Where has Stephen Graham Jones been all of my horror loving life? This novel is incredible, from plot to prose to character development. A beautiful and gut wrenching tale, Graham Jones is a master at developing characters that I cared about, including secondary characters, and he did an amazing job at weaving Indigenous folklore and traditions into modern life. I almost feel at a lack of words - this book is that good. I highly recommend it as a literary horror masterpiece.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery/Saga Press for an ARC in exchange for review.

The latest by SGJ. The Only Good Indians is one hell of a ride. SGJ has a unique voice, and it really shines in this book. The writing pulls you in and the tight characterizations keeps you rooted firmly in this story. A very fine example of how to do literary horror.

The nitty-gritty: An unflinching look at cultural identity, revenge, and the horrors we bring upon ourselves, The Only Good Indians is one of the best SFF books of the year. 

You may have already read some rave reviews for The Only Good Indians, and now you’re about to read another one. Everything you’ve heard is true. Stephen Graham Jones is a fucking genius, a poet dressed up in an old elk skin, and a master storyteller. I’m certain this book is going to wind up on all sorts of award lists next year, and believe me, it will deserve its place on those lists. I’m going to start this review with some trigger warnings, which I’m including specifically for those of you with tender, animal-loving hearts. This book contains animal deaths, violence towards animals, gruesome death of a pet dog, graphic violence, gun violence and suicide. I think that about covers it, although my apologies if I’ve missed anything.

Now that that’s out of the way. I’m only going to give you the bare bones of the story, because this is one of those times you should go in as blind as possible. The story centers around a group of four Blackfeet Indians and an event that they were involved in ten years before the story begins. Lewis, Gabe, Cass and Ricky were young and stupid the day they decided to hunt elk on restricted land, and even though they knew they were breaking an important tribal code, they ended up slaughtering a fair number of elk before getting caught. Banned from ever hunting on that land again, the boys went their separate ways. Now ten years later, a dark, angry force has risen as a result of the slaughter and is coming for revenge.

Jones breaks up his tale into three distinct sections that could almost work as separate short stories, yet they work perfectly together as well. The first half of the book is told from Lewis’s point of view and follows his descent into paranoia when he sees the body of a dead elk on his living room floor, the same elk he killed ten years ago. We follow poor Lewis as he begins to suspect that something is stalking him, a ghost from the past perhaps, and his paranoia leads him to wonder if someone close to him is the culprit. The second section takes a sharp left turn and is narrated by a new character, a young girl who is way more than she seems. This section, entitled Sweat Lodge Massacre (and how’s that for some foreshadowing?), follows Gabe and Cass, who decide to hold a “sweat” in honor of their dead friends, Rick and Lewis. We also meet Gabe’s teenage daughter Denorah, a rising basketball star who lives with her mother and “new” father and rarely sees Gabe. And the final section follows Denorah, who ends up running for her life, innocent except for the fact that she is Gabe’s daughter, and that means something to the entity that’s chasing her.

There’s also a short prologue that worked really well and tells us what happened to Ricky. Because you see, bad things are happening to all four men. So I already gave you all the trigger warnings, but just to reiterate, this is a violent, bloodbath of a story. The author lulls you into a false sense of calm, and then boom, bad stuff starts happening. And the beauty of the way Jones pulls this off is that he invokes a sense of dread, slowly building tension but never really showing his hand until the horror jumps out at you. This is a slowly evolving story with nuanced character development that takes its time, so if you’re looking for a breakneck-paced narrative, you might be disappointed. My advice is to hang in there, though, because this book contains a multitude of unforgettable moments. At the end of the second section is one of the most gut wrenching scenes I’ve ever read, almost Shakespearean, in fact. And in the last section we get a thrilling and dangerous game of basketball that left me gasping—and trust me, I don’t think I’ve ever used the words “thrilling” and “basketball” in the same sentence, ever.

I haven’t heard any news about The Only Good Indians being optioned for film yet, but come on, studios, get with it! This book is extremely cinematic and would be perfect for film. Jones adds so many creepy details to his story, details that don’t seem important until much later. For example, Lewis is puzzled over a flickering ceiling light in his living room that he can’t seem to fix. This seemingly random detail later plays into his paranoia and grows into something much bigger. It’s the sort of visual detail that screams “movie!” to me, and honestly, this is just one example in a book filled with them. 

In short, The Only Good Indians is a visceral, devastating, heartbreaking tale of madness, revenge and redemption. Stephen Graham Jones tops the entire thing off with a surprisingly hopeful ending that left me in tears. Highly recommended and not to be missed.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

I tried to get into this book, but I found it very hard to follow. I’m hoping that when I get the physical copy it will be easier for me to reread and see if I enjoy it or not. I think what really set the tone was the prologue. I just didn’t get it and didn’t really see the point in having that in the book. I don’t want to give this less than 3 stars because I am thinking I am the problem and not the book or the writing. I think I need to just take a step back and again read it when I get the physical copy when it is released.

This book was very well written. It was not as creepy as I anticipated though. It took a while to get going for me as well. The premise was interesting but the story hit quite a few slow spots. This one just didn’t really do it for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press for granting access to this book in exchange for an honest review. I will post this review today to my Bookstagram and companion Facebook page @thatreadingrealtor.

I was heavily vested in this book from the day I heard it was coming out. The thought of curses in other cultures is something that always sparks my interest. Second it sounded like an original idea, something not done before. Lastly it was based on Native Americans and that isn’t something that is seen everyday.

I want to start off by saying all of the factors above are true and perfectly on point. I found all the points that first interested me in the book throughout the story. That being said I struggled getting through the book. It started off with immediate action. It I was confused about where in the story I was until about a quarter of the way in. Once the story started moving and I was getting that vibe you look for in a book it dropped off. The center of the book became daunting for me. It eventually regained some steam and the ending has a nice extra touch.

I realized while reading this that it isn’t really a horror story either. That was one of the biggest selling points early on was that it was in all the horror recommendations. I also feel that because I was so pumped about the book that when I finally got to reading it I had mentally set the bar to high. I’ve read plenty of reviews about this book and can say that it is a mixed bag.

All in all I think the original idea is the biggest selling point on this book. If you don’t go into it expecting a horror story I think you will greatly appreciate the story telling.

Happy reading!

THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS makes a fine horror read. Stephen Graham Jones painstakingly brings each character to life, so when he turns the screws, the reader can’t help but bleed along with the story people.

Four friends are connected by their Native American heritage as members of the Blackfeet tribe and by an event that took place ten years prior to the start of the book. An event that haunts them even before the bodies start piling up. The author gives us each man’s point of view, baring their hearts and souls, and exposing how hard they fought for what they have and what would devastate them to lose. The big bad knows how to mess with their minds and manipulate their guilt and fears.

The heart of this story reminds me of a movie I recently saw and loved: THE KILLING OF THE SACRED DEER. In the film, the protagonist makes a fatal error and he must pay for his sins in the blood of a loved one. In comparison, the antagonist of the film is kinder and gentler than the supernatural force in THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS. The film only requires one horrific sacrifice, while Stephen Graham Jones’s antagonist will only be appeased when all she sets her sites on have been utterly destroyed. Both are wild rides worth experiencing and both have similar themes as the Greek myth of Iphigenia, where a king kills Athena’s sacred deer. The goddess asks him to sacrifice his own daughter to settle the score. Another difference is that the characters in the film are incredibly unlikeable, while I couldn’t help but root for those in the book.

I had the good fortune to participate in a Skype call with Stephen Graham Jones. Everything he says is quotation worthy as he expels wisdom with every breath and that magical talent comes though in his writing. ALL THE GOOD INDIANS connected me to the characters and their plight in such a way that I had visceral reactions when I read it. For me, that’s the secret sauce in a great horror story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc., for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

A haunting horror story that connects to real life traumas. This book is out of my genre comfort zone, but I was drawn to it and it did not disappoint. This book kept me up at night, both to read and because I read. I’d give this a solid 4 stars.

Ricky, Gabe, Cass and Lewis were best friends, growing up on the Blackfeet reservation where their families had lived for generations. The Elders tried to teach them about their heritage, but they didn’t feel like traditionalists. The Game Warden was quick with arrests, so meals were poached from the woods. Duck Lake was a hunting area set aside for the Elders, but they knew elk could be found there. Despite grave consequences if caught, they decided to try their luck there but, ten years later, they would forever regret that foolish decision.

“The only good Indians” takes readers through the horrors of being methodically stalked with nowhere to turn but, in between the blood and gore, readers are reminded that reservation life is one of poverty, with tribal members still forced to play cowboys and Indians due to deeply instilled prejudices on the part of the White Man. Though Ricky, Cass, Lewis and Gabe chose different ways to live their lives, on and off the reservation, they were forever drawn together by friendship and a shared heritage that survived before them and would continue long after they were gone.

Recommended for Adults.

I received a digital advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS by Stephen Graham Jones is a Native American horror story about a group of friends who make a terrible mistake while hunting and face the consequences ten years later.⁣
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This was a difficult book for me in some ways. The writing style was an adjustment and it felt so slow in the first section I actually DNF’d wondering how it was classified as horror. When I read spoilers (because that’s who I am as a person), I realized I needed to keep reading and it picked up a bit by about 30%. This is just a quiet horror book until the very end though with a focus on the psychological and supernatural so just be aware of that going in.⁣
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I’m not Native American and while I understood some of the social commentary I’m sure some of it went over my head. I can’t speak to that aspect of the story even though it’s integral to everything from the characterization to the supernatural plot elements. You will have to look to own voices reviews for a better understanding of how to interpret this book.⁣
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But what I can share is that some of the writing choices (reading from the perspective of the supernatural “bad guy,” for example) were masterful, and the ending made a particular kind of sense that I appreciated. The writing itself elevated a genre I often think about as sort of fun, but unserious into a more literary territory. That’s not an insult aimed at other horror stories just an observation that this one felt like it was trying to do more, which also might explain its overall slower pace.

This book comes out 7/14 and I was gifted a free copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for the advanced review copy! I really enjoyed it and just placed an order online for a physical copy. I’m looking forward to reading other books by this author. Thank you again!

After the author described this as a modern take on the "slasher" film, then the gratuitous gore and wake of bodies left throughout the book made a fun kinda sense. It allowed me to lighten my expectations and see the book for what it was: a bloody tale of revenge. The writing style and cultural inferences are very niche and may alienate some readers. But me? I LOVED it, couldn't get enough of it!

I loved how raw and honest the four main characters were: their disdain for wildlife ranger authority, their drive for professional respectability while not quite feeling a part of the system, their wry humor, and the symbolism they took from small acts of nature. The four characters were all down and out in their own ways unknowingly carrying the weight of their actions and the guilt of their slaughter on elder's land ten years earlier. It didn't take much for a supernatural element to appear and start picking off characters one by one.

So many juicy themes to keep me awake late at night. Violence against women. Collective memory/generational trauma. Blinding revenge, restitution, self inflicted penance. And the layers just go deeper.

As I read I first wondered if this was a tale of a decent into madness? Or some sort of Wendigo psychosis? Or something rooted in such ancient Deer Woman folklore that it feels paranormal in the contemporary indigenous context of this story. And I went 100% along for the ride.

Here we get the author’s signature brevity which I enjoy because it quickens the story to a visceral place. I find it works so well in horror.

SGJ tends to stereotype his female characters in side roles of either saints or whores of no real depth. And in this story we don’t get to spend near enough time inside the head of the numinous main character and so she remains mostly a raging ethereal abstract, a mythological archetype. But in the last 50 pages or so SGJ makes a legend, a young heroine to heal old wounds & usher in a new future. As usual his 4 male main characters are incredibly nuanced. When I open a book by Stephen Graham Jones, I open a door into the complex indigenous male psyche exposing all his human vulnerabilities coerced onto the page by the gut wrenching horrors that SGJ creates for him.

This makes one of my favourite reads of 2020.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader's copy of The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. This is categorized as horror under genre and I agree with that designation but it so much more than just a scary or gory story. Yes, it has both of those elements but the underlying plot is much deeper than can be categorized simply as horror. This is much more the story of the psychological horror that can imprint itself on you when you can't reconcile the past with the present.

This the story of four childhood friends, all from the Blackfoot Tribe. The story deftly weaves in and out of the adult lives of the four men and how the decisions made on one long ago Saturday impact them for the rest of their lives. It is clear as you read that the decision that they made together will have consequences for each of them in turn and the horror builds as their past comes for their future.

You will gasp, cringe, and maybe even need to put the book down for a minute while reading, as I did. For horror fans as well as fans of psychological thrillers, this book is a winner on all fronts.

I’m having trouble forming thoughts about this book because 1. It was not at all what I was expecting and 2. I’m still asking myself “WTF did I just read?” Some of my favorite books of all time fit these criteria so my feelings after finishing this book aren’t negative; they’re just very complex. The story follows the events that occur ten years after four Native American men illegally gun down a large herd of elk. As a consequence of their actions, they are each stalked and hunted down by an unknown entity. There is plenty of suspense and lots of gore that often sneaks up on you when you least expect it. At a few points in the book, I was in such shock that I had to stop and ask myself “wait did that really just happen?!” However, between the moments of action, the book can be somewhat boring. I found the prose rambling and hard to follow so I had to go back and re-read sections to try to figure out what happened. There were also lengthy descriptions of things I didn’t care much about; for example, towards the end of the book, there is a very detailed one-one-one game of basketball that seemed to go on and on. It occurred when the tension should have been high as the climax was nearing but I felt so bored that it took away from what should have been a menacing scene. The book was quite a roller coaster ride and because of the down moments, I was planning on rating it three stars; the five-star ending changed that for me. I never really connected with the characters but the ending left me in tears. It was crafted and executed perfectly and evoked many thoughts and feelings. On the surface, this is just another horror story but if you look deeper, you will find yourself reflecting on topics such as the will to survive and protect, gun violence, the destruction of nature, and the horrific treatment of indigenous peoples that continues to affect the lives of many today. While I didn’t particularly enjoy reading this book, I love it for bringing me out of my comfort zone.

Great story! I was engaged the entire time. A real page turner. Looking forward to reading more books from this author! Highly recommend!

The Only Good Indians is an amazing meditation on the circle of violence and the cost of revenge.

Stephen Graham Jones is no stranger to anyone if you are a fan of horror or genre fiction. He has been writing for a long time and has consistently been improving. SGJ is a lifelong lover of horror films and books and it shows. Over the years his skills as a writer have been improving, from brilliant short stories like “Father, Son, Holy Rabbit,” to his coming of age novel Mongrels, SGJ has done it all. Well, that is until The Only Good Indians. If you only read one horror novel this year, which you should not, there are tons of superb horror novels. BUT, if you only read one, make it The Only Good Indians. Because this book is a masterpiece in every sense of the word.

The Only Good Indians is one of those books that is best experiencing blind, let SGJ guide you through his themes and his characters. But, if you are curious for what the book is about, it focuses on a group of Blackfoot Native Americans who many years ago went elk hunting, and during this trip something horrible happened. Now in present day, each member of the tribe who was part of that hunting trip is being killed one by one, until them and their families are all dead. The plot is reminiscent of Ghost Story by Peter Straub; however, even if you have read that book, you will find this one to be fresh and original. There were moments of this book that had me yelling out loud, grasping my kindle, even wanting to throw it across the room. This is a powerful, horrific, and emotional journey. If you are a fan of horror, this book is a must read, buy the hardcover, buy the kindle edition, borrow it from the library, we don’t care how you read it, get this book inside your eyeballs.

Two things about The Only Good Indians, this book tackles some heavy topics, but the two that really struck a chord with me dealt with what I will call the circle of violence. The way the past haunts these characters, how the past comes to life, how nobody can escape the repercussions of violent acts that they have committed really struck home for me, especially in these current times. Some characters regret the past, other characters have tried to move on, but they can never escape the past. The accident, the hunting trip, it haunts them; it follows them, they can never escape, it never. In the eyes of the victims, they can never find redemption, despite how hard they try. I found this to be a powerful and emotional statement made in the novel.
Another aspect of this novel that hits home are how Native Americans are seen and treated. Both how they treat each other, and how society views them. Just as the characters in this novel cannot escape the horrible violent past of their actions, they cannot escape their skin or their history. They wear it. It is everywhere. They are seen, they are judged, they are attacked. The land they live on stolen land, their history and their culture are being erased. They try to live peaceful lives, and end up succumbing to alcoholism or drug addiction, not all the characters mind you, but each of them has their own problems. Be it, Lewis who left the reservation and married a white woman, to Richard who gets involved in a bar altercation in the prologue. Each of these characters are fully developed and well realized. As a reader, you feel their pain; you feel their fears, and you feel their deaths.

All in all, this book is SGJ’s masterpiece. Full stop. I can go on and on about how he handles the tension, the suspense. Everything about this book is fully realized, and each word is perfectly placed. SGJ is a master of the genre and we here at Signal Horizon cannot wait to see what he has up his sleeve next. If you only read one horror novel this year, make it The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones.

After having Native American blood deep in my family I was so excited for this book. It looked so good.

I loved the unique story line, but I felt this book being so confusing and really bland. I was having to keep going back and re reading parts just so I could understand it. Some taking three times.

I feel if the execution of the story was better laid out/less confusing, this would be a great book. With all this said, im looking forward to the uniqueness of Stephen Graham Jones future novels!

Stephen Graham Jones has written a superb read with The Only Good Indians. Well worth the time and a true page turner!

Thanks @netgalley & @gallerybooks for the e-ARC

This book was beautifully written, but deeply horrifying. The cultural elements were explored in a compelling way, and the setting (which is beautiful in real life- but I may be bias bc I’ve lived there) feels alive & haunting.