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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This novel is described a a horror story and a story of revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition. So you have four Indian men from the Blackfeet tribe who ten years earlier went on an illegal hunting trip find and kill a small herd of elk. They intend to bring the meat home to feed any number of the tribe for the winter but are confronted by the game warden and forced to leave it all but not before one of them has what appears to be an almost supernatural interaction with a young female elk he has seriously injured and is trying with some difficulty to kill. Now ten years later that elk has returned and is re-visiting those four men. I liked the story and found it easy to get caught up in/not wanting to put it down but it didn’t read like a horror story so much for me for some reason. A tale of revenge absolutely as enacted by exceptional means against backdrop of cultural identity problems and traditions. A very good read.
Unique and scary as hell. Revenge is a messy business and that’s exactly the case in “The Only Good Indians”. Four men are individually reminded of the tragedy they incited on a fateful November day ten years prior by someone…or something that holds a grudge against them. Jones’s writing is vivid and brutal and had me turning pages in anticipation of what came next.
Bored with the zombie, vampire, and werewolf stories out there? Looking for something different for the monster story? Looking for characters more fleshed out than just fodder for the creature? I think The Only Good Indians will provide that for you. There will be some confusion, some convoluted, all over the place story, but it does begin to flow with a creeping dread, slow burn, unhinged reality to grab
you if you are patient.
Revenge is a dish best served cold. – quote attributed to many sources
I have been looking forward to this horror book and I was not disappointed.
Ten years ago four Native American men went on an illegal elk hunt. It was on their Blackfeet reservation but it happened in an area reserved for tribal elders. This spontaneous act starts a snowballing landslide of revenge against these four men.
This book was different and it took me awhile to immerse myself in the story but I am so glad I persevered and read until the end.
The story is told in different segments by the four men and also by some of their loved ones.
In some ways it reminded me of the novella THE WENDIGO written by author Blackwood. There was another horror book I read about the Wendigo MANY years ago but I can’t remember the author but it seems like, from what I remember, there were similarities in it too.
I appreciated that the book is written by a Native American author about Native Americans. It does tip the scale, at least to me though, from the horror genre more towards literary fiction.
I highly recommend this book.
I received this book from Saga Press through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
Stephen Graham Jones has been on my list of ‘authors I need to read but haven’t yet’ for some time. ‘Mongrels’ is frequently recommended to me and with my love of Lycanthrope books, I should’ve read it by now, but just haven’t.
With ‘The Only Good Indians,’ I was excited for it for a number of reasons.
Growing up in the middle of nowhere there were two things that were always present – hunting and CBC. My Grandfather had a trap line for many years and when logging wasn’t paying for all of the bills, the trap line would cover the difference by selling the pelts to local traders and companies. As well, hunting played a big role by stocking the freezers and when it got too cold to be outside or even to drive the half-hour into the nearest town, we would have food. My Grandfather and my Dad always told me that you used all of the animal and what you couldn’t use, you gave back to the land as a thank you.
The CBC was a godsend. We didn’t get satellite access until I was almost in High School, which meant for almost a decade we had three channels. CBC, CTV and The Knowledge Network. CBC gave me shows like ‘The Raccoons,’ ‘On the Road Again’ and ‘Hockey Night in Canada.’ But my favorite show was ‘North of 60.’ A drama about life in the far North in Canada in a small Native town.
These two components came back in full force with ‘The Only Good Indians.’
What I liked: This was a fantastic blend of indigenous mythology and real-world issues. We follow along as four men hunt some Elk in an area where they are not allowed to enter. When a specific Elk is brought down, a spirit begins to take its revenge on the group.
Jones did a fantastic job of creating palpable tension while infusing the narrative with social issues. It made me uncomfortable a number of times, as racial and stereotypical moments arrive and Jones did such a great job of digging in during those times. This is a book to make you stop and think, to question each scenario as it happens.
The hunting scene and revisits were just fantastic. An Elk is one of the scariest animals out in the wild. Having both hunted them but also seen them rush and attack an unsuspecting person, they are an animal that brings immediate dread to many people who know just what they can do. Jones walked that line of letting us know just how vicious they can be, but also how protective and nurturing they are.
Throughout, basketball plays a predominant role. It is the light or the beacon for some of the characters. Their way out of their situation. As I mentioned earlier, ‘North of 60’ was a show I watched frequently and that theme of ‘trying to get out’ was a running plot point. I use that show as my own reference point to this story because, while it is a commonly known issue for many Indigenous people, it is an issue frequently swept under the rug in most fiction and cinema releases. I found a connection with the use of sports, though, to try and get out. While I am a white Canadian, where I grew up, there was a built-in mentality of ‘this was as good as it gets.’ To be born and raised there, then live there for the rest of time. To work in forestry or tourism and that was it. I latched onto sports as my way out. I didn’t drink or party once I turned 16. It was a strange time, but it let me get it, even if it did alienate me from many of my former friends. Jones weaved that narrative in time and time again and it really allowed the characters to jump off of the page.
What I didn’t like: Similar to another book I read recently, I found the basketball scenes sometimes felt like it went on a bit longer early on. The scene near the end was absolutely necessary, but at the beginning, I didn’t connect as much with it.
Additionally, there are some fantastically shocking deaths early on. Unexpected. I wished there would’ve been a way to have them happen later on so that it would’ve delivered even more of a gut punch.
Lastly – as I mentioned, I am a white Canadian. I am male and at the time of writing this, 38. This made it a bit odd to laugh at some of the humor Jones peppered throughout. Don’t get me wrong, the banter and character relationships were fantastic, but it’s an odd thing to laugh along with Indigenous-specific humor at times. I may very well be messing up what I’m trying to say here, but I hope whoever is reading this understands what I’m trying to say!
Why you should buy it: Stephen Graham Jones has crafted a creepy, slow burn that grew under my skin like a grub. The story kept growing and wiggling away as I read it and at times you can feel Jones put his foot on the gas, only to pull it back off and then ramp it up again. I’m so happy to finally have read Jones and I’ll be definitely looking to dive into ‘Mongrels’ soon. For people who see this book all over social media and on ‘must read’ lists published – there’s a reason it’s here. It’s damn good.
The Only Good Indians, where literary meets horror for a beautifully written own voices story.
First things first, drop all your expectations and presumptions. You have to let the words have their meaning. Open yourself up for this chillingly heartbreaking, yet hopeful story to unfold the way it’s meant to.
I will admit that there were times this book was a little difficult to listen to due to the extremely descriptive killing of the elk, yet I made myself listen because I knew it was an important part of the story (I just won’t be eating burritos for a while ). It was indeed vital to the story, and if my vegan, animal rescuing self can listen to it, I think most can. If you do feel the need to skip ahead, don’t skip too far forward.
About halfway through I became a bit confused and backtracked to the previous track to see if I missed something, which I hadn’t. I just needed to be patient and continuing listening to understand that it was just a different POV at that point. I fully admit I am not the most patient person around lol. If you find yourself being confused while listening to or reading this book, the end has the answers. So patience really is key here, and this is not an audiobook you can listen to while driving, you really need to pay attention to this one.
The narrator for the audiobook is fantastic. Until I hit the midway point, I had no problem with following the story. I may have had more difficulty if I was reading the book myself. I ordered a physical copy and I’ll be reading it to compare. Yes, I truly loved it so much that I ordered myself a copy. I need to read this myself and take my time with it, allowing myself to fully absorb this story.
I’ve seen where a lot of people are disappointed in this book because it’s not what they consider to be horror. Keep in mind there are different subgenres of horror and this definitely falls into the category of the old traditional horror with a more haunting feel. It reminded me a lot of reading Shirley Jackson’s books and, yes, Paul Tremblay’s.
If you’re currently reading or listening to this one and considering giving up, I get it, but I also encourage you to challenge yourself and try continuing forward just a little longer. The second half of the book is truly something else. The end is phenomenal, so beautifully done. If you’re really confused and have questions, feel free to message me. I have lots of thoughts and feelings on this one. I clearly don’t have all the answers but I do have a lot of thoughts.
I know The Only Good Indians will not be for everyone. The prose is captivating and magnificent, but if you aren’t used to literary works, or don’t care for literary books, it just might not work for you.
Huge thanks to libro.fm , Netgalley, and Simon & Schuster audio/Saga Press for the ALC and the opportunity to provide my thoughts.
The Only Good Indians is the latest horror novel to come out of the mind of Stephen Graham Jones, and it is a truly chilling (and graphic) tale worth reading. If you’re looking for a novel that terrifies as it unfolds, then you’re going to want to check this one out.
This is a novel that blends concepts of horror (revenge, hunting, the unknown) with cultural identity, messages of import, and so much more. That makes The Only Good Indians stand out amongst the rest of the horror novels I’ve read in recent times.
Four men are haunted by one horrible mistake they made when they were younger. Unfortunately, they’re not the only ones haunted by what was done. For the victim has come back to wreak revenge on them, and no one is safe.
“The best jokes are the ones that have a kind of message to them. A warning.”
Warnings: There is a lot of graphic imagery to be found in The Only Good Indians. We’re talking graphic death scenes, violence, gore, and more. There’s also several detailed depictions of animal deaths, from domestic pets to hunted animals. It was a lot for me to take in, and as such I had to take dozens of breaks while reading this one. So consider yourself warned.
The Only Good Indians is arguably the most disturbing novel I’ve read this year. And I honestly mean that in the best ways possible. It was dark, chilling, and unfolded in such an elegant and compelling manner.
I mentioned in my warning that there were a lot of heavier scenes in this novel, including lots of graphic depictions. I’m bringing it up again here, to emphasize a point. Some of these scenes really were dark and alarming. Had the writing not been so fantastic, I would have walked away from this book without a second glance.
But I didn’t. I kept coming back…because I had to see what happened next. That’s how addictive and compelling the writing was. I was willing to put myself through those scenes – again and again – in order to see it through to the end.
If that isn’t the perfect example of a horror novel experience, then I don’t know what is. All I can say is that this book really got to me. It had all of those terrifying tones, and then some. The writing carried the plot so much farther though, because of the way Stephen Graham Jones unveiled the truth.
There was something powerful in the way the plot was revealed. In the hunt. It was chilling, obviously. But it also struck a chord. I find that to be all the more disturbing, while also being oddly beautiful.
Another brilliant feature of this novel? The perspectives. The decision to introduce us to several different characters over the course of this tale was an interesting choice. Yet it paid off, especially towards the end. I honestly don’t think it could have been the same story without the method in which it was told.
All things considered, The Only Good Indians was quite the reading experience. If you’re looking for a novel that breaks all expectations, while telling a terrifying tale full of impact, then this is the novel for you.
This is an amazing book. Stephen Graham Jones never disappoints. He writes things that are genuinely different, that reinvent ideas. Don’t miss this one, folks.
***Got free NetGalley copy in exchange for honest review***
I liked this horror book. The opening line was interesting: “The headline for Richard Boss Ribs would be indian man killed in dispute outside bar.” I felt bad for what happened to that character. The story mostly focused on Lewis. When he was younger, him and his friends (Gabe, Rickey, Cass) had tortured and killed an elk. Now, the ghost of the elk was getting her revenge.
I wanted to love this book because I’m part American Indian but it was just alright for me. The unedited ARC from NetGalley had weird wording in some sections so I found myself having to keep re-reading paragraphs to get what was going on. I think if I had read the final product, I may have enjoyed the book more. I’ve read a short story of the author’s, so I know he’s a great storyteller. I’d be interested in trying his other books.
Lewis was an interesting character. As a reader, I didn’t know if he was crazy or if he was really being haunted by a ghost elk. I thought the author did a good job of building suspense. Lewis was probably my favorite character.
When the story started to focus more on his friends, the book started to go at a slower pace for me, as a reader. I was missing Lewis. The story wasn’t scary for me like I had hoped it would be. At the 80% mark would have been the perfect ending, with everything coming full circle. Instead the story kept going, focusing on a side character now being harassed by the ghost elk. To be honest, I didn’t care what would be her end game because I didn’t get a chance to know her.
If you like slow burn, quiet horror, then you’ll like this story.
I RECOMMEND this book to read
The Only Good Indians is a novel about four friends who break with honor and illegally poach and slaughter a mass of elk. Their kills are wasted when they are caught by the law. Flash forward into the future. The friends have mostly drifted away and they are one by one, hunted down by something dark and angry. Each of them is killed in a horrible and gruesome way. This does not stop whatever it is that has been hunting the men down. It wants the ultimate revenge.
This novel was written in three parts which allows the reader to seamlessly move between time, place and the characters involved. At times it is the mysterious spirit that is narrating the story and other times it is told from the perspective of the character. I felt like there was another narrator who was unseen, almost like the whole tale is being told as a single story, like a shaman is telling the story to his tribe to impart a history and/or a moral. I enjoyed this novel and read it very quickly.
The Only Good Indians is a well written and superbly crafted horror story which takes place in the northwestern US and has characters from the Blackfeet and Crow tribes. Four young Blackfeet men embark on a badly planned and illegal elk hunt which results in a violation of tribal values and the desecration of nature. Ten years later, an entity exacts her revenge in a chilling, suspenseful and brutal fashion. The characters are incredibly well developed given the length of the novel, and the reader develops sympathy for them. The reader also empathizes with the perspective of the entity who pursues the four men. This story has great depth in its exploration of themes of cultural identity, tradition, social justice, revenge and respect for the natural world. Horror readers will love this, but I would also recommend this book for readers of fiction in general. I can see why this The Only Good Indians is receiving so much critical acclaim.
We follow four Native American Indian friends as they fight against an entity that wants revenge. Ten years ago they had gone hunting and killed a group of elks on sacred land, land not to be hunted on. Listen to your elders!
Years later the friends begin to see visions of elks and soon learn that there are consequences to what they had done. The entity puts fear into each of them and their family making them suffer and feel.
The author did a beautiful job developing the characters’ actions, struggles, and guilt. This is a creepy, intense, fast paced horror story! I enjoyed reading and learning about the Blackfeet Crow tribe. Thanks to BookishFirst and Saga Press for this amazing ARC.
“The Only Good Indians” is the ideal horror novel. It provides characters in which the reader can easily invest, who are then thrown into terrible danger from a paranormal (and very scary) source. What makes this one really stand out in the genre is the fact that it doesn’t follow the standard “band of buddies teams up to fight the evil entity” trope. Instead, the entity in question is targeting its victims for a very specific and logical reason. Also, each individual must figure out what’s going on and try to deal with it on his own. I very much appreciated this unique aspect of the story.
Another major point in the book’s favor is that, while the reader does feel sympathy for the targets, he/she can also understand the motivation behind the actions of the “villain”, and see that there is some degree of justification there. This leaves the reader torn, as you’ll have some degree of sympathy for both sides.
Another thing the author brings to the table is an impressively detailed look into the lives of the Blackfeet and (to a lesser extent) Crow people. I enjoyed learning about their everyday lives, their cultural identity, and the issues they sometimes encountered in integrating into “white” society.
Interestingly, parts of the book are written in second person, which only adds to the overall creepiness of the plot. This is a seldom used perspective, and is even more rarely handled well. The author utilizes this voice just the right amount, in just the right places, to ramp up the tension of the story.
I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention how much I loved Denorah. She is a minor player for much of the book, but she is a fabulous character who could absolutely carry her own spin-off story. I’d love to read about how her life plays out after the end of the plot of this book, and how what she’s learned affects her plans going forward.
Bravo to this new-to-me author for bringing me something truly new and original to read!
Five out of five chunks of extra-sharp cheddar!
If you can guess where this book is going in the first pages, you are lot better guesser than I. The horror in this book reminded me of Stephen King at his best in something like “Pet Sematary.” It is touted as Native American Lit, and it does talk a lot about the social issues of the Tribal Peoples, but I did not find that I felt like I was being spoon fed political agendas as some similarly touted books. There is one point during the sweat lodge incident that I thought, “This is going on way too long,” but the rest is extremely fast paced. It is a good one. I chose five stars, a four and a half would be more accurate. This one stays on my bookshelf. At some point, I will read it again.
/ 3.5 stars
Visceral and haunting, this book takes you on a horror filled track of highs and lows with scenes of disturbing brutality (human and animal) while touching on social injustice issues for Indigenous peoples.
At times uncomfortable and not the smoothest of storytelling; I still found it to be rather fascinating and a great story at its core.
“And, if I’m to be honest here, yes, I did indeed stop trying, finally. But the body breathes whether you want it to or not. The heart keeps beating. Perhaps because it knows more than you do–knows that, past this experience, a whole new life will open up, and whatever infirmities persist, they can be dealt with one by one.”
Heart-wrenching is a term probably too often thrown around, but I can’t think of another. This book is not only lyrical gold in its presentation and style, but it’s also an emotional gut-punch over and over again. It is bleak but infused with so much hope for the future by the end that it didn’t leave me in a tailspin of depression (which I thought it might until Denora takes the stage.) Loved and felt for every character in this, and the wonderful narration of Shaun Taylor-Corbett (an instant new favorite in the voice department) brings the love and feeling, pain and redemption, into even brighter relief. Very happy to find that the hype around this book is well-deserved, at least IMO. An excellent read I can’t wait to visit again.
The Only Good Indians struck me deep I hardly know what to say except that this may be one of the best horror novels I have ever read.
One of the top 5 books of my life. Opened my eyes to the world of great dark fiction beyond just Stephen King. I didn’t know writing like this was possible. It is a perfect book. A slow burn though; stay the course.
I’ve learned more about basketball from this book than I ever had in my entire life. I’m pretty sure watching several basketball games wouldn’t teach me this much about basketball. How correct this information is, I don’t know, but Jones must have a lot of love for it to be mentioned so often. So, if you’re a basketball fan and a horror fan, this book was probably made for you specifically. Not that any of this is bad. The focus has its purpose and serves it very well to the end.
A few times, I felt like the book wasn’t scary to me. Body horror, paranoia, animal mutilation, been there, done that. Each and every time, after I got comfortable, I’d be thrown off with a punch. And I loved it! Books that make me forget I’m reading a horror book add so much more to the horror. If I’m scared and nervous all the time, the effect will wear off too soon. I’ve never read a horror story like this either, giving my favorite horror tropes a new twist. If you like body horror mixed with animals, give this book a look.
Reading this book with my friend (who doesn’t consume much horror) made the experience so much more enjoyable. We pointed out our ideas on how the book would go, the meanings within the book, and our responses to each scene. I’m excited to go through the Reader’s Group Guide with her.
Additionally, Big props to Shaun Taylor-Corbett for such a good audiobook performance. It got to the point where I preferred reading along with the audiobook to reading the book without it. His ability to change his intonation for each character is something to admire. The more I listen to good audiobook performances, the more I wonder what kind of training goes into it. For Taylor-Corbett, his experience as an actor—I actually recognized his voice from the musical In the Heights—must have helped a lot.
Loved it… you’ll never look at elk the same way. Hunters beware!