"The Only Good Indians" by Stephen Graham Jones

"Ponokaotokaanaakii," you say down to him. Elk Head Woman.

~"The Only Good Indians"

An event ten years ago can still haunt those involved, and when revenge is being sought, the ghosts from the past can catch up all too quick.

Ricky, Lewis, Gabriel and Cassidy quickly become familiar with this concept when their younger selves, ten years ago, broke Indian tradition and hunted on a piece of land they should not have stepped foot on. They were hunting, which made matters worse, and one of them killed a certain Elk that had no business being there, let alone being killed.

Thus begins a spiral into madness as an entity seeks revenge for having the most precious gift in the world taken away from her. Targeting the man who's idea it was, then the man who took her life, then the two who helped, she slowly and methodically takes away each and every precious thing they have ever known until all that's left is their own death, fueled by hate, anger, revenge and tradition.

When I picked up this book, I expected a typical ghost-bent-on-revenge story, but it is anything but. A fascinating read that takes readers through a Native legend and what it can mean to steal from the land, "The Only Good Indians" is a horror story unlike any other. I felt a different kind of fear reading it; one of realizing you never know what the land is truly capable of.

While some parts made me jumpy, others made me engrossed in the story to the point I felt like I was there, watching everything unfold before me. I feel like it is a Native legend and story that will be told for generations to come. Jones does a beautiful job describing the world around each of the men and ties in sarcasm that brings a different tone to the scariness of the legend that is Elk Head Woman. Definitely a recommend for readers who like Jordan Peele's movies like "Get Out" or "Candyman" or "Us" and those who enjoy finishing a book then thinking "What did I just read...?" You won't feel the same after reading "The Only Good Indians."

Favorite Quotes

1. "A clump of white men can bean an Indian into the ground, yeah, no doubt about it, happens every weekend up here on the Hi-Line. But they have to catch him first." (Pg. 6)

2. "The land claims what you leave behind." (Pg. 64)

3. "The only good Indian is a dead Indian." (Pg. 172) (I liked how the author incorporated this 'insult' as the title of the book.)

4. "Denorah smiles, is the deadliest Indian on the whole reservation." (Pg. 177)

5. "Cassidy breathes in, looks over to the eye shine of one of the horses, watching them, its big ears probably catching every word, saving them for later." (Pg. 163)

6. "He can no more leave his calf than you could." (Pg. 198)

7. "What would an elk have to do with this, though? How could an elk make them all kill each other? Why would an elk even care about two-leggeds, unless the two-leggeds were shooting at them?" (Pg. 244)

8. ""P-Po'noka, right?" "Ponokaotokaanaakii," you say down to him. Elk head woman." (pg. 247)

9. "You come at a reservation girl, bring a box of Band-Aids." (Pg. 291)