I'm not a reader of scary books, but this got such good reviews and is written by an Indigenous author so I picked it up...and when the first gory thing happened about a third of the way in, I nearly hung it up...but I was really drawn in by the representation of the Native American characters, and (once I got used to it) the writing, so I slowly picked my way through some more pages. Thankfully, the gory stuff is well spaced out and mostly there's a feeling of impending dread, but also, ultimately of power and triumph.

I'm really glad I finished this book, though I don't think I'm a convert to the genre just yet.

So I started this book, then forgot about it, remembered it, started reading it again, forgot about it, then raced through to the end. It's a crazy, crazy book. It's like magical realism horror. I feel like I didn't completely understand all of it, or why what they did was so terrible, but I did end up enjoying the book and will be reading more from this author.

Four men find the actions of their past have come to exact revenge in this gorgeously written opus by Stephen Graham Jones. Indelible imagery and a beautifully developed plot raise this head and shoulders above its contemporaries; it almost surpasses Mongrels, Jones' werewolf masterpiece. The clear-cut poetic consequences of choices made long ago are the bones of this book, but it's the small touches. Revenge morphing into familiar forms. The way you will never be able to look at a spinning ceiling fan ever again. Easily the best book of last year.

Audio: Honestly, after finishing this I really only wanted to give it 2 stars, but I went with 3 because I think the Audio was a mistake for me and didn't want to punish the story for my error. I feel like at some point I missed something and that caused me to not be "in" the story. Based on what I listened to, I think it has potential and because of this I will one day actually read the book and give it the fair shake it deserves. What I can tell you about the story is that it is full of Native American lore which I did find interesting. It is also pretty gruesome, not just involving people, but animals, which I know is harder to stomach for a lot of readers so figured a warning was in order. Also, by the end I was getting more into the story and I was all in on the action, concerned for the last victim because their fight and determination were fierce. So yes, three stars because I believe the fault of me not loving it is mine, not the book's. Also, I think this author has an interesting voice so I will check out their other works.

This title and summary caught my attention right away. I enjoyed the build-up and the horror of the book. I hope the author continues writing and I will buy more books.

I really didn’t enjoy this book. I expected a tale of horror, but it didn’t come across that way to me. I think the idea was good, but it just fell flat. I couldn’t really get interested in the story and hard a hard time finishing it.

I have no idea how exactly to explain my initial reaction to this book. I’ve read countless books in English, which is not my mother tongue, I live in an English speaking country and use the language every day, but once I started The Only Good Indians I felt like I don’t understand a word, like I’m reading in Chinese. After a few pages, I even passed the book to my SO to make sure that my brain didn’t suddenly lose its ability to read or to understand a sentence. And no, it clearly wasn’t me, it was the writing. I still have no idea what exactly happened there, what the issue was. Each word had a meaning, but somehow, put together, they just didn’t have any sense. Somehow, after a few chapters, things sort of went back to normal and the phrasing was smoother. Despite that, the book still didn’t catch me and I just wanted to finish it faster and be done with it.

The storyline is definitely original and not one of the tipical horror plots, but that’s pretty much the only good thing I can say about it. I’ve seen so many excited reactions about this novel, I saw it in so many 2020 tops. It’s not even the fact that my expectations weren’t met. I wasn’t just disappointed, I simply disliked everything about it. The characters weren’t interesting, I couldn’t sympathize with any of them, their actions seemed illogical half of the time, the storyline wasn’t catchy, the plot didn’t make my pulse jump or give me the feeling that I’m reading a horror. In addition, I feel like the author tried so much to signal that this is a story about native indians that it became repetitive and annoying.

Considering that so many readers gave positive reviews and I’m in minority here, I’m just going to assume this was not a story for me, but it can definitely be for somebody else. So in case you’re feeling tempted to give it a try, don’t let my opinion discourage you from reading it.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones took me a bit to understand the authors writing style and the cultural elements that kept reappearing in the book. Four friends on a reservation kill elk years earlier and are stripped of their hunting rights. Each of these four friends in present day must atone for the crime that they committed. This book can be gruesome and not for the squeamish. Overall, this was a satisfying horror/mystery.

After months of trying I never managed to finish this book. Which is rare for me. The great amount of characters and the indirect use of language don't work for. Sadly I can't be positive.

Reading the many positive reviews of other people on goodreads I fully realise I am part of a small minority here. Maybe the fact that I am not a native English speaker is the cause of this. Therefor I will refrain from posting a review on goodreads out of fear I write an unfair and unjust review.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Only Good Indians in exchange for an honest review.

When I tried to read this book last year, I had a hard time understanding the writing and decided to give up for the moment. God knows this isn't the easiest book for a non-native speaker to read, but oh boy, was it worth it. I knew I was going to try again at some point because I was so intrigued by the plot. I'm glad I gave it a second chance because I was blown away and I absolutely loved it. This is probably going to be one of my best reads of 2021.
First of all, as I said before, although the writing wasn't easy for me to understand, I can say it is unique and fast-paced. I'll definitely check out the author's other works, starting with The Night of Mannequins.
What I loved most in this book was the characters - which was a bad move: I forgot for a second I was reading a horror novel and got attached to them - especially to Lewis, Cassidy, and Gabe; they're the heart of this novel. I also liked the friendship between them, so this book made me sad instead of grossed out or scared.
I enjoyed this book because the author took popular elements from the horror genre - gore, final girls, a hint of slasher stories, etc - and subverted them. This new wave of horror told by BIPOC writers made me fall in love with the genre all over again because the cultural aspects they bring to the table are so refreshing and interesting to read about, and "The Only Good Indians" is an example of that.
I finished reading this a few days ago and I'm still obsessed with it. It made me have this rare moment in which I stopped and thought to myself, "Oh God, I'm so glad to be alive in the period this novel was published so I get to read it."

Thank you, Stephen Graham Jones and Netgalley, for allowing me to read this book as an ARC!

When I was a child, whenever I visited my grandparent's house, I would always have the same dream. I'd be in my dad's room there, and in the corner there was this goat head creature who told me its name was Mahmamoo. It would pursue me slowly down my grandparents' carpeted stairs. Only once did I ever have the dream anywhere else, and it was like he followed me. That dream filled me with a stomach-dropping dread. And that dread is this book.

A decade after a reckless hunting spree (the "Thanksgiving Classic"), four friends from the Blackfeet Nation are forced to reckon with the harm of their careless act. Alongside the heart-pounding horror delivered in the book's casual yet gripping prose, The Only Good Indians stares down both the difficulties and the unstoppable hope and endurance of Indigenous lives head on.

This novel was absolutely chilling. I would just be reading along, getting invested in the characters, and suddenly something really disturbing would happen, leaving me sitting bolt upright with my hand over my mouth. What was most incredibly was the sense of release and catharsis also provided by the book, provided a perfect tonal balance. A truly cinematic experience.

Really enjoyed this book. Different horror, which is always a good thing. Great characters, and a great story. #TheOnlyGoodIndians #NetGalley

Quite successful monthly pick with broad appeal. For fans of both horror and fiction, this title really begs for discussion.

I will definitely be checking out more of Jones’ books. His character work is incredible, and his ability to seamlessly shift protagonists is honestly super impressive. This is top shelf horror.

Ultimately written as a horror novel, Stephen Graham Jones delivers so much more. The narrative is masterfully written, engrained with complex social injustices and an intimate portrayal of the realities of hope. The subject matter is delivered violently with brutal cause and yet somehow invokes a tender compassion from the reader. Loved it!


Thank you to #NetGalley and #GalleryBooks for the #egalley of #TheOnlyGoodIndians which was read and reviewed voluntarily, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Horror isn't usually my go-to genre but this book was really interesting (but also a little creepy)! It involves four Blackfeet men who make a grave mistake involving a herd of elk and years later must pay for it. The reckoning comes in the form of a supernatural hunt which includes Denorah, the daughter of one of them. Although very violent in parts, it's also satisfying as we witness the cycle being broken so
healing can begin.

This was my first book to read by this author and I can't wait to read more! This book sucks you in from the get-go and you will find yourself thinking about the story and the characters long after you finish the book!

In The Only Good Indians, four young Blackfeet men ignore the hunting boundaries of their community and fire into an elk herd on land reserved for the elders, but one elk proves unnaturally hard to kill. Years later, they’re forced to answer for their act of selfish violence, setting into motion a supernatural hunt in which predator becomes prey.

The mysteriously supernatural Elk Head Women is out to seek revenge for that fateful day and she has come to kill. The four men at the novel's core basically accept the elk's vengeance, but Denorah, the daughter of one of the four men, refuses to believe in the need for vengeance. Can she survive?

I don't want to say too much about the plot (and I'm afraid I've said too much already) other than it focuses on each of the four Blackfeet men (as well as Denorah, the daughter of one the men) in parts and how they are being haunted both figuratively and literately by their past mistake(s), and what starts out as a slow burn of a novel, ramps into a nail-biting, frightening, and satisfying ending that suggests the cycle of generational trauma, the cycle of violence, has been overcome.

The Only Good Indians is one of best novels I've ever read in any genre. It's a violent tale of vengeance, justice, and generational trauma. But it also a tale about putting an end to cycles of such trauma, so in this sense, The Only Good Indians is a tale about hope; a tale about recovery. While it combines elements of the slasher genre (a favorite of Stephen Graham Jones), Jones ability to write authentic characters is where this novel truly shines. Jones is Native American himself, and his portrayal is meticulously detailed, and real. This gives the novel a realism that is striking and scarily good.

Stephen Grapham Jones is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Read this book. You won't regret it.

The Only Good Indians is the latest horror novel by author Stephen Graham Jones. This novel follows four American Indians whose lives have been cursed following a disturbing even from their youth. A creature bent on revenge stalks them in the dark, and the men are helpless but to reflect on the culture and tradition that got them there in the first place.

This was the first book in a long time that affected my dreams and made me genuinely scared to read at night. Normally I’m not a big creature-feature gal in books or films, but this was so much more than that and I had a blast. The pacing suffered in places and I struggled with the writing style at first, but the execution and impact it left on me far outweighed its flaws.

Positives
Well, the biggest positive is that this is a horror novel that does what it came to do. I felt paranoid, I felt scared, I wanted to do a double-check of my apartment before I went to bed to make sure there wasn’t a deer-headed woman sitting on my couch or staring at me from my balcony. When the action in this book got going, it got going and was a thrilling and wild ride.

The atmosphere, gritty brutality of the writing and the events, the slow build of suspense and dread, and heartbreaking nature of the tale all contribute to an amazing experience when it came to reading my first novel by Stephen Graham Jones. I wish I could better articulate why I like this book as much as I do, but I think it may just be more experience-based than some of other reads recently. All in all, so so good.

Negatives
Two main things kind of got me with The Only Good Indians from time to time. While these issues by no means ruined the story for me, it did make me lose a touch of immersion and extended the amount of time it took for me to finish the book. The first of these issues was pacing. I know that I read e-books at a significantly slower pace than physical books, but it took me a hot second to get through this one. Every book has its lulls, but the ones present here were especially slow and bored me quickly.

I also struggled with the writing style in this book. Admittedly, it’s been month or so since I finished The Only Good Indians so I’m not as familiar with the intricacies of the prose in this novel as I used to be, but I found it to be rather jarring at times. I don’t mind more unique writing styles if it adds to the plot or development, but I found the reading experience to be less immersive than usual. I had to go back and reread certain sentences or sections to make sense of the prose, and it took me out of the suspense or mood of the moment.

Rating & Final Thoughts
The Only Good Indians is a solid 4 out of 5 stars. If you’re a horror fan, check it out; it’s one of the few books recently that’s actually scared me. I look forward to reading more from Stephen Graham Jones – in fact, I’ve been approved for an ARC of his newest horror, My Heart is a Chainsaw, so be on the lookout for a review of that coming up!

This is my first novel by Stephen Graham Jones and to say I was impressed would be putting it mildly. His writing has such texture and grit. Oftentimes you are waiting for a novel to take it all the way and it never does. This one goes the distance.

It is bloody, brutal, fast-paced, genuine and horrifying. The nature of the storytelling feels so traditional whilst also being cutting edge. The only issue I had while reading it, which is completely a personal taste issue and nothing to do with the quality of the writing or story, was a lot of the animal content was hard for me to make it through.