A review by anishinaabekwereads
Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones

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? It's complicated

5.0

 Let's talk about werewolves that make me want to cry. I'm pretty sure it's a feat unique to Stephen Graham Jones. I don't really do "monster" stories. I never much cared about vampires, never read many werewolf stories. I've never actually watched many werewolf flicks either. This might be why I put off reading Mongrels for so long. I was scared of the potential ambivalence. I shouldn't have been, of course, because SGJ pretty much always delivers for me. And like usual, I was holding back tears by the end.

It's hard to describe this book. It's "horror," but so much more. It's a story about a boy coming of age, about realizing the truth(s) of being a "mixedblood" child raised by (were)wolves. This story is about craving and longing and danger and thrill. It's about stories and survival. And mostly it's about unconditional love and growing up.

This book is bone and blood deep. I had to read it slowly because I dreamed too vividly while reading. As pretty much all of his work has content warnings, be aware of gore, violence, and animal and human death. If you're interested but have been waiting, don't wait any longer. Read this one now. 
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