Reviews

Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones

plbeyer70's review against another edition

5.0

What a pleasant surprise. This book reads like a mix of Donald Ray Pollock and the supernatural. It's about a boy discovering who he is while being raised on the run by his aunt and uncle with the mystery of his grandfather and mother always on his mind. The family cares for each other deeply, but they're monsters and and boy is counting the days until he becomes one too. Even though it tells a common coming of age story, it's full of the unpredictable. Gritty, bloody, funny, and vengeful.

isabelle_rosewrites's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

amcngstars's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

jjordanmagic's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative mysterious tense 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? No

5.0

bookswithlydscl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

An effective family drama dressed up as a Werewolf horror onnthe surface.

As always with SGJ the story is not the story so whilst yes Werewolves are the primary attention grabbing hook it's so much more than that. 

And irrespective of anything, these are not Twilight Werewolves.

punkbuddha37's review against another edition

4.0

Truth be told I expected this to be a bit naff. So it's a novel about a family of werewolves, it's going to be howling at the moon, thrill of the hunt etc. What I actually got is one of the most heartbreaking family dramas I have read in years.

The story follows a young boy and his aunt and uncle as they travel America. Constantly on the move looking for safety, work and anyway to scratch a living in modern America whilst being off the radar. The werewolf theme is taken to its logical, realistic conclusion and at no point feels false or crowbarred in. These are not the tame beasts of the twilight saga, but real animals who take down prey, shit in the woods and are left for dead on the side of highways. You get an understanding that the modern world is leaving them behind and they are trying to survive in the best way that they can.

I think horror fans will have enough to satisfy but I believe that if you are looking at this as a horror novel and are not a fan of horror, or shy away from it because of that tag you are not only missing out on a cracking story but also massively missing the point of the tale as a whole. Seriously recommend to everyone and all ready a contender for the best novel I have read in 2016.

N

mouse42's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.5

roaminhohmann's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

bonafidefaygo's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.0

I don't know how to describe this book. And I also didn't know what I was getting into, and I think that hampered some of my enjoyment. 

If I had known this was a *purely* character driven book, told in largely disconnected vignettes, I might have been able to shift my expectations and gone along for the ride from the beginning. But it took me a solid third of the book to really settle in for the ride, and then it took the half-way/two-thirds point to really be deeply invested. 

While this is a werewolf story, it's really a story about poverty and the stigma that comes with an impoverished childhood. I found this to be done exceptionally well, and that probably largely has to do with the SGJ's as he writes in the afterword. 

This novel is very melancholy throughout, and the last 25-30 pages really solidified that and made me emotional.

I used to think I didn't like coming-of-age stories, but now I'm beginning to think maybe I just don't like those that are poorly written lol. Because this was very well-done. Mongrels made me feel something and that's what good art should do.

I'd like to revisit this in a few years with more accurate expectations and I think this could be a five star upon re-read.

gayatriii's review against another edition

2.0

Very interesting and fresh and HUMAN take on werewolves. We follow a family of werewolves across the country as they deal with very real problems; hunger, poverty, crime, danger, death etc and it makes for a compelling premise.

But I could not deal with the writing at all. Choppy, vague, devoid of any flow. The storytelling jumps across timelines without any real purpose or intensity. Plot points are introduced and abandoned willy nilly.

I really want to like this for its ingenuity but feel angry about the writing.

Might still try his other books as I hear they’re different stylistically.

1.5* rounded off to 2.