A review by kirnet
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

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

3.0

Great prose and some really gnarly tense moments, especially around the halfway point and the ending, but ultimately a lot of the pacing fell flat for me. I can appreciate a slow build to explosive conclusions, but I ended up slogging through most of it. The characters feel real and nuanced, including the antagonist, and you still feel sympathy for everyone involved.

My fave bit was def the conclusion to the first part, I feel like those moments of horror were more impactful than the ending, but maybe that’s just because I didn’t know what to expect then and I did going forward. Basketball is used as an interesting narrative device but ultimately I think it’s not super interesting to read about. Extra points for the 2nd Person POV bits.
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