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A review by grvhppr
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
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