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mlewis's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Grief, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Mental illness, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Sexism, Alcoholism, and Racism
tifftastic87's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I struggled in the beginning with this book, the writing style was different than everything I've ever read. At first it felt like the narrator wasnt sure what they were trying to say, and that was off putting but then I realized it was purposeful. Everyone in this story, except for Denorah, is an unreliable narrator. Every part not from her perspective is written in that way. Her parts are smooth and easy. Everyone else's a little choppy, a little distracted, a little unsure. Once I got the hang of it, it was better.
Each character's voice was unique. The story was nothing that I've ever read and it was dark as anything. I was not prepared for so much death. I'm going with a 4 only because the writing style was so hard. I found skipping to the second person for stuff in the second act (don't wanna spoil) to be really rough and kind of jarring.
I do really like how important Denorah, the fourteen-year-old daughter of one of the originally introduced characters became. I liked following the plot through characters so that it felt character driven but still moved by the plot.
I'll definitely be reading this author again.
Each character's voice was unique. The story was nothing that I've ever read and it was dark as anything. I was not prepared for so much death. I'm going with a 4 only because the writing style was so hard. I found skipping to the second person for stuff in the second act (don't wanna spoil) to be really rough and kind of jarring.
I do really like how important Denorah, the fourteen-year-old daughter of one of the originally introduced characters became. I liked following the plot through characters so that it felt character driven but still moved by the plot.
I'll definitely be reading this author again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Blood, Vomit, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Mental illness, Classism, Bullying, Hate crime, Sexism, and Colonisation
Minor: Addiction, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Drug use, and Drug abuse
muljadi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
"Complex histories of members of the Blackfeet Tribe grapple with a past that devours each of them."
Stephen Graham Jones is called the Jordan Peele of horror for a good reason: unsettling stories that immerse the readers into the cruel reality that is caused by societal injustices. This book reflects on the effects of displacement and injustices done to Blackfeet Tribe and, on a broader scale, the Native American communities.
The consequences of federal and state laws that call for the genocide for Indigenous people are shown in full force here, as this novel starts off with a brutal murder of Ricky Boss Ribs and details the tragedy of his younger brother Cheeto overdosing. Jones writes all of this on the first page of his novel and writes it matter-of-factly, giving a sense of tiredness to the normalcy of Indigenous folks befalling terrible fates. This continues throughout the rest of the book, with impoverished communities, contentious relationships with law enforcement, and broken familial relationships that touches on the rest of the men from the Thanksgiving Hunt.
The Only Good Indians is marketed as a horror but personally, I found it more to be a thriller. Yet, the true sense of horror does not come from the monster that lies in this book, but rather the dystopian reality that Indigenous folks have to live with. Jones does a remarkable job with storytelling and integrating the cultural traditions of the Blackfeet tribe, pushing the boundaries of the horror genre by spotlighting the sins of American society.
PROS
Stephen Graham Jones is called the Jordan Peele of horror for a good reason: unsettling stories that immerse the readers into the cruel reality that is caused by societal injustices. This book reflects on the effects of displacement and injustices done to Blackfeet Tribe and, on a broader scale, the Native American communities.
The consequences of federal and state laws that call for the genocide for Indigenous people are shown in full force here,
The Only Good Indians is marketed as a horror but personally, I found it more to be a thriller. Yet, the true sense of horror does not come from the monster that lies in this book, but rather the dystopian reality that Indigenous folks have to live with. Jones does a remarkable job with storytelling and integrating the cultural traditions of the Blackfeet tribe, pushing the boundaries of the horror genre by spotlighting the sins of American society.
PROS
- Beautifully crafted world
- I found myself enraptured in Jones' world mapping. Every sensation and every event is portrayed with the utmost care, making it easy to imagine yourself as the protagonists of the book. The scenes in which a character drives through town on a motorcycle, plays basketball, or participate in a funeral rite are packed to the brim with details.
- Complex characters
- All of the people that are in this book have fully fleshed motivations and ideals; their personalities stand out. Everyone also has a flaw that turns out to be tragic for each of them. Jones is able to create believable characters that captures an essence of horror and history.
- Intriguing storytelling
- A common critique of the book is that the writing style is too complicated or boring. While there are some flaws that come with the plot (explained below), I think a strength of Jones is to keep the tension writing with different point of views, especially the chapters that are written in second person. Indigenous storycrafting is an artform that is beautiful to read; the payoff is as good as the lessons that each voices tell you.
CONS
- Confusing plotlines
- It takes a while to understand the totality of the book and, while this can be a great tool, I find that some parts are still confusing after reading multiple times. The confusion of certain plotlines
Denorah's basketball arc, the entirety of the Thanksgiving Hunt, and Lewis' yellow light are important and intentional, but they can also sometimes dissuade focus from the story. Ultimately, I read ahead, knowing that with additional research on my part, I can come to understand what Jones was trying to write about.
- It takes a while to understand the totality of the book and, while this can be a great tool, I find that some parts are still confusing after reading multiple times. The confusion of certain plotlines
- Trope-ish monster
- The monster in the book itself is intriguing,
coming from legends that include demonic animal spirit. I also really enjoyed the shape-shifting aspect of the Elk Head Woman and I thought that provided some interesting commentary on how evil can come to the Blackfeet Nation from anyone . But I was a tad disappointed because I thought the monster could serve to do more to elevate Jones story, especially regarding their background. Not all "villains" should have deeper motivations, but, although they had a nice resolution at the end, I felt that we could have gotten more from the monster.
- The monster in the book itself is intriguing,
Final Thoughts: This book was a wonderful read, especially as spooky season approaches. Don't let the confusion intimidate you! With time, you will enjoy a masterful tale that speaks of horror in multitude, from the monster that we create within ourselves to the monster that society creates.
Although this review strays away from mentioning these sensitive topics, the book contains the following:
racism, gore, violence, sexism, alcohol and drug abuses, and murder.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Sexism
henrygravesprince's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Animal death, Death, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Violence, and Body horror
Minor: Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, and Colonisation
Racial slur usage marked minor due to being used primarily in a reclaimed/self-identifying context & written by an author who can appropriately do so; brief discussion of colonisation primarily in referenced historical anecdotes.grvhppr's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
When I spotted this book about a year ago, I didn't realize that it would be told from the perspective of realistic Native characters. As someone who lives on his reservation (rez), the lingo throughout the book is right on target--unfortunately, so are a lot of the worries and mindsets. This is a dark book, and it might be one of the darkest I've read because it hits so close to home.
It all starts with a hunting trip gone wrong amongst four young Natives. Authentic, humorous, jarring, mysterious, and violent this is horror at its best. For anyone who understands rez culture or would like a snap shot at the low brow side of Treaty life, this is the book for you. For me, the best parts are all the small idiosyncrasies tangled into the scenes like common rez meals or 'Indian' jokes that always need to be said. Moreover, the focus on basketball (a rez's favorite sport for inter-tribe games usually) and rez dogs (a breed to their own really--sort of like how dingos came into existence) bring life to this book.
The Only Good Indians is not for the feint of heart. There are a ton of triggers--especially around animal violence, body horror, and suicide.
It all starts with a hunting trip gone wrong amongst four young Natives. Authentic, humorous, jarring, mysterious, and violent this is horror at its best. For anyone who understands rez culture or would like a snap shot at the low brow side of Treaty life, this is the book for you. For me, the best parts are all the small idiosyncrasies tangled into the scenes like common rez meals or 'Indian' jokes that always need to be said. Moreover, the focus on basketball (a rez's favorite sport for inter-tribe games usually) and rez dogs (a breed to their own really--sort of like how dingos came into existence) bring life to this book.
The Only Good Indians is not for the feint of heart. There are a ton of triggers--especially around animal violence, body horror, and suicide.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Animal death, and Suicide
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexism, and Grief
Minor: Stalking, Alcoholism, Child death, and Vomit
powellki's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Too descriptive of the gore from injuries, too many unnecessary deaths. I wanted to enjoy this book but all it did was read like a snuff film (book) where everyone dies for the sake of dying. Yes, there was a vengeful spirit, yes there was a few interesting things, but honestly, if you don't enjoy hardcore gore and horror, stay away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Blood, Car accident, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
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