Review: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Author: Stephen Graham Jones 
Publisher: Gallery
Publication Date: July 2020

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.

The Only Good Indians had such great reviews and I was eager to listen to the audiobook when it finally became available.  Sadly, I didn't care for this book.  I probably should have DNF'd it.  But I prevailed and finished it.  It's about 4 men who years before killed some elk and now they seem to be haunted by the ghost of one.  Oh, and there is a lot of basketball for some reason.

My first thought after finishing this book was, "So, that happened.". Needless to say, I did not like this book.  I was surprised at all of the rave reviews  because I just don't get it.  I didn't find the book scary. It was slow and confusing at times.  The characters were dull and forgettable.  There are multiple points of view and all of the males sounded like the same person.  There was WAY too much basketball in the book.  I honestly have no idea why.  It was weird and didn't add to the overall story except to waste pages. I'm not sure what the point of the book was..maybe, don't cheat?  I am clearly in the minority when it comes to this book.  I don't recommend it.