The Only Good Indians, authored by Stephen Graham Jones, was a birthday buy for myself. It was released on my actual birthday, along with Wonderland by Zoje Stage, so I was feeling pretty chuffed with myself; both hardcover editions had hauntingly lovely covers.

I rated this 5 stars.

By the end of the opening chapter I felt as if a great clock had begun ticking down, to what I did not know; but it didnt look good for those involved. There were many points while reading, Ill admit I was doing some sniffling, had to widen my eyes a bit to stop the waterworks from getting started, or as a last line of defense, looking up from the page to stare at the wall or Biscuit (my cat). I had to give up the ghost by the end, give in to a little emotional break, fully; akin to lancing a deep hurt, I was left feeling lighter but weary. Mapping the Interior was my introduction to SGJ, a novella that wasted no words in wringing out everything, leaving me gutted and a fan for life. This novel is a heavy hitter in the same way, showcasing the human bonds that we forge that can last us a lifetime, shining a light on the indigenous people that are always further and further swept into tighter corners of a land that used to be open, beautifully wild, and theirs; but now often burning or drowning.

I have watched or read horror from single digits; Hitchcock, Poe, then Lovecraft and some King were my introductions via my dads library and blessing. I adopted a quirk for keeping myself from getting too scared while diving into my horrors, it couldnt happen to me because Im not breaking whatever rule the poor characters in question were breaking. Example, I did not allow myself to enter the house of redneck cannibals of my own volition, ending in my murder. That doesnt really hold up with SGJ. Innocents are just as liable to be struck down, if not more so, before the guilty. And then this even harder one, what if there are no seriously guilty ones being punished, no tremendous enemies to hate on? Four friends make a memory. There are parts that all of them share equally, they could agree easily Thats the way it happened. But one made a secret pact, a private promise; he sealed the fate of his friends as well as his own, and even past that, to those attached by association or circumstance. So many lives were held accountable to one mans promise, and I still got to the end and cant say where there is an enemy. Thats the thing that tore me up, that SGJ wrote in a way that hit me right between the eyes like a freaking brick; the debt has to paid, sorry isnt enough, and I can mourn both sides. There are many elements present in this novel, this is one that made the book that touch more horrific to me, kept my mind from resting, gave my pulse that little drop and catch, and coupled with that ending, led to my liberating, messy and over the top cry fest at the end.

10/10 am going to do it again.

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.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones was a brutal and emotional read about injustice and revenge. A horror that delivers on tense moments and brutal gore but is also literary and well crafted. A gut wrenching novel which follows the journey of four Blackfeet Indian men who are being stalked now by the horrors of their past. Its always hard to review a horror story without giving anything away, but this one delivers on shocking deaths and character development, meaning your not ready for anyone to end in a grizzly fashion. As a horror, this won't be for everyone, but if you do like this genre I would highly recommend. There is a depth to this novel that is not always apparent in horrors.
I'll have to look at more from this author. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5).

Disclaimer: There is A LOT of animal violence in this novel. If this is a trigger for you, avoid this novel completely.

This story follows four Native American men as a long forgotten spirit haunts them, leading to disastrous changes in their lives. Stephen Graham Jones is one of my favorite horror writers and I love the way he meshes horror with Native American culture and history. I actually learn things about a culture unlike my own as I'm reading a scary novel!

This novel is a slow burn. Do not go into this one thinking it will be a page turner. The terror builds, page by page, but this may bore some readers. However, if you stick with it, you will feel unnerved even though it is slow going. I highly recommend Jones and his work and this novel is no different!