Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

80 reviews

bashsbooks's review against another edition

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

lancemama's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Animal death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Gore, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Animal cruelty, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

blacksphinx's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is not normally my speed. If you love slasher movies and have a high tolerance for gore and violence towards humans and pets alike, pick this book up. 

I somehow managed to hold on through things that normally would have made me put the book down forever and it was so good. One of the most PERFECT uses of second-person I've encountered in a novel; a genius way to incorporate the slasher movie PoV-of-the-killer shots directly into the narrative. I knew it was going to be 5 stars at the ~70% mark when

Spoiler

the goddamn slasher challenges the basketball-loving final girl to a game of basketball because she wants to wreak her in a game of her favorite sport before killing her OMG.

If you can get through the things that start occurring around the 1/3rd point and aren't squeamish about animals dying, you should finish the book - it's totally worth it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Suicide, Murder, Hate crime, and Racism

Moderate: Vomit, Body horror, Police brutality, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Car accident

amsswim's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

THis book was a new type of horror for me that I hadn't read before. The perspective shifts don't seem out of the ordinary until the "you" phrases come out with second person. I don't think I have read something like that before, but it gave a watched/watching feeling to the whole novel.  The story was great, the descriptions and general writing style I loved, I could truly see the movie playing out before me. I'd recommend to any fans of horror.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Racism, Colonisation, and Genocide

Minor: Car accident, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Addiction

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

sugarbucky's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, Grief, Death, Colonisation, Blood, and Gore

Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism

mlewis's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Grief, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Mental illness, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Sexism, Alcoholism, and Racism