Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

80 reviews

bashsbooks's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The Only Good Indians is such a compelling and gripping horror story once you get into it. The beginning is a little slow, and the author makes you work to decipher his writing style - but it pays off to figure out the rhythm of it. I especially liked the various POV shifts and the importance of even the most miniscule details. Will definitely be reading more by Stephen Graham Jones.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Racism, Stalking, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Hate crime, Body horror, Grief, Gun violence, Suicide, and Torture

Moderate: Classism, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs

Minor: Vomit and Infertility

elkboy23's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Violence, Death of parent, Suicide, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Gun violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Alcohol, and Gore

Moderate: Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Racism, Stalking, Police brutality, Cursing, Toxic relationship, and Hate crime

Minor: Classism, Grief, Racial slurs, and Fire/Fire injury

ashthecryptid's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Colonisation, Child death, Mental illness, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Drug abuse, Gore, Murder, Xenophobia, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Racism, and Animal cruelty

thetallestbird's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is one of those books that takes a while to get going, but once it does, hold onto your butt. The beginning and the end lost me a little but the main middle chunk was incredible. There are images in there that are going to stick with me for a while. For example:

Spoiler

Lewis and the teeth, hello???

. The author also uses a really unique mechanic in the middle that I loved once I got used to.
I also really appreciate being able to read a story with such a heavy influence from the Blackfeet culture. Not just for an understanding of the scarcity and injustice, but for the richness of their traditions, legends, lore, etc.

In short, I'm very glad I read this book and will be thinking of it for a while.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Gore, Grief, Racism, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Cursing, and Death

Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Vomit

that_cow_girl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The dogs

Spoiler

do not survive, unfortunately. None of them

This book was killer *ba dum tsss* 
I loved it. All of the characters are really interesting, and you want to love the main four guys.

Spoiler

I guess 3, since we didn’t get much of Ricky at all

However

Spoiler

once Lewis describes exactly what happens in the woods, it’s very easy to understand Po’noka’s motivations.

this book was gory, heartbreaking, and actually really funny at some points. Really looking forward to reading some of SGJ’s other works.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Stalking, Grief, Vomit, Mental illness, Murder, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, and Gun violence

a1exander's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death, Body horror, Blood, and Animal death

Moderate: Murder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Suicide, Stalking, Child death, and Violence

Minor: Racism

justaddwater's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Good overall, but complicated. Starts out very slow, then a lot happens. A good amount of knowledge of Native American beliefs required for full enjoyment.

Spoiler

first death only happens about half way through the book, then many deaths very quickly.

Spoiler

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Gore, Death, Animal death, Body horror, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Stalking, Racism, Murder, Blood, Cursing, and Violence

thebearnest's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Animal death, Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, and Death

Moderate: Colonisation, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Gore, Gun violence, and Cursing

sabrinalefebvre's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

4.5 ⭐️ 

Was not expecting that, really liked the random changes in Pov’s

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Animal death, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Racism, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Abortion

momogajo's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

There is so much murder, but also an exploration of many things. Things like revenge, what it means to honour yourself and you culture, can things ever be made right, and more. 

At times it was hard to track what was happening. The author would suddenly have the characters think back to past events with little or no transitions. It does remind me of how some Elders tell stories by telling around the story.

Even with the at times disjointed way of telling the story the ending is just perfect. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Alcohol, Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, Murder, Cursing, Colonisation, Gun violence, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Animal cruelty