Mongrels: A Novel (2016)

Roaming the deep south
one step ahead of the mob
more guns than pitchforks. ( )

Such a good melding of myth and reality. This was a pure pleasure to read. ( )

Really great book. Loved the Werewolf lore and how it was shared through tall tales and stories from less than reliable family members. Jones did a wonderful job in subverting and flipping a lot of the wolf tropes and made something really memorable. It's a wonderful coming of age story featuring a cast of lovable and charming characters who really do feel like a family. It's funny and heartwarming and more than a little sad in places but it's definitely not a horror novel so don't do in expecting anything unsettling or scary. ( )

This is a coming-of-age story, except in this case the boy is becoming not a man, but a werewolf. The unnamed narrator lives a nomadic life with his aunt and uncle (his parents are dead), who are both werewolves. They crisscross the South, moving on when their nocturnal activities threaten to catch someone's attention. This is a modern take on the werewolf legend, which expounds on some classic tropes (such as an aversion to silver) but also creates an entire subculture and history of the shapeshifters. Unusual and well worth reading. ( )

Holy shit, man, this was so good. The ending's a punch in the chest, too. ( )