My thanks to Titan Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Only Good Indians’ by Stephen Graham Jones in exchange for an honest review.

Ten years ago, four young Blackfeet men go on an elk hunt. When confronted by the passive animals they take advantage and it becomes a slaughter. Not only do they kill more animals than they need but they are in a hunting area that is restricted to elders only. As they attempt to leave with their kills, they are caught by the reservation‘s game warden. After this they will be banned from hunting on the reservation again. They each go on with their lives unaware that this act of savagery will lead to a merciless revenge.

In the opening chapter a year after the hunt one of the four, Ricky, has signed onto a North Dakota drilling crew. The notification of his death comes in the form of a headline: ‘Indian Man Killed in Dispute Outside Bar’. Yet as readers we know that the trigger for the dispute was a herd of elk that wrecked havoc in the bar parking lot, then vanished leaving Ricky to take the blame. Spooky.

As the tenth anniversary of that fateful hunt approaches something ferocious is stalking the remaining three - one by one. Lewis had left ‘the Rez’, married a white woman, ironically named Peta, and now works for the Post Office. He has an odd elk-themed vision in his living room and after this things become seriously surreal. Lewis perhaps holds the strongest sense of guilt for the elk slaughter.

The other two men, Cass and Gab, had remained on the reservation. Gab has a daughter, Denorah, though is estranged from her mother. In fact, Denorah’s new stepfather is the game warden. “He fights for Bambi” according to Cass.

The publishers sum up the theme of this visceral horror: “The Only Good Indians, charts Nature’s revenge on a lost generation that maybe never had a chance. Cleaved to their heritage, these parents, husbands, sons and Indians, men live on the fringes of a society that has rejected them, refusing to challenge their exile to limbo.”

Stephen Graham Jones is a Blackfeet Native American with an impressive back catalogue of stories and novels. I was not previously aware of his work though it is clear that he has a well established reputation Stateside.

I will admit that there were sections of this novel that I found difficult to read. Not so much the theme of Nature/the elks’ revenge as some of the collateral damage. It is very gory! I probably wouldn’t be able to watch a film adaption and just had to shut off my visual imagination for some scenes.

I did find its conclusion very satisfying. Despite the horror there was also elements of wry humour; especially the banter between Cass and Gabe. The characterisation throughout was well realised. It wasn’t just a case of the ‘monster’ picking off stock characters one-by-one. As a result the deaths were shocking and hard to read even if I was on the side of the elk.

I found this an innovative work of horror and also appreciated the inclusion of Native American folklore along with an examination of the social issues associated with their communities.

After reading this I likely will look into more of Jones’ writing as I was very impressed.

Four young men hunt on a section of the reservation they really shouldn’t be on. Their actions towards a herd of elk that night will haunt them for years to come.

This is a tale of man versus nature, of a group of young men doing something reckless, likely done by men before them, and will be done after… but something about this night is different. The Only Good Indians is immediately engaging, with the four characters vivid and distinctive from one another, each with their own ideas of what they want out of life.

That sounds like a minor, minimum requirement thing, but honestly in some books with multiple main and POV characters, the voices and personalities blur together, and Jones avoids that here. You have the guy trying to escape the reservation, the guy who did escape, and the two left behind, one on the verge of settling down and the other who can never really cling onto anything – love, family, friends – for long.

There are problems these men face unique to their setting and upbringing, and there are other elements familiar to anyone who grew up in a small town. At times, it felt like I was reading about people I knew, even though I’m from a town on the south coast of Wales, UK. The guys reminded me of my brother, and his friends, five years (give or take) older than me, who I saw go from reckless, stupid teenagers to reckless, stupid young men.

At its core, the characters are what make this book effective and powerful. Because even when they’re messing up and thinking irrationally, or making the wrong decisions, we still care about what happens to them.

One of the things I really liked, too, was specifically in relation to Lewis. When things start going strange, he doesn’t explain it away, he doesn’t convince himself there’s a rational explanation. Instead, he links it to what he did in the past, and searches for a way to solve the seemingly supernatural mess he’s in.

The horror underlines everything here, the tension present on every page. It’s hard to turn away from events as they unfold, easy to get caught up the story and characters and racing to discover how it ends.


A strong, solid book. A fantastic Man versus Nature story. One definitely not to be missed. But a warning – animals do not fare well in this tale. Proceed with caution.

DNF @ 50%

There is nothing wrong with this novel, it just isn't for me. This is a real shame because I'm always looking for more First Nations voices, and there were parts of this novel that I liked a lot, but the writing style simply isn't working for me and I could feel it leading me towards a reading slump. I don't read books to feel like I don't want to read.

I genuinely think this is a brilliant horror novel, and I wish I loved it, but the writing style and I just didn't get along.

eARC provided by NetGalley , thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books. All opinions are my own.

This book was so unlike anything I have read before. I feel a little broken now that it’s over. Smart, strange and weird – it really surprised me in a good way.


The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones (spoiler free reviews)
Standalone
Publish Date: July 21st 2020
Cover Rating: 8/10
Adult - Horror –Fiction – Contemporary- Weird Fiction

What is this book about?
This novel follows four American Indian men after a disturbing event from their youth puts them in a desperate struggle for their lives. Tracked by an entity bent on revenge, these childhood friends are helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.

What happened?
I don’t know. I don’t think I can put into words how this has affected me. It’s in the details. It’s in the writing. Even though the concept of this novel is simple it’s so smart and I cannot say that about many novels today. I mean sure we know of the Smart Author Club that involves Mark Z. Danielewski, Bret Easton Ellis and Chuck Pala-whatshisface. (Don’t even get me started on Chuck, you see a good movie called Fight Club and then you chase down his novels and get disappointed on every level known to man.) But all those authors make you feel stupid. Stephen Graham Jones makes you feel included, gives you a hug, makes you feel a part of his world.
I have seen Mongrels on several different lists and I will definitely be reading that soon.
This book has so many elements that rip you to pieces, details that stab you or quietly slice you open. The concept and even the social and cultural commentary really grabs your attention.

Who should read this?
I do have to admit that I did get a little lost about halfway, my attention waned but it could have been because I figured the book was going one way and then it went another. But it starts off very strong, lost me in the middle and then found me towards the end.
You are either going to love or hate the writing style but to me it felt fresh and natural.

Rating: 3.9

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones is a brutal, compelling book. The story of nature seeking revenge starts with a murder of one from a group of four friends, Native Americans who were invovled in the slaughter of a herd of Elks ten years before. We quickly get introduced to another of the group. He has left the reservation, married a white woman, and trying to get on with his life even though something is disturbing his life, something is leaving him unsettled. After a few chapters to learn about and to like Lewis, the violence comes back. shockingly, before we are thrust into the final two invovled in the earlier slaughter.
The voice the author tells his story through is amazing, really capturing the life and lifestyle of all the characters, and there is no characters that you do not feel sympathy for, even those who are briefly showcased.
An incredible read that will have me looking through the Author's backlist very soon.

Stephen Graham Jones uses native American folklore to weave an original literary horror novel with The Only Good Indians.
A slow-burn story of violence and nature's justice, it centres around the story of four men, who years after shooting elk during a hunting trip, find themselves stalked by a vengeful spirit.
Far from a simple slasher, this is a deeply thoughtful and character rich study of life, nature and past decisions coming back to haunt you.
One for fans of Paul Tremblay.

I read the blurb for this and it seemed like a really interesting horror read. It's a DNF for me. I just found it really hard to get into. I don't know if it was the writing style or if I just wasn't feeling this one.

There are some really good reviews for this book, so I may have to come back to it at a later date and figure our if it's me or the book.... I hope it's just me.

Just not the story for me right now

Thanks Netgally for my Adanced readers copy

I'm going to have to be honest, this is not going to be an easy book to review. This isn't because it's bad, or I didn't like it; but because I'm not sure how much I can talk about without giving away too much of the plot.

The Only Good Indian follows four men who were involved in a hunting incident ten years before the events of the book, an event that would go on to shape their lives significantly. The book spends time with each of these people as these events from their past catch up to them, and a supernatural being comes after them for revenge.

I don't think I can say much more about the plot than that, as anything else might give away too much, and this is definitely the kind of book where you want to go in as blind as you can. Writer Stephen Graham Jones is very careful about just how much the reader knows at any given time, slowly teasing out not just the events of the past that set everything in motion, but exactly what's happening now.

This sense of mystery, of not knowing everything is definitely a big part of the horror of this book. Yes, there are moments of obvious horror, of strange and disturbing things that happen, but it's the creeping sense of dread throughout that makes you really uncomfortable. There are times when you think you've finally figured out if not what precisely is tormenting these men, but at least how it works; but then there'll be a shift in the narrative that turns things on its head, that makes it clear that actually, anything you think you've learnt is wrong. This means that the narrative is constantly unpredictable, and you're never sure if you can quite believe what it is you're reading.

The Only Good Indian reminded me of horror stories that take a turn for the surreal, like Tetsuo The Iron Man or even some of the works of Lovecraft. There are times where you don't really know what you're reading, and it feels like you're in some kind of fever dream that simply can't make sense.

The central characters all get a chance to shine during the narrative, and even though you spend differing amounts of times with each you get a very clear sense of the types of people they are. You begin to see not just how the events of their past shaped them into who they are, but how they feel about their own identities and their culture. Each man has a different connection to their native heritage, and these connections inform their stories.

Stephen Graham Jones has created a story that's very odd, that at times feels very fantastical and nightmarish, yet works so well because it's grounded with realistic and engaging people. The book disturbs and fascinates with equal measure, and draws you in to the world that he's created. A unique and stand out horror novel.

A story of vengeance spanning centuries. The Indians are slowly dying and each has been having dreams of elk. This is the story of what happens when four friends invoke the wrath of the Elk Spirit. Now you know it is not going to go well for them. Visceral, atmospheric and utterly gripping. This author has the knack of drawing the reader in then WHAM. I had goose bumps on my goosebumps. A story that is filled with Indian folklore, tradition and age old stories. This author certainly knows how to write horror. A MUST READ AND SO HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Thanks to Titan Books and Netgalley for the ARC

When the whole world hurts, you bite it, don't you?

Stephen Graham Jones is one of the most reliable horror authors working - not only is he a writer that brings a setting and his characters to life, he understands horror, and his readers, and how to play on tropes and expectations and use them against you until you're entirely wrapped up in a narrative web that pulls you along until he releases you into an ending you never saw coming.

There's some pretty gruesome moments, but no jump scares to be found here - no cheap tricks to bounce you back from the page. Instead, the reader is allowed in on just enough of the inside track to know some of what's waiting around the next corner - not that that will keep the inevitable from occurring. It's a technique that I've only seen used to such good effect from this author; he's an artist that has mastered balance. He also uses it to take aspects of culture that are foreign to me (and no doubt plenty of other readers) and make them allegorical to universal human behaviour, without losing what makes them special or turning narrative into instruction.

Too much review in this case will absolutely spoil the book, so I'll keep this one brief. But for any horror readers who have yet to encounter SGJ, this is a great place to jump in. And for the rest of us, this is new but familiar ground, living up to every bit of excellence we've come to expect.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for a free copy in return for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this as I enjoyed the author’s novel Mongrels so much. I enjoyed this book though the POV of switches about halfway through to being focused through a particular character to focusing on a group of characters. This switch took a few chapters to get used to. This is a horror novel but a bit different from the stuff I usually read, focusing more on Native American folklore and horror. The main drive of the story is dark repercussions from hunting a herd of ten years before the book starts. Jones combines personal horror with ancestral horror of Native American genocide which is something I haven’t come across before. This is a very powerful novel but quite intense and I could only read it in small chunks. The title, as you probably know is taken from the famous phrase the only good Indian is a dead Indian. The supernatural force pursuing the characters is vividly written. This is very original and I enjoyed the time I spent with it.

This book is a *trip*. It follows four Native American men as they face dark repercussions from hunting a herd of deer ten years prior. This is a horror novel, viscerally gory at times, but Jones manages to parallel this personal horror with their ancestral horror of Native American genocide poignantly, powerfully, no sugarcoating. The title comes from "the only good Indian is a dead Indian", an infamous phrase from 19th century Irish-American army general Philip Henry Sheridan.

For me, the first half dragged, but the second half - thanks to a change in narrator - sang, and is worth your patience. It also contains the single best depiction of basketball I've ever read in fiction.

I'm on a mission to read more Native American writing - specifically fiction - so when I saw the New York Times recommended this for summer reading I snapped it up. Jones is Native Blackfeet. Definite recommend if you love horror and if you've been wondering, like me, how to find modern Native American writing. It's here.

Hmmm. Mixed feelings on this one. My biggest gripe is that the structure is a bit off. Most of the first half is spent pretty tightly inside one person’s head but somewhere around halfway this changes, the perspective pulls back, and we’re dealing with a group of characters. This means the book loses some focus and immediacy just at the moment the true nature of what’s going on is becoming clear. By the climax you’re (supposed to be) rooting for someone who barely featured in the first three quarters of the novel. I was a lot more invested in the first half than I was the second, and that isn’t right.
On the plus side, a relentless unstoppable supernatural force is well depicted, and the author gets the tension between quiet moments and full on horror pretty much right. I also liked that it is a realistic (well, apart from that relentless unstoppable supernatural force thing) look at contemporary Indian lives. It’s not something you see very often at all in genre fiction, and it’s good to put a different perspective in your head every so often. So yeah, I don’t think this is the five star work of genius some reviewers are proclaiming it as, but it’s an interesting and worthwhile, albeit somewhat flawed, book.

Told from several character POVs The Only Good Indians is a story of vengeance spanning centuries.

One by one the indians are dying, plagued by visions of elk. The novel switches between past memories and present day building excellent character development and narrating how four friends invited the wrath of an Elk spirit.
Filled with Indian folklore, traditions and stories, I really enjoyed this unique tale.

Jones is masterful at tension and suspense, reading from each characters point of view made their collective fear and hysteria palpable.
The trappings of mundane life and basketball scenarios are a stark contrast to the brutal violence and slow descent into madness.
The Only Good Indians repeatedly caught me unawares, surprise gut punches are thrown at the turn of a page.

My opinions of the characters ranged from sympathy and endearment to disdain. I love when there is no clear cut between protagonist and antagonist which is exactly how I felt about this story.

If your looking for horror like you've never experienced before, check out The Only Good Indians.

I found myself slowly absorbed by this book. At first I wasn't sure if I was enjoying it then suddenly i was gripped. It's the story of four friends, embarking on an illegal hunt and the consequences stalking them down ten years later.
This is a stunningly original horror novel, and I will be looking for some of the authors previous books to read now.