Seán O'Connor

I’ve wanted to read The Mongrel since @jobis89 first posted about it, so when @soconnorauthor posted that only a few first edition paperback copies were still available, I officially broke my self-imposed book buying ban for the first time this year. It came in today’s mail, and as soon as my tiny human was in bed, I started reading and didn’t move until I finished.

It was a very quick read, due only in part to the actual length of the novella. The pace is perfect, jumping into the meat of the story immediately and building tension with every sentence. Without spending pages on the back stories of Erin and Phil, O’Connor tells us everything we need to know about them in order to follow the events told here and get invested in their story.

Yes, their relationship is a bit cliche, but Erin is a perfectly written textbook example of a battered woman, so while it’s frustrating to see her staying, it is a very real portrayal. Her conflicting feelings are on display throughout the book, and come across as very accurate, as well. Erin is portrayed so beautifully, even in horrific moments, that you can’t help but love and admire her, even while recognizing her flaws.

While The Mongrel is a wonderfully written novella, I think it could have benefited from being a bit longer; the third part in particular felt rushed and there were so many ideas and events crammed in that they all felt somewhat shortchanged. However, the book overall was a great read, and I have every intention of reading whatever Sean O’Connor writes in the future.… (meer)