence that can happen there.

The narrative structure was interesting. Nonlinear, interleaving first person chapters with third person "shifted" chapters in which the boy adopts a new identity each time: the reporter, the criminal, the mechanic, etc.

The narrative voice was unique. It stayed consistent the whole time and I never got 100% used to it. It felt personable.

The whole book was fun, but the final chapters, I couldn't put it down or read fast enough.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT IT

At first I was a little disappointed in how the story is more or less The Darren Show at the expense of Libby, who does more than her fair share of raising the boy and keeping the family together. But I think that evened out as the story went on.

WHO I'D RECOMMEND IT TO

Anybody who likes a charming coming of age story with guts and entrails. Monster fans.
adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes