Horror

My Heart is a Chainsaw

My Heart is a Chainsaw

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  • Create Date：2021-09-01 10:51:35
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Stephen Graham Jones
  • ISBN：1982179813
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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

Jade Daniels is an angry， half-Indian outcast with an abusive father， an absent mother， and an entire town that wants nothing to do with her。 She lives in her own world， a world in which protection comes from an unusual source: horror movies…especially the ones where a masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them。 And Jade narrates the quirky history of Proofrock as if it is one of those movies。 But when blood actually starts to spill into the waters of Indian Lake， she pulls us into her dizzying， encyclopedic mind of blood and masked murderers， and predicts exactly how the plot will unfold。

Yet， even as Jade drags us into her dark fever dream， a surprising and intimate portrait emerges… a portrait of the scared and traumatized little girl beneath the Jason Voorhees mask: angry， yes， but also a girl who easily cries， fiercely loves， and desperately wants a home。 A girl whose feelings are too big for her body。

My Heart Is a Chainsaw is her story， her homage to horror and revenge and triumph。

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Reviews

Aina ，

4。5 stars！ An awesome homage to slasher movies that manages to subvert the genre and bring something different！ How do you survive when monsters come in many forms？ Who deserves to be a Final Girl？ Narrated by a troubled girl with a big heart， Jade is one of the best protagonists I’ve ever read。 I think every person who has used horror movies to escape from life will relate to her。 She believes the world must follow slasher rules because that’s the only way it makes sense。 She seeks a Final Girl 4。5 stars！ An awesome homage to slasher movies that manages to subvert the genre and bring something different！ How do you survive when monsters come in many forms？ Who deserves to be a Final Girl？ Narrated by a troubled girl with a big heart， Jade is one of the best protagonists I’ve ever read。 I think every person who has used horror movies to escape from life will relate to her。 She believes the world must follow slasher rules because that’s the only way it makes sense。 She seeks a Final Girl to mentor because she thinks she doesn’t fit the criteria。 She’s torn between wanting to watch her town suffer and wanting to fight the monster。 Yet beneath her snarky interactions with a sympathetic Sheriff and a supportive teacher， lies a layer of pain and loneliness that she hides from everyone。The book is filled with slasher movies references in Jade’s inner monologues， interspersed with her Slasher 101 essays。 I enjoyed it， especially surprises like an Agatha Christie mention and the argument for Jaws as a slasher movie。 However， I can see why this would be confusing for readers who aren’t fans of slashers。 I also thought the pacing lags in the middle though the last third makes up for it！ It’s a chaotic， violent finale with poignant scenes of Jade reconciling her life with her fantasies。 I felt sad that I had to leave her behind when the story ends。 But just like her favourite movies， I hope there’s a sequel！CW: sexual abuse， self-harm， suicide attempt， animal deaths， graphic violenceThank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy。book blog | twitter | instagram 。。。more

Tammy ，

Award winner Stephen Graham Jones has written a horror novel unlike any I’ve read before。 It’s not straightforward like what I’m used to。 It took me a good minute to get used to the writing style and for the story to pick up in pace。 The main character is Jade Daniels who is a half-Indian teenage girl who goes to school in the small pristine town of Proofrock， which is set on Indian Lake。 She lives with her alcoholic father， is a custodian at her school， and is overly OBSESSED with horror movies Award winner Stephen Graham Jones has written a horror novel unlike any I’ve read before。 It’s not straightforward like what I’m used to。 It took me a good minute to get used to the writing style and for the story to pick up in pace。 The main character is Jade Daniels who is a half-Indian teenage girl who goes to school in the small pristine town of Proofrock， which is set on Indian Lake。 She lives with her alcoholic father， is a custodian at her school， and is overly OBSESSED with horror movies。 Jade lives in her own world， and has this feeling that the town is about to turn into a horror movie， the question is。。 what kind of horror movie is it going to be？ If you’ve ever watched any 80’s classic horror movies， that’s what you’ll find between the pages of this book。 I don’t know how to explain it， just read it。 You’ll understand what I’m saying after you do。 This book gives you a lot to think about。 It’s not like anything I ever expected。 Thanks to Gallery Books via NetGalley for kindly providing this ARC in exchange for my review。 。。。more

Nadia Jonesy ，

Thanks NetGalley， Gallery Books。 and Stephen Graham Jones for this book to review。 It started off really strong with the tourist couple but it went downhill from there。 The book seem to drag a bit and I really like Stephen Graham Jones' books but this was not for me。 I didn't like Jade as a POV。 I just was not。 happy about this one。 Thanks NetGalley， Gallery Books。 and Stephen Graham Jones for this book to review。 It started off really strong with the tourist couple but it went downhill from there。 The book seem to drag a bit and I really like Stephen Graham Jones' books but this was not for me。 I didn't like Jade as a POV。 I just was not。 happy about this one。 。。。more

Em Stevens ，

Well that was an unexpected kick in the feels。 Like Final Girls Support Group （also released this year）， this has a lot of slasher film nods in it。 That's pretty much where the similarities end。 Whereas Hendrix seemed to be addressing what happens to a Final Girl AFTER the act， as well as showcasing just how fucked up our love of slashers is， Jones is out to show how movies can be armor when its most needed。 I expected quiet a bit of the "whodunit" and twists and turns。 Like "Night of the Manneq Well that was an unexpected kick in the feels。 Like Final Girls Support Group （also released this year）， this has a lot of slasher film nods in it。 That's pretty much where the similarities end。 Whereas Hendrix seemed to be addressing what happens to a Final Girl AFTER the act， as well as showcasing just how fucked up our love of slashers is， Jones is out to show how movies can be armor when its most needed。 I expected quiet a bit of the "whodunit" and twists and turns。 Like "Night of the Mannequins"， this novel shows how empathetic Jones is to teenagers and the teenage voice。 It's jarring to read but feels incredibly real。 But unlike Mannequins， there's room here for Jade to breathe。 To really be forced to dive deep and discover her horror-movie armor hasn't just protected her from her life， but from herself。 Really delightful and vulnerable。 。。。more

Pamela ，

I got this arc for an honest review， nothing more。My Heart is a Chainsaw is Friday the 13th meets Scream mashing up with Mean Girls and Sixteen Candles。 Stephan Graham Jones wrote an interesting character。 Jade feels she is more antihero than final girl material。 But it is Jade who draws me in， making me see beneath the goth makeup and colored hair to the true final girl。 Then toss in a good story and the author completely hooked me into wanting to read the book to the end。Read the rest of the r I got this arc for an honest review， nothing more。My Heart is a Chainsaw is Friday the 13th meets Scream mashing up with Mean Girls and Sixteen Candles。 Stephan Graham Jones wrote an interesting character。 Jade feels she is more antihero than final girl material。 But it is Jade who draws me in， making me see beneath the goth makeup and colored hair to the true final girl。 Then toss in a good story and the author completely hooked me into wanting to read the book to the end。Read the rest of the review at http://www。ismellsheep。com/2021/08/bo。。。 。。。more

W。 Jordan ，

Killer book with characters that leap off the page。 I love a good misanthrope and Jade， in her way， is exactly that。 Read my full review on iHorror here: https://www。ihorror。com/stephen-graha。。。 Killer book with characters that leap off the page。 I love a good misanthrope and Jade， in her way， is exactly that。 Read my full review on iHorror here: https://www。ihorror。com/stephen-graha。。。 。。。more

Alia Robinson ，

this is the third book I've read from this author this year， and I have hated them all。 this is my last time reading him。 I have never seen so many run on sentences in my life。 I didn't care about anyone or anything that was happening。 it was too long， and stretches of it were so boring， just no！ this is the third book I've read from this author this year， and I have hated them all。 this is my last time reading him。 I have never seen so many run on sentences in my life。 I didn't care about anyone or anything that was happening。 it was too long， and stretches of it were so boring， just no！ 。。。more

Octavia （ReadsWithDogs） ，

。"But everybody dies in those movies he says， pulling the headlights on now， blasting white out across the water。"But they really live first，" Jade says， popping her door open to fade into the night。🔪💀🌲🩸Happy book birthday to my favorite book of the year！My Heart is a Chainsaw is truly a masterpiece of slasher fiction mixed with a coming-of-age horror story。I laughed， I cried， I cringed。 I almost threw my Kindle at the wall a few times because I got so invested in Jade and her wellbeing。 This bo 。"But everybody dies in those movies he says， pulling the headlights on now， blasting white out across the water。"But they really live first，" Jade says， popping her door open to fade into the night。🔪💀🌲🩸Happy book birthday to my favorite book of the year！My Heart is a Chainsaw is truly a masterpiece of slasher fiction mixed with a coming-of-age horror story。I laughed， I cried， I cringed。 I almost threw my Kindle at the wall a few times because I got so invested in Jade and her wellbeing。 This book is a love story to slashers and has so much heart it made my tiny dark heart grow three sizes。 Some people might not be able to handle the free flowing style of being in Jade's head， but once you get used to the way the story is being told you can't turn the pages fast enough。This book has everything I want in my novels; a strong take-no-shit female protagonist， a love for horror and it's history， creepy woods， and fucked up stuff happening to rich jerks。Run， don't walk to your nearest bookstore and get this book！⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/ All the stars 。。。more

Kimberly ，

Stephen Graham Jones really knows how to write a horror novel！ I didn't think he could possibly top "The Only Good Indians，" which I devoured in a day， but he has proved me wrong。 "My Heart is a Chainsaw" is the inventive story of Jade Daniels， a young woman obsessed with slasher films。 When a body is found in Indian Lake， Jade begins to believe that a real-life slasher has come to her sleepy little town and that only her knowledge of horror films will save them。 As the death count rises， a read Stephen Graham Jones really knows how to write a horror novel！ I didn't think he could possibly top "The Only Good Indians，" which I devoured in a day， but he has proved me wrong。 "My Heart is a Chainsaw" is the inventive story of Jade Daniels， a young woman obsessed with slasher films。 When a body is found in Indian Lake， Jade begins to believe that a real-life slasher has come to her sleepy little town and that only her knowledge of horror films will save them。 As the death count rises， a reader can't help but wonder if Jade is really as crazy as she seems or if she just might be right after all。 Jade is a beautifully written， multidimensional character。 She is intelligent and tough-as-nails。 However， she is also vulnerable and longs for a place to fit in and call home。 I found myself really routing for her。。。and desperately hoping that she wasn't out of her mind for believing she was in a real life slasher movie。 This book， like Jones' others， is definitely not for everyone。 It is gory and challenging to read。 However， readers who appreciate both exquisite writing and true horror will love this book。 I loved this book！ Many thanks to NetGalley， the publisher， and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this fabulous book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Greg at 2 Book Lovers Reviews ，

4。5 StarsMy Heart is a Chainsaw comes from the be careful what you wish for file。First and foremost， this story is an homage to the slasher film genre。 And Jade， our protagonist， is a walking， talking slasher encyclopedia。 Jones puts on full display his knowledge of the genre through Jade， spelling out the pattern à-la Scream， highlighting the glorious staples of the genre and informing his audience of the lesser-known hidden gems。 However， he puts a fantastic twist on one of the most cardinal e 4。5 StarsMy Heart is a Chainsaw comes from the be careful what you wish for file。First and foremost， this story is an homage to the slasher film genre。 And Jade， our protagonist， is a walking， talking slasher encyclopedia。 Jones puts on full display his knowledge of the genre through Jade， spelling out the pattern à-la Scream， highlighting the glorious staples of the genre and informing his audience of the lesser-known hidden gems。 However， he puts a fantastic twist on one of the most cardinal elements of the slasher: the final girl。Secondly， Jones really makes us take a long hard look at ourselves， the things we do， say， and think about people who look different from us。 The things that have happened over the generations and the impact those events still have today。 My Heart is a Chainsaw is a challenge to do better。My only complaint was Jade’s overcharged imagination。 Sometimes it felt a little difficult to tell reality from Jade’s superimposed unreality; perhaps this was what Jones was going for， it just left me feeling a bit distracted from time to time。Jones did all of this within a supercharged horror story。 Filled with captivating characters and one of the best action-filled climaxes that I’ve read in years， every element helped to build the story right to the bloody end！*I received a copy of the book from the publisher （via NetGalley）。 。。。more

Brandi Guarino ，

Review Pending

Justin Lewis ，

Review coming soon！

Renee ，

I have only read one other book by Stephen Graham Jones（The Only Good Indians）， but it was enough to know that he has his own very unique writing style。 Getting a chance to read an early copy was like Christmas in July， though I am sure if he wrote a book about the holiday， it would have nothing to do with sugarplums and sweet dreams。Seventeen-year-old Jade is half-Indian and 100% outsider in her hometown of Proofrock， Indiana。 There is one thing that no one can take away from her， her encyclope I have only read one other book by Stephen Graham Jones（The Only Good Indians）， but it was enough to know that he has his own very unique writing style。 Getting a chance to read an early copy was like Christmas in July， though I am sure if he wrote a book about the holiday， it would have nothing to do with sugarplums and sweet dreams。Seventeen-year-old Jade is half-Indian and 100% outsider in her hometown of Proofrock， Indiana。 There is one thing that no one can take away from her， her encyclopedic knowledge of all the slasher movies ever made that live inside her head。 When two tourists die， Jade is convinced that this nothing good ever happens here town is about to become infamous。 There is a slasher here and now all she needs is a final girl。Another person might have written the script making herself the final girl， but Jade knows she doesn't have what it takes。 A new housing development being built across the lake provides what she needs。 Letha， the new girl at school checks all Jade's boxes。 As every slasher-loving movie fan knows， the final girl always emerges scarred but alive。 The question though is real-life anything like a movie？ Jade is about to find out。I am not a walking talking horror movie addict like Jade， and I might have been lost at all the references if the author didn't provide a clever way to share some much-needed knowledge。 Jade writes extra credit essays for her history teacher and this allowed me to not have to constantly Google parts of this book。 From the moment that Jade was introduced， her unique voice and outlook made her a favorite fictional character。 I would classify this as a slow burn until everything comes together for the final confrontation。 I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen。 。。。more

Cecil ，

I wanted to like this more than I ended up liking it。 Extremely well-written， with just the right touches of pathos and humor， but in the end unsatisfying。Update: So I’ve upgraded this to four stars because I kept finding myself thinking about it and some of the clever things Jones did with some tired tropes。

Scott Chelmow ，

My grateful thanks as always to NetGalley for the chance at an advance read of a book that's bound to grab plenty of attention。 Even with the tantalizing subject matter of slasher movies and "final" girls， nobody should approach this book thinking it's going to be a fun， breezy， lightning fast， hot buttered popcorn treat to read。 On the contrary， it bears the heavy density （and sometimes obtuseness and pretension ） of literary fiction， a slow， tortuous journey through the troubled mind of its le My grateful thanks as always to NetGalley for the chance at an advance read of a book that's bound to grab plenty of attention。 Even with the tantalizing subject matter of slasher movies and "final" girls， nobody should approach this book thinking it's going to be a fun， breezy， lightning fast， hot buttered popcorn treat to read。 On the contrary， it bears the heavy density （and sometimes obtuseness and pretension ） of literary fiction， a slow， tortuous journey through the troubled mind of its lead character。 And unless readers come to this novel pre-equipped with an encyclopedic knowledge of the last 60 years of slasher/splatter films along with their casts and director credits， they might consider keeping IMDB cued up on a separate device for instant references as they read。。 If you're willing to take the plunge （and as a lifelong hardcore movie buff I couldn't possibly resist）， you're in a for a deeply thought out， deeply disturbing 10 course meal not only in slasher lore but in ALL the American ills - the mistreatment of Native Americans， the toxic economic disparity in today's society， systemic racism and horrific， hidden sexual abuse of children。 Half Indian 17 year old Jade lives an internally solitary life as her lakeside community's oddball outcast resident juvenile delinquent。 As an escape from all of those who abuse， mock， torment and chastise her， she lives in her own private world governed by the tropes of all the slasher movies she knows by heart （such as the "Halloween"， "Friday The 13th" and "Nightmare On Elm Street" series。）。。。。。。films that she worships as practically Holy Scripture。 With proof of the mysterious deaths of two young tourists， Jade's convinced herself that her town now plays host to a genuine slasher with a revenge-fueled agenda and that a blood-soaked body count is imminent - most likely during the town's big annual 4th of July celebration on the lake。 She's even picked out and anointed the girl she's designated as the Final Girl - the traditional Last Girl Standing in every slasher movie。 In this case it's the stunningly perfect Letha Mondragon， daughter of one of the ultra wealthy newcomers to the town who are building their own mini-kingdom of McMansions along the lake shoreline。 Along the way to the expected spectacular slaughter bloodbath （which really has more in common with the 2010 remake of "Piranha" than a slasher flick）， Jade tries to desperately orchestrate events according to her slasher precepts - including grooming and preparing Letha to assume her role of the Final Girl who steps up to do battle with the monstrous killer。 But as in real life and horror films alike， things go awry for Jade， leading her to confront amidst literally a sea of carnage， all of the horrors in her life， especially the very worst of her inner torments。 As I already mentioned in this review， this is no easy-peasy， walk-in-the-park to read， even though it will no doubt make you smile and nod at the hundreds upon hundreds of slasher-splatter film reference （some going all the way back to the genre's roots in the 1960's Italian gorefests like Mario Bava's '"Bay Of Blood"） "My Heart Is A Chainsaw" is a quite the staggering， ambitious effort， equal to any of Stephen King's 600 page door-stoppers。 True， it does sometimes bear the labored overwriting that afflicts uppercrust literary fiction， but as a lifelong consumer of horror novels and films， I still found it a 4 star feast to behold。 。。。more

Meigan ，

MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW is a slow-burn， blood-soaked slasher that will test your horror trivia along with your patience。 Much of the excitement in this book is anticipatory， and just when you expect that something big will happen， should happen， could happen， Jones will expertly and quietly steer you away from those thoughts…and then repeat the process quite a few times more。 Patient readers， and those familiar with how Stephen Graham Jones likes to build up the tension and suspense， will be grea MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW is a slow-burn， blood-soaked slasher that will test your horror trivia along with your patience。 Much of the excitement in this book is anticipatory， and just when you expect that something big will happen， should happen， could happen， Jones will expertly and quietly steer you away from those thoughts…and then repeat the process quite a few times more。 Patient readers， and those familiar with how Stephen Graham Jones likes to build up the tension and suspense， will be greatly rewarded when the blood and guts hit the fan。 And hit it， it does。 I’m an avid appreciator of slashers and gore and all things blood-soaked， and this was definitely all of that and more。 Even with my near-iron stomach， I still found certain bits to be squicky， so take that as a fair word of warning if you’re not keen on the gore。 The storytelling， particularly seeing things through Jade’s eyes， was a bit of a genius move。 And also a bit of a challenge。 She has periods where she doesn’t know if she’s awake or if she’s dreaming and， consequently， neither do we。 It made for an interesting position， having readers wonder if what were reading is Jade’s reality or some dark part of her mind， and that added such a unique aspect to this tale。 As with many of Jones’ other works， MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW incorporates indigenous characters and offers insight and talking points as to how Native people are treated and， more often than not， mistreated by society。 His books aren’t just fantastic horror novels， they’re incredibly insightful and smart as well。 Bottom line — this is a fantastic homage to slasher films， and certainly a fantastic book for slasher fans。 5 gory stars， and I’m putting this one in my top 5 for the year。 *Many thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the digital arc。 。。。more

Eric ，

TL;DRMy Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones is a horror novel that I really wanted。 It educated me; it thrilled me; and it made me care about Jade。 Highly recommended。 Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone。See more of my reviews at Primmlife。com！ Review: My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham JonesHorror is a genre in which I’ve not read deeply。 I’ve read some Stephen King， som TL;DRMy Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones is a horror novel that I really wanted。 It educated me; it thrilled me; and it made me care about Jade。 Highly recommended。 Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone。See more of my reviews at Primmlife。com！ Review: My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham JonesHorror is a genre in which I’ve not read deeply。 I’ve read some Stephen King， some Joe Hill， and a Grady Hendrix book。 But really that’s about it。 This is an area my speculative fiction reading lacks。 I do try to keep tabs on interesting books in that genre， and I’ve noticed one name continually draws my attention with interesting back cover summaries。 Stephen Graham Jones is an author that continues to write books that interest me。 However， during his releases， I’m always packed with books to review。 I don’t like requesting books unless I know I’m going to read them。 So， when I saw that he had a new novel coming out， I requested a review copy， and I blocked out time for it。 I was going to see why everyone keeps saying great things about Stephen Graham Jones。 Luckily for me， the publisher granted my request， and I had a copy of My Heart is a Chainsaw。 I loved everything about this book from the minimalist cover to the main character to the essays she writes for her history teacher。 My Heart is a Chainsaw hit every beat necessary for an enjoyable novel。 Now， I see why he’s getting the acclaim he deserves。 I’m a fan， and that sound you hear in the background is just me adding his other books to my TBR pile。Jennifer “Jade” Daniels has been studying slasher films her whole life。 She has an encyclopedic knowledge， but she’s more than just a walking wikipedia of slasher films。 She analyzes。 She puts the films in conversation with her life， and for extra credit in her history class， she’s been educating her teacher about slashers。 High school graduation is approaching。 Her home life is terrible， filled with harassment。 So， Jade， unsuccessfully， decides to take her own life。 After a brief stay in a psychological ward， she returns to school to find all the attention is not for the near-suicide but for a new student in the senior class。 This new student is part of an out-of-town family that moves across the lake from Proofrock， Idaho。 These across-the-lake families are rich people creeping in on National Park land bordering Proofrock。 In addition to the national park， these new homes are being constructed near the abandoned summer camp with a ghastly history。 Upon seeing the new student， Jade believes that she is a final girl。 With the final girl comes the slasher， and Jade is here for it。 Her wishes have come true。 But as the body count begins to climb， will she be able to prepare the final girl in time to stop the slasher？My Heart is a Chainsaw is a close third-person POV following Jade through the whole book。 It’s written in a stream-of-consciousness way that relies heavily on the voice of Jade。 It works。 This is the type of book that looks easy to write because it flows so smoothly。 But， even without reading the acknowledgements， I can tell that Jones put a lot of effort into getting it to read effortlessly。 Like any good mystery， Jones kept me guessing throughout as to who the killer was。 The story walked that perfect line of giving enough information to flood the zone while still giving the right information that the reveal felt earned。 By about 50% of the way through the novel， I suspected everyone and no one at the same time。 Jones kept me guessing to the very end。 WritingStephen Graham Jones does a hell of a job writing this。 I’d love to learn how he kept it all straight because looking back， it seems like a difficult balancing act。 Maybe that’s just because I’m not as good a writer as he is。 Everything happens when it needs to happen but still feels surprising and fresh。 And I don’t mean that just about the plot。 Jade is the outsider， not just at her school， but in her town also。 She is a damaged， young woman， but she’s also peppy， energetic， and sharp as the edge of a boxcutter。 Her voice carries the novel。 She’s interesting， and she’s funny。 I almost wished there was a slasher in the town just to make her happy。In fact， the book delights because Jade is the main character。 She’s the voice of My Heart is a Chainsaw， and her narration propels the story。 She feels young and hopeful in a dark way。 Like she knows that people will die， but she also has faith that the final girl will win in the end。 Jade drives this novel， and her viewpoint makes it memorable。 For anyone interested in learning how to write a strong， voice-driven narrative， this is a book that should be studied closely。 Slasher 101In between chapters， Jones gives us Jade’s extra credit essays as part of a Slasher 101 lecture series。 These essays are directed to Mr。 Holmes， her history teacher， but I learned a lot from them。 These essays are exactly what the title says， a crash-course in field of slasher horror。 Well， horror films anyways。 Jade educates Mr。 Holmes and the reader as to the necessary parts of the slasher genre。 I loved these essays。 It’s a different look at Jade。 Her enthusiasm is a bit contagious。 I don’t watch much horror films， but these essays made me want to watch a few。 I don’t know much about the slasher genre; so， these essays helped me understand Jade。 They also provide a way for Jones to frame the story in the way he wants。 It’s another device to dish out information necessary to the story while educating readers about the parts of his own story。 I loved these sections。Throughout the story， we see many reasons why Mr。 Holmes is her favorite teacher， but these essays convey that sentiment in a different way。 Jade， like all of us， wants to be noticed for who she is。 She wants someone to care about her， and she knows she found that in Mr。 Holmes。 These essays are another way for the reader to see that student-teacher relationship but in a different light。 These essays show Jade wanting to impress Mr。 Holmes with her knowledge because he takes her expertise seriously。 He may not be as interested in the subject as she is， but he lets her conduct her lectures anyways。 Because sometimes teachers reach us and inspire us to be more of ourselves。 Through these essays， we learn that Mr。 Holmes took Jade seriously， and that she thrived under this attention。 Hazy ActionA few times， I had trouble following the action。 Things got chaotic， and I had to re-read a little to clarify things。 This wasn’t always true， but it happened in a couple key spots。 ConclusionStephen Graham Jones’ My Heart is a Chainsaw won me over quickly with Jade。 Her voice， her dedication to the slasher genre， and her need to prepare the final girl had me turning the pages as quickly as I could。 This is a horror book that will keep you up at night because you won’t want to put it down。 。。。more

Richard Derus ，

Real Rating: 4。75* of five， rounded up because my personal ew-icks over slasher films shouldn't count that heavily in judging a book that's utterly upfront about what it isI RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY。 THANK YOU。My Review: There are all sorts of ways to read a Stephen Graham Jones book。 Surfaces work。。。there's always a story hanging around， you won't be wandering lost in thickets of writing-armpit sweat-watered weeds。。。references work too， you can unpick your memories of the Real Rating: 4。75* of five， rounded up because my personal ew-icks over slasher films shouldn't count that heavily in judging a book that's utterly upfront about what it isI RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY。 THANK YOU。My Review: There are all sorts of ways to read a Stephen Graham Jones book。 Surfaces work。。。there's always a story hanging around， you won't be wandering lost in thickets of writing-armpit sweat-watered weeds。。。references work too， you can unpick your memories of the midnight movies or frightfrests your friends threw （or open IMDb if you're really young）。。。but I think the best way is to make it through as it's happening， to be there as Jade walks across the graduation stage or through walls or up into skies limited only by the basic laws of physics。The reason I feel that last works best is that， by the time I'd reached the end of this read， and then read Author Stephen's Acknowledgments after the wrenching and impossibly sad final scene， I was so wrung out that I simply accepted that everything I'd just been through had been intended to do what it did to me。 As I'm not one to write book reports （ask Mr。 Singleton！ never turned so much as one in during high school） I'm not going to try to do that at this late date。 I referred to this book's immediate older sibling， The Only Good Indians， as "gore with more" and that's an assessment I stand by as applied to all of Author Stephen's books。 Part of that "more" is the strangely hypnotic effect of the story arc receding from view。。。the interstitial "SLASHER 101" essays addressed to the One Good Teacher （of history， naturally） Mr。 Holmes are well and truly weirding Your Faithful Reader out。 When they switch addressees， it gets even weirder。。。but in the end， it's painfully intimate and deeply instructive to read them。In common with all Author Stephen's books， you mere peon of a purchaser have no rights。 You're not stupid， you've read some of his other work （at least The Only Good Indians！）， you're aware that horror is in store。 So surrender your volition。 Then the entire experience of being in Jade Daniels's rage-filled head makes all the sense in the world。 Because then you're not actually sure if ANY of this is happening in meatspace。 Is this an adolescent with anger and abandonment issues responding to the end of what never was childhood？ Is this a young woman processing the pain and rage of a life that was wished on her by weaker， worse people than she was？ There's a sparkling moment of fizzing delight when Jade meets Letha， a beautiful rich kid whose father has a trophy wife and whose presence in the town of "Proofrock" （think a minute， and hard， for more than the surface snicker; that's all it takes to turn it into a shiver）， when Jade anoints her "the Final Girl。" That's both when the tale gets grounded in consensus reality and when its ascent into the dark and cold vault of Jade's own head is cemented。I'm always a fan of gerunding done with panache。。。Author Stephen does it with panache。 At one point， Jade Holden Caulfields across a lawn， and that's me dead cackling。 I think there are few greater pleasures than easter-egging your readers' experience。。。hoping they'll get most of them。 I think the fun of reading a book whose author has chosen a niche to write in， one with an astoundingly vast mythos/history/background to explore， is in part the recognition factor of word-play。 Yes， it's about slasher-film homage， and no Holden Caulfield isn't slashed to death （though generations of English students have no doubt fantasized that Salinger met that fate after writing it）， but he *is* the prototype of the Angsty Teen too smart for easy answers。 With everything Jade's carrying around， she's not one whit less burdened than Holden and possibly by some similar troubles given that she's got A Thing growing up strong for Letha。Adolescent sexuality is always fraught。 Parents play their roles in shaping it， either with rule or without them， with clamp-downs or without supervision， there's no right way to ride this roller-coaster。 But the issue facing Jade isn't made any easier by her absolute conviction that Letha is The Final Girl， that staple of the slasher film， therefore of necessity being lustrous and almost superhuman in her glorious Otherness。 That's how she's supposed to be， right？ Jade "doesn't make the rules。。。just happens to know them all。" Her unique and defining obsession with slashers is gong to pay dividends， right？ Because she's preparing the Final Girl for her role， unlike most。。。she won't be surprised by the tragedies。I think I speak for all readers when I say that the way this blows up can only be described as FUCKING EPIC。And from that point on， the cigarette boat is away and the pace does not let up。There are the obligatory twists and turns， the reveals that aren't *quite* reveals， and the accustomed ways that Author Stephen's practiced to get your kishkes kicking and your shvitzer sprinkling。 You can't fault the man on delivering the suspenseful goods！ If you're in the market for a low-gore delivery of suspense， however， look elsewhere。 The way this works is for your expectations to be manipulated so I won't be discussing particulars。 Suffice to say I was taken in。 More than once。 And I'm a pretty well-broken-in reader。。。。Still， there's no point it wondering why no good deed goes unpunished or how exactly it is that one's expected to walk away from what can not help but feel like a set up straight from a film。 The pain and the passionate pull of it will reach some screeching crescendo， won't it， just give it a little more time and it has to！Nonsense， says the Great God Author。By the time we've reached the moment when there is no more to give， when the entire story's gone to the most extreme place that it can go。。。there is something more in the tank for a send-off， and there's no way that you'll believe your eyes when you get there。Some things just can't be put right。 And others can't be left wrong。 The issue is。。。who decides。 。。。more

Mary ，

Four stars for sheer campy weirdness。 I've never watched a slasher film in my life， but you don't need to be familiar with all of Jade's references in order to pick up what she's putting down。 Jade is an excellent protagonist， spiky and weird and damaged and such an authentic teenager。 The book's prose style is borderline manic， and it wasn't always my favorite， but at least it's new and different。 Jade is convinced there's a slasher in her town， keeps trying to fit everything into the slasher t Four stars for sheer campy weirdness。 I've never watched a slasher film in my life， but you don't need to be familiar with all of Jade's references in order to pick up what she's putting down。 Jade is an excellent protagonist， spiky and weird and damaged and such an authentic teenager。 The book's prose style is borderline manic， and it wasn't always my favorite， but at least it's new and different。 Jade is convinced there's a slasher in her town， keeps trying to fit everything into the slasher tropes she's obsessed with， and there's a built-in tension from wondering if she's right， and if so who the slasher is; and if she's wrong， what that will mean for her。I did find the pacing a little erratic – the first 2/3 of the book or so was surprisingly slow， and then the last 1/3 ratcheted up real fast – and I wanted more closure at the end。 But I also recognize that Jones is operating within a slasher framework with which I'm not familiar， so maybe both of these are par for the course。 I was also really interested in Jade's past and in the underbelly of her psyche， for which very effective hints were dropped throughout， but I wanted more of that overall。I received an e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Lauren Peterson ，

Where do I even begin unpacking Stephen Graham Jones’s latest horror， My Heart is a Chainsaw？ What a ride。 A true horror and yet it teaches us that sometimes the toughest scenes to watch aren’t the ones with all the blood and gore， but the tender ones that unmask the lies we’ve told ourselves to protect our hearts。 Jade is a loner。 Her family life is non-existent， she has no friends and the entire town considers her an outcast。 To cope， she escapes into the safety （ironically） of horror films。 S Where do I even begin unpacking Stephen Graham Jones’s latest horror， My Heart is a Chainsaw？ What a ride。 A true horror and yet it teaches us that sometimes the toughest scenes to watch aren’t the ones with all the blood and gore， but the tender ones that unmask the lies we’ve told ourselves to protect our hearts。 Jade is a loner。 Her family life is non-existent， she has no friends and the entire town considers her an outcast。 To cope， she escapes into the safety （ironically） of horror films。 She knows everything about slasher movies and sometimes the line for her between reality and film is a bit blurry。 But when the horrors from her favorite movies start happening in her hometown of Proofrock—specifically on the waters of Indian Lake and the new development across the lake， she must tap into her knowledge of these films to solve the mystery and survive the massacre she’s sure is going to happen in her town。 This one isn’t going to be for everyone。 I still struggled a bit with the writing style even though I have previously read his work， but Chainsaw was a bit easier as we only have Jade’s perspective。 It also is a slow build and you have to trust it’s worth it in the end （it is）。 As unreliable and well， jaded， Jade is， I was totally invested in her story and rooting for her。 While it’s certainly her love letter to slasher films and filled with all the gore， gruesome， masked predictability of them， this book is unpredictable at the same time。 It’s a journey of self-discovery and we learn very quickly that this damaged girl is the way she is from a lifetime of pain， fear and longing。 Despite those cracks in her armor， she is still willing to fight whatever comes her way for her own moment of triumph—her own final girl revenge。Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the digital ARC of this book。 。。。more

Don ，

Releases 8/31/2021， I read an advanced copy。 In a nutshell: psycho teen girl obsessed with slasher movies predicts slasher event in her rural mountain town…and she’s right。 Overly complicated story with so many pop culture references to 1970’s and 1980’s slasher movies that it becomes confusing and irritating。 This book could have used more good editing and would have been much better。

Mallory Lozoya ，

I thoroughly enjoyed this book， especially after I made it through the first half。 The beginning has a lot of exposition—I learned a lot about Jade， her favorite teacher Mr。 Holmes， Sheriff Hardy， and the town of Proofrock。 It might feel slow to some people， but the action really ramps up about 60% of the way through。 There is a fair amount of gore， but nothing that made me want to stop reading。 I don’t have the same love for slashers that Jade， the main character， or the author have， but I was I thoroughly enjoyed this book， especially after I made it through the first half。 The beginning has a lot of exposition—I learned a lot about Jade， her favorite teacher Mr。 Holmes， Sheriff Hardy， and the town of Proofrock。 It might feel slow to some people， but the action really ramps up about 60% of the way through。 There is a fair amount of gore， but nothing that made me want to stop reading。 I don’t have the same love for slashers that Jade， the main character， or the author have， but I was able to appreciate the many references to slashers， and Jade’s reliance on slasher tropes throughout the story。 I actually really liked Jade’s obsession with slashers because it made me question her reliability and who really was behind the killings。 Sometimes the writing required me to focus more than I usually do while reading， but it didn’t take away from enjoyment of the story。 I thought this was a creative and engaging story and would definitely read it again for spooky season。Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC。 。。。more

Adri ，

CWs: graphic death and graphic descriptions of blood， vomit， gore， and corpses; references to sexual harassments; alcoholic parent and references to child abuse; self harm， suicide ideation， and suicide attempts; explorations of rape and sexual abuseMy Heart is a Chainsaw is an absolute fucking rollercoaster ride of a slasher。 It has all the hallmarks of the slasher genre， as expected， but the gradual build-up to the final chapters is nothing short of brilliant。 This is a slow-burn bloodbath CWs: graphic death and graphic descriptions of blood， vomit， gore， and corpses; references to sexual harassments; alcoholic parent and references to child abuse; self harm， suicide ideation， and suicide attempts; explorations of rape and sexual abuseMy Heart is a Chainsaw is an absolute fucking rollercoaster ride of a slasher。 It has all the hallmarks of the slasher genre， as expected， but the gradual build-up to the final chapters is nothing short of brilliant。 This is a slow-burn bloodbath， where the first 60% is just revving up the tension， establishing a typical thriller/murder mystery kind of set-up， only to completely turn on its heel for an epically disturbing finale。The character work in this book is incredible， because the entire story—for the most part—takes place entirely in Jade's head。 It's such an intricate character study of who she is， what she's been through， how her mind works， and how she's very much alone in being able to identify the incoming tragedy that's about to destroy Proofrock for good。 She is an unapologetically twisted individual， who is not merely a slasher film "enthusiast，" but someone who's actively manifesting a slasher incident to happen in her own life。 She is so deeply fucked up and makes so many glorious mistakes that endanger herself and others， but she's not remorseful about it。 That's really important， because the fact that she has no emotional investment in the survival or well-being of Proofrock （or any of its inhabitants）， feeds into the possibility of her being an unreliable narrator， which really heightens the stakes and keeps you guessing。I also appreciate how the fact that she's deeply twisted and creepy is never positioned as being a result of her background as a biracial half-Blackfoot woman。 She has dealt with cultural and personal trauma， yes， but her twisted sensibilities and obsession with murder are never positioned as an "inevitable result" of the trauma she's experienced。Structurally， this story really worked for me as well， because each chapter is followed by an essay that Jade has written as part of an extra credit project for her history teacher， breaking down each aspect of slasher films in meticulous detail， and citing examples。 Not only is this helpful for readers who are perhaps not familiar with the hallmarks of the genre， but it also adds to the tension in the story， because each topic feeds into or foreshadows what is going to happen next。 These essays also add levity and humor to the story， because they really capture Jade's voice and her singular obsession with slashers。（Beware， if you're not well-versed in slasher trivia， most of Jade's internal narration may be incomprehensible to you。 And， at the very least， every single famous slasher film will be spoiled for you， in some capacity， throughout the book。 This was not an issue for me， personally， but I see how it could potentially be a downside for other readers。）But what I really appreciate about Stephen Graham Jones' work is that you are guaranteed to get the absolute most goriest， disturbing， or haunting elements of horror in all of his stories， but there will also be equally powerful thematic resonance every single time。Beneath all the blood and grime and gore， I think this story is really interrogating who we imagine to be the modern-day villain， and who is worthy of being called a hero。 Who do we deem as being deserving of life， survival， and "success"？ Jade isn't able to see herself as the hero。 She thinks that she's too messed up， too twisted， too "broken，" too "weird，" to ever occupy that space。 When the "Founders" and picture-perfect Letha Mondragon come to town， she finally sees someone who fits the image of being "the final girl" in the slasher arc that is Proofrock's town history。 The final girl is a trope in horror films that describes the one person， typically a woman， who is left alive， who faces down the slasher， and who ultimately lives to tell the story。 The fact that Jade sees this rich， privileged outsider as being the person worthy of carrying on Proofrock's story is extremely telling of how she sees herself and her history。I think the story is also speaking to how the warnings and concerns of Indigenous peoples go unheeded， especially when it comes to cyclical violence and trauma。 This story puts a fine point on that idea by showing how Jade is actively trying to get the people around her to see that this slasher cycle is being put in motion， that all the tropes and warnings signs are there and that if they disregard her expertise—no matter how twisted it may be—in this area， it could spell their doom。 As both a slasher enthusiast and an Indigenous woman who has lived through trauma， she is the most well-equipped person to survive out of everyone， and even though she may not be doing it very well， she is trying to use that experience to help Letha become the final girl that Jade believes she's destined to be。To me， this slowly unfolding， preventable horror sort of represents how marginalized people—specifically Indigenous people， in this case—experience the world， and the *horrors* of the world， in a way that's inherently different from everyone else。 What Jade sees and what she's experiencing sits just beneath the surface of everyone else's reality， and without the context of what she knows， no one else is able to recognize it。 And by extension， it's a bit of a commentary on how Indigenous women， specifically， are not believed when it comes to trauma and violence， which is a pervasive problem threatening the lives and well-being of Indigenous women， who face very specific societal threats such as assault， rape， murder， or disappearance。But at the same time， it's also clear that Jade being able to recognize those horrors for herself doesn't necessarily mean that she cannot still become a victim of them。 She has to come to the realization that her life is valuable， it's worth not only living but *saving*， and that she has to use all the strength that she has to fight back and to *keep* fighting back。There's also an interesting thread in the story about Jade's preoccupation with slasher films， and how she almost forcefully projects the framework of slashers onto her reality as an attempt to create a sense of order， logic， or control over her own experience with pain and trauma。 Although Jade herself is *not* a tragedy nor a tragic figure， her life has come with hardships and she's gone through some really horrible things only to be isolated and alienated from everyone else。 It makes sense then that she finds comfort in the formulaic， predictable nature of slasher films， where the stories always unfold in a very specific way to reach a predetermined outcome。 She so desperately wants her own life to so easily fall into place and make sense in that same way， when that's not how life works。 Bad things don't always have to happen for a reason， the good guys won't always prevail， and tragedies rarely ever abide by any kind of rules or logic。This story really gives you so much to think about， and it's one that requires a lot from the reader。 It demands the reader's patience， attention， concentration， and in some ways resilience。 This novel oftentimes feels like a fever dream。 It operates on its own twisted logic， and if you're not 100% keyed in， there's the chance that you're going to get completely lost。 I personally would not recommend My Heart is a Chainsaw as someone's first-ever Stephen Graham Jones' book， because it really builds off his past work and， thematically， it's extremely complex in a way that may not be obvious to the new SGJ reader。 Also if you don't enjoy slashers， maybe this one's not for you， because as it says on the tin: My Heart is a Chainsaw is a slasher extraordinaire。Personally， I think there could have been more clarity when it came to the Big Reveal of who is really behind all of these killings。 On the one hand， I love how the opening chapter leaves a sense of ambiguity as to whether the killer is a ghost， a supernatural creature， a human or even a group of humans。 But when all is revealed， a lot of intense stuff is happening in a very short amount of time， and it was a bit difficult for me to get a handle on the killer's true motivations and even origins。 And additionally， there were a few scenes here and there that I found to be logistically challenging， not in terms of content， but in terms of actual mechanics， as in which character was placed where， how they were moving， what exactly the reader was supposed to be picturing， etc。 On a much lesser note， I also felt like the gentrification storyline was a little bit underutilized for my liking。But with all that said， I knew from page one that Stephen Graham Jones would not let me down。 I had absolute faith in his vision， and sure enough， the pay-off and the ending were *so* incredibly worth it。 The last two paragraphs absolutely gutted me， and the fact that those words had the effect that they did means that—somehow， some way—all the words that came before that moment were doing exactly what they were meant to do。 I've said it before and I'll say it again: Stephen Graham Jones is one of the best horror authors out there and I would read any of his books any day of the week。 。。。more

Cathy ，

17 year old Jade Daniels， who is an expert on the history of horror films， uses this knowledge to cope with the horror of her own life。 This is small town America where we learn about the displacement of the Indigenous ， through the eyes of high school senior， Jade， who is half Indian with an abusive father and a missing mother。 The town of Proofrock， Idaho located along Indian Lake doesn’t want anything to do with this young lady。Jade is an angry teen that lives in her own world， a world where 17 year old Jade Daniels， who is an expert on the history of horror films， uses this knowledge to cope with the horror of her own life。 This is small town America where we learn about the displacement of the Indigenous ， through the eyes of high school senior， Jade， who is half Indian with an abusive father and a missing mother。 The town of Proofrock， Idaho located along Indian Lake doesn’t want anything to do with this young lady。Jade is an angry teen that lives in her own world， a world where she feels safe only when watching， thinking about， talking about and trying to live in the world of horror。 She especially loves the “Slasher” type movies。In the book， Jade， is basically narrating the history of Proofrock as if it is one of those slasher movies。 Then murders begin happening in Indian Lake， Jade pulls us into her crazy world of masked slasher murderers and predicts how the plot will unfold。As Jade pulls or sucks us into her dark ideas， we will see another side of a traumatized girl under the mask。 What exactly does Jade wish for？ Read this fabulous books to learn all about her。This book is written from Jades point of view only。 It begins with a murder and then Jade begins predicting where the plot for her town will go。 The author also shares Jades written sorties for her history class which helps build the story line toward a Knockout ending to the novel。 Horror at is finest。 Thank you for this Advanced Reader copy。 。。。more

The Reading Raccoon ，

My Heart is a Chainsaw is a horror novel with elements of “slasher film” mythology and the paranormal。 Recent high school grad Jennifer （Jade） Daniels is the only person in her small Idaho town that realizes some recent deaths are just the beginning of a “slasher film” type killing spree and draws on her experience watching the movies to predict what will happen next。 This was my first Stephen Graham Jones book and won’t be my last。 I enjoyed Jade’s perspective as a town outcast with an unusual My Heart is a Chainsaw is a horror novel with elements of “slasher film” mythology and the paranormal。 Recent high school grad Jennifer （Jade） Daniels is the only person in her small Idaho town that realizes some recent deaths are just the beginning of a “slasher film” type killing spree and draws on her experience watching the movies to predict what will happen next。 This was my first Stephen Graham Jones book and won’t be my last。 I enjoyed Jade’s perspective as a town outcast with an unusual passion （slasher films from decades before she was born） but also a tragic backstory that she can’t admit to anyone or even herself。 Like the movies constantly referenced throughout the book （mostly via Jade’s papers for history class） Stephen Graham Jones uses his humor and disturbing imagery to tell a story of revenge but also of neglectful parenting and the exploitation of land by the wealthy。 I highly recommend this often bloody and scary novel for people who enjoy horror novels and a smart and snarky young heroine。 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more

Diana N。 ，

If you love Slasher films， this is the book for you。The main character Jade is obsessed with Slasher films and her knowledge and real life collide。 The difficulty I had with this book was that there were so many movie references that it became overwhelming and distracting。I like a good horror story， but I felt like I had to understand hundreds of them。 This book left me with mixed feelings。Thank you to the Publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review。

Sasha ，

My Heart is a ChainsawStephen Graham JonesJade is obsessed with horror films， specifically slasher movies。 Her knowledge about the genre is so vast that she could write a book; she already writes papers on the topic for her history teacher。 Finding life in her small town boring and mundane， Jade is practically desperate for something to happen to distract her from her life with her abusive father， her absent mother， and the new mansions being constructed near Indian Lake， home of the Lake Witch。 My Heart is a ChainsawStephen Graham JonesJade is obsessed with horror films， specifically slasher movies。 Her knowledge about the genre is so vast that she could write a book; she already writes papers on the topic for her history teacher。 Finding life in her small town boring and mundane， Jade is practically desperate for something to happen to distract her from her life with her abusive father， her absent mother， and the new mansions being constructed near Indian Lake， home of the Lake Witch。 As the blood begins to flow and the bodies start to pile up， Jade is convinced she has found the Final Girl who will win out in the end over whoever， or whatever， is leaving death in its wake， but she soon realizes that life does not always imitate art。I’m honestly not sure what to think about My Heart is a Chainsaw。 It has a Shakespearian tragedy vibe to it， only bloodier。 I found it a little boring for the first three quarters， but the action really picked up during the last bit。 It touches on some serious， heavy topics without going unnecessarily far into them。 I liked the style of the novel; the narrative is occasionally paused to include Jade’s essays on her philosophy of slashers。 At times some of the essays seemed like filler， but many of them add to the story and the understanding of Jade as a character。 The characters are interesting and well developed， although for a few of them it seemed like too much detail was included when compared to their impact on the events of the story。 Overall it was an enjoyable， eventful novel， it just took awhile to get there。Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press fro gifting me an electronic copy of My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones， given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own。 。。。more

Cassie ，

She's not worried about dying and going to hell for all her sins。 She's not worried because she's been living in hell for seventeen years already。 My introduction to Stephen Graham Jones was last year's The Only Good Indians， a book I didn't love， but I was still eager to read My Heart Is a Chainsaw。 There was enough in The Only Good Indians to intrigue me， and when I read the synopsis for this one， I was sold: A damaged teenage girl named Jade， who is obsessed with slashers， begins to believ She's not worried about dying and going to hell for all her sins。 She's not worried because she's been living in hell for seventeen years already。 My introduction to Stephen Graham Jones was last year's The Only Good Indians， a book I didn't love， but I was still eager to read My Heart Is a Chainsaw。 There was enough in The Only Good Indians to intrigue me， and when I read the synopsis for this one， I was sold: A damaged teenage girl named Jade， who is obsessed with slashers， begins to believe that the plot of a slasher movie is playing out in her gentrifying， lake mountain town。 To say that I'm glad I gave Jones another chance is an understatement， because Chainsaw is an incredible read， and one of my top reads of the year so far。 Jones' encyclopedic knowledge of slasher films aside （shared with readers via Jade's light-hearted and endearing "Slasher 101" papers， extra credit for history class）， the heroine at the center of Chainsaw is， quite literally， the novel's beating heart。 Jones' pacing is slow， often excruciatingly so， but he uses that time introduce us to Jade: a lonely young woman who has been betrayed in devastating ways by the people who are supposed to care about her the most， a heartwrenchingly vulnerable girl who uses slasher movies as both a coping mechanism and a cry for help。 She became so very real to me over the course of the novel， and she broke my heart in the way that all the best characters do。But if the first 60% is mostly a character study， the last 40% of Chainsaw is non-stop horror， scene after scene of desperate action， visceral gore， and disturbing imagery， all conveyed brilliantly by Jones。 The build-up is long， but if you came here for horror， you won't be left wanting: the pay-off is huge。 And running underneath all of this is an important conversation about indigenous people's lack of choice and control， especially in capitalist-driven gentrifying communities。 The entire book， I think， can be read as a metaphor for this deeper discussion。 It's astoundingly well-done and profound。And those last couple of paragraphs？ They were brilliant， and absolutely gutted me。 Honestly， I don't think this book is for everyone but I also want to recommend it to everyone because it's truly special。 It takes some patience， but it's one of the most worthwhile reading experiences I've had in quite some time。 I'll narrow it down a bit and recommend it for true fans of the horror genre， both book and film， and readers looking for complex characterizations -- and know that having a strong stomach is a must。Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

（Energy） ，

My Heart is a Chainsaw wasn't exactly my cup of tea。 I am not a fan of long-winded tangents， and a lot of this book is exactly that。 Because the book is coming in at over 400 pages， you can expect many of those pages to be such tangents。 It makes for slow reading。 I would have loved this book if we took out that slow parts and focused on the horror aspect。 I liked Jade's vast knowledge of all things horror movies。 Jade is a very special character who has been through too much in her young life。 My Heart is a Chainsaw wasn't exactly my cup of tea。 I am not a fan of long-winded tangents， and a lot of this book is exactly that。 Because the book is coming in at over 400 pages， you can expect many of those pages to be such tangents。 It makes for slow reading。 I would have loved this book if we took out that slow parts and focused on the horror aspect。 I liked Jade's vast knowledge of all things horror movies。 Jade is a very special character who has been through too much in her young life。 When the pacing finally started picking up， the book was hard to put down。 Overall， this is an enjoyable read， and while not totally the right fit for me， it will appeal to a lot of readers。 Thank you， Gallery Books， for sending this along。 。。。more

Justine || themaritimebookworm ，

Review to come

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