Frank Errington's Reviews > Mongrels

Review copy

Mongrels is a completely different kind of werewolf story, told from the point of view of a teenage werewolf who has yet to shift for the first time. In addition to facing the same issues teens everywhere must deal with, this one faces the uncertainty of when, or even if, he will ever change.

I love a good opening line and this one's a gem. "My grandfather used to tell me he was a werewolf." Tell me more.

Good literary horror is something to be appreciated, and when you combine that with werewolves, it's time to relax in your favorite reading chair and dig in. Mongrels is not perfect book, but it is awfully good. Told in a series of vignettes, I found the work to be a bit disjointed, but that certainly did not keep me from enjoying this interesting take on werewolves.

There are some terribly original concepts floated in this saga, not the least of which is the idea of werewolf pee as a pesticide. When you read the book, this will make perfect sense.

Recommended.

Mongrels, published by William Morrow Books, is available in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and various audio formats.

Stephen Graham Jones is the author of fifteen novels and six story collections, so far. He has received an number of awards. Raised in West Texas. Stephen now lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife and children.