Mongrels - by Stephen Graham Jones (Paperback)

About the Book

Set in the deep South, Mongrels is a deeply moving, sometimes grisly, and surprisingly funny novel that follows an unnamed narrator as he comes of age under the care of his aunt and uncle - who are werewolves.

Book Synopsis

Nominated for both the Shirley Jackson and Bram Stoker Awards, and a Best of 2016 selection of Tor.com and Book Riot, acclaimed horror writer Stephen Graham Jones' (The Only Good Indians and My Heart is a Chainsaw) Mongrels goes beyond your typical werewolf story to show a young boy, mired in poverty and always on the run, coming-of-age in a world that fears him and hates his family...but may just be more monstrous than he could ever be.

He was born an outsider, like the rest of his family. Poor yet resilient, he lives in the shadows with his aunt Libby and uncle Darren, folk who stubbornly make their way in a society that does not understand or want them. They are mongrels, mixed blood, neither this nor that. The boy at the center of Mongrels must decide if he belongs on the road with his aunt and uncle, or if he fits with the people on the other side of the tracks.

For ten years, he and his family have lived a life of late-night exits and narrow escapes--always on the move across the South to stay one step ahead of the law. But the time is drawing near when Darren and Libby will finally know if their nephew is like them or not. And the close calls they've been running from for so long are catching up fast now. Everything is about to change.

A compelling and fascinating journey, Mongrels alternates between past and present to create an unforgettable portrait of a boy trying to understand his family and his place in a complex and unforgiving world. A smart and innovative story-- funny, bloody, raw, and real--told in a rhythmic voice full of heart, Mongrels is a deeply moving, sometimes grisly, novel that illuminates the challenges and tender joys of a life beyond the ordinary in a bold and imaginative new way.

From the Back Cover

He was born an outsider, like the rest of his family. Poor yet resilient, he lives in the shadows with his aunt Libby and uncle Darren, folk who stubbornly make their way in a society that does not understand or want them. They are mongrels, mixedblood, neither this nor that. The boy at the center of Mongrels must decide if he belongs on the road with his aunt and uncle, or if he fits with the people on the other side of the tracks.

For ten years, he and his family have lived a life of late-night exits and narrow escapes--always on the move across the South to stay one step ahead of the law. But the time is drawing near when Darren and Libby will finally know if their nephew is like them or not. And the close calls they've been running from for so long are catching up fast now. Everything is about to change.

Review Quotes

"Mongrels isn't just a coming-of-age story or a horror story. It looks at the world through a disturbing, uncomfortable lens, and offers up a brutal mythology of werewolves. I've never seen anything quite like it and I won't forget it anytime soon." - Carrie Vaughn, New York Times bestselling author of the Kitty Norville series
"Mongrels exists somewhere in the borderlands of literary and genre fiction, full of horror and humor and heart, at once a nightmarish road trip and a moving story about a broken family leashed together by their fierce love and loyalty. A bloody great read." - Benjamin Percy, author of The Dead Lands, Red Moon, and The Wilding
"Mongrels left me speechless. Or breathless. Certainly wihtout my dew claw. I mean, this book, it's so smart, original, thrilling, horrifying, and human. A story about a broken family of werewolves on the run, never fitting in anywhere, trekking into the poorest parts of the southern US. And there's that final, painful transformation, when they become your messed up werewolf family too, and you don't ever feel poor or like a misfit. Not once." - Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and Disappearance at Devil's Rock
"Mongrels left me speechless. Or breathless. Certainly without my dew claw. I mean, it's so smart, original, thrilling, horrifying, and human." - Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and Disappearance at Devil's Rock
"You know how you once wished you were a werewolf? How you stood in front of the mirror and wanted to see a transformation? Mongrels takes you by the hand, guides you down that road, finally, to that change...Stephen Graham Jones is as powerful as the monsters herein." - Josh Malerman, author of Bird Box
"Mongrels makes a meal fit for any werewolf: meaty, surprisingly sweet of heart, and immensely satisfying...As real as anything you'd find in S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. Only wiht more teeth." - Tor.com
"You ever read a book and know from the first page that it's going to be something special?...SGJ's words are reasonable enough to convert the biggest skeptic into a believer. He'll have you howling at the moon and digging through the trash in no time." - LitReactor
"Hilarious, painful, fascinating, and satisfying...Will easily be remembered as one of the most unique and unforgettable werewolf tales ever written. It's both a postmodern deconstruction and a wild love letter to a classic creature of legend, told in a way that only Stephen Graham Jones can tell" - New York Journal of Books
"Stephen Graham Jones is as powerful as the monsters herein." - Josh Malerman, author of Bird Box
"With lupine tongue tucked well into cheek, Mongrels is at once an adolescent romp through the tangled woods of family history and a rich compendium of werewolf lore old and new." - Christopher Buehlman, author of Those Across the River and The Lesser Dead
"Lyrical...The narrator's voice is heartfelt and absorbing...an often moving portrait of a family struggling to survive." - Publishers Weekly
"A love letter to the American South...Jones' portrayals of rural American ring true in many ways. Horror enthusiasts will also dig the graphic mythology...A Holden Caulfield analogue dropped into an old horror movie with a soundtrack by Warren Zevon." - Kirkus Reviews
"A gory monster coming-of-age tale that makes love triangles with sparkling vampires seem like trivial concerns...A thoughtful, entertaining novel with rich details, well-drawn characters, and, if you'll forgive the phrase, plenty of bite." - Los Angeles Times