This republished offering from Stephen Graham Jones provides a look at grief from the perspective of the narrator Junior, who was 12 at the time of the story. Junior, his younger brother Dino, and their mom have moved to a trailer off the reservation following the death of their father. The ghost of their father appears one night. Junior sees him and is convinced his father is coming back to them. Things take a dark turn with the combination of Dino's seizures and the neighbor's vicious dogs.

I wanted more character development and resolution from this novella.

sad, chilling and a twisted ending that will leaving you contemplating what you would do for love
12 yr old junior is living with his mom and little brother dino when one night he see his dads ghost appear after drowing 8 years previous
being young and confused with his cultures way of grieving, junior must decide if the dead coming back is worth the cost

Intense, emotional, and immersive, Mapping the Interior is an intricate novella about fear and a child’s understanding of the world.

What’s interesting about this book is that it could be read as a ghost story or a child’s misunderstanding of a situation in order to make sense of it. Children, as characters, when they are done well, are so interesting because their way of viewing the world and dealing with trauma is very different than adults. Children fill in blanks when they don’t understand something, whether that’s something actually happening or an emotion, and they take what they determine to be the truth at face value. They are the ultimate unreliable narrators, and this is no exception.

To be clear though, the book is a recounting of what happened back when a character was a child, though it’s written as how he saw things at that age.

The complexity of the boy in such a short story is so well done. Without him telling us, we understand this is child a child grieving a father who passed years ago (either because he never reconciled his grief when it happened or these feelings are coming up now that he’s on the cusp of teenage-hood), and the haunting that ensues is either his way of mentally working through these feelings of anger, hurt, loss, and, more importantly, fear for his brother’s life, OR the haunting is literal.

I find it more interesting that it’s the former, but the story is also very creepy and frightening if you take it as a real ghost. The brilliant thing about this novel is that it could go either way; whether his adult self is remembering the actual ghost or using the ghost as a metaphor is up for debate.

And if you take it at face value, it is scary. It’s not piss-your-pants scary, but it's unsettling, and there is a scene that, if you have claustrophobia (or a fear of dogs), will give you a heart in your throat.

This is one of Jones’ less stylized books, I would argue, in that it’s less lyrical than The Only Good Indians and more fleshed out than My Heart is a Chainsaw. The writing is descriptive, the action scenes are full of tension and quick-paced, and the story itself is haunting and contemplative.

For the novella, the characters are rich. Along with the boy, there's a single mother struggling and a brother trying to help out. Overall, though, it's about a boy wrestling with whose blood runs through his veins and the worry that he’ll grow into who his father was, but also admiring the parts of his father that are commendable or important. It’s also about identity. Though his mother is also Indiginous, his father holds that identity for him in a stronger way, and he’s learning to reconcile that. It’s very layered, nuanced, and fascinating.

I think it’s actually my favourite SGJ book, so far anyway.

"Stephen Graham Jones, the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians, brings readers on a spine-tingling journey through a young boy's haunted home.

Times have been tough for twelve-year-old Junior, his mom, and especially for his younger brother Dino. When his dad makes a surprise visit late one night, Junior is desperate to make him part of their family again. The only problem is Dad drowned eight years ago.

And bringing back the dead always comes at a cost..."

Yes, this is a reissue, but look at that new cover, you know you want!

I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. But I did have higher expectations I guess because it kinda fell flat for me. It ended being really sad for me more than scary. A boy missing and wanting his dead dad and so he sees his ghost. Honestly I couldn't finish the book. I got half way before I put it down. I went in thinking this was going to be spooky. So it kinda dragged on and I failed experiencing that horror I was looking for. The storyline itself is good. This little boy protecting his little brother is both sad and endearing. The characters were good. I just didn't really jive with it and like i said it's probably because I wanted to be scared and it didn't scare me.

Don't Do It! But Do They Listen?

Climb a mysterious staircase you find in the forest? Only one was foolish enough to do it, and he never came back. There's something at the top of the staircase that wants company and its appetite is voracious.

This book took me into the world of a group of young people who each have their own secret grief that they don't even share with each other. I can't say I felt drawn to any of the characters, they each had their own troubles, but I did sympathize with them. Once caught, all their past angst and casualties manifest to threaten their lives. None of them deserve that!

The author took the well-trodden territory of horror to some interesting places that felt new, or at least rearranged and morphed from what I've explored before. It feels very much like it could become a series, but isn't a cliffhanger.

Thank you to Stephen Graham Jones and NetGalley for the gift of an advance readers' copy of the book. I'm under no obligation to them and my review is my honest opinion. If your idea of a good read leans toward the dark side, you will enjoy this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

A novella, this story features a young boy who believes that his home is being haunted by his father. The father, who died eight years ago.

This is only my second read from the author, but I quite enjoy his writing and how fast I am pulled into the storyline. I was a little shaken by the switch in the end from the protagonist in childhood to adulthood, but overall I enjoyed my reading experience.


#MappingtheInterior #NetGalley.
Expected Publication 29/04/25
Goodreads Review 27/03/25

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Okay I think I need to do a binge on Stephen Graham Jones entire catalogue. 2nd book of his in a row that gets 5 stars. This was so so good. I love ghost stories and this one was perfectly chilling. I loved the perspective of the 12 year old son Junior, the author really knows how to transport you to his mind. Short read but I definitely recommend it if you want a twisted ghost story you can read in one or two sittings.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Stephen Graham Jones for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Mapping the Interior coming out April 29, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I was really excited to get this book! I really love Native American stories. I’ve read a few books by this author and I love his writing. He writes a lot of horror stories, which I love. But I think this one felt different. This was definitely short as a novella, but it had a lot of story. It deals with some heavy themes such as grief and heritage. I would definitely check out more books by this author!

I have discovered a brand new favorite author with Stephen Graham Jones, which is a total surprise as I am not generally a major fan of horror but in this instance Stephen Graham Jones brings not only the horror elements but the literary merit of technically great writing.

This book was not as horror-y as most of his other stuff and so I was a bit confused initially with the direction the story was going but in the end it was a very solid reading experience for me as I really feel that this book had something special. This is an excellent book that delve into issues such as generational trauma and the losing of a parent at a very young age. I was expecting something totally different than this going in and was pleasantly surprised by the direction this took. The writing is excellent, Stephen Graham Jones is amazing at writing this type of dark, melancholy going on.

Every time I dive into a new title by Stephen Graham Jones, I approach it as more of a maze than a puzzle. “Mapping the Interior” was no exception - from the opening lines, I was hooked to see which direction this novel was going to go and where it would end up. Our lead protagonist, Junior, lays the groundwork for a unique exploration of family responsibility, Indigenous narratives, and unresolved trauma. How do you miss someone you never really had a chance to know? How does a mother and her two young sons carry on in the wake of a sudden death? “Mapping the Interior” explores these very raw, real questions in tandem with the supernatural. The story is told through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy, wise beyond his years, with a strong sense of familial duty and righteousness. While Junior as a character is not without flaws, his unwavering commitment to his younger brother with a disability is one of the central themes of the story and serves as a litmus test for the events that follow. Without spoilers, Dino is as much a mystery as the happenings around the modular home. Stephen Graham Jones is a master of blending superstition and tradition with modernity, marrying the grotesque and disturbing with raw, human emotion. In fact, few do it better. I truly enjoyed “Mapping the Interior” although the ending was, in my opinion, slightly lackluster in comparison with the rest of the novel. The pacing of the story hits a brick wall with a conclusion that left me scratching my head a little bit. There are a few scenes that will stick with me for some time, I’m sure - you’ll simply have to read it for yourself to find out.

Sometimes his work is hard for me to follow. His writing style can be difficult to imagine the movie in my head while reading, but this book specifically made a lot of sense. It’s on the shorter side so that helped with the pacing. It felt like he was very careful on which words he used to fill the space and that gave this story the momentum it needed.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc of Mapping the Interior. This was a really short read, about 100ish pages. It was written very well and I read it in one sitting. This young boy keeps seeing an image in his home that he thinks is of his dead father.

One of Graham’s greatest stories to date. Mapping the Interior is a gorgeous and heart-stinging story of ghosts, siblings, and superstitions. It’s hard to believe that an author can take readers on such an emotional journey in 100 short pages. Brilliant.

I enjoyed the story itself but it felt a little disjointed. I've always seen others have issues with SGJ's writing style and I usually don't have an issue, but this time I understand. However I think it could be do to the fact that this story is about a young boy. So maybe the issues I had was intentional. But regardless it made it a bit hard for me to get through.

Mapping The Interior follows a young boy who has just lost his father. The boy is 12 years old, which is such a tender age, on the cusp of maturity and on the precipice of really and truly needing that father presence in his life. We follow this narrator as he "maps the interior" of his home, seeing his father around every bend and turn. He goes through the motions of taking note of his mother as well as his special needs brother, Dino. I'd like to start out by saying I think ALL of that- every single tidbit- is beautiful. This book is truly not for me, and sadly- I don't think this author is, in general. The way he writes is beautiful- it is truly poetic prose in its finest- but I think the nuances went entirely over my head in this one. I think if you read this, you'll each come away with a different interpretation- and that to me makes it so worth the try. Thank you very much to the publisher and the author for giving me the chance to provide an eARC.

Mapping the Interior is a brief but powerful novella that blends eerie supernatural elements with deeply emotional themes like grief, trauma, and cultural identity. It follows a Native American teenager who begins seeing the ghost of his father, uncovering painful truths about the past. The horror is subtle and psychological, with a heavy emotional core that lingers long after the final page. It’s a haunting and beautifully written exploration of memory, legacy, and loss.

This novella was perfectly weird. And the stream of consciousness made it extra moody. Perhaps how disjointed it is will be too much for some people. But if you love “weird lit” this is for you.

The vibes:
dirt dust dogs dingy days
grime
memory & emotion
the sheriff’s deputy
rusty truck
old tether ball pole
are you seeing what I’m seeing
magical realism
losing his father young

It’s not a horror in the sense of being scared. It’s a moody unsettling novel from the point of view of a 15 year old. And that’s what made it so good.

I’m really getting hooked on novellas this past year. I can’t believe I avoided them for long.

Mapping the Interior is a haunting and beautifully written novella that lingers long after the final page. Stephan Graham Jones masterfully blends horror with raw emotional depth, creating a story that is as heartbreaking as it is chilling. The atmosphere is one of the book’s greatest strengths—eerie, dreamlike, and disorienting in the best way. The haunting presence that creeps through the protagonist’s home is described with such subtle yet vivid detail that it felt almost tangible, making the familiar setting of a small, ordinary house feel deeply unsettling.

What struck me most was the way Jones uses horror as a vehicle to explore grief, identity, and the aching bond between father and son. The supernatural elements never overshadow the deeply human story at its core—instead, they enhance it, making the protagonist’s longing and confusion all the more powerful. The prose is sharp and spare, but every sentence carries weight, adding to the book’s haunting, hypnotic rhythm.

I also appreciated how the story blurs the line between reality and hallucination, making it impossible to tell whether the protagonist is being haunted by his father’s ghost or by his own memories and trauma. This ambiguity makes the book even more powerful, leaving room for interpretation and lingering unease.

If you’re looking for a short but profoundly atmospheric and emotionally resonant read, Mapping the Interior is an absolute standout. It’s the kind of story that seeps into your bones—quiet, sorrowful, and unforgettable.

Mapping the Interior is vintage Stephen Graham Jones. It’s a novella that takes us though a young teenage boy’s mind, shows us a little bit of life on and off a Blackfeet reservation, gives us some supernatural horror and makes us wonder… was it? It is a truly touching story that is hard to pin down.

The main character is a young teenager, living with his mom and younger brother who seems to have a learning disorder and other health complications. They have recently moved off the Blackfeet reservation after the controversial death of his father.

After a late-night sleepwalking episode he thinks his father has returned from the dead and tries to help, but is that what’s best for the family?

Mapping the interior made me feel for the family, the characters and their life. I really wanted things to go well for each of them. There is some real horror as well as supernatural horror in this story. I was reminded of some Stephen King stories, like Cujo and Pet Sematary at times, but this is something different that stands in its own.

It’s what I think should simply be described as Stephen Graham Jones. His style is his own. His genre is his own. I’m glad for that.