A haunting horror story that connects to real life traumas. This book is out of my genre comfort zone, but I was drawn to it and it did not disappoint. This book kept me up at night, both to read and because I read. I’d give this a solid 4 stars.

Ricky, Gabe, Cass and Lewis were best friends, growing up on the Blackfeet reservation where their families had lived for generations. The Elders tried to teach them about their heritage, but they didn’t feel like traditionalists. The Game Warden was quick with arrests, so meals were poached from the woods. Duck Lake was a hunting area set aside for the Elders, but they knew elk could be found there. Despite grave consequences if caught, they decided to try their luck there but, ten years later, they would forever regret that foolish decision.

“The only good Indians” takes readers through the horrors of being methodically stalked with nowhere to turn but, in between the blood and gore, readers are reminded that reservation life is one of poverty, with tribal members still forced to play cowboys and Indians due to deeply instilled prejudices on the part of the White Man. Though Ricky, Cass, Lewis and Gabe chose different ways to live their lives, on and off the reservation, they were forever drawn together by friendship and a shared heritage that survived before them and would continue long after they were gone.

Recommended for Adults.

I received a digital advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS by Stephen Graham Jones is a Native American horror story about a group of friends who make a terrible mistake while hunting and face the consequences ten years later.⁣
⁣
This was a difficult book for me in some ways. The writing style was an adjustment and it felt so slow in the first section I actually DNF’d wondering how it was classified as horror. When I read spoilers (because that’s who I am as a person), I realized I needed to keep reading and it picked up a bit by about 30%. This is just a quiet horror book until the very end though with a focus on the psychological and supernatural so just be aware of that going in.⁣
⁣
I’m not Native American and while I understood some of the social commentary I’m sure some of it went over my head. I can’t speak to that aspect of the story even though it’s integral to everything from the characterization to the supernatural plot elements. You will have to look to own voices reviews for a better understanding of how to interpret this book.⁣
⁣
But what I can share is that some of the writing choices (reading from the perspective of the supernatural “bad guy,” for example) were masterful, and the ending made a particular kind of sense that I appreciated. The writing itself elevated a genre I often think about as sort of fun, but unserious into a more literary territory. That’s not an insult aimed at other horror stories just an observation that this one felt like it was trying to do more, which also might explain its overall slower pace.

This book comes out 7/14 and I was gifted a free copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for the advanced review copy! I really enjoyed it and just placed an order online for a physical copy. I’m looking forward to reading other books by this author. Thank you again!

After the author described this as a modern take on the "slasher" film, then the gratuitous gore and wake of bodies left throughout the book made a fun kinda sense. It allowed me to lighten my expectations and see the book for what it was: a bloody tale of revenge. The writing style and cultural inferences are very niche and may alienate some readers. But me? I LOVED it, couldn't get enough of it!

I loved how raw and honest the four main characters were: their disdain for wildlife ranger authority, their drive for professional respectability while not quite feeling a part of the system, their wry humor, and the symbolism they took from small acts of nature. The four characters were all down and out in their own ways unknowingly carrying the weight of their actions and the guilt of their slaughter on elder's land ten years earlier. It didn't take much for a supernatural element to appear and start picking off characters one by one.

So many juicy themes to keep me awake late at night. Violence against women. Collective memory/generational trauma. Blinding revenge, restitution, self inflicted penance. And the layers just go deeper.

As I read I first wondered if this was a tale of a decent into madness? Or some sort of Wendigo psychosis? Or something rooted in such ancient Deer Woman folklore that it feels paranormal in the contemporary indigenous context of this story. And I went 100% along for the ride.

Here we get the author’s signature brevity which I enjoy because it quickens the story to a visceral place. I find it works so well in horror.

SGJ tends to stereotype his female characters in side roles of either saints or whores of no real depth. And in this story we don’t get to spend near enough time inside the head of the numinous main character and so she remains mostly a raging ethereal abstract, a mythological archetype. But in the last 50 pages or so SGJ makes a legend, a young heroine to heal old wounds & usher in a new future. As usual his 4 male main characters are incredibly nuanced. When I open a book by Stephen Graham Jones, I open a door into the complex indigenous male psyche exposing all his human vulnerabilities coerced onto the page by the gut wrenching horrors that SGJ creates for him.

This makes one of my favourite reads of 2020.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader's copy of The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. This is categorized as horror under genre and I agree with that designation but it so much more than just a scary or gory story. Yes, it has both of those elements but the underlying plot is much deeper than can be categorized simply as horror. This is much more the story of the psychological horror that can imprint itself on you when you can't reconcile the past with the present.

This the story of four childhood friends, all from the Blackfoot Tribe. The story deftly weaves in and out of the adult lives of the four men and how the decisions made on one long ago Saturday impact them for the rest of their lives. It is clear as you read that the decision that they made together will have consequences for each of them in turn and the horror builds as their past comes for their future.

You will gasp, cringe, and maybe even need to put the book down for a minute while reading, as I did. For horror fans as well as fans of psychological thrillers, this book is a winner on all fronts.

I’m having trouble forming thoughts about this book because 1. It was not at all what I was expecting and 2. I’m still asking myself “WTF did I just read?” Some of my favorite books of all time fit these criteria so my feelings after finishing this book aren’t negative; they’re just very complex. The story follows the events that occur ten years after four Native American men illegally gun down a large herd of elk. As a consequence of their actions, they are each stalked and hunted down by an unknown entity. There is plenty of suspense and lots of gore that often sneaks up on you when you least expect it. At a few points in the book, I was in such shock that I had to stop and ask myself “wait did that really just happen?!” However, between the moments of action, the book can be somewhat boring. I found the prose rambling and hard to follow so I had to go back and re-read sections to try to figure out what happened. There were also lengthy descriptions of things I didn’t care much about; for example, towards the end of the book, there is a very detailed one-one-one game of basketball that seemed to go on and on. It occurred when the tension should have been high as the climax was nearing but I felt so bored that it took away from what should have been a menacing scene. The book was quite a roller coaster ride and because of the down moments, I was planning on rating it three stars; the five-star ending changed that for me. I never really connected with the characters but the ending left me in tears. It was crafted and executed perfectly and evoked many thoughts and feelings. On the surface, this is just another horror story but if you look deeper, you will find yourself reflecting on topics such as the will to survive and protect, gun violence, the destruction of nature, and the horrific treatment of indigenous peoples that continues to affect the lives of many today. While I didn’t particularly enjoy reading this book, I love it for bringing me out of my comfort zone.

Great story! I was engaged the entire time. A real page turner. Looking forward to reading more books from this author! Highly recommend!

After having Native American blood deep in my family I was so excited for this book. It looked so good.

I loved the unique story line, but I felt this book being so confusing and really bland. I was having to keep going back and re reading parts just so I could understand it. Some taking three times.

I feel if the execution of the story was better laid out/less confusing, this would be a great book. With all this said, im looking forward to the uniqueness of Stephen Graham Jones future novels!

Stephen Graham Jones has written a superb read with The Only Good Indians. Well worth the time and a true page turner!

Thanks @netgalley & @gallerybooks for the e-ARC

This book was beautifully written, but deeply horrifying. The cultural elements were explored in a compelling way, and the setting (which is beautiful in real life- but I may be bias bc I’ve lived there) feels alive & haunting.

Stephen Graham Jones is out here freaking me out with things I never thought I needed to fear, like the silhouette of a woman whose head isn't quite right, glimpsed through the oscillating blades of a ceiling fan. His use of the present tense, usually a huge pet peeve of mine, here works perfectly to pin the poor hapless reader in the immediacy of the mounting wrongness and terror that his various narrators feel. I think that something got a little lost for me in the middle of the book, as I'm not quite sure how (view spoiler) but my confusion didn't detract from my open-mouthed horror at just how wrong these men's lives went in an instant, not from being absolutely wrong out by the end.

Good people who do a bad thing and end up paying for it for the rest of their lives (or with their lives) is a plot device that always pulls me in. Add the elements of increasing horror and dread, and you have an intimate and, at times, darkly humorous scary story. The intertwining of old Native tales with current life on and off the reservation for Native Americans brings a fresh and unique perspective to a story of supernatural revenge.

Unpopular opinion alert...I didn't like this one much. The Elk Head Woman was creepy enough but the story just didn't come together for me.

This is such an odd thing but I both liked and disliked this novel. On one hand, it's totally unlike anything I've read before, horror or no, and has a very unique writing voice to it. But on the other side, I just couldn't connect with the characters and what was happening to them. I think it's a sign that I, as a reader, am just not clicked in enough to the speculative side of things because the other reviews are mainly positive. The largely positive response from others is why I'd still recommend it to horror and speculative fiction fans even though it didn't grab me.

Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I'd like to thank them, the publisher Gallery Books, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

For me, this book was a great reservation story but not a scary horror novel, so I found myself at a 3-star rating.

A perfect story of revenge that will appeal to longtime fans and those who will become fast followers upon publication of The Only Good Indians. Our protagonist is a Native American named Lewis whose lyrical inner monologue drives the bulk of the narrative, shifting between the present day and the recollections of a past hunting trip with his friends. The story unfolds quickly and with the bardic charm, and biting commentary, that help set SGJ's writing apart.. This book is a slow burn as the circumstances surrounding that fateful hunting trip consume Lewis and draw the reader along until we crash, full force, into the final act. The Only Good Indians demonstrates again that SGJ is a deft writer of the revenge/slasher horror genre thoroughly explored in The Last Final Girl.

This was a DNF for me. I went in not entirely knowing what to expect. A horror novel, perhaps centered around Native American culture. I'll admit, I was curious because the cover and title was bouncing around the bookstagram community. What I got instead was a rather dry bundle of stereotypes. The second Lewis confesses his great sin to the new girl at work and his (white) wife walks in on the moment of solidarity they share, as displaced Native Americans, I knew that was it. This great cultural equalizer between two children of rival tribes belittled into a joke. The joking tone throughout just put a bad taste in my mouth. A man is beaten to death after a ghost elk destroys some cars - and it's shrunken to a headline. I couldn't continue with this tone.

I wanted something scary, something gory. Instead I got something very sad and not substantial.

I have never read any of Stephen Graham Jones books but he is a great storyteller.

The story has a back and forth of present and flash backs of Lewis. i couldn't put it down and was so invested in this book about four friends being chased by an entity. I loved how we got Native American representation since we don't get that often or any especially in horror. this book was brutal and heart breaking yet it gave me some sort of peace/hope and i really loved it.