Mongrels

This is the second book of Stephen Graham Jones that I've read that I've really loved (the first being The Only Good Indians.) I don't normally like werewolf stories, but I'm so glad I gave this one a try. This isn't a typical werewolf story (or what I'd imagine a "typical" werewolf story would be, since I don't read many of them.) It's really a very sweet story about a complicated but close-knit famiy trying to survive in a world that doesn't want them. I know Jones isn't the first to use werewolf-ery as a metaphor for being an outsider, but he really makes it effective here. Unless I missed it, he's deliberately vague about the ethnicity of the characters (and "ethnicity" doesn't really apply, since they're, you know, werewolvees) but he really manages to present their situation as a stand-in for the difficulties faced by people of color, people with low income, and anyone who doesn't conform to a certian version of American life. At the same time, the humor and pacing of the storytelling prevents the book from feeling heavy-handed. It was just a great read. Strongly recommend.