A review by windsorgrace
Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I read about this one online and was intrigued. This is another book from the Native American perspective. I’ve enjoyed learning about cultures different from my own. The book is short at only 131 pages, but it goes deep and is hauntingly beautiful. 

When 12 year old Junior wakes up in the middle of the night, he thinks he sees his dead father walking through his small house. While searching for the figure, he discovers the house is bigger than he thought and he becomes consumed with mapping the interior of the house. 

Junior believes his father is slowly coming back to life by siphoning a life force from his younger brother. As much as Junior misses his father, he knows he has to save his brother. Junior has a terrible decision to make as he fights for his brother’s life. 

If you enjoy light horror and open ended stories, you may like this book. The story is gorgeous, the writing is smooth, and it made me remember what it felt like to be 12. It touches the heart in a way few other books are able to. Mapping the Interior will stay with me.