Books in the Freezer discussion

Thoughts about chapters 7-12 in Mongrels

I've only just finished chapter 12. So far I really love how each of the chapters of the narrator as a teen are interspersed with a small "scene" of him when he is younger. The main linear story is happening as he is 14-15 years old, while there are little episodic chapters detailing certain events from before. The entire novel is really more like a collection of stories that all fit together into a large narrative. I have been finding this style of writing to be very interesting. How does everyone else feel about this narrative style?

I found the chapter with Brittany and her grandfather particularly compelling. Especially the part after the grandfather is killed. I especially noted this paragraph:

The burial he'd given the oldest werewolf of our time, the werewolf who had to have saved all of our lives fifty times over, the werewolf who had played his granddaughter's game as a way of educating her, at least until a real werewolf showed up, the burial Darren had given him, it was on the yellow stripes, about two hundred yards down from the mailboxes - the opposite way Libby came in from.

The narrator understands that this man was important to werewolves and their survival, and that he deserves better. It also strikes me how Brittany's grandfather was telling her stories to inform her in a similar (and yet very different) way to how the narrator's grandfather educated him through werewolf stories. Both grandfathers were trying to pass along more than just a 'tale' to their descendants. Yet with Brittany's, instead of bragging about his werewolf deeds, he taught her about werewolves and how to recognize one while acting as someone who created a weapon to hunt them, keeping his true form a secret. Even after his death she doesn't learn the truth. She assumes he has 'wandered' off because he was elderly.

This was such a tragic story for both children, who are only fourteen when it occurs. So far I think this has been the most gripping part of the story for me, but like everything else in this tale, it is so bleak.

I'd like to hear what everyone else think of the book up to this point, and what your favorite and least favorite parts are? :)

While the writing is excellent and lyrical, as ever, I'm starting to struggle with the seeming lack of forward motion re: the plot. So far the formula is family rolls into town, Darren does something crazy, family rolls out. There's the occasional spice of another aspect (the old werewolf/gf grandfather and a field biologist with mysterious motives) but so far none of these threads is paying off. Or, to the extent that I'm seeing even pointing toward a payout.

I'm hoping that I'm wrong because, of course books do not need to follow a conventional narrative structure and I do like the ebb and flow of how we are getting the werewolf lore in this book. I think its a cool device to have the young narrator's almost hero worship observations of Darren mixed in with what I think is his growing disillusionment with the life his family is leading. BUT...but, I've got a third of the book left and I'm really feeling itchy and trapped by Darren. Maybe that's what the author is going for though (if so man is it working). I just want the narrator to get an okay ending because I'm a hopeless optimist despite all signs pointing toward the contrary.

I'm probably going to end up as broken as I was at the end of Gingersnaps. Stupid werewolf fiction with appealingly flawed characters.

I'm into chapter 7 and I'm intrigued, but around chapter 5 I started wondering if there is a point to this story. Is this going anywhere? I'm worried I'll start losing interest.

Without giving too much away, there is more of a conventional kind of plot in the latter part of the book. But I'd categorize this book primarily as a coming of age story narrated by a hopeful young werewolf. If that part isn't working for you, I'm not sure the later bits will make up for it in your enjoyment. I'd still say stick with it, though.

SDKalos wrote: "While the writing is excellent and lyrical, as ever, I'm starting to struggle with the seeming lack of forward motion re: the plot. So far the formula is family rolls into town, Darren does somethi..."

While I am overall really enjoying the book, and I find it to be an easy and quick read, I do have to agree with you that it has been quite repetitive. I am especially growing tired of Darren. I do also agree with you, however, that it seems the narrator is growing more disillusioned with his life and family the older he gets.

In the scene that I mentioned above I can't help wondering if the narrator's hero worship of Darren might be fading a bit? He perhaps sensed that things didn't have to play out/end the way they did with the older werewolf?

I don't really know where the story is leading at this point (if anywhere) but I do hope that the plot has an end goal. I have not lost interest in the story, but I do wonder if we are just spinning around in circles.

I am really hoping our narrator gets a decent (if not totally happy) ending, but it seems like a futile desire at this point!

Whitney wrote: "Without giving too much away, there is more of a conventional kind of plot in the latter part of the book. But I'd categorize this book primarily as a coming of age story narrated by a hopeful youn..."

Good to know. Thanks for the heads up. ^_^

Regina wrote: "I'm into chapter 7 and I'm intrigued, but around chapter 5 I started wondering if there is a point to this story. Is this going anywhere? I'm worried I'll start losing interest."

I'm also struggling with this one a bit. I think SGJ is a good writer, but this just isn't my kind of horror story. I'm personally more of a plot driven reader and I wish there was more of a plot "hook" in this one. I'm interested to see where this one goes. Honestly, I think I'd be struggling to finish if I wasn't listening to the audiobook version.

I'll keep pushing forward and try to be open minded. I'm listening to the audiobook as well. I think the narrators are great.

I've just finished ch. 12 and I'm really enjoying the book so far. Can't do much complaining. I'm not a big fan of the chapters skipping back and forth between different time frames, but SGJ weaves the story together really well. I've found several of the tidbits quite comical (sticking candy bars into fountain drinks, glitter surprises, etc.).

I'm having fun with the book. And I was really apprehensive going in, because like I've said on a previous post, creature horror isn't really my thing. But, to me, this is more of a family saga. I'm interested to see where it goes!

I was up in the air about the first section we read, but was intrigued enough to want to continue. I usually enjoy a mashup of genres, and I find myself feeling “Wait for it...wait for it...YES, there’s the gore” with this one. Maybe the mashup isn’t really working for me on this one.

I did chuckle to myself in a few places with this section. Was this the section with the cop, canine and bowl of chicken? I can’t remember, but I thought that was funny. And Darren eating the glitter and confetti so he can poop sparkles. Hahaha! Hoping that biologist would think it was unicorn poop. Lol! The kids throwing up. That part was a riot.

This is definitely not the story for you if you are squeamish to violence towards animals. Dogs, bunnies, owl, and then the scene with the fawn...heartbreak.

I felt like the protagonist and Brittany were insta-lovey. Of course, I thought this whole relationship was really just a lead up to her grandfather, maybe? Hmm...

The time-line feels really skewed. It jumps around a lot and I’m never really sure how much time has elapsed. Anyone else feel this way?

Eli wrote: "I felt like the protagonist and Brittany were insta-lovey. Of course, I thought this whole relationship was really just a lead up to her grandfather, maybe? Hmm..."

I agree that the relationship did feel like 'insta-love', but they are also fourteen years old. I think it makes a lot of sense, in that relationships feel like "the most important thing" or "the last great love in the world" when you're that age. Emotions are so high, and from what I gathered, this was the narrator's first real relationship. So it made sense that he fell pretty hard into it.

I also think the narrator was trying to make a point that he wasn't going to go from girlfriend to girlfriend the way he saw Darren do. He was trying to prove that he could love just one girl and it would be enough.

There was a place in the book where the narrator commented on this:

I bored my eyes into the game show, not learning anything from it, shaking my head no to myself once, that I wasn't going to have a phone book of girlfriends like Darren.
That just saying an old girlfriend's name wasn't going to drive me out into the wet night, so that when I came back I would smell like wet dog.

I think part of why I noted this part in the first place was that it seemed like the first time the narrator starts to diverge from Darren. All through the first part of the book we see him wanting nothing more than to grow up to be just like his uncle. He idolizes his uncle and wants to be the same kind of man (wolf) that Darren is. Then here we reach this point where he is shaking his head no. No, this won't be me someday. It stuck with me a bit.

As Rachel predicted, I am LOVING this. This has the lyrical quality of writing and heart that are my favorite. I love the point of view of the young boy. It seems realistic that he idolizes Darren and this transient lifestyle is what he's used to. There's also the idea that his family uses this werewolf lore to hide the gritty realities of their situation, although that's not the case since werewolves are established. I did think the glitter part was pretty funny too.