July is shaping up to be a horror-centric reading month for me. I read Paul Tremblay's latest novel last week, and plan to read Riley Sager's newest haunted house story later this month. In between is the work of new-to-me author Stephen Graham Jones. The blurb for The Only Good Indians compared his writing to that of Tremblay, so I knew I would be in for a treat. I quickly requested a copy of the book from the publisher and was pleased when they sent one my way. It proved to be a visceral exploration of coming to terms with the past and dealing with all the grisly consequences.Years ago, a group of young American Indian men made a reckless decision. The foursome snuck onto land that was protected by their native Blackfeet tribe. The light of the moon illuminated a herd of elk peacefully grazing amongst the sacred field, unaware of the slaughter that was about to come. Each of the boys killed one of the animals in cold blood, breaking the bond between man and nature that their ancestors had protected for so long, an irreversible rift that would follow the boys for the rest of their lives.
Years later, Lewis and the other guys all feel as if they've buried the past. None of them speak of the horrible things they did that fateful night. Lewis is still haunted by the mother elk that he killed, still sees the lifeless body of her unborn calf. He's on the ladder in his living room, fiddling with a light fixture that seems to have a mind of its own, when he notices the figure. His eyes must be playing tricks on him. Through the circling blades of the ceiling fan, Lewis swears he saw an elk standing there in the middle of his home. Only this was no ordinary animal. She was standing on two legs with an almost human-like quality to her. Is his mind playing tricks on him, or is this the beginning of something more sinister? Is nature finally seeking revenge?
There is something completely unsettling about The Only Good Indians. Stephen Graham Jones has written a novel that feels almost ritualistic in its brutality. It is the kind of horror that makes you feel as if you would be better off not witnessing what is unfolding but dares you to keep looking. After a wild opening that completely sucked me in, the novel stalled for the first quarter or so. There was character building, but I can't say that I was invested in Lewis or his life. It was the strength of wanting to know more about his mysterious vision that kept me reading. Fortunately, a violent event at the end of the first act really turned up the momentum. From then on, the novel maintained a perfect balance between gory horror thrills and well-drawn character building. I would be remiss if I didn't point out that the book features graphic descriptions of violence, death toward both humans and animals. Still, The Only Good Indians delivers as a gory horror thrill ride and interesting take on culture and revenge.
For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2020, 30)
Sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt won't be for everyone, but it certainly satisfied my horror craving.
DeleteJones is a new author to me, too. And I can always go for some unsettling horror every now and then. :)
ReplyDeleteIt didn't end up being my favorite horror book, but I've already got my eyes on his next novel.
DeleteI read another review of this one, and it makes it sounds like an interesting premise, but still even here they were those meh moments, so yeah dunno
ReplyDeleteIt is a good creepy read, but there are some pacing issues that are kind of hard to overlook.
DeleteThis looks creeptastic.
ReplyDeleteI think you'd have fun with this one!
DeleteMy reading goes in waves of similar books, too. When it's good, it's good. :)
ReplyDeleteGruesome slaughter and it sounds like the author really got the reader pulled right into it once the book got rolling. Glad your gamble on a similar author to your favorite paid off, Ethan.
Me too. As much as I've enjoyed the horror reads, I'm changing it up to something much lighter this week!
DeleteI gravitate to horror/mystery/suspense stories in the summer for whatever reason. I have an opportunity to grab the audio of this one, but I'm not sure I could stomach the senseless coldblooded killing of animals! A mom and her unborn? Eeeek! Glad to hear you enjoyed the story even with some pacing issues. I'm still debating on whether to pick this one up.
ReplyDeleteThe audio version might really help with the pacing issues I found, but yes, this one is quite gruesome.
DeleteThis one unsettles me -- yours is the second review of this one and I can't make up my mind about this. I want to read it, but it's not my usual cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteIt is heavy horror, so it would definitely be a bit outside of the the stuff you usually read.
DeleteGlad you were rewarded for sticking with the book. I tend to DNF if the book drags too much.
ReplyDeleteI was close to not finishing, but then the action really kicked into high gear!
DeleteI've read one or two of Stephen Graham Jones' short stories, and have had his novel, Mongrels, on my TBR for a v. long time - when I first heard about this one, it went straight onto the TBR too! (...My TBR is out of control.) So glad you enjoyed it :)
ReplyDeleteHe has another short story releasing later this year that I'm eager to get my hands on too!
DeleteGood to hear that the characterizations picked up eventually. I don't mind plot-driven stories but I do want some character-building in there to balance it out.
ReplyDeleteIt ended up being a pretty good balance after a slow start!
DeleteI do like horror and creepy books but I don't know if I can handle the animal stuff.
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's Worth
I know that's a disqualifying for many readers, so I wanted to make sure I mentioned it in the review.
DeleteThank you for that. I ended up being able to get this on audio for free so I'm going to give it a go. Sometimes if I know ahead of time, I can handle it better.
DeleteHm. This sounds a little more graphic than I thought it was. I might have to skip it, even though the horror/character building balance sounds appealing. Thanks for the thoughtful review, Ethan!
ReplyDeleteIt definitely will be too much for a lot of readers. No harm in knowing what your limits are.
DeleteThis sounds like it has some creeptastic parts to it.
ReplyDeleteVery much so!
DeleteI don't know how I missed this review but so glad you enjoyed it. I can't wait to see what he comes out with next!
ReplyDeleteNo harm in reading a bit down my list of reviews. Honestly, being quarantined has made me more productive than ever. With the more frequent postings, it can be easy to miss one. Anyway, he has a novella releasing later this fall, so I'm excited to get my hands on it.
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