Horror

My Heart Is a Chainsaw

My Heart Is a Chainsaw

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  • Create Date：2021-09-05 11:21:13
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Stephen Graham Jones
  • ISBN：1797123343
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Summary

In her quickly gentrifying rural lake town Jade sees recent events only her encyclopedic knowledge of horror films could have prepared her for in this latest novel from the Jordan Peele of horror literature， Stephen Graham Jones。

Jade feels like she’s trapped in a slasher film as tourists go missing and the tension between her community and the celebrity newcomers to the Indian Lake shore heads towards a tipping point， when she feels the killer will rise。 Jade watches as the small town she knows and loves begins to head towards catastrophe as yachts compete with canoes and the celebrity rich change the landscape of what was designated park lands to develop what they call Terra Nova。

This new novel from the acclaimed author of The Only Good Indians and “literary master” （Tananarive Due， author of The Good House） Stephen Graham Jones， is a must-read， exploring the changing landscape of the West through his particular voice of sharp humor and prophetic violence that will have you cheering for the American heroine we need。

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Reviews

Amy ，

2 1/2 stars for me really。 Why oh why。 I was looking forward to this for so long。 It was a chore to read。 I enjoyed his previous books but this one just put me to sleep。 It was work getting through the pages。 My favorite parts were the pages Jade wrote to her history teacher。 They were interesting。

Paula Lyle ，

Stephen Graham Jones can certainly write and I loved The Only Good Indian， but this is all just a little much。 Too many movie references， too many murderers， too many bumps in the night。 Jade， our heroine and narrator， is awesome but she gets eclipsed by so much going on。 I wanted her to be first and foremost at all times and I was gutted that she didn't get the ending I felt she had earned。 I'll certainly read more， but this was a tad disappointing。I received an eARC through NetGalley。 Stephen Graham Jones can certainly write and I loved The Only Good Indian， but this is all just a little much。 Too many movie references， too many murderers， too many bumps in the night。 Jade， our heroine and narrator， is awesome but she gets eclipsed by so much going on。 I wanted her to be first and foremost at all times and I was gutted that she didn't get the ending I felt she had earned。 I'll certainly read more， but this was a tad disappointing。I received an eARC through NetGalley。 。。。more

Evie ，

Let me tell you about my Lord and Savior， Stephen Graham Jones。。。Stephen Graham Jones has crafted a beautiful homage to slashers while making it completely and utterly his own。 This is the fifth novel I have read by the author， and the fifth novel by him to blow me away。 My Heart is a Chainsaw feels like a companion novel， while not being a true companion novel， to The Only Good Indians。 Where The Only Good Indians' villainous entity has a narrow and particular scope of revenge， My Heart is a Ch Let me tell you about my Lord and Savior， Stephen Graham Jones。。。Stephen Graham Jones has crafted a beautiful homage to slashers while making it completely and utterly his own。 This is the fifth novel I have read by the author， and the fifth novel by him to blow me away。 My Heart is a Chainsaw feels like a companion novel， while not being a true companion novel， to The Only Good Indians。 Where The Only Good Indians' villainous entity has a narrow and particular scope of revenge， My Heart is a Chainsaw's villain knows no bounds。 Where The Only Good Indians' hero uses empathy to face their evils， My Heart is a Chainsaw's is a full on revenge tale。 Stephen Graham Jones is an author I completely trust as a writer and storytellers。 Wherever he wants to go， I will follow as a reader。 。。。more

Kaitlin ，

What， and I mean this in the best possible way， the hell did I just read？ This is my first goodreads review in a million books because my mind is that blown。 This is the kind of book that makes me want to sit down and start writing and not stop。

Jennifer Mullins ，

I love most things 80’s and absolutely loved all the references to the great slashers during that time。 I also enjoyed references to the more recent slashers like Scream and IKWYDLS。The book dragged on for me， but it was in the last parts of the book that really pulled everything together and made the first parts worth the wait。 Jade’s story broke my heart and I’m mostly satisfied with how it ended。 It was a bit ambiguous at the end， which is a personal dislike for me， but it made sense for the I love most things 80’s and absolutely loved all the references to the great slashers during that time。 I also enjoyed references to the more recent slashers like Scream and IKWYDLS。The book dragged on for me， but it was in the last parts of the book that really pulled everything together and made the first parts worth the wait。 Jade’s story broke my heart and I’m mostly satisfied with how it ended。 It was a bit ambiguous at the end， which is a personal dislike for me， but it made sense for the story。Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy！ 。。。more

Shawn C。 Baker ，

Book of the year， 2021I have very much enjoyed all of SGJ's novels I have read， but this。。。 This is something else entirely。 I could not put it down。 Hell， I could only sleep about 3 hours at a time during the three days it took for me to read this in the still。moments of hectic daily life。 I would pass out reading it and wake up， move out to the couch and read for another few hours before falling asleep again。 And now that I'm finished，I am both sad and elated。 Sad that I came to the end of my Book of the year， 2021I have very much enjoyed all of SGJ's novels I have read， but this。。。 This is something else entirely。 I could not put it down。 Hell， I could only sleep about 3 hours at a time during the three days it took for me to read this in the still。moments of hectic daily life。 I would pass out reading it and wake up， move out to the couch and read for another few hours before falling asleep again。 And now that I'm finished，I am both sad and elated。 Sad that I came to the end of my time with Jade （not Jennifer）， elated at the thrill of having read such an amazing novel。 。。。more

Brittany Mcconnell ，

This was a book that I had a lot of WTF moments。 This is my 1st book by this author。 This is a book that makes you pay attention to every detail its giving you。 Not only is there a back story but a lesson on horror。 You spend the first 40-60% of the book learning and thinking to yourself what is going on。 Then all the lessons that you were told throughout the beginning comes into play。 Did you pay attention。 Did you figure it out。 Are you Right are you wrong？ Jade is the perfect horror guide。 Bu This was a book that I had a lot of WTF moments。 This is my 1st book by this author。 This is a book that makes you pay attention to every detail its giving you。 Not only is there a back story but a lesson on horror。 You spend the first 40-60% of the book learning and thinking to yourself what is going on。 Then all the lessons that you were told throughout the beginning comes into play。 Did you pay attention。 Did you figure it out。 Are you Right are you wrong？ Jade is the perfect horror guide。 But you also finding yourself wondering is she fully rooted into the real world。 Or has she seen one to many slashers。Why Slashers why is that the one thing Jade knows and talks about。 Has something happen or like Randy from Scream she just has all the Slasher knowledge for this day。Warning there is a lot of gore and not for the faint of heart。 I will say for the 1st 25% of the book I felt lost but it started to make sense and the end delivered。 It also left me wanting to know what happened after the end。You get dropped into the story and get a Final Girl 101 lesson。I'm not going to talk about what happens that's for you to read for yourself。 Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books/ Saga Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions。 。。。more

Jody Blanchette ，

Jade Daniels knows everything there is to know about horror films。 The revenge seeking， blood thirsty villians teach her about survival。 Luckily she has been paying attention， because her hometown is about to become its own horror story。 As people go missing， and bodies are discovered around Proofrock， Jade knows its the start of something bad。 She thinks she knows who the Final Girl will be， and wants to warn her to be ready。 But she's not ready， nor is the town， for the carnage on its way。。。Th Jade Daniels knows everything there is to know about horror films。 The revenge seeking， blood thirsty villians teach her about survival。 Luckily she has been paying attention， because her hometown is about to become its own horror story。 As people go missing， and bodies are discovered around Proofrock， Jade knows its the start of something bad。 She thinks she knows who the Final Girl will be， and wants to warn her to be ready。 But she's not ready， nor is the town， for the carnage on its way。。。This book is a complete lesson on horror/slasher movies。 I feel like Stephen Graham Jones and Grady Hendrix were secretly discussing the need to school their readers， and put out books with the same idea to hit us hard。 lol I think I have officially graduated from Slasher University， and am ready to defend myself and my town。 I just need to pick my weapon。。。 As much as I love Stephen Graham Jones's other hit， Only The Good Indians， I didn't really love this one。 I had a hard time with the overload of horror schooling for the first half of the book。 I get the need， and the way it built up Jade's character and the anticipation for the big blood bath。 BUT it was repetitive， and slow moving。 The last quarter of the book is where it blows up and gets good。 I absolutely loved the end。 There is definitely gore， ponds of blood and icky sensory overload moments。 I enjoyed all that， but it was crammed into the last few chapters。 I recommend reading the authors note at the end， it helps explain the title 😉 。。。more

Carrie （brightbeautifulthings） ，

Jade is certain that her small， Idaho town of Proofrock is being stalked by a slasher killer。 The only problem is that she’s the “horror chick”， a social outcast obsessed with the slasher genre， and the more she tries to explain what’s happening to the local law enforcement， the guiltier she makes herself look。 Positive that Letha， a new girl from the rich neighborhood being built across the lake， is the Final Girl， Jade tries to convince her of what’s happening before it’s too late。 But getting Jade is certain that her small， Idaho town of Proofrock is being stalked by a slasher killer。 The only problem is that she’s the “horror chick”， a social outcast obsessed with the slasher genre， and the more she tries to explain what’s happening to the local law enforcement， the guiltier she makes herself look。 Positive that Letha， a new girl from the rich neighborhood being built across the lake， is the Final Girl， Jade tries to convince her of what’s happening before it’s too late。 But getting close to Letha means giving someone else a glimpse into who Jade really is， and her secrets may be just as dark as whatever’s stalking their town。 I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Gallery Books/Saga Press。 Trigger warnings: graphic character deaths， suicide attempt， rape， pedophilia， incest， gore， racism。There are quite a few things I liked about this book， and I think it will work well for most slasher fans。 Jade will be easy for most horror fans to relate to， since she thinks in slasher films。 They’re how she sees and understands the world， not just a hobby but almost a religion， at least if we think in terms of things that save us。 If you’ve ever been comforted by monsters or serial killers， or if horror ever gave you something to hold on to when you most needed it， then you’re in this weird club with Jade and me， and I think that’s really what this novel does best。 It’s a love letter to the slasher genre， with more references than even an avid horror fan like myself could follow。There are other things to like about Jade。 She’s both gutsy and vulnerable， with a teenager’s penchant for doing things that aren’t always in her best interest， and I constantly wavered back and forth between ‘let’s be friends’ and ‘someone please protect this child。’ （She just wants someone to listen to her talk about horror movies！ For the record， I’m always available for that。 Lay your nerd knowledge on me。） She’s also half Native American， which brings some much-needed diversity to the slasher genre。 The side characters are interesting， and I think purposely edge toward stock with the town sheriff and the Final Girl。 Things are always more interesting when Jade is interacting with one of them， and it gives us the most clues to what’s really happening。 （That confession scene？ Masterful writing。） One of the bigger flaws of the novel， for me， is that this just doesn’t happen that much。 Jade is a loner and spends most of her time in her own head instead of interacting with people。 It’s relatable and even understandable given her background， but it’s pretty devastating to the character development。In terms of setting up its own slasher plot， the book isn’t quite as strong there either。 I like the way the novel keeps us guessing about what’s really happening。 Jade isn’t the most reliable narrator， and there were plenty of times I didn’t trust her to interpret what was happening correctly。 There are a number of people dying in ways that could almost be coincidental， and the book is constantly walking that knife’s edge of tension on is there/isn’t there something more going on here。 While the clues are there， I didn’t feel prepared for the direction Jones actually took with that， and it felt a little like he went for the shock value solution instead of the credible one。 （More on that after the spoilers。） All in all though， this book is bloody good fun， and I hope they make a movie out of it。 I think it would translate really well to the screen。SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS。 TURN BACK BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE。Huh… Okay， I wasn’t expecting the book to take a dip into the supernatural。 I guess I should have been， since there’s precedent in things like Friday the 13th Part 2 and A Nightmare on Elm Street， but when I think “slashers” I’m not usually thinking that there’s no reason Jason Voorhees should even still be alive in these films， just that he’s hacking people up with a machete。 Jade touches on the subject of the Lake Witch a number of times， so I suppose it shouldn’t have been a surprise that she turns up as the town killer。 It felt less like the best answer to this mystery and more like an excuse to have an absolute bloodbath at the end， which is fun but sometimes hard to follow。 But， whatever。 It’s creepy that she walks on top of the water， and I like Jade rising to her full Final Girl status。 She’s a worthy addition to the ranks of Laurie and Sidney。I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings。tumblr。com。 。。。more

Diane Hernandez ，

My Heart is a Chainsaw is an ode to horror movies by the author of the equally unique horror novel， The Only Good Indian。Teenager Jade is a strange girl。 Very strange。 She loves slasher films and can quote them at will。 So， when it appears a real-life slasher has arrived in her small town， she just has to meet him。 It’s her destiny， right？But Jade’s fate is not to stop him。 For Jade is convinced she is no virginal Final Girl， the girl who kills the killer at the end of every horror movie。 That r My Heart is a Chainsaw is an ode to horror movies by the author of the equally unique horror novel， The Only Good Indian。Teenager Jade is a strange girl。 Very strange。 She loves slasher films and can quote them at will。 So， when it appears a real-life slasher has arrived in her small town， she just has to meet him。 It’s her destiny， right？But Jade’s fate is not to stop him。 For Jade is convinced she is no virginal Final Girl， the girl who kills the killer at the end of every horror movie。 That role， Jade is convinced， will be played by the new girl in school， Letha， who is beautiful and rich enough to stand up to the slasher。Jade is a very sympathetic lead character。 You can’t help rooting for her like you did for Laurie in Halloween。 She has the requisite bad family background and basically zero friends。 But she is smart as a whip and sees patterns everywhere that call to mind famous horror movie scripts。The action in the book starts out slow， subtle， and creepy。 A couple of foreign tourists go missing one night on the foggy town lake and no one even notices they are gone。 But soon the action ratchets up。 I read the entire book in one sitting。 It is that compelling。As a long-time horror movie fan， I adored the pop culture referencing of every slasher film since Psycho。 I’ve watched enough of these films not to need the conveniently placed school reports by Jade about the slasher film tropes。 However， they do make this book more accessible to non-horror movie fans。If you love horror movies， My Heart is a Chainsaw has to be on your reading list this fall！ Even if you are not a horror buff， this book has a twisty and unique plot that most thriller readers would also enjoy。 4。5 stars rounded up to 5 stars！Thanks to Saga Press， Gallery Books， and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Susan Tacent ，

You will not be able to put this book down and the pages will seem to turn themselves as you follow Jade in her journey to take on the world around her。 You're in the hands of a master storyteller here。 Prepare to be entertained， challenged， amused （perhaps wryly）， and heartbroken。 The good kind of heartbroken， where the tears are cleansing and real。 Oh， and gorgeous writing， be prepared for that， too。 This is the book that will get under your skin and stay there for days and days。 You know the You will not be able to put this book down and the pages will seem to turn themselves as you follow Jade in her journey to take on the world around her。 You're in the hands of a master storyteller here。 Prepare to be entertained， challenged， amused （perhaps wryly）， and heartbroken。 The good kind of heartbroken， where the tears are cleansing and real。 Oh， and gorgeous writing， be prepared for that， too。 This is the book that will get under your skin and stay there for days and days。 You know the kind。 Stephen Graham Jones always delivers。 。。。more

Vivienne ，

My thanks to the publishers for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘My Heart is a Chainsaw’ by Stephen Graham Jones in exchange for an honest review。 As the audiobook was released， I did a dual read/listen for an immersive experience。Last year I read Stephen Graham Jones’ ‘The Only Good Indians’ and just loved it。 So I was very excited for this novel， especially on learning that its premise was focused on slasher films。 Jade Daniels is a half-Native American teenager living with her dad in Proofrock， a ra My thanks to the publishers for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘My Heart is a Chainsaw’ by Stephen Graham Jones in exchange for an honest review。 As the audiobook was released， I did a dual read/listen for an immersive experience。Last year I read Stephen Graham Jones’ ‘The Only Good Indians’ and just loved it。 So I was very excited for this novel， especially on learning that its premise was focused on slasher films。 Jade Daniels is a half-Native American teenager living with her dad in Proofrock， a rapidly gentrifying rural lake town in Idaho。 She is just one class away from graduating high school and in order to complete her local history course she is composing an epic essay on a unifying theory of slasher films。 In it， she is incorporating local folklore and history including ‘Camp Blood’， an abandoned summer camp where a murderous rampage took place fifty years ago。When Letha Mondragon arrives at school， Jade identifies her as the Final Girl， a key component in slasher films， and is convinced than an irreversible sequence of events has been set into motion。As tourists go missing and tensions rise between her local community and the wealthy newcomers building mansions on the other side of Indian Lake， Jade is prepared for the killer to rise。 She is convinced that it will all come to a head on the 4th July， when the town gathers on the water to celebrate。 Of course， there are people in Jade’s life that question whether she is delusional or compensating for more mundane horrors。 This is the second novel that I have read recently that focuses upon the concept of the ‘Final Girl’， a term that I hadn’t encountered before， even if it makes a great deal of sense as a major trope of the slasher genre。 Following a shocking opening chapter this was more a slow burn character-led novel， which then switched gears for its breathtaking， extremely gory conclusion。 Like Jade’s brain the novel was packed with references to slasher films。 I caught quite a few， though by no means all。This was a great deal of fun， as only well written comic horror can be; though its more than ghost masks and big knives and also integrates themes such as alienation， racism， mental health， abuse， and other social issues including the town’s increasing economic divide。 I enjoyed the time I spent with Jade， in many ways a kindred spirit to my teenage self。 I was amused by the description of her fascination with Letha Mondragon’s ‘incredible’ hair at their first meeting。 Throughout I admired her wry， snarky views on life and her undeniable courage。 In his acknowledgments Stephen Graham Jones writes about the genesis of the novel and his own appreciation of the slasher genre。Overall， I found ‘My Heart is a Chainsaw’ very much my kind of horror novel。 It is well written， literary， and multilayered: addressing serious issues while continuing to honour the traditions of its genre。 It is genuinely frightening yet with dark humour and self-awareness running through it。 Stephen Graham Jones has quickly become one of my ‘must read’ authors and I look forward to exploring his back catalogue as well as news of upcoming projects。Certainly highly recommended for fans of intelligent horror。 。。。more

Geonn Cannon ，

Content warnings: graphic scene of attempted suicide， non-graphic sexual assaultThis book is why I'm not a fan of horror。 It's not about being scary， it's not about foreboding or anything like that。 It's about gore。 It's just killing as many people as you can， making it as disgusting and gory as possible。 This one has a solid premise， at least， but it still devolves into just a montage of "And then his HEAD WAS SLICED open！ And BLOOD GUSHED OUT！！！ And it WENT STRAIGHT THROUGH HER BODY！！！" in as Content warnings: graphic scene of attempted suicide， non-graphic sexual assaultThis book is why I'm not a fan of horror。 It's not about being scary， it's not about foreboding or anything like that。 It's about gore。 It's just killing as many people as you can， making it as disgusting and gory as possible。 This one has a solid premise， at least， but it still devolves into just a montage of "And then his HEAD WAS SLICED open！ And BLOOD GUSHED OUT！！！ And it WENT STRAIGHT THROUGH HER BODY！！！" in as much bloody detail as possible。 At least books can't have cheap jump scares。I'm glad I was listening to the audiobook （Cara Gee does a great job， by the way） because otherwise my eyes would've glazed over during the slasher porn and I might have never finished the damn thing。 。。。more

Brian Shafer ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I really enjoyed this book。 If you like Slasher movies and the genre you would get a kick out of this book。 I would even say that this book has a psychological twist to it。 I promise no spoilers。 I never read a Stephen Graham Jones book before got it just because of the description sounded liked something that was unique and different。 By the end of the book I can say that yes even all the slasher movie references Jade uses throughout the story were fun。 I was not expecting it to go down in a I really enjoyed this book。 If you like Slasher movies and the genre you would get a kick out of this book。 I would even say that this book has a psychological twist to it。 I promise no spoilers。 I never read a Stephen Graham Jones book before got it just because of the description sounded liked something that was unique and different。 By the end of the book I can say that yes even all the slasher movie references Jade uses throughout the story were fun。 I was not expecting it to go down in a bloodbath of events at the end。 I would say though this book might not be for everyone。 It took about 50% to actually start kicking up the gears， but I decided to stick it out till the end。 I was so glad I did because that ending was great。 Jade is a 17 year old teenager who just loves slasher movie genre。 She is like a walking dictionary of knowledge of how the final girl survives the slasher movies。 She had a rough life living with her dad which plays into the psychological side of things。 I felt like she was hiding something was kept from us because it felt like trying to open a safe。 I am going to definitely give it another read eventually。 。。。more

Leanbh ，

Conclusion:Absolutely can’t recommend this one enough！ I enjoyed The Only Good Indians so much but this one is my new favourite by Stephen Graham Jones。 Recommended for readers who enjoy horror of all sorts， psychological and dark fiction styles， lovers of the slasher genre and supernatural tales。 A must-read！Review:The protagonist of My Heart is a Chainsaw is Jade Daniels， a seventeen year old Native American girl living in Proofrock ， Idaho。 Derived by her peers， obsessed with slasher movies t Conclusion:Absolutely can’t recommend this one enough！ I enjoyed The Only Good Indians so much but this one is my new favourite by Stephen Graham Jones。 Recommended for readers who enjoy horror of all sorts， psychological and dark fiction styles， lovers of the slasher genre and supernatural tales。 A must-read！Review:The protagonist of My Heart is a Chainsaw is Jade Daniels， a seventeen year old Native American girl living in Proofrock ， Idaho。 Derived by her peers， obsessed with slasher movies to hide a darker personal betrayal than a town that ignores her， Jade is trapped by the bleakness of her position， unable to escape living with her alcoholic father and shunned by Proofrock。 What Jades wants more than anything is revenge for being unseen。 When two Swedish travellers are murdered in Indian Lake， the manner suggestive of a local legend， a child called Stacey Graves or the ‘Lake Witch’ who has historically been blamed for many murders over the generations in Proofrock。 Jade believes this is the beginning of her chance to see Proofrock punished for ignoring her abuse and her。On the opposite side of Indian Lake is Terra Nova， the once-national park and Shoshone territory， now a construction site for incredibly wealthy families called the Founders。 Jade strikes an unlikely friendship with Letha， daughter of one of the Founders and in Jade’s senior year。 In the ensuring carnage and slowly rising body count， the identity of the murderer remains unclear， the reason for the slayings equally puzzling as threads of people’s lives cross and some are cut permanently。 One thing Jade is certain about is that Letha is the Final Girl of Proofrock， the only one who can destroy the slasher in the very real reckoning for Proofrock。 But Jade is forced to confront the realisation that slashers are fictional， following a genre while real life does not。 Forced into grim reality， Jade tackles the wrathful supernatural force of Stacey Graves and finds her own heart is a chainsaw， roaring into being with a powerful need to survive， defend herself and those few like Letha she cares about。Final Thoughts:My Heart is a Chainsaw was a wonderful exploration of the slasher genre which combines supernatural elements boosted by Graham Jones’s characteristic style: tensioning the unknown with sudden shocks of horror。 It works beautifully and is so skilfully done， it drives the story forward， keeps the reader on edge， waiting for the next sudden shock。 There are strong characters and some explorations of very dark themes which give such a strong literary quality to the novel。 Although My Heart is a Chainsaw felt a little slow to get into focus， once it did， it was impossible to stop reading。 。。。more

M L ，

3。6

Steven Montano ，

I’ve been a fan of Stephen Graham Jones for a few years now， and having thoroughly enjoyed “The Only Good Indians” （one of my favorite novels of all time）， “Mongrels”， “Night of the Mannequins” and， to a lesser extent， “Zombie Back-Off” （which I thought I was a brilliant idea with just an above-average delivery）， I was excited to read his latest， and was able to do so thanks to an advanced copy acquired through Netgalley。I will admit to having some concerns， because plot-wise MHIACS looked like I’ve been a fan of Stephen Graham Jones for a few years now， and having thoroughly enjoyed “The Only Good Indians” （one of my favorite novels of all time）， “Mongrels”， “Night of the Mannequins” and， to a lesser extent， “Zombie Back-Off” （which I thought I was a brilliant idea with just an above-average delivery）， I was excited to read his latest， and was able to do so thanks to an advanced copy acquired through Netgalley。I will admit to having some concerns， because plot-wise MHIACS looked like it would mirror the plot of “Last Final Girl”， the one novel of Stephen’s I’d read and didn’t at all care for。  That being said， while MHIACS does indeed bear impossible to avoid echoes of the lesser work， this is， as expected， still an engaging， thought-provoking， and at times utterly exciting novel， though it admittedly does take a looooooooooong time to get going， surprisingly especially given its relatively short length。“My Heart Is a Chainsaw” is the story of Jade， a young half-Native American girl who is one of those outcast kids we all knew （or were） in high school。  She doesn’t sit with the popular crowd， barely stands her boor of a drunken father， and sees most of the world through the lens of slasher flicks， of which she is a veritable encyclopedia。  Much of the novel is spent with Jade ruminating on the rules and realities of “Final Girls” （for the uneducated， this refers to the last young woman standing in most slasher horror films， and the one who inevitably takes out the killer in the end）， so when things really do start to go bump in the night and bodies start turning up in Jade’s small town she of course suspects the worst， and begins making preparations。  Unfortunately， Jade doesn’t see herself as Final Girl material， so she started preparing another for the role: the daughter of a media mogul responsible for transforming segments of a National Park just outside of town into a veritable paradise resort for himself and his rich friends。The themes of identity and the notions of “purity” and accepting one's role are prevalent in MHIACS， as is the threat of gentrification and the destruction of history， all portrayed through the lens of a slasher flick。  It’s a brilliant arrangement of ideas that works more often that not， even if it does carry on for a bit too long。On the strong side of the novel， Jones is a master of character-building， and Jade is a great one。  Scarred， flawed， but utterly likeable， the more we get to know Jade we come to believe in much more than she does herself， particularly as all of the skeletons in the closet of her young life come to the surface。  Jade is a truly tragic but irresistibly charismatic creation， and all of the supporting characters are nicely detailed。  Even lesser characters live and breathe and leave their mark （even if several of them wind up as gory casualties）。  Jones is also a master of gore。  Holy CRAP！  MHIACS doesn’t start to get gruesome until near the end， but when it does he clearly sets out to overshadow the slasher flicks of old。  I can’t remember saying “Eww” out loud so many times while reading a novel。On the downside， MHIACS is a slow grind。  Very slow。  Exceedingly slow。  A measured approach to suspense and horror is not something I mind at all -- often it is to be relished in order to build mood， atmosphere and characters -- but for some reason the build-up here felt extremely sluggish， and while it more than makes up for it starting around the ⅔ mark of the book the seeming lack of significant events makes the first couple of hundred pages seem like many more。  This normally isn’t an issue I have with Jones’ work at all， so I was surprised and a little put-off by it here， enough for it to warrant marking down a star in the rating。Elements of the “big reveal” may also tick some readers off as a cop-out， but I personally thought it was played brilliantly， and while the final pages of the novel painted a giant question-mark over my face when I first read them， upon reflection I think I know what Jones was going for， and I appreciate him giving me something to ponder and reflect on once I set down the book。So， all in all， while not Jones’ best work （it ranks fourth for me behind “The Only Good Indians”， “Mongrels” and “Night of the Mannequin”）， this is of course a solid outing from a terrific author。  I can’t wait to read what he cooks up next。 。。。more

Patricia ，

Oh my gosh， where to begin？ My Heart is a Chainsaw is a beautifully written， evocative novel of excruciating wit， knowledge， and social commentary。 This book was totally outside the scope of my regular genre （psychological suspense） but I am so glad I took a chance on it。 While I don't believe I have seen any of the horror films so thoroughly cataloged by Jones （except of course for Jaws）， I am certainly familiar with all of the tropes， masks， costumes， and jump scares he describes。 There were m Oh my gosh， where to begin？ My Heart is a Chainsaw is a beautifully written， evocative novel of excruciating wit， knowledge， and social commentary。 This book was totally outside the scope of my regular genre （psychological suspense） but I am so glad I took a chance on it。 While I don't believe I have seen any of the horror films so thoroughly cataloged by Jones （except of course for Jaws）， I am certainly familiar with all of the tropes， masks， costumes， and jump scares he describes。 There were many sections where I was just plain in over my head。 Having said that， Jones does such an amazing job of placing the films in context that I found it didn't matter - I was able to figure out （or skip over） parts that I didn't understand。 And can we just talk about the language/metaphors/similes for a moment？ "She Holden Caulfields it across the lawn。""The sun goes down and the overhead lights become more important。""Jade positions her fingers at the keyboard version of ten and two。"Then there is the story， a heart wrenching tale of a brilliant， inventive teen who feels alone in the world， covering up her scarred upbringing and loneliness through slasher tinted glasses。 She is the town crier， warning every one of the carnage to come， while she is patronized， and worse， punished for her beliefs。 Even when the prediction comes true （come on， you knew it would， right？ no spoiler here！） she doesn't get the hero worship， fame or glory she sort of anticipated， even if she couldn't admit it to herself。 She allows the myth of the final girl to play out。 One final suggestion - read the acknowledgements。 They answer the question all authors get - where did you get your idea/do your research for this story。 And just FYI， the final sentence （yes， of the acknowledgments） had me in tears。Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books/Saga Press for an advanced review copy。 。。。more

Cindy Peters ，

A lot of details to keep up with。

Lyle Boylen ，

A lot of praise on Goodreads and other forums for this book。 Maybe if I was a fan of 80s horror movies I might get it。 Its very well written， but this book is not for me。

kim v ，

I loved this so much！ It’s my new favourite horror book！ Creepy， gory， heartbreaking， just everything you want in a scary book！！！

Michael ，

I really， really wanted to like this one more。 Much like The Only Good Indians， it just took SO LONG to get started that by the time it did， I was already checked out。 The premise of this is great， even the darkness of it， but that's the only thing that had me hanging on through the end。 I can tell that Jones is a really good writer and his inspirations are shining through the characters， I just need him to pick up the pace a bit and get his stories moving sooner。 I really， really wanted to like this one more。 Much like The Only Good Indians， it just took SO LONG to get started that by the time it did， I was already checked out。 The premise of this is great， even the darkness of it， but that's the only thing that had me hanging on through the end。 I can tell that Jones is a really good writer and his inspirations are shining through the characters， I just need him to pick up the pace a bit and get his stories moving sooner。 。。。more

Carolyn Valdez ，

This is the first book I have read by SGJ and I don’t know if it is the way SGJ writes or if it is me。 I was totally confused through most of the book。 I will have to try another one of SGJ’s stories to see if it is me or just not for me at all。

Alexandra ，

I have a confession to make。 As big of a fan of horror as I am， this is the first Stephen Graham Jones novel I've read。 I've had more than a few of his titles on my wanted list for awhile now， have a copy of The Only Good Indians on my to-read shelf above my bed， and have heard a lot of good things about him as a writer。 I've also been wanting to read more horror by POC authors- there seems to be a lack of them in the horror community （or it's more likely that they simply don't get enough of a s I have a confession to make。 As big of a fan of horror as I am， this is the first Stephen Graham Jones novel I've read。 I've had more than a few of his titles on my wanted list for awhile now， have a copy of The Only Good Indians on my to-read shelf above my bed， and have heard a lot of good things about him as a writer。 I've also been wanting to read more horror by POC authors- there seems to be a lack of them in the horror community （or it's more likely that they simply don't get enough of a spotlight）。I didn't expect to get approved for the advance copy of this， and was VERY excited when that email came in。 And I'm happy to say that every good thing I've heard about his writing is absolutely true。 This man knows how to WRITE。 This book took me a bit to get into， because as good as the writing was， the main character grated on me。。。 which， I now believe， was entirely intentional。 It turns out to be an exercise in empathy， in setting aside your own experiences and living someone else's， remembering that everyone has a reason for who and what they are。 It's also a bit slow to start， but once shit hits the fan， it hits the fan。 There were a few twists and turns I didn't expect， some red herrings， and it all ends up in a way that makes sense。 I don't want to say too much about the actual meat of the plot， because this is the sort of story that needs to be unfolded by the reader without knowing much beforehand。 That's a big part of the satisfaction with this book。 I'll absolutely be looking out for future novels from this author， and can't wait to read more of his past work！ This is one I'd definitely recommend to any dedicated horror fan。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more

Georgianna ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Incredible story， and a big fuck yes to getting revenge on shitty， abusive， disgusting parents

Shorty ，

Content warning: s*x*al *ssa*lt， talk of child r*pe， trauma， gore， blood， su*c*de attempts， self harm， animal death， maggots and decay。 Somehow， the gods of libraries smiled down upon me， and I got to be the very first person to listen to （and rate） the audiobook version of this novel at my local library。 That never happens。 So imagine me absolutely thrilled！ Because I really was。 Jones is fast becoming one of my very favorite horror authors out there today。But reader， be warned！ This novel is g Content warning: s*x*al *ssa*lt， talk of child r*pe， trauma， gore， blood， su*c*de attempts， self harm， animal death， maggots and decay。 Somehow， the gods of libraries smiled down upon me， and I got to be the very first person to listen to （and rate） the audiobook version of this novel at my local library。 That never happens。 So imagine me absolutely thrilled！ Because I really was。 Jones is fast becoming one of my very favorite horror authors out there today。But reader， be warned！ This novel is gory。 Bleak。 And brilliantly written。 I fucking adore it。 Yes， even with all the content warning subjects。Some reviewers here on goodreads have to be told to stick with this novel， as at about the 65% or so， it finally picks up。 I found it fascinating from the very start。 And I didn’t want to stop reading it， not even to sleep。 I have a feeling that it’s going to stay with me for a long time， too…。。This novel has some complex characters that you can’t help but love， and this amazing plot that keeps you guessing throughout the entire novel。 The red herrings were multitudinous， and the twists and turns were enough to give a less hearty reader motion sickness。 I could never tell who the killer was - or if there even WAS a killer， and not just this teen’s out of control imagination。 It was a wild ride， and I enjoyed myself the entire way， screaming my head off。Cara Gee is the phenomenal narrator for the audiobook version of this novel， and she nailed this baby out of the park。 I’d never heard Gee’s narration skills before， but this young lady has a very bright future ahead of her。 I hope Simon and Schuster Audio continue to give Gee tons more work， as I’d love to run across her voice again and again。 She is seriously great。I may not recommend this novel to many people， as it’s possibly for those who really， really love horror， and don’t mind the subject matter （and gore）。 But to those people who can handle this kind of thing， PLEASE GO READ THIS NOVEL NOW。 I think you’ll love it as much as I did/do。 Just have some patience， and please concentrate。 My Heart is a Chainsaw has the most unforgettable two concluding paragraphs of a novel I’ve probably ever encountered。 （I was so moved that I read them 4 or 5 times in a row， and I’m still thinking about them）。 And in them， Stephen Graham Jones delivers a final gut punch that convinced me I couldn’t give his book anything less than five stars。 Bravo， sir。 Well done。 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 。。。more

Chelsea ，

Thank you Stephen Graham Jones for writing My Heart is a Chainsaw and Netgalley for giving me a chance to read it early in exchange for an honest review。 I know I am a few days late to review this amazing book， but I kinda fell into the lake and was emerged in the depths of the story。 I wish I had had this book when I was 17 and didn't fit in， had a horror movie heart and was surrounded by rom-com fools。 My whole life I have felt on the outside and had no one to talk to about my obsession with T Thank you Stephen Graham Jones for writing My Heart is a Chainsaw and Netgalley for giving me a chance to read it early in exchange for an honest review。 I know I am a few days late to review this amazing book， but I kinda fell into the lake and was emerged in the depths of the story。 I wish I had had this book when I was 17 and didn't fit in， had a horror movie heart and was surrounded by rom-com fools。 My whole life I have felt on the outside and had no one to talk to about my obsession with The Fog， The Thing， and Stephen King， to name a few and rhyme。 It is so nice to find an author whose books make me sink in the words and world of his books。 I know I haven't really given a summary of the story， but my mind is still churning through Jade's exploration of the slasher film and how it relates to her life。 I feel like this book had so many levels and I spent the whole read wondering， is this happening or just in Jade's head。 The more I read by SGJ， the more I love his writing。 Please keep writing your stories Mr Jones， and I'll keep reading them。 My 17 year old self thanks you。 。。。more

Calyssa ，

I was so excited to get to read this， because the premise sounded so cool， so meta， and just like a really great mix of horror/slasher and commentary on gentrification and life in a fairly rural part of Idaho， narrated through the eyes of an “outsider” that is obsessed with horror movies and is most likely an unreliable narrator。 The concept is “hell is a teenage girl” but pushed outward， through the whole town that is rotten and corrupted， at least from Jade’s point of view， which reflects the I was so excited to get to read this， because the premise sounded so cool， so meta， and just like a really great mix of horror/slasher and commentary on gentrification and life in a fairly rural part of Idaho， narrated through the eyes of an “outsider” that is obsessed with horror movies and is most likely an unreliable narrator。 The concept is “hell is a teenage girl” but pushed outward， through the whole town that is rotten and corrupted， at least from Jade’s point of view， which reflects the turmoil and alienation of her nonexistent family life。 If I were her， I would escape through horror too。When I began reading it， there was some nagging little feeling that kept cropping up as I read， and it took me a while to notice， but then it became more and more obvious as the pages went on。 There’s a tone and loose structure it has where the book feels like a mostly unfinished， kooky first draft。 The sentence structures are clunky or somehow not fully “developed，” although it is sometimes hard to place why。 The plot doesn’t actually begin until about 90 pages in， and then it hasn’t actually started， Jade just tells you that the slashing is about to begin。 The plot sort of jumps around at the beginning， like the scenes were too boring to sit and write， but also as if they were too exciting to fully expand on before the author wanted to run toward the next part。 All the characters have an unrealistic-sounding name， and none of the characters act like anything more than a caricature of whatever archetype they are meant to portray。 The dialogue doesn’t seem realistic， but rather too quippy and snarky to feel real。And worst of all， Jade floats through life with no real consequences for any of her actions or any genuine fear or anxiety about her future， knowing that she hasn’t truly graduated from high school and still has to live with her dad。 She writes these slasher essays for her history teacher for extra credit to try to graduate， but they are not even particularly well-written and no self-respecting teacher would accept them for hours of credit。 She routinely shoplifts from the store where her mother works and no one stops her and she feels no remorse or curiosity into how her mother’s life is， considering she believes her mother pays for the things she shoplifts。 Not only that， but she attempted suicide at the start of the book， but she never gives that memory another thought or worries about getting better or expresses fear that she may attempt suicide again。 At seventeen， Jade is still a child， but there is nothing remotely childlike about Jade， or particularly fleshed out and human either。 She is an adult’s movie-version of a teenager。 She is hollow and doesn’t seem to emote more than a poorly-programmed robot。There’s a little too much of the clever “wink-wink， did ya see what I did there？” on every page for the story to be taken as a serious， independent take on the slasher genre。 It relies too much on references that not everyone will even get， and not enough on its own substance， which it does not possess。Thank you to Gallery/Saga Press and NetGalley for sharing this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Kelsey ，

One of my most anticipated books of the year and it absolutely did not disappoint。 This book delivers。 The social commentary is spot on， the horror tropes are spot on， the action and pacing （for me！） were spot on。（view spoiler）[The lead up to the third act final made my heart sing。 As an avid fan of slasher movies AND SGJ- this was everything I wanted。 We get non-stop slasher references and deep dives， along with the classic SGJ lead character inner downward spiral。 I LOVED being in Jade's head。 One of my most anticipated books of the year and it absolutely did not disappoint。 This book delivers。 The social commentary is spot on， the horror tropes are spot on， the action and pacing （for me！） were spot on。（view spoiler）[The lead up to the third act final made my heart sing。 As an avid fan of slasher movies AND SGJ- this was everything I wanted。 We get non-stop slasher references and deep dives， along with the classic SGJ lead character inner downward spiral。 I LOVED being in Jade's head。 She's both endearing， disturbing， and heartbreaking。 I particularly loved following a main character living a life where she is convinced she couldn't possibly be the main character。 Jade is the ultimate anti-hero， so utterly believing that she's not worthy of being a final girl， and we're convinced along with her！ For the entire lead up， we're not sure if Jade is a final girl or a villain。 And at some points it feels like it could go either way。 Her characterization is delicate， and walks a fine， tense line。 And I found myself ready to root for whichever side of the line Jade landed on。 （hide spoiler）]This book is clever， and will make any slasher lover's heart sing。 Thank you to Netgalley， Gallery/Saga Press， and the Author for an advanced e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

A Broken Zebra ，

NetGalley ARC "Horror's not a symptom， it's a love affair。" This one is for the slasher fans。 My first exposure to Jones was through an ARC for The Only Good Indians and so when I had another opportunity to read one of his pieces， I， to borrow a word from main character， Jade， glommed。 This has some triggery topics， gore aside， horror of multiple platforms from movie to real life。 Though there were some periods in which the text was convoluted， I would still recommend this to fans of the genre NetGalley ARC "Horror's not a symptom， it's a love affair。" This one is for the slasher fans。 My first exposure to Jones was through an ARC for The Only Good Indians and so when I had another opportunity to read one of his pieces， I， to borrow a word from main character， Jade， glommed。 This has some triggery topics， gore aside， horror of multiple platforms from movie to real life。 Though there were some periods in which the text was convoluted， I would still recommend this to fans of the genre and author alike。 A few references made me smile， hard， and that's always a bonus， and I learned something as well - what the giallo genre is。One of my favorite lines I feel compelled to share - "（H）er lips feel more squiggly， more Charlie Brown。 And she can feel his cartoon parentheses around her eyes， too。" And the school essays that serve as breaks between chapters written by our narrator， Jade， are filled with so many tasty facts。 Loved it！p。s。 One particular death had me crying， though I won't spoil which。 ;___; 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=My Heart Is a Chainsaw

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=My Heart Is a Chainsaw&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,My Heart Is a Chainsaw&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0