A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From USA TODAY bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones comes a “masterpiece” (Locus Magazine) of a novel about revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition. Labeled “one of 2020’s buzziest horror novels” (Entertainment Weekly), this is a remarkable horror story that “will give you nightmares—the good kind of course” (BuzzFeed).From New York Times … horror story that “will give you nightmares—the good kind of course” (BuzzFeed).
From New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones comes a novel that is equal parts psychological horror and cutting social commentary on identity politics and the American Indian experience. Fans of Jordan Peele and Tommy Orange will love this story as it follows the lives of four American Indian men and their families, all haunted by a disturbing, deadly event that took place in their youth. Years later, they find themselves tracked by an entity bent on revenge, totally helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.
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I am generally not a blurb reader. The blurb for THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS states “The creeping horror of Paul Tremblay meets Tommy Orange’s There There.” Although I haven’t read Paul Tremblay (yet), I have heard nothing but good things about his writing. When I saw Tremblay’s name, I thought I might just want to read this one.
I am finding the story to be pretty disjointed. I would compare it to having a couple of martini’s at a party then joining a group deep in discussion and trying to make sense of it through the fog of alcohol. So, either the book is flawed, or I am. I will say, I don’t generally make a habit of having martini’s before reading.
I understand that ARCs (particularly ebook ARCs) may be lacking in good formatting. Sometimes, the way a book is formatted makes all the difference in how that book is read. Punctuation is also important. Need I even mention that ‘sighed’ and ‘side’ may sound the same but are otherwise totally unrelated? And where exactly is “the creeping horror.”
Maybe a couple of martinis would have made this easier to read.
*I received a copy via Bookish First and voluntarily provided an honest review.*
I wanted to read this book because it’s an own voices story and I can’t recall ever reading a book written by an Indigenous Author. So when I started reading the book it started out slow but I decided to stick with it and things picked up as the story progressed. Then the book slows down again and all hope is pretty much lost. There is a huge emphasis on basketball and the story goes into great detail about the game. I’m a sports fan but it was overkill. At times while I was reading I felt like the writing was a little disjointed. Some parts left me confused and the chapters would end abruptly. I also wouldn’t consider this book to be a horror story in my opinion. I was expecting to be scared as I read and that didn’t happen. I felt like I was reading a supernatural book. As much as I wanted to love this book sadly it didn’t work out for me which is a bummer.
What a freaky, mind-blowing and unforgettable read!
The beginning of this gutsy book grabbed my attention and it was hard to quit reading. Like many others, I stumbled through the writing style. It was hard to stay engaged at times, but it was worth it. This author has one freaky imagination!
This absolutely gorgeous cover caught my eye several times before I finally read the description. Indian culture and tradition has always fascinated me, then the horror aspect sealed the deal.
You’ll need a tough stomach to get through this one, for sure. Lots of blood and gore, both animal and human. It’s totally different from anything I’ve read before! Difficult at times, but I’m glad I stayed with it.
Whether you love this one or dislike it….it won’t easily be forgotten!
Thank you to Bookish First, Saga Press and Stephen Graham Jones for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review!
My Rating: 4 ’s
Published: May 19th 2020 by Gallery / Saga Press
Pages: 320
@SGJ72 @SagaSFF
#TheOnlyGoodIndians #MustRead #HorrorThriller