The Book Blog - Learning Resources at St. Johns River State College

I don't always try to "stay on theme" throughout the year with my reading but Halloween is the one occasion that I do. I mean, what fun would it be if you weren't reading a scary, spooky, eerie, frightening, etc. book during the spooky season? The hardest thing for me is picking my Halloween book (or books if I'm lucky).

The Only Good Indians has been sitting in my Audible library since I purchased it last year around Halloween and it just seemed like the perfect pick to get me in the Halloween spirit. The book has received mostly high praise since being published in July 2020. The author, Stephen Graham Jones, is even lovingly referred to as "the Jordan Peele of horror literature" on Goodreads. Consider me sold!

So, now you're wondering how it was I bet. I'll start by telling you that I really enjoyed it. It's a slow burn though. This is not a super frightening, over-the-top jump scare type of scary story. This story lives on the creepy, haunting, and heartbreaking side of Halloween Town. It's less of a commercial Halloween read and more of an eerie folk tale, which is why I loved listening to it as an audiobook rather than reading it in print. The whole thing feels dark and cold. It's like seasonal depression in book form. I recognize that this book is not going to be loved by everyone, especially those that like a fast-moving plot, but there's something to appreciate about the helplessness you feel as this book ticks slowly along. You learn what it's like to be hunted.

Happy reading!

Brittnee

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Call Number: St. Augustine Circulation PS3560.O5395 O55 2020

ISBN: 9781982136451

Publication Date: 2020-07-14

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From USA TODAY bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones comes a "masterpiece" (Locus Magazine) of a novel about revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition. Labeled "one of 2020's buzziest horror novels" (Entertainment Weekly), this is a remarkable horror story that "will give you nightmares--the good kind of course" (BuzzFeed). From New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones comes a novel that is equal parts psychological horror and cutting social commentary on identity politics and the American Indian experience. Fans of Jordan Peele and Tommy Orange will love this story as it follows the lives of four American Indian men and their families, all haunted by a disturbing, deadly event that took place in their youth. Years later, they find themselves tracked by an entity bent on revenge, totally helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.

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The Only Good Indians - A Spooky Season Read!

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