The Only Good Indians

Rating: 3/5 elk

Is it possible to escape the punishment of past sins? Can people break from tradition and leave their communities without consequence? Or does the past always catch up with people?

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones tells the story of four Blackfeet men, Ricky, Lewis, Gabe, and Cass, whose pasts are quickly (and violently) catching up with them. Years ago, the four of them did something cruel on the last day of hunting season. Though the guys have gone their separate ways, they all experience a punishment for their crime.

The Only Good Indians is told one (or two) characters at a time. Ricky’s portion is the shortest. Lewis’ story is the most captivating and scary story throughout. (And the longest portion that any one character had.) His story deals with inner turmoil and contains some truly gross, creepy, and disturbing elements. (That’s meant as a compliment.) Cass and Gabe’s stories are told together.

One of the best aspects of The Only Good Indians is reading a story about Blackfeet Native American characters written by a Blackfeet author. Jones touches on Blackfeet culture, and one character tries to escape it, hoping that his sins will stop following him if he physically distances himself from his home.

One of the challenges with this novel is the pacing. It may be because each character’s story varies in length, but the pacing felt off. Some parts (Ricky’s story, for example) felt like they went by way too quickly, while other parts felt like they dragged.

Another challenge with telling the stories separately is that the story felt like it had a few smaller climaxes rather than one huge climax. It would have been great if all the characters’ stories started off separate but eventually came together.

The other issue with this book is that some portions were hard to follow. (Full disclaimer: This could totally be my fault. I’ve started reading at 5:15 in the morning, so maybe my brain wasn’t fully awake.) But there were parts where it was unclear what a character was talking or thinking about.

Anyone who likes a revenge story will love The Only Good Indians. And despite some issues with the pace and narrative, it is a compelling book about culture, the past, and escape.