The Only Good Indians (November 2021) Group Read Discussion

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

This is the group thread for The Only Good Indians!

This thread is open for discussion beginning November 15th! Please keep in mind that spoilers are allowed (mark as a spoiler) in this thread but only up to the group's current reading place. Do not spoil the book if you've read further than the group. Any extra days of the month can be used to catch up if needed! Page numbers are an approximation based on the hardcover or paperback that is the default on Goodreads.

The Group Read Discussion schedule is as follows:

Week of 11/14
November 15: Chapters 1-2 or 20 pages
November 16: Chapters 3-4 or 20 pages
November 17: Chapters 5-6 or 20 pages
November 18: Chapters 7-8 or 20 pages
November 19: Chapters 9-10 or 20 pages
November 20: Chapters 11-12 or 20 pages
November 21: Chapters 13-14 or 20 pages

Week of 11/21
November 22: Chapters 15-16 or 20 pages
November 23: Chapters 17-18 or 20 pages
November 24: Chapters 19-20 or 20 pages
November 25: Chapters 21-22 or 20 pages
November 26: Chapters 23-24 or 20 pages
November 27: Chapters 25-26 or 20 pages
November 28: Chapters 27-28 or 20 pages

Week of 11/29
November 29: Chapters 29-30 or 20 pages
November 30: Chapter 31 or 20 pages



You can read the group book at any time during the month and at your own pace. This is the pace the group will be using, but if you read ahead or will be giving spoilers, please mark them (click the "some html is ok button"). If you have any questions a mod or another member can help you.

[Jen K]

I read this in August. Its a tough read but I still think about it often. Hoping others read because I'm looking forward to discussing!

[Diné *The Lazy Kitsune*]

I'm on a second Monday right now, and so far, it reads like (view spoiler)[he's losing it, his mind creating its own nightmares. Is he an unreliable narrator, or is there something else going on? Maybe it's the case of split personality? Because I'll be honest, the idea of revengeful elk just doesn't feel solid to me. But then again, nightmares don't have to make sense. And Stephen Graham Jones is definitely successful in creating a haunting atmosphere. I'm also glad that we don't get a lot about Harley, otherwise, I would've been bawling my eyes out. (hide spoiler)]

[Diné *The Lazy Kitsune*]

I'm 71% in, and I would say that the true horror of this book for me is the regular lives Indigenous people are compelled to live, all the injustice and violence they have to face on a regular basis, inside or outside the reservations. Compared to that, all the horror and gore is just that, horror and gore.

[Diné *The Lazy Kitsune*]

So I finished the book, and I know I'll be thinking about it for while. It's a very strong work in my opinion. I am a fan of horror but literary fiction doesn't work for me in most cases. This book was a mix but a very good one. (view spoiler)[ Despite discussing a lot of the problems Indigenous communities face SGJ also talks about traditions, community, disruption of the cycle of violence and building a future for yourself. (hide spoiler)]
Before picking up this book I would definitely recommend to check out the trigger warnings.

[Jen K]

So good, isn't it? I couldn't stop talking about it after I read it. I'm more of a fan of the literary than the horror but he does mix the two so well and dig into much bigger social issues at the same time.

I was so confused the first third of the book, not trusting the situation to be as it appeared and then I was so sucked into it all. Glad that you read and appreciated as well.

[Diné *The Lazy Kitsune*]

Jen K wrote: "So good, isn't it? I couldn't stop talking about it after I read it. I'm more of a fan of the literary than the horror but he does mix the two so well and dig into much bigger social issues at the ..."

Yes, it's extremely good! I read it and listened to the audiobook (narration is great and by Indigenous actor too), sometimes together, sometimes either one or the other. I know some people had issues with pacing but it worked for me and I finished the book in a couple of days. There were slower parts that I wanted to read slower and action scenes that I read faster because I had to know what was going to happen.

About the first part (view spoiler)[this vengeful spirit mentions somewhere closer to the end that Lewis was the most fragile of them all. I wonder what he was like before the haunting started. (hide spoiler)]

[Diné *The Lazy Kitsune*]

Here's a link to the non-spoiler review by Indigenous booktuber https://youtu.be/4wQ8UwEagOg. She mentions crabs in a bucket commentary and it made an impression on me too so here's a full quote:
She knows the joke about how Indians are crabs in a bucket, always pulling down the one that's about to crawl out, but she thinks it's more like they're old-time plow horses, all just walking straight down their own row, trying not to see what's going on right next to them.

[Jen K]

Thanks for the link! The booktuber is amazing. I will definitely check out more of her reviews and appreciate her perspective on the book. The analogies are good ones and the plow horse probably applies to too many people. It is just easier to not notice what is happening to others unfortunately.

I think I started slowly on this one because I wasn't sure what was going on but also flew through the end. I missed the part that you mention in the spoiler. (view spoiler)[ The spirit messed with him so much more than the others. (hide spoiler)]

[Allison]

Thanks for the link I loved hearing her review!

[Elysian]

So. I read this and finished this. It was scary and yet boring. I really did not care a lot about the characters. Switching from one character to another was also very tedious.

My review in case anyone wants to read it: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Laura ☾]

Just started this and so far I’m intrigued ..

[Laura ☾]

Ok I finished it - I definitely felt like I struggled to connect with the characters, mainly because of pacing issues? I just didn't get too invested in the story, which is a shame!