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A review by particledamage
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.75
Not typically a horror fan but I found this book to be quite compelling, though it came in much, much stronger than it finished.
The overall commentary on guilt and grief, passed on from generation to generations, creating a cycle of pain and loss was gripping and felt all the more realized by the explicitness of the text--not just the violence and gore but also the point blank comments on alcoholism or the expected failure of Native men. This book shied away from nothing, whether it be the exposed brain matter of the many victims or just the bleakness in what these characters expect for themselves.
The stakes always felt high, though perhaps they petered out towards the end when it became clear to me exactly how this story would end, the only way it could end. And it did end up as expected, perhaps even more on the nose than anticipated and perhaps rushed in a way (though I suspect things were jumped over to say that the details don't matter, the end result does) but it never made me regret the journey.
A worthwhile read, if only for the slick way "You" was introduced and then further incorporated into the story, a great twist on narration and perspective I did not expect but would love to see used more.
The overall commentary on guilt and grief, passed on from generation to generations, creating a cycle of pain and loss was gripping and felt all the more realized by the explicitness of the text--not just the violence and gore but also the point blank comments on alcoholism or the expected failure of Native men. This book shied away from nothing, whether it be the exposed brain matter of the many victims or just the bleakness in what these characters expect for themselves.
The stakes always felt high, though perhaps they petered out towards the end when it became clear to me exactly how this story would end, the only way it could end. And it did end up as expected, perhaps even more on the nose than anticipated and perhaps rushed in a way (though I suspect things were jumped over to say that the details don't matter, the end result does) but it never made me regret the journey.
A worthwhile read, if only for the slick way "You" was introduced and then further incorporated into the story, a great twist on narration and perspective I did not expect but would love to see used more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Murder, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Death of parent, Racism, Animal death, Blood, Death, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit and Suicide attempt