This book has been on my tbr for so long I was so happy to finally read it. What a ride. This book feels so fresh and I absolutely adore the different and surprising directions it takes. At times it feels like a fable and almost like a dream. A group of native men face the consequences of choices they made as boys as their past comes back to meet them. The highlight for me was the ending which felt so pure and honest. Definitely recommend.

It has literally been three years since I devoured this book, and for reasons unknown to me, I didn't review it at the time. That is truly unfortunate as I can tell you that three years later, it is a book I still think about with regularity. The second book of Stephen Graham Jones that I read (Mongrels being the first - a fabulous read, unlike any werewolf tale I've ever read), it was the book that cemented him as one of my favorites. Because I love horror. I love weird. And I love having no idea what to expect next and being thrilled by the surprise. And The Only Good Indians is all of that and more.

After three years, can I recall a full synopsis for you? I cannot. Can I recall with visceral clarity the pictures I made in my head while reading certain scenes? Hell to the yeah. And for me that is a huge part of what makes a phenomenal book, when an impression is left in my mind and heart so indelibly that, years later, thinking of it brings me back to the original reading experience. Few stories can do that for me, but The Only Good Indians is one of them.

If I could give it more than five stars, I would.

Sgj has proven time and time again his ability to write horror with great characters, settings , and atmosphere. This book was no different. His characters flawed and believable , live in a world all too few outside of other Native Americans could understand. A story of revenge where 4 men find that no matter how much time has passed the bill always comes due. Also a world where reality and mythology are entertwined. The violence is visceral at times and very well written.
( I did think at times it dragged a bit especially the basketball parts.)
Overall an excellent horror story I was grateful to read early.
( I wrote a review forever ago and posted on old phone no idea why it never uploaded)

Finished this last week, and then immediately started the journey again on audiobook. The Only Good Indians, by Stephen Graham Jones. A moving and mesmerizing experience.

I immensely enjoy SGJ's writing, you can greatly tell he truly loves horror and what he does. I found the story intriguing and will continue to insta-buy his work.

I had shelved this book for a good six months. I felt like the beginning was boring and going nowhere. I decided to pick it back up and realized I had stopped right before the horror hit (literally pages away). I was floored! This book went from mundane to gruesome quickly! Once it started it didn’t stop.

The Only Good Indians is a horrifying read, in a very good way. A supernatural Native American horror story, I have not read anything like this book and I will be looking for more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for this free ARC.

Oh Stephen Graham Jones how I love thee. This books stuck with me long after I finished reading it. It's such a mix of horror, fantasy and realistic fiction. Just when you thought you knew where it was going BAM Stephen comes at you from another angle. I would absolutely LOVE to see this made into a series.

This is about a 3.5 for me. I really enjoyed the story and especially the authenticity of the characters. It felt a bit drawn out to me (I like a tightly written book) and I struggle with violence perpetrated against women/children/animals in order to punish men, a very problematic trope in horror that de-centers the personhood of women/children and is constant throughout this book.

Honestly an incredible book all in all, kept me up at night when I literally couldn't sleep. Beautiful and engaging prose, fun at impossible turns, and terrifying in every way that matters.

I grew up reading Stephen King novels so I'm no stranger to horror. But wooo, I was not ready for this book! It's creepy, it's bloody, it's full of Indigenous mythology, and I definitely shouldn't have been reading it late at night home alone.

I was quickly pulled into this story of revenge. This is my first SGJ book, and it wont be my last, I did start another one of his novels but then remembered this one, and wondered why I had not started this book, I regretted waiting so long to read this one, the characters are strong, the mythology is solid and atmospheric and the madness, all too real. It did take a while to get into but it needs time to set things up and I am glad I stuck with it.

I felt like I was reading a classic horror story that I had never heard of. Well done. I also really love a good revenge story. We figure out very quickly that revenge is playing a big role in the story. I will continue to read all of this authors books. This was a wild ride and I really enjoyed it.

4.5 stars from me. I would recommend to any old school and new school horror fans.

I. Loved. This. Book. From start to finish, it was incredibly unsettling. Despite feeling attached to some of the characters, I loved the revenge aspect of the story. It was brutal and unrelenting. Overall, this is exactly what I wanted from a Stephen Graham Jones book!

Such a weird, wild, and wonderful horror novel. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but when it hooked me, it was fully and fast—and it was nothing like I expected. I don’t want to give away anything about the plot, because my description will give no justice to how insidiously creepy this story is—believe me, I tried to tell my husband about it, and it was not translating at all. 💀 The best I can do it to say that it was the perfect way to wrap up October and that there’s no danger of me becoming a hunter anytime soon. 🦌😳

A short amazing read with an antagonist that will cause you to shiver. Will make you wish to play basketball. Scary and sad enough to make you a vegan.

I would give this book 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I wouldn’t call it creepy but it was a really unique and interesting story. I loved the cultural elements. However the structure and pacing left a lot to be desired. The multiple points of view didn’t bother me but having each as a separate story, telling one character’s story, then the next, then the next instead of having them progress side to side made the pace slow down every time a new story started. I understand what I think he was going for, chronologically following the elk’s victims, but it made the book drag in several places. Nevertheless I really liked the story and I am a sucker for a unique one plot.

Thank you NetGalley, author and publisher for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

4 stars
I started this book back in November 2021 and was reading it physically. It took me a while to get into the writing style that Stephen Graham Jones uses. I will say once we go more into the action of the story it really took off and was genuinely scary to read. This is my first Stephen Graham Jones book I have read and I am now wanting to go and read more.

I enjoyed reading this book and loved the plot. It was a great dark read that I brought on vacation!

This book was not for me. It has been represented as a horror novel, but it is actually literary fiction novel, and a confusing one at that. The writing actively feels like it is trying to shove the reader back and confuse them. A specific instance of what I am talking about is early in the book when the main character hears a huge roar and describes it very poetically and makes the entire experience feel sudden. But then he turns around and explains that "oh yeah it's just the train that goes by every night at this time." The writing felt difficult and incredibly random in its structure.

Tried and tried again. And finally, with the help of an audiobook I read this one. It is still SO not for me. Literary fiction is hard for me to like, to enjoy, to process. Add that this is a horror book, and it went over my head.

First, it is gruesome. It has detailed animal deaths and mutilations, but it just did nothing for me. If you're not paying attention, it passes without leaving anything behind. What I did appreciate was the Own Voices story of how a tribe lives, what kind of struggle it faces in current society with racism, hate crimes, constant berating. It is horrible. But the haunting of the deer was.. weird and not in a good way.

I'm still a fan of this author and the way he weaves stories. I'll pick up the next book from him, and hopefully it will work for me better.