I love Stephen Graham Jones and everything he writes. He never disappoints. His writing is compelling, curious, reflective, and dark. My library has already purchased a copy of this book. And I had it checked out for long enough that I chose to buy it instead of keeping that copy. This way, I can write notes or highlight passages I enjoyed.

I love Stephen Graham Jones. This book was very atmospheric and haunting in the way the story was set up and delivered. Good, short read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing me with an eARC of Mapping the Interior in exchange for my honest review!

I'm going to be frank here and say that I didn't get as enthralled by this novella as I wanted to be, but I can still respect what Stephen Graham Jones goes for. I've already enjoyed his deeply suspenseful and insightful writing before, so I was looking forward to Mapping the Interior, which does pull me in with its supernatural atmosphere that gets me feeling uncomfortable. It's the sort of mood that forces you to confront what it's like to unpack all of this generational trauma that just feels so ugly and swirls through your heart with all of that pain and all of those discomfiting feelings from the past. However, as much as I can intellectually engage with this, it doesn't hit me as intensely as I would have expected it to, which ends up creating an odd emotional distance between me and the narrative. It's strange, because I do typically click with SGJ's writing style, and I think it's fairly effective at fleshing out our fifteen-year-old protagonist's voice. But it doesn't strike me on a more intimate level than that.

All in all, I may be struggling with these issues, but I admire Mapping the Interior enough that I'll officially rate it 3.25 out of 5 stars. I'll continue to anticipate more of SGJ's work.

In this short story/novella, Mapping the Interior, Stephen Graham Jones tackles complex ideas of grief, identity, and family. When the main character thinks he sees the ghost of his dad, he starts constantly chasing finding his dad, recreating the circumstances. A super interesting take on family trauma and grief and finding yourself amidst this trauma.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy of this book.

Mapping the Interior
Stephen Graham Jones
Publishing Date: April 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Narrator: Shaun Taylor-Corbett 🎧

I thought this was a really solid novella. The pacing was great and the story felt nicely developed and concluded, which is sometimes hard with a novella. This is an intense read that leaves room for interpretation. For me this was a novella about loss and grief, generational trauma, and cultural beliefs. It left me feeling sad. SGJ has such a unique writing style and I’m here for it. 🎧 Shaun Taylor-Corbett is a favorite narrator of mine and he did a fantastic job here as always.

Now, I’d like to talk about one of the most dynamic horror writers out there today: Stephen Graham Jones. He’s a remarkable writer and talent. Below are three of his books that I’ve been lucky enough to read. I’ve read way more, but these were ARCs and they deserve some love and feedback (I can get lazy and forget to do that).

All books link to his Amazon page, so get to clicking and get to reading!

Okay, so Buffalo Hunter was a wild, wild trip. Amazing stuff. Visceral. Literally. A brilliant morality play with a very unreliable narrator. Outstanding historical horror mixed with modern horror. The mashup makes sense, trust me.

And if you haven’t read the Angel Lake Trilogy then why are you even a reader? Sheesh… No, you have to check this out. Especially if you are a fan of horror movies. This series is rife with references, especially in the slasher genre. It’s a true trilogy, but each book has its own vibe. Brilliant pacing. Go! Get!

And Mapping The Interior is Stephen Graham Jones at his YA best. Don’t get me wrong, it’s YA because the protag is 11 (12?). It’s still some scary, scary shit. Grabs you and does not let go. Also! GO! GET!

Mapping the Interior for me, is a story of grief, children going through the proverbial forest to come out the other side with the naivety and innocence of childhood ripped off. It's about a boy on the cusp of teenagehood trying to protect his family against outside threats, stepping into the "man of the house" role, having to grow up fast as he understands the harsh reality of his world. This is supposed to be a horror story, but to me, it is a modern fairy tale. I feel like it is deep and if we peel through the layers, it is really about a boy working through his grief of losing his father at a young age and trying to protect his brother from bullying and the cruel world.

Stephen Graham Jones is a master of weaving things like grief into a horror book. It was a short read but still so vivid and will stick with you. Thank you Tor and Netgalley for my copy!

Mapping the Interior absolutely blew me away—Stephen Graham Jones’ writing is mesmerizing, sharp, and hauntingly beautiful. I was completely drawn into the narrator’s mind; the way he captures obsession, grief, and memory feels raw and unforgettable. Every sentence held me captive, and the emotional intensity lingered long after I finished. It’s a stunning, unrelenting ride that left me in awe—I can’t stop thinking about it.

Mapping the Interior isn’t your typical horror story—it’s a haunting exploration of loss and grief that takes you through a wide range of emotions. While it did lose me a bit in the middle, overall I found it both interesting and deeply sad. I’m a huge Stephen Graham Jones fan, but this one isn’t my favorite of his simply because I felt a little adrift at times. Still, his writing has a way of lingering long after you close the book.

Walking through his own house at night, Junior thinks he sees someone stepping through a doorway. Inexplicably, the figure reminds him of his father, who died mysteriously before his family left the reservation. When he follows, he discovers his house is bigger and deeper than he knew.

This novella was both haunting and heartbreaking in all the best ways! SGJ has such a unique voice. His works never fail to leave me with my jaw on the floor. I did NOT see that ending coming!!

It was such a great read, highly recommended!

Another weird little book from Stephen Graham Jones, that feels partially like a fever dream but also so real.

Going to be honest, I'm not sure what I read or know what this was entirely about. Maybe I zoned out, maybe I'm just not smart enough to grasp what SGJ was trying to say...probably both. It could just be a me problem.

First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tor Nightfire for providing this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review

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⚝ Rating ⚝: 3.5✩ / 5✩’s (rounded up)

⚝ Review ⚝: Okay...I really think this is one that I need to sit down and read again to get a true appreciation for it. However, on first impression, the writing is very visual, borderline lyrical. The story is very atmospheric and haunting, and the emotion is incredibly raw and real. The grief and confusion at dealing with the belief that a dead parent has come back to fix your struggling parent was very evident. Creepy? Scary? I wouldn't go that far. Being advertised as a horror, I did expect more, especially with how beloved Stephen Graham Jones is in the horror community. This isn't to say that I won't give other work by SGJ a chance, in fact, most of his books are in my TBR and I will absolutely be reading them. I simply think this one needed...more.

I was also confused on the age of the narrator, Junior. The synopsis describes him as 15, however, multiple points throughout the Novella, he refers to himself as 12, and then turning 13. This is never really clarified.

I think there is also some space for some further editing needed. ANd while I understand this is being told from the perspective of a young, scared, confused, and grief-ridden young pre/teen, there were times the narration/writing felt a bit *too* loose and choppy.

Still, it was a quick read and I do believe I will read over it again to try and solidify exactly how I feel about Mapping the Interior.

⚝ Representation ⚝: Native American (nothing specified beyond the narrator, 12 year old Junior, referring to himself and others in his life as Indian.)

⚝ TWs ⚝: Death, Drowning, Animal mutilation/death, ableism, bullying, death of a parent,

This was completely wild. It's short but packs a punch. It can be interpreted many ways. I feel like it's kind of like a "vampire" ghost story. It"s an interesting concept for it for sure. This follows a 12 year old boy, his brother and mother. The father has died and the 12 year old seen him. Is he dreaming? Is he in another dimension? Alternate Reality? Is he imagining him?

As someone whose father has passed away and also has seen a ghost a time or two in her life, I found Junior from Mapping the Interior deeply relatable. I started reading the book in the middle of the night, and honestly—it spooked me. The emotions and eeriness felt all too real. I picked it up again the next morning and was immediately drawn in by its powerful start and compelling concept. However, as the story progressed, I felt it took a nosedive and lost some of its initial clarity and momentum toward the end. That said, I still admire the heart of the narrative and its exploration of familial patterns and generational trauma.

Thank you Netgalley, Tor, and Stephen Graham Jones for the advanced e-copy.

Mapping the Interior is out now.

3.5 stars(rounded up)

Mapping the Interior follows a Native American family - Junior, his younger brother (Dino), and his parents...but Junior's dad drowned 8 years ago. Junior starts seeing his father slowly coming back to life beneath their house and maps his house (both above and below - in this dimension and that of the sleepwalker) to track down his father and fix his family. Junior also discovers that his father is feeding on his seizure-prone brother, as this is how he rematerializes by draining Dino's life force.

I do wish this novella included an author's note that details the Native American history that SGJ often tries to highlight. This would have been a really cool aspect to learn about. Overall, I enjoyed his writing and this story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tor Nightfire for the opportunity to read and review an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion. Note: I also purchased the physical book and audiobook upon release.

*Other notes: I am hosting a readathon called ARC August (announcement video: https://youtu.be/KOEzM8w-P94?si=h7Q6x...) and one of the challenges throughout the month was to "read, rate, and review a book by a BIPOC author or that prominently features BIPOC characters" so I chose this book for that prompt.

So Mapping the Interior kicks off with a ghost dad, which sounds like it should be awesome, right? Creepy vibes, haunted childhood, deep emotions — I was ready for chills and tears. Instead, I mostly got... confusion.

The writing is super poetic, but like, in a “wait, what just happened?” kind of way. I kept rereading paragraphs trying to figure out if something spooky happened or if the kid was just thinking really hard again. It's a short book, but it somehow felt like it took me forever to get through. I think time might have slowed down while I was reading it. Maybe that’s the real horror.

There are some meaningful themes — grief, identity, being Native in a complicated world — and I respect that. But honestly, I spent more time lost in the sentences than lost in the story.

Overall: ghost dad had potential, but this one just didn’t haunt me the way I hoped. More confusing than creepy.

I don’t really know what to say about this but I liked it and think I need to reread it already and I just finished it.

This was my first Stephen Graham Jones story, and I really enjoyed it! I was confused reading throughout, but knew that was part of the process. I finished this quickly, but it stuck with me for a long while afterwards. I'm definitely interested in reading more from this author.

This was a well written book. It had some creepy parts to it but in the end it was not the book for me. I had a real hard time paying attention to this one. I found myself having to go back and reread parts because I didn't retain what I just read.