The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones - 4 stars

[Jen K]

Really not sure how to write this review. The book is unsettling, uncomfortable and spooky but also a commentary on modern daily life of the indigenous in the US as just normal daily life and the balance between man and nature. Four young Blackfeet men go hunting on the last day of the season and make choices that some regret and they are all eventually haunted by that day they end up calling Thanksgiving Classic. Soon after one of the four escapes the difficulty of life on the reservation to work oil in SD but is beat to death by a white mob outside of a bar. Another of the four, Lewis, marries a white woman and also leaves the reservation to work for USPS balancing being indigenous in a white world until he meets a new colleague who is Crow and he finds himself confiding in her the full story of Thanksgiving Classic, ten years after the day, and it all comes to a head in a spectacularly bloody way.

It took a bit to get into the book as it starts off with a bit of gore and skips around a bit. I kept looking for the deeper meaning when I really should have taken the story a bit more literally and with more belief. Once I understood what was going on, the book moved quickly and was engrossing. I really appreciate the the understated description of both the microaggressions and bigger biases against the community, the traditions, family ties and general everyday life for those who leave and those who stay on the reservation. I also appreciate the highlighting of the interdependence of people and nature and how imbalance can go very wrong. This book is definitely not for everyone but is well done.

[Meli]

Great review, glad you rated it highly!

I have this on my tbr and am very anxious to get to it.
Definitely in my wheelhouse.

[Jen K]

The author just liked my review which has never happened. It's a gory but fascinating story. Excited to hear how you find it!

[Meli]

Jen K wrote: "The author just liked my review which has never happened. It's a gory but fascinating story. Excited to hear how you find it!"

Cool! He seems pretty accessible on social media.
A lot of these indie horror authors are real nice and love seeing reviews of their books out in the wild.

I'll keep you posted when I get to it.

[Jen K]

Meli wrote: "Jen K wrote: "The author just liked my review which has never happened. It's a gory but fascinating story. Excited to hear how you find it!"

Cool! He seems pretty accessible on social media.
A lo..."

Definitely makes me want to read more from him. I will look out for your review.

[Meli]

I read Night of the Mannequins: A Tor.com Original, it's a novella, and it is pretty weird.

[Heather]

I absolutely loved this book and gasped out loud at one particular spooky moment. I'm looking forward to reading his new book!

[Meli]

Heather wrote: "I absolutely loved this book and gasped out loud at one particular spooky moment. I'm looking forward to reading his new book!"

Another ringing endorsement! 💃
I might have to bump this up on the list.

[Jen K]

It's set around Thanksgiving and would be perfect fall reading. It is one that I'm still thinking about days later.

[NancyJ]

Great review Jen! I might actually read it after all. I cringe every time I read the title, knowing the end of that line. I feel it personally even though I have just a small percentage of Native American DNA. It gives me a small taste of what others feel like when they're hit with negative language and symbols about their culture. It's easy to say they're just words, (or it's a part of history) but they sting. A whole lifetime of it could be overwhelming, turning the anger inward or outward.