Mongrels

Stephen Graham Jones's "Mongrels" plunges readers into the gritty, desperate world of a nameless boy navigating a peripatetic existence with his aunt and uncle, who harbor a dangerous, exhilarating secret: they are werewolves. Far from the glamorous figures of lore, these are the struggling, often pathetic, creatures of American folklore, hunted and reviled, living on the fringes of society. The narrative unfolds through the boy's eyes as he grapples with his own potential inheritance of the family curse, learning the brutal rules of survival, the allure of the moon, and the heart-wrenching reality of a life lived in shadow. It's a poignant, visceral coming-of-age tale wrapped in a raw, unflinching exploration of identity, family loyalty, and the aching desire for belonging in a world that would rather see you extinct.