First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:
- Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
- Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
- Finally… reveal the book!
If you’re using Twitter, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!
Hello, reader!
It’s Friday and I have an unexpected (but much appreciated) three day weekend ahead of me! I’m so excited to spend the weekend chilling with my family and, hopefully, spending some time outside now that winter is starting to loosen it’s grip here in New England. I’m also excited to share with you another First Lines Friday! The book I’ll be talking about today is from a genre I love, but don’t read nearly enough. I wouldn’t have picked this book up if it wasn’t for the Trope-ical Readathon but I’m so glad that I did! Also, there’s your first sort of hint if you read my TBR post 😉 Time to share the first line!
The Line(s):
“My grandfather used to tell me he was a werewolf.
He’d rope my aunt Libby and uncle Darren in, try to get them to nod about him twenty years ago, halfway up a windmill, slashing at the rain with his claws. Him dropping down to all fours to race the train on the downhill out of Booneville, and beating it. Him running ahead of a countryside full of Arkansas villagers, a live chicken flapping between his jaws, his eyes wet with the thrill of it all. The moon was always full in his stories, and right behind him like a spotlight.
I could tell it made Libby kind of sick.”
The Hints:
This is a horror novel published in 2016
The cover is bright yellow and very eye-catching
The author’s initials are S.G.J.
The Reveal:
Click the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page
Goodreads Synopsis
“A spellbinding and darkly humorous coming-of-age story about an unusual boy whose family lives on the fringes of society and struggles to survive in a hostile world that shuns and fears them.
He was born an outsider, like the rest of his family. Poor yet resilient, he lives in the shadows with his Aunt Libby and Uncle Darren, folk who stubbornly make their way in a society that does not understand or want them. They are mongrels, mixedblood, neither this nor that. The boy at the center of Mongrels must decide if he belongs on the road with his aunt and uncle, or if he fits with the people on the other side of the tracks.
For ten years, he and his family have lived a life of late-night exits and close calls—always on the move across the South to stay one step ahead of the law. But the time is drawing near when Darren and Libby will know if their nephew is like them or not. And the close calls they’ve been running from for so long are catching up fast, now. Everything is about to change.
A compelling and fascinating journey, Mongrels alternates between past and present to create an unforgettable portrait of a boy trying to understand his family and his place in a complex and unforgiving world. A smart and innovative story—funny, bloody, raw, and real—told in a rhythmic voice full of heart, Mongrels is a deeply moving, sometimes grisly novel that illuminates the challenges and tender joys of a life beyond the ordinary in a bold and imaginative new way.”
I’m so glad that this book was one of the Team Mystery/Horror/Thriller team book picks because I would never have read this if it wasn’t! I really loved how this story was crafted, it made it so compelling and fascinating. I’ll be writing a review soon, but I’ll definitely be picking up more from Stephen Graham Jones!
Did those first few lines capture your attention? Did they make you want to read the rest of the story? Let me know in the comments!
And, as always, happy reading!
Kerri McBookNerd 