Title: The Only Good Indians

Author: Stephen Graham Jones

Publisher: Gallery 2020

Genre: Horror

Pages: 320

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme

Seamlessly blending classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary, The Only Good Indians 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.

I really really enjoyed the plot of this horror novel. I loved the underlying folklore and myth and the very really horror experienced by the characters. But everything else about the book really annoyed me. I couldn’t get over the very strange writing style. Sort of a cross between a Noir Detective Novel and Stream of Consciousness? The end result is that I had trouble following what was happening on any given page. And we’re thrown straight into the story without getting to know the main characters before the terror starts. I wasn’t sure how to feel about the characters. Should we be rooting for them to overcome or get what’s coming? I was just confused through most of the book.

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