Overall it was a really good book. A bit of a stretch at points and I feel like some things were overly emphasized while other parts that were more important to the overall story were kind of glossed over. I would certainly recommend it though.

I'm not sure what I just read to be honest. I'm not really sure how to process this story. So many people have been raving about this book, but for me, it was just weird. I thought this was supposed to be a horror book, but it did not check that box for me. I kept waiting for the horror to happen, but all I got was just weirdness. The first 65% of the book was slow and dreadful to be honest, but the writing does pick up a bit towards the end.

The story is about four American Indian men, who goes on an illegal hunt in the elder section of the reservation on the last day of the hunting season. They end up shooting a few elk, and one of them is a female pregnant elk, who 10 years later is exacting revenge on the four men for shooting her and her unborn elk calf.

I really struggled with the pace of the story, the writing style, and plot. I found it extremely slow and confusing in many areas. The voices of narration were bouncing back and forth, and I just couldn’t get into it as I would have liked. Reading this book for me was like watching a bad car accident that I couldn’t turn away from. I did push through this book because I hate having to DNF books, but I was so lost in this book, I don’t know if I would recommend this book. Although I love the fact that this is an #ownvoices author, I struggled with the story in this book tremendously. The pacing was not consistent, and the wiring was confusing for me.

I don’t doubt that Stephen Jones is a phenomenal writer, but this book did not grab my attention the way I was anticipating. I was really excited to read a #ownvoices writer and dive into the Native American community, but so much is lost in this book, I struggled with finding a footing in this novel. Overall, I rate this book a 3, and I do hope that others read this book for themselves because I do believe it is important to read books by other ethnic groups.

Thank you to Net Galley, Stephen Graham Jones and Gallery/Saga Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

DNF. I think this is a case of it's not the book, it's me--it just wasn't a match. I found this really boring, and there was nothing that made me interested in continuing. I did not even care what happened with the damn elk. But a lot of other reviewers have found something in this book that I didn't, so I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading it if the blurb sounds interesting.

Stephen Graham Jones' The Only Good Indians is a ride; sometimes slow and meandering, establishing characters, relationships, history deep in your heart strings. Sometimes, fast and reckless, shattering everything you thought you knew about the characters and their trajectory. This story is bloody and raw, describing in detail many facets of the contemporary native American life and culture; beautiful and sometimes ugly. This is a story of loss, revenge, cycles of violence, and hope. You may turn the final page and feel a little empty hearted, but this story comes full circle. It's exactly how Jones wanted you to feel after finishing the final page; broken. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Please tread carefully if you're easily upset by animal violence.

I loved the blurb and premise of this quiet horror novel. The narrative follows the lives of four American Indian men, who were involved in a somewhat ill advised hunting incident in their youth ... in their hearts they know a crime was committed. Later in their lives a supernatural entity seeks revenge for their deeds. The beginning of the narrative is intriguing and insightful .... the ramifications of cultural and traditional differences in society are meaningfully explored. Unfortunately I struggled with the writer's style ... although many reviewers have raved about this book ... some calling it a masterpiece. I thought the pacing was too slow ... I found myself loosing concentration and interest. However, with perseverance I was able to finish this novel and noted multiple high points ... just , not enough. Revenge and retribution also make a good theme.
Thanks to NetGalley and Galley / Saga Press for providing an electronic proof in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

First, I should probably say I don't think I was in the right frame of mind for this book, so I can't say I enjoyed it.  I was completely lost on all the basketball / motorcycle jargon and references.  However, I will say in some places there was some strikingly beautiful prose, albeit a bit stream of consciousness at times.  And hella grisly.  If you like revenge movies, read this book.
Parts of this novel can be compared to early-to-mid Stephen King.  I don't think it should be compared to There There just because the authors are both Native American.  Much more horror; Paul Tremblay, Clive Barker, Robert R. McCammon, so not saying it's not good.  Just after the 50% mark, I did see the Tommy Orange similarity and I wish there was more of that but also think it drug on a little more than needed.
Overall a really weird book that I can't name an audience for and no one I would suggest it to.  Some minor grammar/typos/poor editing that got pretty heavy in the last third, which is also the best part of the novel and made me glad I finished it because this was really almost a DNF for me.  I doubt I would read anything else by this author, but it did make me want to watch Smoke Signals again.

Thank you to Netgalley for furnishing me with an ARC in return for an honest review in my OWN words.

Lots of typos and grammatical errors that interrupted my reading flow, but that is often the case in the uncorrected proofs.

Reading the blurbs and excerpts, I was excited to get this book due to the unusual plotline - I was really looking forward to something fresh and new!
That part for me was true - the plotline was so intriguing and different.
Unfortunately, the writing and sudden POV changes were so jumbled and confusing and circular, I just could not get a good handle on it, which kept me from being fully engaged. I WANTED to be totally pulled in by the story, and I feel like that could have happened if not for the completely confusing style in which it was presented.
It was jarring (but not purposefully jarring, like using the words to trap the reader and drag them along), it was more having to re-read certain pages and paragraphs several times just to understand what the actual eff was going on, or what the author was trying to say.
It interrupted the flow of the story and not in a good way.
I read a lot of horror and didn't find this excessively gory (although it teetered on the edge a couple times), and I found that some sections? scenes? parts? ended abruptly and I didn't feel satisfied.
Honestly I barely made it past the first 1/3, because it just was so very slow in most of the pacing (except where it was rushed and you have no explanation or real understanding about what's happening)...but it you stick with it then it does get better in the second half. Or rather, your understanding of the rhythm and style will help you to feel that it's picked up and gotten better.
IF this book makes it to my local library after a good hard edit, I would be willing to try again.

Unique, startling, well written... This book is one that should be on all horror fans to be read lists. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read and kept me turning the pages. If you’re looking for a dark read with beautiful sentences that keep your mind captivated then this is the book for you.

This book is set in the northwestern US near and around Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota.  That is the overarching landscape to keep in mind.  It follows a series of events and characters, but focuses on four buddies and an event that took place Thanksgiving 10 years ago.  One by one the book filters through the men's stories and their deaths.  We come to learn about an elk hunt gone wrong and the Elk Head Woman who is back to exact her revenge.  A large part of the story follows Lewis and his descent into madness and he begins seeing the Elk Head Woman around his home and through quickly moving lights and trains.  Once Lewis' story ends, the book then switches to a strange form of second-person narration, as if someone is talking to the Elk Head Woman.  This is where the story progresses quickly and makes more sense.

I loved so much about this book and had so much fun reading it.  First, the language is fascinating.  The author does such a good job writing in a dialect and language that feels specific to Native Americans.  It is heavy with dialect and slang.  In the beginning it took me a bit to get used to it but once I did, it felt so natural.

Secondly, I love the attention to tradition in this book and how well the author both wrote those elements of the story and made sure to draw attention to them.  This story ends up, for me, being a long meditation on tradition and the importance of carrying on traditions.  I like the idea that they are in place for a reason and that everything, not matter what will come back around full circle.  The author worked the circular view of life and time into this story so well, especially when you get to the end and you realize what is happening.  The scene at the end was so touching and special.  Even though this is a horror novel, I was in tears at how beautiful it was and how much was encapsulated in it.

As for the writing, besides the language and dialect used, the characters were so well-developed and lifelike.  I liked how dynamic each character was, including the side characters and how they each had such drastic and dramatic personal characteristics that help push the story further and made it all the more memorable.  There are so many visceral scenes from this book that, as I read them, scared me while implanting themselves on my imagination.  Overall, I LOVED this book and I highly recommend it.

This book is soaked in hypnotic prose and characters who feel as if they're speaking directly to you through the pages. Scary, thought provoking, and utterly readable- The Only Good Indians will go down as a seminal work of horror fiction.

This was definitely an eerie and unique book about revenge. This would make such a good horror movie. Beautifully written but heartbreaking and horrifying.
Many thanks to Gallery Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Jones is one of the best writers working in dark fiction. THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS is further proof of this.
It's dark, filled with flawed characters, and a gripping tale like only Jones can tell.
It was a powerful read in a growing catalog of such by the author.
The only problem I had was with the pacing in a few spots. Jones has a weird dream-like quality to some of his writing and i sometimes feel lost when I hit those patches. They were few, so don't take that as a reason to not dive into this one.

I give it 4 stars!

THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS is my very first (completed) Stephen Graham Jones' novel. Honestly, any book that keeps me flipping the pages gets a 4-star rating. And the author did a fantastic job altering his writing style to fit each character's POV. With saying that though...it took me a while to get into this book. The author's style is considered "literary horror" and I have to agree. At times it is just as jarring as it is poetic. Nonetheless, the imagery and gore is visceral, as if truly spilling out of the page to wet your face, and overall THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS is a decent, thought-provoking work of Native American horror.

(A shout to Gallery/Saga Press and Netgalley for the digital ARC!)

***4 out of 5 stars***

Alot of horror stories have trouble keeping the story interesting without getting of on some cheesy tangents, not this book it starts a bit slow and picks up quickly. Well weitten

The Only Good Indians
by
Stephen Graham Jones

4 Stars

I agree with a lot of the things other reviewers have said about The Only Good Indians on Goodreads. One noted that she “struggled with the writing style [and] found it slow in parts”. I too struggled with the writing style at first, although I eventually did get used to it, and I also found the beginning of the book painfully slow, but it picked up steam quickly as it went on. Another reader found the book “devastating, brutal, terrifying, yet warm and heartbreaking,” and it’s all of those things. Another said that “the characters are memorable, interesting, flawed, funny—REAL,” and they are. In short, I found The Only Good Indians to be very frustrating at the beginning, terrifying through the middle, and “warm and heartbreaking” at the end. It’s a great story that would make a great movie, and I definitely want to read some of Stephen Graham Jones’ earlier works.

This book was a hard read, but a very good and necessary one. Blending supernatural events with the mundane, everyday life of a Native person. seamlessly, everything about this narrative hit close to home.

'The Only Good Indians' was an amazing read eventhough I struggled with rating this book. On the one hand, the horror elements along with the Native American culture representation got me hooked immediately. On the other hand, the writing or the flow just wasn't my favorite. The story is deceptively straightforward. Four native American men are cursed after they hunt a herd of elk when they were not supposed to and are preyed upon by a malevolent spirit seeking revenge. The plot, though it's simple, is elevated by some great horror moments and the creepy atmosphere where it makes you feel the build-up and the tension with a jump-out-of-your-seat payoff. I even liked that this happens many times throughout the book and none of it feels cheap or repetitive. The let down though is the writing. Something about the flow or the style of the author just didn’t do it for me and made it difficult for me to read personally. Despite this, I really liked the imaginative quality and creativeness of the story, the fantastical quality of it not to mention the fact that the scary bits were actually really scary (trigger warning for animal abuse and graphic death scenes).
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around the 100 page mark this became one of the most tense and viscerally uncomfortable experiences of my life. my jaw was on the floor. i literally turned to my dog and said “oh no.”

also the way second person is used *chef's kiss*

Thematically, this book was both similar and different to other horror novels I've read. A haunting for revenge is not unusual fare for a reader but this particular kind of cursed haunting is. The pacing is that of a good classic horror- slow and steady, increasing in intensity until you're at the edge of your seat by the end, silently screaming for the finish, whether it's ultimately relieving or eerily unresolved. To an outsider, the Native American lives and culture, as well as the folklore, makes it a particularly interesting read.

Stephen Graham Jones works magic in this novel about a group of Indian friends, haunted by a youthful mistake. Ten years have passed and Ricky, Lewis, Cassidy and Gabe still owe a debt for hunting on a part of the reservation where they shouldn't.

Humor and horror intertwine along with Jones' unique, easygoing form of storytelling, and, while all of <i>The Only Good Indians</i> is enjoyable (if occasionally horrific), the book's final act is all kinds of heart and fireworks. Fantastic and highly recommended.

Thanks to S&S/ NetGalley for the advance reading opportunity. Thanks to SGJ for this and all the others.