Off the Reservation

The Only Good Indians #2

by Stephen Graham Jones

A ragtag group of activists sets out to repatriate the bones of a Blackfeet boy taken to the infamous Carlisle Indian Industrial School in author Stephen Graham Jones’s return to the Blackfeet reservation of his award-winning New York Times bestsellers The Only Good Indians and The Buffalo Hunter Hunter.

Five years have passed since the massacre on the Blackfeet reservation in Stephen Graham Jones’s breakout bestseller The Only Good Indians. Nathan Yellow Tail, one of the survivors of the revenge murders, finds himself in the hospital after a terrible accident that should’ve killed him and that nearly killed his best friend, Sebby, who is hanging on to life in a room a few doors down.

Nate’s life is out of balance, so when he is given the chance to reset his life, and maybe save Sebby in the process, Nate steps up, again. This time it’s into a camper van that is almost as run down as his broken body, filled with three older Blackfeet, to find the bones of the lone Blackfeet boy who died at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School—where many Indigenous children were abused—and repatriate this boy home. The problem is, when they get the bones, something terrible has escaped with them.

By turns terrifying and deeply moving, Off the Reservation is a haunting American Indian novel of survival, reckoning, and redemption, shining light on the dark corners of this country’s history while also showing the desperate choices people make when they’re put up against a wall.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Indigenous, Adult, Fantasy, Thriller, Mystery Thriller

ebook

Expected publication October 13, 2026

About the author

Stephen Graham Jones is the NYT bestselling author thirty-five or so books. He really likes werewolves and slashers. Favorite novels change daily, but Valis and Love Medicine and Lonesome Dove and It and The Things They Carried are all usually up there somewhere. Stephen lives in Boulder, Colorado. It's a big change from the West Texas he grew up in.

Reviews

[Sidney · Rating 3 out of 5]

the quest to find another sgj that hits as hard as the Indian Lake Trilogy continues...

i read TOGI earlier this year & while i did find it enjoyable overall, i don't necessarily think we needed a sequel? regardless, i was still eager to dive into Off the Reservation to see how the story wraps up.

there is no denying Stephen Graham Jones' talent & ability to come up with original concepts. i've quickly learned that when picking up sgj books, you should always go in expecting the unexpected—& somehow i still manage to get thrown for a loop by the time the story is finished.

unfortunately, i have some of the same problems with Off the Reservation as i had with TOGI.

let me start by saying there are parts of this i really did like.
i enjoyed the characters. if you know me, you know i love a good possession story especially one that has a fresh twist to the trope. it was a bit of a slow burn to get to the horror, but once the horror hits?? omg there's some nasty nasty body horror & gore going on.

i was really eating this up in the beginning, but the further i got into it, it felt like the pacing was just getting slower & slower. to the point i contemplated dnf'ing because it felt like nothing was really happening to keep me engaged. i don't know if it's the writing style or if i was just zoning out here & there, but there were moments i was genuinely lost on what was going on. the ending did feel a little rushed to me, juuuust a smidge, but i'm glad i stuck it out til the end.

it's not a bad book by any means it just didn't completely work for me.

3.25 ✨ rounded down for gr

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

[megs_bookrack]

MOST ANTICIPATED 2026!!

I couldn't preorder fast enough...



Releasing 10.13.26.

[Becky Spratford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starred review in the July 2026 issue of Booklist and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2026/07... (link live 7/7 at 7am central)

Three Words That Describe This Book: immersive, non-Christian possession, visceral/venerable/hilarious

Every detail matters, immersive, character centered, road trip horror, revenge horror, horror of historical racism especially as inflicted upon the marginalized people, intense dread from start that literally bursts open, possession trope reimagined, nuanced characters, exorcism of racism, intense, uneasy.

First thing first, this is a companion novel to The Only Good Indians. It is only a sequel in that it comes 5 years after the action of the first. (TOGI is 2011 and this is 2016) There are multiple povs here but our main narrator is Nate Yellow Tail-- the only survivor of the massacre at the sweat lodge in TOGI and also the on and off again boyfriend of D, the basketball player and (in my opinion) the young woman who carries the hope at the end of that book.

You can read these in any order though. Seriously. Each will inform the other.

And one of the threads here is what makes a "Good Indian" maybe even more so than in TOGI as multiple characters struggle with this-- or maybe don't but should in the case of one very sure of himself PhD holding Indian.

Okay let's get to this book. Just like SGJ took the Vampire trope by the horns and made it something totally new, a great horror novel, but also a thoughtful deep dive into the horror that is being Native in America, here he does this by taking the possession trope on a roadtrip. It is one of the most terrifying, violent, and visceral road trips ever, but it is also tender, vulnerable, and honestly, hilarious.

Like all of his novels, there is a lot of vengeance here, but the revenge is not just the Natives against an America that has caused them so much ruin (so many examples here like always) but also there is a lot of revenge here against each other in so many nuanced and varied ways.

The character building drives this story. The POV is spread around so as readers we know the characters from themselves and others. It enhances the story. Especially because most of the action is inside an RV. There are 4 Indians on this road trip. Nate high schooler, Nurse Seine (Plenty Wolf) who springs him out of the hospital (about 60), Christian-- a young man, seemingly mute, dressed as a priest, and Mooch, clearly younger than Plenty Wolf but with all white hair-- it turned white after she lost all three of her sons and her husband (not at once, but the story of their deaths is shared and for 2 in particular, they are key to the story)

Let me back up, Nate is in the hospital AGAIN (because he was after TOGI) because he and a friend break into a "Summer Indian's" reservation luxury home, they destroy it, steal a few things -- but when returning to the car, their car is hit by a gravel truck. The friend is on life support and Nate is trying to recover. But while this is an "inciting incident" to start the novel and it does come into play later -- as there are a few key twists in the second half here after they get the bones...see next paragraph

So what is the roadtrip for-- well they are driving to the infamous Carlisle Indian Industrial School, to grab the bones of a young boy who was murdered there and repatriate them home. Why they are each on this quest is part of the story. But they get the bones in the middle of the story that is when the book goes from a road-trip novel to a possession horror story, but they are also still on a road trip back.

When you dig into the darkest corners of history, no one is spared from unearthing the masters of the past, present, and future.

I love SGJ's writing because every single detail matters. He crafts these interesting and engaging characters-- and the 4 Indians on this RV might be some of the best ever-- provides a lot of details about them, I don't want to give them away, but one example the motorbike caught mid air and impaled into the RV's rear as a tribute to one character's dead son, that alone and the details around it ALL END UP MATTERING. That's a big thing, but it is but one example of many.

The 1988 movie WAR PARTY is also key here. You will want to look it up, find a copy, get lost in the problematic nature of it, but also, see the love/pride the characters have for it. Again it is nuanced and complicated. I hope this book allows more people to see and discuss the movie.

The Little Bighorn monument is key as well. As is the 2016 Standing Rock protests of the Dakota Pipeline protests. And very key-- 2016 is the year after the inflatable dinosaur costumes came into our world-- Not going to share more than that but note above when I said there was hilarity here. Not dark humor, hilarity.

This book is more than the sum of its parts. There is an ongoing nuanced description of what it means to be a "good Indian" but it is all wrapped up in a perfectly executed roadtrip/possession/revenge horror novel. The horror is not sacrificed for the serious discussion of the legacy of oppression on the oppressed people and in their interactions with each other.

It is Nate Yellow Tail's Last Stand-- pun intended.

A hilarious road trip horror story, a bold new, non-Christian take on the possession novel, a Visceral and vulnerable character driven story. with a 360 degree view of the horrors of oppression visible as they drive across the upper plains of American.

I have written many words here, but I have given NOTHING away.

For fans of road trip horror in the vein of The Devil Takes you Home by Iglesias or Wheat he Wolf Comes Home by Cassidy, and the possession trope as reimagined and explored by Cordova in Monstrilio-- not based on the Christian devil and exorcism rules, although cleverly one character is named Christian, carries a bible, and dresses like priest (and the reason is amazing and heart breaking when you find out the full story).

Did I mention....every detail matters? I cannot stress enough, this is what is best about SGJ's writing. He throws a lot at the reader, sometimes, it seems like it is there just to stand out and for no reason, but NO, as a reader, you know and trust ever detail will some into play-- even a clock discussed, handled, but not stolen in the opening scene. And once it reappears, you think that is it, but no.....there is more.

Also trust me not his one-- grab a blue Icee from the local gas station/rest stop. Not a Slurpee-- the off brand. Bonus if it is the blue flavor.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Off the Reservation, we meet back up with Nate, a survivor from The Only Good Indians, who quickly ends up in dire straits with his best friend hanging on for his life. Nate embarks on what ends up being a road trip from hell, full of plenty of everything that Stephen Graham Jones is great at writing.

The first half of the novel contains an abundance of character development, lots of seemingly mundane details about each of the road trip passengers. But this is where as a long-time reader of SGJ, you know to trust his process. Those details are anything but mundane, and the process continuously delivers. The halfway mark hit, my mind exploded with the shift in direction of the novel, and I was hopelessly hooked for the second act.

And what a second half it was! I felt like everything I thought I knew about the story flipped upside down. Not to say I was tricked or manipulated into it, but the book allowed me to take what I had read and see it from a different perspective. There is deceit, there is retribution, and there is atonement. Oh, and did I mention the violence? Some of the descriptions are so visceral and so vivid that I was squirming as I read them, looking at my e-reader with a side eye because I was afraid to stare it directly in the face. Well done, SGJ.

It’s worth mentioning that this is a sequel to The Only Good Indians, but it doesn’t have to be read as such. I think you could read them out of order, and not miss a thing. Although, I did find myself revisiting some scenes from TOGI as I traveled with Nate and company.

My highest recommendation. I plan to read it again immediately.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the advanced copy of the book.

[Lorin (paperbackbish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you horror gods (and your vessels on earth) for blessing me with a copy of Off the Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones — available Oct 13!

» READ IF YOU «
🖤 want me to think more highly of you
🦌 loved the vibes of The Only Good Indians
🦖 are craving violence mixed with hilarity
🚐 have ever been on a terrible roadtrip

» SYNOPSIS «
Travel back to the world of The Only Good Indians to join Nate Yellow Tail on a fraught cross-country roadtrip, in a run-down RV with a bunch of characters who might be genuinely insane. Their mission? Rescue the bones of the only Blackfeet boy murdered at the infamous Carlisle Indian Industrial School. But since nothing can be quite so straightforward in an SGJ story, you better buckle up…

» REVIEW «
Oh, Nate. It’s impossible not to empathize with his particular plight, but you’ll still spend the whole story questioning his every decision. In fact, since so many of the decisions made in this story are absurd, it’s best to just lean in and enjoy the chaos. And, dear readers, easter eggs abound, so keep an eye out for those if you’re an avid SGJ fan…

Anyway, it should come as no surprise that this is a five-star read for me. I am, admittedly, not objective when it comes to his books, but I do think that this particular Jones story is a perfect complement to the time we spent with Elk Head Woman in 2020. She’s actually never left the dark corners of my psyche, but you may have a new (or additional?) specter to haunt your dreams once you finish Off the Reservation.

I don’t know how he achieved it, some 6 years later, but the tone and rhythms of this book are a perfect match to those of TOGI, so you will be dropped right back into that space and time, almost like you never left. And? Things just get wilder from there. What do superglue, dinosaurs, blue icees, studded tongues, and creepy dolls all have in common? Well, come on down and find out.

Thank you, Stephen, for always writing stories that entertain the heck out of us, sometimes scare the bejeesus out of us, and often make us look more thoughtfully at the world around us. Don’t miss this one on October 13.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Lei Monk]

SEQUEL TO ONLY GOOD INDIANS HELL YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Disha]

THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS SEQUEL????

[Matt M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set five years after the events of The Only Good Indians, Off the Reservation continues the story of one of its survivors, Nate Yellow Tail. Some of the marketing has called this a sequel to TOGI but really it’s more of a companion novel rather than a traditional sequel. And I think it’s even better for that. Because yes, it continues Nate’s story but this novel is a very different beast than its predecessor. Avoiding “sequelitis” can be hard but SGJ does it so well by making this its own story.

Off the Reservation is a road trip possession horror novel. It’s told with multiple POVs and every perspective has a unique voice. This is a novel that deserves to be savored like a fine wine. I read this 2-3 chapters at a time rather than bingeing it. The layers and the details SGJ embeds into the dialogue and little character moments all come back to matter in some way.

The horror elements are so effective and I was genuinely creeped out. It can be really difficult to pull off possession stories but this is one of the most unique takes on it, especially since it is not done via the “typical” Christian-lensed possession stories we are used to.

One thing it has in common with TOGI is a moment partway through that completely shifts the story in a way that had my jaw on the floor.

Is Off the Reservation as great as The Only Good Indians? That’s totally up to the reader. I think it’s just as good in a completely different way. Off the Reservation stands on its own as yet another banger of a horror novel by one of the best to do it.

Thanks so much to Saga Press for the gifted ARC and for the approval on NetGalley! #SagaSaysCrew

[unstable.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Off The Reservation takes us back to the world of The Only Good Indians as its companion novel that stands confidently on its own, weaving together a road trip from hell and the enduring traumas of colonial violence into something both emotionally resonant and deeply unsettling. While readers familiar with the previous novel will appreciate Nate Yellow Tail's return, Off The Reservation offers a complete story in its own right. Five years after surviving unimaginable tragedy, Nate is searching for purpose and a series of events leads him to join a small group of Blackfeet traveling to recover the remains of a child taken to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. What begins as a mission of repatriation gradually transforms into a terrifying supernatural journey where the weight of history refuses to remain buried. Jones excels at creating characters who feel richly lived-in. The cramped confines of the RV become an intimate stage for grief, humor, conflict, and compassion, allowing each member of this group to emerge as a fully realized person. Their relationships and secrets drive the novel just as much as the horror, making the inevitable violence all the more affecting. The supernatural elements are inventive and insanely impactful, offering a fresh take on possession that is rooted in Indigenous perspectives rather than usual genre conventions. Yet, the novel's greatest horrors come from the history itself. The legacy of residential schools, cultural erasure, racism, and the complex question of what makes a "Good Indian" permeate every page without overshadowing the story's momentum. Jones balances moments of genuine warmth and hilarious moments with relentless dread, creating a novel that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. Off The Reservation is another remarkable example of horror being used not only to terrify, but to confront historical injustice and the ghosts that nations too often refuse to acknowledge. Thank you Saga Press Books for getting me an ARC. SGJ fans will rejoice, as this is him at his very best. Make sure you preorder your copy wherever you buy your books. Off The Reservation publishes October 13th, 2026!

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I should preface this review with saying that really enjoyed The Only Good Indians and that The Buffalo Hunter Hunter was one of my top reads of last year and an instant favourite.

That said, Off The Reservation didn’t really do it for me. I usually like SGJ's writing style. He has a way of making you ask yourself if things are really happening and disorienting you in a way that’s usually pretty fun and unsettling but this one kind of lost me a little too much leaving me too confused to enjoy the horror.

We catch back up with Nate Yellow Tail from the first book who ends up on the road trip from Hell as he heads to a residential school to reclaim the bones of a boy who died there.

I felt less like this book had a beginning, middle and end, and instead was a series of increasingly strange events over and over until you end up completely lost asking yourself if you even really understood what you read and then it’s over.

The premise and first third of the book are stellar but the final third was a bit of a slog and I started to find myself not really wanting to pick it up and read anymore. Not the worst book by all means, and it has some great moments but unfortunately doesn’t match the experience I had with the first book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

[Lezlie The Nerdy Narrative]

I am incredibly grateful for the early access to the ARC from Saga Press and NetGalley!

I never thought THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS needed a sequel, but Stephen Graham Jones is an auto-buy author for me, so I jumped on the hype train as soon as it was announced. I like that it wasn't a traditional style sequel, more of a thread from the ending of TOGI that the author used to weave into a new story all its own.

Unfortunately, I was pretty bored for the first 40-45% of this book. I knew - I knew - that SGJ would have some incredible twist once a certain switch got flipped and I was on board for the thrill ride when it happened....until I wasn't. I gave this one until 60% to sell me on the unique possession trope, but I once again found my mind wandering and bored, so I decided to quit trying to force my way through.

It wasn't for me, but if you enjoy possession stories, especially ones that push the envelope in a different direction, then you might really like this one!

Important note: Just because this one didn't work for me doesn't mean I won't be first in line for the next published piece of Stephen Graham Jones!!

[Emily Poche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Saga Press for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Off the Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones is the second horror installation in the The Only Good Indians story. Nate Yellow Tail, a survivor of the massacre in book one, finds himself hospitalized after a home invasion goes wrong. Given the chance to repair the damage, he embarks on a cross country road trip to repatriate the remains of a a Blackfeet boy who died at the Carlisle Indian School. On the return trip it becomes clear that something besides the bones is coming with them.

Stephen Graham Jones is truly a master of slow burn horror. This book gets started as a vaguely supernaturally tinged road trip story. There are mysterious VHS tapes and visions of tiny deer, but nothing truly menacing until the Sundance makes its return. The author is truly fantastic at lulling you into a false sense of security. The story is compelling and interesting before the malevolent entity appears, driven by wildly interesting characters. This false security makes the encroaching and menacing demonic creature attached to the RV feel all the more startling. Things escalate very quickly.

The truly unique cast of characters is one of the best things about Off The Reservation. They have rich, layered backstories that complicate the dynamics of the trip and their own reasons for going on the journey. Whether they’re compelled by grief or a need to make up for their past misdeeds, each character stands distinctly apart from each other.

The only thing that keeps this book from getting five stars from me is that the pacing is a little bizarre. I feel like it really crawls until it sprints, and it’s weighed much more heavily establishing the story than the actual post-possession actions.

This was another great release from Stephen Graham. It was a great follow up novel in a series, because it certainly built on the events of The Only Good Indians, but it was a stand alone installation. 4/5 stars!

[Hunty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen Graham Jones (SGJ)’s writing can often be polarizing from reader to reader. Fraught with beautiful prose, he never quite shows the full deck he’s working with. And that can get REALLY frustrating with reading his work because you have to PAY ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING!! even the most seemingly benign!! So I can definitely see some readers not enjoying his work simply for his composition.

That being said, I love the way I get to piece together a SGJ story and Off the Reservation is no exception. I didn’t love The Only Good Indians so I wasn’t super jazzed to know there would be a sequel. However, we get a brand new cast of characters here that are interesting and unique but somewhat superficial and one character’s exposition in particular made me question SGJ’s reasoning for it because it just seems so random and not very crucial to the plot?? But on the other hand,”, also imbues social commentary in a realistic and frightening way (iykyk)

SGJ always makes me think with his books and that’s something I’m incredibly thankful for but at some times feels way too over my head.

[Trisha]

SO EXCITED!!! pre-ordered but might flip to audio too!
Pub date: 10/2026

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this sequel to The Only Good Indians, Jones follows Nate Yellow Tale, the only survivor of the sweat lodge massacre from the first book, on his journey across the country. Five years after the events of the first book, Nate is pulled into a quest to repatriate the bones of a child killed at a residential school decades earlier. Readers will remember that Nate is a survivor (“hard to kill”) - just like his father, he thumbs his nose at death, surviving longer than should be possible. He also saw the Elk Head Woman for what she was.

I don’t want to give too much away, of course, but this was absolutely brilliant. Jones explores identity and superstition, history and its consequences, social structures and the expectations we have. He subverts religious ideology (a perfect combination with the residential schools and their treatment of native children). I felt like I just scratched the surface; this is a book that deserves a deep dive.

I read a review that said readers could skip book 1 and dive right in, so I did that… and regretted it. I felt like something fundamental was missing, so I went back to the beginning and then restarted this book. The story here diverges enough that you could theoretically skip 1, but I couldn’t make sense of some of the references that 2 made. I’d highly recommend reading book 1 first. Jones is a master of changing his writing style to match the scene he sets, and Book 1 will have you primed and ready for the ride.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the ARC.

[She’s Stranger Than Fiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this novel. It is a sequel to The Only Good Indians, carrying the story of Nate Yellowtail forward. If The Only Good Indians was the vengeful spirit, and Buffalo Hunter Hunter was the vampire, then this one is the possessed. Attempting to save his best friend, Nate takes off with a motley trio in a ragged motorhome to repatriate the bones of a Blackfoot boy. This bizarre road trip is loaded with action, supernatural occurrences, and weird characters - and it wouldn’t be Stephen Graham Jones without elements of a slasher. There were some gag-inducing moments, and I was really nauseated at least once. To be fair, I wasn’t feeling great to begin with, but I want to caution anybody with a weak stomach. This one is loaded with body horror, body parts, and body fluids. There are a couple of plot points I have questions about, and urination as a plot point is a weird flex - one that really, really worked. As always, SGJ tells a helluva story with immaculate prose, nary a word wasted. The pacing is perfect, and there isn’t any time to spare for being bored. Check the trigger warnings and have fun!

This is my honest review of a digital ARC. My thanks to SGJ, Saga Press, and NetGalley for this opportunity.

[Mattie B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

It pains me to write this review, but some books just don’t work even if they’re written by a favorite author. I usually love SGJ’s writing and most of the time his books work so well for me. I reread TOGI before picking this up to refresh, and I will say that it isn’t necessary to read in order to pick up Off The Reservation.
This just felt all over the place. The change in povs felt VERY creative and experimental, but I think that was at the detriment to the pacing. I feel like I raced through the first 30% then lost steam through the middle. It made for a very disorienting experience but not in an enjoyable way. BUT I DID enjoy the characters and how real they felt. SGJ always has a unique way of bringing his characters to life, and that alone usually makes the plot an immersive experience. Unfortunately, this just didn’t work for me BUT I think many readers will appreciate the story and SGJ’s take on this well loved horror trope. I’ll continue to pick up books from SGJ and will always recommend you give him a try.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Dan Flaherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tale of unfathomable ancient horrors, finding your way and simply getting through life in one piece.

SGJ magical power is writing strong characters, which was incredibly important for a novel such as this one, being as about 80% of it takes place in an RV and at gas stations. There’s layers upon layers to each person, that’s what helps the story flow and keep unfolding stronger and stronger.

The hospital scenes had mega Dream Warriors vibes, successfully making an engaging first part of the book.

Slowly learning about the main horrors, was suspenseful and rewarding. The ending was well played out.

My only flack, was the writing style used in certain parts, I had the same issues with TOGI, certain lines would take me completely out of the story, because they simply didn’t make sense to me, and I’d have to re read them a few times. That being said. I loved all of the Indian Lake trilogy, and TBHH. The only good Indians and Off the Reservation are very strong novels, you just have to power through them to get to the parts that are epic.

Thank you Saga and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a masterpiece. Maybe not as much of one as Buffalo Hunter Hunter but that book is a once-in-a-generation good book. I think saying too much about plot at all would be a spoiler but this an example of my least favorite sub genre of horror and thus the four stars. I’ve been feeling for a while that Stephen Graham Jones is the smartest horror writer in the game today and this book proves that. I can’t wait to add a copy of this to the growing shelf I have of his works.

[Jamie Brandenburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would read Stephen Graham Jones’ To-Do list and love it. I can hear his voice in every book. He is such a fantastic storyteller. The mystical side of his horror stretches your imagination and is so enjoyable. The book handles some difficult themes that can make you feel uncomfortable, but in a good way. I feel like the author shares emotions and cultural rage that will open your eyes and hopefully grow in empathy. I can't recommend this book enough.

[Lisa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished and I want to read this again, right now! Oh how I love me some SGJ ♥️

[Rmplift, Rachel Phillips]

*ARC received from NG*

[S.H. Mansouri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going into this, I had no idea it was a sequel, a part two, revenge of something you didn’t quite kill the first time around. It is and it isn’t. Really, it’s a continuation. If you haven’t read The Only Good Indians—I mean, what planet are you on?—it’s okay, you can still enjoy the hell out of this, it works perfectly as a standalone. If you have read The Only Good Indians, though, not only are there easter eggs galore, but you’ll find yourself at a crossroads of sorts, asking, “Can a part two be better than the original?” Remember Aliens? T-2? That second Godfather movie? Enough said, even though that’s like comparing a sunrise to a sunset. What I’ve found is, your favorite SGJ novel is always going to be the one you’re reading right now.

The bones of The Only Good Indians are here, kind of a blueprint, really, but the skin and eyes and mouth are totally new. We begin with theft, a trespass, to be exact, because you need a trespass to get that revenge boulder rolling down the hill, flattening everyone in its path. Two friends looking down a slope, scoping their prey, an A-frame cabin probably owned by some rich assholes. Sound familiar? Be careful who you steal from, though. There’s stealing, as in ‘thou shalt not,’ capital S, then there’s stealing like you just took too many tootsie rolls from that glass jar at the bank. What Nate and Sebby do? It’s more the tootsie roll thing, in my opinion, but they just had to smash the toilet, didn’t they. Mini buck and doe tried to warn them. Then SMASH! There’s an accident.

Hospital time. Nate’s alive and Seb’s hanging on by a shoelace. Meet Nurse Seine, the stealer of shiny stories, the magpie. Great lines here: ‘Half the stories he traded her for smokes were about his dead father. It was his main currency, was all he had to draw on for the rest of his life.’ And, ‘the horses didn’t ask for any of this.’ SGJ’s been in the hospital, for sure, the grippy socks (I always keep them) and disposable razors and rooms are spot-on, felt a bit like a rehab center. Now comes the vow, the blood pact, dull scissor-drilled dots across the forearm like a red constellation, an arrow. So much heart in this scene. Gave Exorcist 3 vibes when a dinosaur—a T. Rex, specifically—shows up. Remember those flash newspaper headlines from The Only Good Indians? They’re neon signs now, pay attention.

Time to make good on that vow of pulling Sebby out of his coma, time for a road trip! You need wheels, though, and Mooch Lomas (aside from Nate, my favorite character) has a running RV, a Sundancer. For the rest of this journey, we’re going to be in this RV, a complete world unto itself, a ‘kaleidoscope being shaken fast and hard.’ Christian’s driving, cracked rearview or not, removable studded tongue locked and loaded, Mooch is sucking down Icees, holding that ice pick, waiting for her son to land that big jump—“My husband’s in that movie!”—and Seine is playing nurse, just trying to find that boy’s bones and set everything right again. She has no idea how much superglue is in that RV. Remember that motorcycle from The Only Good Indians? the one that loved long hair? It’s kind of back again, in dirt-bike form, packed in the back of the RV like a secret passenger.

The description of that Love’s, when you really really have to pee, is perfect, and Nate, well, he kind of has a problem with pee. You’ll see. All I know is, I kept saying to him, “Man, please, just let it rip!” Buck and Doe show up again, the little people, in a diorama, and we get a great line here: “…even if she had ever been a mother, still, no arm is strong enough to stop a boy from flying away if he wants to fly away.”

There’s a chapter with a pool match, a game of nine-ball that I wanted to last as long as that game of basketball from The Only Good Indians, but alas, it didn’t. That’s just me, though. But reading, “You don’t call in nine-ball,” had me through the roof. Those two guys playing? I felt like they were tricksters, like they meant something other than what they were saying, and I’m pretty sure Doe shows up here, thick black eyeliner and all.

Remember that chapter in The Only Good Indians that switches everything up? That 40% mark where you think it’s second person but it’s really dramatic monologue? Hindsight is that chapter here, and man, it’s all high speed and sixth gear and no looking back from there. That sixth gear, alternately down-shifting with humor, POV switch (does that deftly mid-chapter sometimes), the subjunctive, and dipping into character development, it’s totally SGJ territory, and nobody does it better. He puts you in that RV. You have to look.

We pick up another passenger: The Road King; quick nod to Jason and the Argonauts. And little by little, the dominos start falling. I’m skirting spoilers here, so I’ll just say: this is the best set of characters I’ve encountered in a while. The big bad, it’s all of them, sure, but it’s also none of them. Each one is a hero in their own eyes, totally gray territory, and they’re so tragic at times. From Nate’s perspective: “It was like everything was working against him: a cat-lady with an ice pick for a magic wand, a driver who dressed like a priest but couldn’t preach, and a cousin who thought she was a weasel.” And in true dramatic fashion, they all either slowly make their way off the stage, or are ruthlessly pushed. Another great line here: “It was probably in a wagon someone else was dragging, so it would always be ahead of him. Maybe that’s all death was: people pulling things with them, unable to ever let them go.”

Off the Reservation is a bonfire some kid and his grandmother built to pull a lost hunter in, a lit cigarette set horizontally in your hand, passed over to a friend you’d do anything for. It’s two thumbs up, way up, higher than a flagpole standing on a pile of bones. It'll rip your chest open, superglue it back together, rip it open again, then suture you up with boot laces. And that bullet thing at the end? Chef’s kiss, man. “Sturrrrgis!”

Big thanks to Netgalley, Saga Press, and SGJ for such a wonderful story. Catch you on the flip-flop.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads for providing me with a free e-ARC! All opinions contained within this review are my own.

Forever ago, when I started back into my “reading for fun” journey, I picked up The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones for several reasons. First, horror is definitely in my top three when it comes to preferred genres. I don’t talk about it as much, but I do love to be spooked by my reads! Second, I had heard so many good things about not only The Only Good Indians but the author himself and I was eager to give him a shot. Then I read the book and all my expectations were blown out of the water! That book started me down the road of Stephen Graham Jones becoming one of my favorite authors. So it’s no surprise that I was excited when it was getting a sequel!

Off the Reservation follows one of the characters from The Only Good Indians, Nate Yellow Tail, as his life is turned upside down by a devastating incident. Nate is involved in an accident that leave his body and brain broken and his best friend clinging to life. As he recovers in the hospital, he is floated an opportunity to possibly get his life back into balance. A group of older Blackfeet are heading east to repatriate the bones of one of their own that died at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, a dark place where many indigenous children were abused. Nate rounds out the group but, the further they get into their journey, the more they begin to realize they might have released more than just the young boys bones.

Though this is technically a sequel, it felt like it was its own thing in the best of ways! The storyline had nothing to do with the first book beyond mentions of the massacre and certain characters, of course, but it somehow had the same feel to it, the same eerie vibe. I think this odd combo of standing on its own yet feeling similar was honestly perfect! It made me feel comfortable in the setting but still kept me on my toes.

And I was certainly on my toes throughout this book! Every time I thought I knew where things were going, Stephen Graham Jones would throw a curveball in that had my jaw on the floor! There were so many genuinely creepy portions of this book that had shivers running down my spine. Jones is a master of crafting a horror scene that has your eyes wide and lungs gasping as events unfold. I was absolutely hooked!

The horror was balanced by some truly poignant moments, as well. Nate is Going Through It™️ and it was fascinating watching his journey and his growth along this road trip. And it is not easy for him. He is such a nuanced character that I found myself rooting for in a way that you’d think he was my own kid 😂 Perhaps I could see my kid in him and that’s why I felt so attached? Either way, his character comes alive on the page and kept me engaged throughout the story. If I’m honest, all of our main four cast of characters (Nurse Seine, Mooch, and Chrissy) really came to life in the story and that’s something that I’ve come to expect from Stephen Graham Jones as an author.

Overall, this was a dark, horrific story that had me enthralled! I would suggest checking trigger warnings if you are at all sensitive to certain topics because Stephen Graham Jones does not shy away from the horrors, both human and supernatural. This was an incredible read and I can’t wait for whatever he writes next!

[Craig Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Wrap something in enough language, it disappears, doesn't it?"

Stephen Graham Jones is the best horror author writing today. That's been my opinion for a good number of years now, and nothing has made me come close to changing it. There's some strong competition, sure, and tastes can vary, so I understand perfectly why he's not your favourite, but for my money, there is nobody that is putting out novels of this quality and quantity – a new one every year or so on average since the pandemic hit – and my journey, like so many others, all started with perhaps his most popular work, a book named The Only Good Indians.

I was unsurprisingly excited to learn that his new release would be a sequel to one of my favourite books. I wasn't sure what to expect. Would this be an Indian Lake Trilogy-style continuation, would we be re-treading the same beats? Off The Reservation takes us 5 years on from the events of TOGI, following Nate Yellow Tail, son of the cop Victor from the original story and boyfriend of Denorah (her of the infamous basketball scene – complainers fear not, that particular framing device isn't used here). Where that book was Jones' take on the vengeful spirit trope, in the same way Mongrels tackled werewolves and The Buffalo Hunter Hunter vampires, here we get to see what the possession sub-genre of horror looks like through Native eyes – and what is possession, if not a deeply personal form of colonialism?

I won't recount the synopsis here, suffice to say this is a road trip story, taking us across country with Nate and a largely new cast of characters. The first third, maybe, while not exactly slow, felt like it was skirting around the actual story. We get to know the characters, their motivations and intertwining histories, and where this drive is ultimately taking them. I was never bored, but it doesn't exactly hit the ground running, right? Patience is a virtue, though, and one that will be rewarded. When the true narrative kicks in, it kicks hard, and from that moment Jones doesn't so much ease up on the gas until the book's final moments.

The question for me was never "Will this book be good?" It's been so long since an SGJ novel didn't sink its teeth into me and refuse to let go that I've long since stopped doubting him. It was more like, "Will this book stand as a worthy sequel to the original?" I think it does. It's very different; the condensed nature of the location and cast of the first opened up into a more sprawling one here, the way it tackles different genre conventions and refuses to imitate the beats covered before. But it felt great to journey back to this world and approach it from a different angle, seeing through new eyes. The characters are vivid, leaping off the page, rarely feeling like a plot device but more like the story is shaping around them – a common theme amongst many of them is the idea of what makes a "good Indian", what can they do to prove they are one, and how can they hold their head up and feel like they belong? The colliding themes of possession and identity are where the soul of this book lies and, for me, are what make Off The Reservation another triumph for an author who seemingly can't miss right now.

[Fallon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The craziest road trip you will ever be on! Off the Reservation is an incredibly refreshing take on the possession trope that doesn't rely on Christianity, rather the impacts of colonialism. Full of twists and turns, the boundaries between reality and dreams & past and present, are incredibly hazy throughout. Utilizing a mix of paranormal activity, body horror and good old fashioned gore, all contained within the restricted confines of the RV. This lends to the claustrophobic tension and increasing conflict between both the characters and their demons. Off The Reservation is a very different vibe then The Only Good Indians ( which was 5 stars and one of my favorite reads of 2025 by the way). if you found the first book to be slow you will be happy to know that Off The Reservation is a whirlwind from start to finish and could honestly probably be read as a stand alone.

"Nate asked. Why do I care if he's a kid of that massacre? We're all children of what happened that day, Seine said"

Like its predecessor, Off The Reservation is very literary, reading like a bunch of character studies stitched together by the horror. These protagonists are beautifully complex and fully realized, with distinct voices when switching between their POVs (I fell in love with two characters in particular and was so emotionally invested in their character arcs). It is through this medley of Blackfeet that SGJ provides perspective on the experience of being Indigenous; trauma, grief, cycles of violence, addiction, gender identity, culture, community, family. Off The Reservation continues the conversation about what does it mean to be Blackfeet, and what does it mean to be a "Good Indian".

This is a book that makes you think and wants you to learn something. The horror is built upon the realities of history, of residential schools and massacres and wars. I consider myself to be pretty well versed on the atrocities of colonization on Turtle Island, but I am Canadian so I am always thankful for opportunities like to expand my understanding across the boarder. I think SGJ does an excellent job of reminding readers that colonialism is not just history, rather an ongoing force that influences society and policy into the present.

"They were all over at Standing Rock, waiting for the cameras to pan away so they could shoot an Indian or two. They were probably stacked fifteen deep, waiting their turn. Nobody wanted to miss their chance to bag this endangered species, mount some black hair over the fireplace."

A complaint I often see is that people find SGJ's writing hard to understand / get into. But see that's what I love most about his books. His writing style is incredibly conversational, harking back to thousands of years of oral storytelling tradition. SGJ's books force you to re think how stories should / can be written, makes you step outside of the western literature bubble that dominates the market. If you are at all intimidated by this, I highly recommend taking an immersive reading approach, listen to the audiobook while you read along. While I haven't had the chance to listen to Off The Reservation on audiobook yet, I did this for both The Only Good Indians & The Buffalo Hunter Hunter and the production has always been top notch.

* Thank you to the author, publisher & NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review. *

[Jacqueline Rackard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read if you:

Enjoy a found family trope
Crave deep character development
Find dark humor mixed with horror appealing
Love road trip (the journey) heavy narratives

Nate, a survivor of the Duck Lake massacre, struggles to emotionally deal with the aftermath of his physical and psychological injuries. He is spiritually lost and not making the best decisions when he and his friend Sebby break into a winter cabin vandalizing it and stealing some of its contents. Unfortunately, they are both severely injured when a truck crashes into them as they flee the scene. Nate, has pretty extensive head injuries and Sebby, in a a coma, is not expected to survive. His nurse, Seine Plenty Wolf, recognizes that Nate needs to complete a vision quest of sorts to put everything back in balance and does what anyone else would do---- whisks him away (or kidnaps, depending how you see it) from the hospital

The mission: rescue and properly honor the remains of a young boy who was sent to the Carlisle Indian school decades earlier. So, the road trip begins.

Cast of characters who with Nate, make up a rag tag group: Mooch, a woman who has lost it all- all of her children and her husband, quirky but loyal; Nurse Seine Plenty Wolf, who is determined to help Nate become a good Indian; Christian, a young man whose is mute (Nate later finds out why), serves as the driver- pensive and deeply traumatized.

I have read Buffalo Hunter Hunter, so I am familiar with Stephen Graham Jones’ stream of consciousness, and at times, mind bending style. You had better buckle in if you plan on reading his novels. Off the Reservation takes time to warm up. Expect a slow ascent probably up to half way into the story. When they reach the Carlisle School and begin to uncover the young boy’s bones the pace (and the horror) quickens. What the group gradually discovers that they have brought back more than just an innocent boy’s remains. This is where the story takes a serious turn into the horror.

I think Stephen Graham Jones’ characterization work is superb. Each of the main characters' perspectives and background stories are carefully crafted to reveal the characters’ hopes, trauma and position on what makes a “good Indian.” The journey trope works exceptionally well as the catalyst for so much of the family building and important connections that these characters make with each other. The title alludes to the term “going off the reservation” – which is a clever way of using an offensive term in a very symbolic manner. This group leaving the reservation behind to try to reclaim a sense of honor and humanity to a very dark part of American history.

Result: a character driven story with detailed, troubling, and terrifying descriptions of the an unforgettably horrific past replayed by a motley crew of Indians who are trying to right a wrong. Quintessential Stephen Graham Jones material. Not for everyone (long stream of consciousness sections, disjointed narrative and shifting timelines), but beautifully done.

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Only Good Indians” is one of my favorite horror books of the last several years, possibly of all time. I didn’t really find a flaw in it at all. Since then, I’ve read quite a few other books by SGJ but none of them have affected me in the same way as that one did. (Except maybe “Mongrels.” I loved that book.) As a sequel, this read more like it took place in the same universe even though it directly involved a character from the first story. This book had a different feel, different “monsters” and a more experimental structure. All of that is fine, but I loved the first one more. Still, one thing you can always count on with Jones is exposed, raw nerves because he very openly writes from a deeply personal place.

As usual with anything by SGJ, I got a bit lost here and there in the action. These characters are referred to by multiple names at different points and for a while I couldn't pin down their ages in relation to each other, so I had trouble picturing everyone. But there would frequently be beautiful sentences woven in to keep me grounded. I’ve never been able to figure out why this is a thing with Jone's writing, (in every book aside from “The Only Good Indians”), where there are constantly moments where I just flat out don’t understand what I’m reading. But I always shrug off the confusion and keep going, whereas with other authors it would likely lead to a DNF. With Jones, the reward of trusting the journey is always worth it.

Here, I felt that the second person POV chapters were the best ones, though there weren’t many of those. In the afterword, he said that writing this novel took longer than usual and he mentioned many different pop culture influences that helped to shape the story. In "Off the Reservation," the horror and violence is scarce in the beginning. But once it kicks in, things are pretty eerie, surprising and bloody. There is some gnarly and disgusting body horror. (And a surprising amount of urine.) A couple of things were done to people that I will be thinking about for a while. And I know this is an odd thing to say unless maybe you're doing the audiobook, but it's a real "blink and you'll miss something important" kind of story, where every sentence feels carefully crafted. I can honestly say that I didn't know where the plot was going, and I probably couldn't have predicted it either.

This was a nightmare of a road trip, for sure. Even though I was sometimes a bit confused, I still know quality when I see it. I'm probably due for another readthrough of the first book soon, and of course I will continue to read anything that SGJ writes. 

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to Netgalley for this early copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. I'm grateful to be one of the first people to read it.

Biggest TW: Domestic abuse, Self-harm, *Harm to animals, Transphobia/Deadnaming/Misgendering 

[Ami Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of “Off the Reservation” by Stephen Graham Jones. This is my honest review.

Having read and LOVED The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones, I was both surprised and thrilled when I found out he’d written a sequel, “Off The Reservation”. The premise for this follow up is brilliant- in an effort to save a friend, a survivor from The Only Good Indians embarks on a journey (quest) with some new characters to effectively break into an active military post to steal back and repatriate the bones of a Blackfeet child murdered centuries before at the Indian Boarding School in Carlisle, PA. Graham
Jones again weaves together a variety of horror elements- folklore, supernatural, body horror, historical horror, and possession in a creative story with important themes. I loved that this novel unique presents the history of Indian Boarding Schools, their atrocities and very important themes and current activism of reclamation and repatriation of indigenous children to their tribal lands. It also explores the idea of what it means to be a “good Indian” and a “real” Blackfeet, and the cultural prejudices and distinctions between those who live on and off reservations. Another thematic element that I really enjoyed was the treatment of indigenous beliefs and mysticism contrasted with the white man’s religion.

Where the book missed the mark for me was more in the execution- pacing, setting and sometimes clarity. For some of the middle portion of the book, it can get overwhelming and a bit confusing as to what is going on and where it is headed, there were a few times where the story felt like it took a hard shift into another focus- though it does tie all back together at the end.

From a setting perspective, I think I had expected the setting to be primarily in Carlisle Barracks, however the majority of the story takes place inside an RV, on the road to/from Carlisle. When set in such a restricted location, it can be difficult to hold the attention of the audience- and I did struggle with that a bit. Additionally, I spent three years interning at Carlisle Barracks, so I struggled suspending my disbelief on the description of the base, the success of sneaking in, and the events that unfolded without any interference by MPs. I realize this is me being too critical here because it IS fiction.

Lastly- I love a possession story and this one was definitely creepy and twisty. I think the thing that bothered me here is making the possession an actual demon rather than a human spirit, as for me it almost minimizes the accountability for people’s choices and the very real evil humans do against one another. But- that is not a knock on Stephen Graham Jones and his choices, just a personal preference that impacted my experience.

All this said, I will definitely be buying a copy once it is out. I feel that I’ll get even more out of it on another read through later on.

[Hans · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC for a Stephen Graham Jones book is my Wayne's World "[I am] not worthy" moment, but somehow that epub fell off the back of the truck and into my lap (thank you).

I won't lie, I was unsure of this one going in, and even a good bit of the way into this. Did The Only Good Indians really need a sequel? Yes, yes it did. I'm sorry I ever doubted it. Well, maybe spiritual successor, or some other word for tangential extension, is more fitting for what Off The Reservation is, as it follows one of the many characters of the first book who happened to be one of the lucky few to survive. I would say you could probably read this without having read the former, but if I remember correctly, there isn't much explanation of previous events as they're referenced, so probably for the best you do your homework and read up on those events.

This also has one of Jones' longer buy-ins of his work I've read. But this is a road-trip novel, so strap in and take the ride. Once things really kick off, it feels a bit like your head is spinning, you don't fully know what's going on, but it's so good at the same time, and once you start to pull the whole picture into frame, you're left with a very cohesive, satisfying, and unique possession story. The character work has to be his best, no question about it. Also, don't want to spoil, but feel like I have to comment on the horrorfication of a cult hero that is just so delectably deranged. Major props on that one. The chapter introducing him is one of the best chapters of a horror novel I've ever read, no exaggeration. if the subject wasn't enough, writing a possessed character in a second-person instructional tone is genius

There was no doubt of SGJ's knowledge and experience growing up Blackfeet in The Only Good Indians, and Off The Reservation is steeped with just as many if not more references (often tongue-in-cheek) most of them probably going well over my head, Where the first felt more bleak, quick, and from the gut, this time around it really feels like there's a lot more from the heart too. I appreciated the added levity, fleshed-out characters, and the direction brought by the mission and journey of this one--but don't worry, it's still a SGJ book and has plenty of twisted moments and curveballs to keep you on your toes.

The Only Good Indians was the first book by Stephen Graham Jones I read, and I really owe a lot to it. It was a random grab at a bookstore, something I hadn't done in years, and ended up being the book that took me out of a multi-year reading slump of anything non-school-related. It re-ignited my love for horror and introduced me to one of the best voices of our time in all of fiction. Off The Reservation scratches that same itch, just like Buffalo Hunter Hunter, and anything else Jones writes.