The Score: 10 out of 10
Where to buy: e-bookstores and bookstores
It’s been four years in prison since Jade Daniels last saw her hometown of Proofrock, Idaho, the day she took the fall, protecting her friend Letha and her family from incrimination. Since then, her reputation, and the town, have changed dramatically. There’s a lot of unfinished business in Proofrock, from serial killer cultists to the rich trying to buy Western authenticity. But there’s one aspect of Proofrock no one wants to confront…until Jade comes back to town. The curse of the Lake Witch is waiting, and now is the time for the final stand.
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The Review:
The Angel of Indian Lake is the perfect ending to easily the best slasher novel trilogy in horror.
Easily.
Stephen Graham Jones completes Jade’s character arc, while also filling in the remaining spots in the history of Proofrock and everyone in it. It’s an intimate character progression that also becomes a very intimate and thorough look at Proofrock’s constant change and the evolving tensions in its social hierarchy. In guiding us through Jade’s story, we’re also guided through an experience shared by many First Nations people.
Jade is, also, quite possibly, the most interesting and dynamic slasher protagonist ever. She transcends the usual tropes of a final girl and instead becomes a warrior, armed with the knowledge of horror tropes and the survival instincts of her people. Plus she’s also incredibly human, sometimes hilarious, and often just an absolute badass. Her journey is jarring, emotional, thrilling, and at all times filled with humanity and her unique perspective on her community.
Jones’ writing has a very thought out and lengthy approach, with a particular tendency to lengthen and sometimes expand, instead of condensing. We’re given character thoughts, memories associated with those thoughts, as well as how all of that connects to each ongoing event. Subplots and plots aren’t necessarily distinct, as they become this combined organized mesh that keeps the story going. Again, this is not only a story about Jade but also about Proofrock. It’s about survival, and overcoming evil.
Plus Jones’ love of horror shines through here. Whether it’s references to the many horror films he’s seen, or how he describes them in line with the horror in the story, Jones has an especially creative way of showing his love for horror, especially with how Jade deals with the trauma of her past, and how that becomes a central conflict that defines how she changes in this especially twisty, suspenseful, and often harrowing conclusion to the Indian Lake trilogy.
Jones’ uniquely descriptive creativity is also present here. We’re shown Proofrock through Jade’s eyes, and as such, we see it how this young First Nations woman sees it. Every environment and setting and major event is shown here. This goes beyond the general shaping most authors use, and Jones opts for a more distinct approach that intentionally tints and tweaks everything in the way Jade presents it to us.
Also, as someone who loves a lengthy chapter, Jones goes all out here. Many, many lengthy chapters, sometimes longer than 30 pages, and never smaller than 10, are all throughout here. He has this tendency to fill pages with all the right words and then add more to that, making an already unpredictable chapter an entertaining and nailbiting gamechanger, or filling a chapter with enough humor to alleviate, while still being an internalized reflection for Jade.
For those who are fans of the Indian Lake trilogy, The Angel of Indian Lake is the perfect closing point. It’s tense, scary, violent, sometimes disturbing, and also emotionally human, all from the perspective of one of the best horror protagonists out there. Definitely worth reading. This is an absolute horror masterpiece.
-Joseph
Joe's Horror Reviews 