Mongrels

Stephen Graham Jones gives us a coming of age story about an unnamed narrator who is struggling with identity and belonging in this different type of werewolf novel. I love how the novel is both brutal and emotional and focuses on a family of werewolves (or soon-to-be werewolves) who must navigate a world where they are feared, hunted, and misunderstood. The non-linear manner in which the story is told is an interesting choice but one that adds to its brilliance.

This was one of the best books about werewolves—that isn’t really about werewolves—I have ever read. The story is told from the perspective of an unnamed boy who lives with his aunt and uncle—who happen to be werewolves—and the struggles he and his family face while living on the edge of society to avoid discovery.

What fascinated me the most was that Jones created entirely new werewolf lore with its own culture, rituals, and traditions, and it all felt real. I loved the non-linear timeline following the boy from 8 to 16, yearning to change like his aunt and uncle.… show more.

It’s been years since I first read this book, but I still remember how I felt when I turned the last page, stunned by the voice and the way Jones used horror and humor to explore such tender parts of being alive. I was obsessed with the language, but also the imagery and the characters, vicious yet vulnerable.

Jones has (rightfully!) become even more popular through his Indian Lake trilogy, but I always shove this book into my friends’ hands at the first opportunity because I think about it easily once a week, and I think it’s beautiful and also… show more.

Night takes on special significance in any werewolf narrative.

In this gorgeous novel, the narrator is descended from a line of werewolves, but is yet to transform himself, despite being past the age it might typically happen. He desperately wants to transform, and each moonlit night offers him the hope that he might feel like less of an outsider within his own family. This surprisingly tender coming-of-age story deftly explores what it means to exist on the fringes of society, and the deep-seeded need to belong.

I’ve always loved books that resist the confines of any one genre, and this… show more.

This is one of those books that, when described, will turn a non-horror reader off. “It’s about a family of werewolves—” That’s all you’ll be able to get out before a certain type of reader has already decided not to like it. Yet, it’s so much more than that. I’d argue that this novel would have been just as compelling without the werewolf angle. The werewolf stuff is great, but not the heart of the story. Jones is first and foremost a phenomenal storyteller with one of the best voices in all of fiction. Get this one no matter what… show more.

A family of werewolves tries to live large in a world that hates and fears them. Mongrels is one-part urban fantasy, one-part horror, one-part family drama, one-part Great American Novel, a coming-of-age story in its essence, a search for identity, a family epic.

This book had me laughing out loud at times and "Wow"-ing at others because of the beauty of its prose and ideas. And then there were the moments where I winced and grimaced because of the pain the main character suffered.

The violence, when it comes, is raw and brutal. The point-of-view narrative is believable as coming… show more.