'The creeping horror of Paul Tremblay meets Tommy Orange’s There There in a dark novel of revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition in this latest novel from the Jordan Peele of horror literature, Stephen Graham Jones.
'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'm going to have to be honest, this is not going to be an easy book to review. This isn't because it's bad, or I didn't like it; but because I'm not sure how much I can talk about without giving away too much of the plot.
The Only Good Indian follows four men who were involved in a hunting incident ten years before the events of the book, an event that would go on to shape their lives significantly. The book spends time with each of these people as these events from their past catch up to them, and a supernatural being comes after them for revenge.
I don't think I can say much more about the plot than that, as anything else might give away too much, and this is definitely the kind of book where you want to go in as blind as you can. Writer Stephen Graham Jones is very careful about just how much the reader knows at any given time, slowly teasing out not just the events of the past that set everything in motion, but exactly what's happening now.
This sense of mystery, of not knowing everything is definitely a big part of the horror of this book. Yes, there are moments of obvious horror, of strange and disturbing things that happen, but it's the creeping sense of dread throughout that makes you really uncomfortable. There are times when you think you've finally figured out if not what precisely is tormenting these men, but at least how it works; but then there'll be a shift in the narrative that turns things on its head, that makes it clear that actually, anything you think you've learnt is wrong. This means that the narrative is constantly unpredictable, and you're never sure if you can quite believe what it is you're reading.
The Only Good Indian reminded me of horror stories that take a turn for the surreal, like Tetsuo The Iron Man or even some of the works of Lovecraft. There are times where you don't really know what you're reading, and it feels like you're in some kind of fever dream that simply can't make sense.
The central characters all get a chance to shine during the narrative, and even though you spend differing amounts of times with each you get a very clear sense of the types of people they are. You begin to see not just how the events of their past shaped them into who they are, but how they feel about their own identities and their culture. Each man has a different connection to their native heritage, and these connections inform their stories.
Stephen Graham Jones has created a story that's very odd, that at times feels very fantastical and nightmarish, yet works so well because it's grounded with realistic and engaging people. The book disturbs and fascinates with equal measure, and draws you in to the world that he's created. A unique and stand out horror novel.
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