Holy Smokes! I absolutely loved this book and I think you will too. Let me tell you why.

Stephen Graham Jones has already proven to the world that his unique blend of horror is chock full of our darkest nightmares and he gave us all of that and more in "My Heart Is A Chainsaw." This book was a slow burn for me, but one I found myself fascinated with and could not stop reading.

Top 3 Things That I Loved:
- Every single mention of classic horror films. You can truly tell that the author has such a respect and love for the horror film genre and he translated that directly to his characters in this book. Jade is the final girl who doesn't believe she deserves to be a final girl, but her knowledge is so reminiscent of those moments in the Scream franchise. When you know the genre you can beat the killer at their own game. Until the killer changes the game.
- The interlude essays. Not only are these some of my favorite moments of characterization of Jade and her struggles, but they are humorous and just fun to read. They break up some of the most tense situations in the novel.
- The climax of this novel was absolutely insane. All I will say about it, but take every climax of horror films and you will get the carnage and chaos you want.

I could go on and on about this novel, but honestly you need to read it and discover it all for yourself. Trick or Treat yourself to this novel this fall and experience true horror mastery by Stephen Graham Jones.

Whew. That was a rough one. I didn't think I would get through it. I don't think I have skimmed that much since required reading in high school and college.

I enjoy horror. Movies. Books. What I don't enjoy are ramblings. And this book was full of them. The main character, Jade, loves slashers. And she rambles in her head and out loud about them. So much so, she seems mentally unstable. She even writes papers abkut slasher movies to her history teacher, and these are also included in the book. Maybe what I'm feeling about this book is what others felt when they read Ready Player One.

I was going to quit this book at 18%, after struggling through that little bit. (I don't have page numbers as this was an egalley) But then I went online and read some reviews. They told me it got better. I continued on, but that's when I started skimming. It finally got better around 63%. And that is why it gets two stars instead of one. There was finally movement in the plot line. The reader finds out what molded Jade into the way she is now. The killer is revealed. It wasn't a huge plot twist as other reviews mentioned. It was just a turn in the plot, as in there was one.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and give a free and unbiased review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Stephen, and Gallery/Saga Press for an advance copy of My Heart Is A Chainsaw.

Jade is an outcast in every sense of the word – she’s part Native American in a town of mostly white people, her father is an abusive drunk, and her mother is nowhere to be found in Jade’s life (except for at her job at the Dollar General). Oh, and she has zero friends. She takes refuge in horror movies – specifically of the slasher variety (she loves a good revenge tale). In fact, she wishes for a slasher to come to her town. When she meets a new student, Letha, she is certain that if she ever met a final girl (ya know, the ones who see the end of the slasher film) that it’s Letha. She has every quality. After meeting Letha she starts to think that something fishy is happening around town. A couple of suspicious deaths turn up and Jade thinks that she’s finally gotten what she’s wanted…but does she really want this now?

As Jade pleas with anyone who will listen that there is a slasher on the loose out for revenge against the townspeople, she is naturally brushed off, even by Letha our chosen final girl.

My Heart is a Chainsaw is a great reading experience. I would definitely say that it is for someone who not only appreciates slashers, but really loves them, but the standard horror fan would likely enjoy the homage SGJ pays to the genre as a whole. As someone who watches Scream on a very regular basis, this book was fantastic for me. However, if you aren’t quite as familiar with slashers, there are mini-chapters written in the form of reports to Jade’s favorite teacher that explain the different elements of the slasher, which was a clever way to keep readers who may not be slasher superfans interested in the book.

If you go into this experience expecting the same pace as you see in slashers, you will be disappointed. You know in slashers where the victim is being watched for a few moments and we see them acknowledge that something feels off? That is the first two-thirds of this book. It is a slow burn, character and story building journey, that comes with a nice payoff. By the end of the book I felt like I’d known Jade for years. We get to go deep into her psyche, we learn about who she is and why she is who she is. It is bleak and depressing but somehow hopeful at the same time. Jade comes from a troubled past and doesn’t appear to have much going for her, but her brain is just a fantastic place to get lost in. It’s a great reminder that there is more going on behind the scenes of someone’s surface.

Ultimately, this book was so much more than a slasher. It was a love letter to the genre, a character study on the outcast, a small town mystery, a coming-of-age story, and an all-around experience.

If you like slasher flicks, get this book now! I read this book as fast as I picked it up! Awesome story - awesome writing!

**4.5-stars rounded up**

My Heart Is a Chainsaw is Stephen Graham Jones most recent, brilliant, love letter to the Slasher genre. It's also one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint. I actually finished this on September 2nd. Subsequently, I wrote a full review, which if I do say so myself, was pretty darn good.

Then due to major stupidity on my part, my laptop got inadvertently shutdown and all of my efforts were erased. Normally, I would try to find another person within striking distance to blame, but unfortunately, there was just me, my dog and a potentially haunted ceiling fan.

But I digress...

Jade Daniels is a social outcast in her small, lakeside town of Proofrock, Idaho. A half-Indian girl, forced to live with her abusive father, Jade changes her hair color often and views the world through a prism of her vast knowledge of the Horror genre.

As her high school career comes to a close, there's not much on the horizon for Jade. She works as a janitor for the local public school system, and it seems she may be doing so into the future. That in and of itself is fine. If she could just stay away from her Dad and his pervy friend, it would be okay.

When mysterious events around town start mirroring the plot structure of her favorite genre, however, Jade knows it's finally happening. She's excited by the prospect. Proofrock has a slasher on their hands!

Therefore, she does what any logical Horror aficionado would do and tracks down the most logical choice for final girl, so she may teach her how to save herself and the town. Sure, there will be a high body count, it's almost time for the annual 4th of July celebration, after all. We all know Slashers cannot resist events like that, but the final girl should still be able to stop him. Eventually.

I'm always amazed by how much Jones can pack into a story. Each page feels like a Master Class in the Horror genre; full of references and rules that make my heart soar. In addition to that though, he always doses us full of hard-hitting real world issues as well. There are many layers here, as there are in other novels of his that I have read. This story was so much fun to read. It's intricate, gritty, bloody, gory, smart, sarcastic, biting and fierce. The writing is top-notch and it's going to remain in my mind for a long time to come.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Saga Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am sure there are a lot of things I am forgetting to mention about this, but what can I say? I'm silenced by greatness!

This is my second Stephen Graham Jones read after Mapping the Interior and I must admit that I much preferred the other book.

My Heart Is A Chainsaw started off strong- like one of the best opening chapters to a horror book I’ve ever read. The whole initial 40% or so held my interest and did a great job setting up for the story. Unfortunately, the story STILL felt as though it was setting up after that point and the novel overall was just far too long and slow-paced for being a slasher tale.

I can see why some horror fans would enjoy this, with all its references to different slasher films, but at a certain point it just felt like the author was trying to pepper in as many titles as possible rather than write a compelling story. I saw in other reviews that a lot of readers loved the essays written by the protagonist but I had to let out a sigh and an eye roll each time I had to read one (which is at the end of every chapter).

I felt the climax was messy and all of the action in the latter chapters just felt a bit… convoluted? And while I liked the protagonist at the beginning of the novel, her voice quickly became grating. Who wants to be trapped inside the mind of a teenager obsessed with slasher films for… what feels like 1,000 pages? Not me.

If you’re a big slasher fan or if you’re a fan of the author, I’m sure you’ll love this. It just wasn’t a fit for me. I will certainly give his other novels a try in the future as I did really enjoy what I read from him previously.

Jennifer Daniels, aka J.D., aka Jade, is a 17 year old chain smoking, horror-obsessed Indian. (Note: I would normally say Native American but this book was written by an Indigenous author so if he wants to say she’s Indian, she’s Indian). She knows everything there is to know about slasher movies after discovering the genre as a young girl. The other townies think she’s weird - and she is - but will her expertise be enough to help educate the virginal Final Girl (you know, the one who survives) when a real slasher comes to Proofrock, Idaho?

Not everyone will love the character of Jade, but I did. She’s a badass protagonist with a chip on her shoulder and some heavy trauma that’s lead her to filter life through the slasher genre. The story is violent, exhilarating, and chaotic. If you like slasher films or the horror genre in general, this book is a real treat.

MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW by Stephen Graham Jones (SGS)
Published 8/31/2021 by Saga Press


A beautifully written literary horror tome that is character driven and an exhilarating homage to horror cinema …. especially of the slasher sub-genre. One cannot read this gem without remembering where you were and how it effected you after viewing those mentioned horror flicks for the umpteenth time. (and many that you weren’t aware of, and have to view in the near future). Jade Daniels is the driving force of this novel and her perspective is what is revealed throughout most of the book. She is both a strong and flawed character. Although her backstory and motivation are delivered piecemeal throughout, she is a seventeen-year old, on the cusp of graduating high school … hopefully. A product of the union of a loser Caucasian mom and abusive, drunken Blackfoot Indian father. Her mother deserted her long ago, and works at the town Dollar Store, while her drunken father can’t wait for her to move out when she turns eighteen. Jade is a loner, has no true friends, and is considered a freak and misfit by most. She has an extensive knowledge of horror movies … especially of the slasher variety. She has seen most multiple times, since her indoctrination with “A Bucket of Blood” and can recite content ,motivation, and even dialogue from most. Her whole life revolves around the “slasher cycle” and even invades her school history papers for Mr Holmes. ( One of the view adults who genuinely seem interested in her welfare ). She’s obsessed with the horror trope of the “final girl” .. the one girl who stands up and defeats and extinguishes the evil force at the end of the movie. She sees the beauty in violence and the ultimate revenge.
Gentrification rears it’s ugly head in her small town of Proofrock, Idaho. The national forest area across from her small mountain town, and separated by the mysterious and spooky Indian Lake …. replete with dastardly legends … is somehow being built upon by a cache of very rich entrepreneurs . When a series of supposedly accidental grisly deaths start occurring in relation to the new development, unimagineably named, Terra Nova , Jade “knows” that her town is under siege by a serial killer, and will soon be the object of a real, live slasher cycle. Her immediate dire need is to identify and “train” the final girl for the inevitable oncoming slaughter.
SGJ crafts a masterful tale that provides a horrific roller coaster ride filled with mayhem and gore. And, along the way the reader obtains a scholarly education in the genre of horror flicks that titillate with violence and revenge. During the escalating mayhem and blood letting deeper motivation and incite into the character of Jade is revealed. This gem will appeal to all who rejoice in being terrified by horror movies. Explored are the important themes of abuse, gentrification, ostracization, trauma and naturally revenge. SGJ’s prose reaches levels usually not seen in a horror novel. Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

I'll start by saying this book has one of the best opening chapters I've read in a LONG time.
Just like The Only Good Indians, I can imagine it as a movie very easily which makes sense considering this book is one big homage to Slasher films.

Our main character Jade is a bit of a strange one. She's hard to describe but if I had to use one word it'd probably be manic—constantly flitting from one thing to the next. She's obsessed with slashers and final girls and uses them as a distraction to cope with an abusive home life, an absent mother and a piece of shit father, to the point that at times she almost becomes an unreliable narrator.
I spent most of the first half of the book trying to piece together if things were actually happening or if due to Jade's trauma she was just seeing things add up because she wanted to see them. What she wants more than anything is to witness a slasher of her own.
And hey who hasn't loved a film or a tv show or a book so much that they want to experience it in real life, but maybe Jade should be careful what she wishes for.

It takes place in a rural lake town in Idaho that's quickly becoming gentrified once a group of rich folk pick it as the spot for their new lakeside houses and yachts. And with these new neighbours comes Letha Mondragon who Jade's convinced must be the final girl she's been waiting for. Things start unravelling but no one will believe jade when she tries to warn them of what she's convinced is coming.
I loved trying to figure out what was happening: is this real or a coping mechanism? is it a supernatural entity offing people like folklore warns or is someone in the town a murderer? Is Letha our final girl or is it Jade? Is Jade behind it all along? The final act is no joke. It's gory, it's satisfying, it's suspenseful, it had my bpm skyrocketing so bad my heart rate monitor kept alerting me to chill the fuck out!

Oh, and the references are here in abundance. I won't lie a lot of them probably flew over my head because I'm not a huge slasher fan but man does Stephen Graham Jones's make me want to be! You can feel his love and knowledge literally burst through the page. I will say if aren't a fan of horror that's funny and quippy while simultaneously dealing with heavy topics and prefer to read something that takes itself super seriously then maybe this isn't the book for you.

I have read a few others of this authors book. They always start off well for me and somewhere along the way they run out of steam.

I love horror movies and that is what initially drew me to this book. However at a certain point it took a turn I didn’t expect and it lost my interest.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this book.

More like 3.5 stars. This is the second book by Jones I’ve read and what I’ve gathered so far is that his horror novels have a slow build and then the last 25% comes at you like a freight train and leaves you rattled and gasping for breath from the quick pace. I haven’t yet decided if the slow burn is worth the freight train. If you are a fan of slasher films and enjoy sophisticated horror, then it’s worth a read.

This story centers around a young and very angry seventeen-year old and misunderstood Jade Daniels and her over-the-top obsession with slasher films which she lives and breathes every day of her young life and hopes to experience a real life slasher in her town one day since there is a legend involving their own "Indian Lake" which Jade thinks would be the perfect slasher to come to life. Jade is a biracial child Caucasian and Blackfoot Indian and she has always felt a misfit in this predominantly white town not only by her looks but she is an indigent and unloved child of a mother who walked out and left her behind at a young age with her neglectful drunken and abusive father (Blackfoot) who can't wait until she's old enough to leave home. Jade is abrasive, surly, unfriendly to the point where she pushes everyone away even though deep within her heart she really wishes she could be part of something. Jade cannot hold one conversation without bringing her slasher films into it and she always hoped and prayed they would someday evolve into her lonely life especially a "Final Girl" type of situation since they are her favorite films. Unbeknownst to Jade a slasher is being born and Jade will finally play a part in her own real life horror story. Now what, Jade Daniels?

This novel was a fantastic horror story for me. Somewhat of a slow burn for the first half of the book and it then quickly escalates into non-stop terror and action all revolving around Jade and the many characters she interacts with. There is plenty of gore and (oh, my poor stomach) many, many grisly and brutal scenes that will be horror reader's delight. The book is so wonderfully written with due homage to almost all the slasher films of the 7o's, 80's and then some others. What fun it was to identify with all the movies that I have had the pleasure to have seen over and over throughout the years and a few that I wasn't even aware of. Just brilliant! I loved all the characters and was continually rooting for Jade. I truly just loved Jade and my heart ached for her many times during the story. MY Heart felt as if it run through by a CHAINSAW by the end of this book! I highly recommend this book to all horror readers and hope they get a chance to read this terrifying yet wonderful book. I almost gave 5 stars but I had to take 1/2 star away for the reason that I felt the story was a little incomplete at the end and wondered what happened with a few characters and their important relationship to Jade, so I'm hoping there is a sequel to follow up and then I will go back and change my rating to 5 stars!

I want to thank the publisher " Gallery Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read their horrifying book and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this superb story a rating of 4 1/2 HORRIFYING 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠STARS!!

Jade is obsessed with slasher/horror movies. She has picked the final girl and believes she has found evidence that a slasher has started in her town. Now Jade's giddy and hoping she is right. Let the blood run. I liked this book, cause I also like slasher horror movies but it doesn't consume me like it does her. I liked all the references to the movies. This is my first book by Stephen Graham Jones, I'm thinking it may be my last.

MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW
Stephen Graham Jones
Saga Press
ISBN-13: 978-1-9821-3763-2
Hardcover
Horror/Mystery

MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW is author Stephen Graham Jones’s literary big wet kiss to the splatter horror movie genre. While many of those of us who worship at the genre’s crimson-stained altar may have been invited to services by the early works of Stephen King, what has kept our posteriors on the benches have been cinematic franchises such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th and their sisters and their cousins who’ve been produced by the dozens in sporadic waves. There is yet another renewal of interest in this genre, thanks to streaming services and the horrors outside the door as well as within. The maw must be fed and there are plenty of farmers, if you will. Jones provides a guidebook in the form of a coming-of-age story merged with a cinematic history lesson which works quite well, even if it takes a while for the engine to warm up.

MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW begins in fine enough form, introducing Sven and Lotte, a pair of tourists who are touring the United States only to find that their triptych abruptly ends in Indian Lake outside of Proofrock, Idaho. We witness their fate though we don’t quite understand it. Jones then turns the narrative over to Jade Daniels, an extremely troubled seventeen-year-old girl who is on the cusp of graduating from high school if she can get her history assignments completed to the satisfaction of Mr. Holmes, her teacher, a tough but fair instructor who isn’t giving anything away but isn’t creating obstacles for her, either. Holmes is one of the few people in her life who is helpful, given that Jade’s upbringing has been quietly horrific in an unspeakable manner. It is no wonder that Jade is and has been obsessed with horror films, given their twin motifs of violence and revenge. Jade’s encyclopedic knowledge of such matters gives her a leg up when it appears that a serial/mass killer is operating around Proofrock and is getting ready for a huge grand finale to coincide with Proofrock’s Fourth of July celebration. Jade is sure that a series of apparently accidental but grisly deaths associated with Terra Nova, a new and exclusive development being constructed on what is becoming the upscale side of Indian Lake, is the work of a spree killer. Jade’s well-known obsession, however, makes it difficult for anyone --- except for one surprising ally --- to take her seriously. Jade is right about the killer of course, given the nature of this story. It’s the “who” that Jade ultimately has trouble identifying. As it turns out, that foreknowledge isn’t going to be much help. Jones through Jade takes the reader on a horrific roller coaster of mayhem through the final fourth of the book, with a couple of corkscrew surprises and some unexpected heroics before bringing the proceedings to a close.

Fans of horror cinema will find much to love here. Jade’s narrative is practically a stream of consciousness, one in which she links obscure films with their later, better-known counterparts while taking a splatterpunk scholar approach to pointing out the common elements --- some obvious, some not so much --- that link almost each and every movie. This is interesting, for sure, but occasionally drags the plot down to the extent that one might be forgiven for entertaining the urge to skip ahead to the next reel/chapter or three to see if things pick up. That said, there is plenty in MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW to hold your interest in the beginning and the end, as well as parts of the middle. It is one of those books that, with a bit of selective editing, would work really, really well as a streaming service movie, and I mean that as a high compliment. Jade might well be the next Laurie. If you don’t know what that means, read MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW and find out.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
© Copyright 2021, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

"My Heart Is a Chainsaw", by Stephen Graham Jones is a great homage to the slasher genre. It is only my second read by Stephen Graham Jones, my first being the novella "Mapping the Interior". It follows Jade, a 17 year-old obsessed with horror movies, specifically slashers, living in a small town. She starts noticing slasher elements in the occurrences of her town, and becomes convinced that a slasher killer is on the loose. She takes it upon herself to use all her knowledge of slashers to find the killer before a massacre unleashes upon her hometown.

Overall, this was a fun read. but it was definitely a very slow burn. I loved the "Slasher 101" bits, and all the movie references were entertaining. Jade's love of horror took me back to my teen years and love of horror movies, I found the middle part of the book a bit too long though, and found it easy to space out a lot and not get into the story as much as I would have liked during those sections. After about two thirds of the book though, it absolutely took off and it paid off to have stuck around. I think fans of the slasher genre, especially movie buffs, would get a kick out of this read. I do recommend a lot of patience going into it. It's worth it though.
Thank you to NetGalley & Saga Press to the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

A homage to slasher films that also manages to defy and transcend genre. You don't have to be a slasher fan to read My Heart is a Chainsaw and enjoy it thoroughly! This book was perfectly written and I know you'll enjoy it.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my fourth time reading Jones. I really appreciate what he is doing for the genre. On the surface this is a great homage to the slasher genre. I loved Jades extra credit assignments on the history of the genre. I like Jade. I really felt for her. It was painful at times just experiencing her life and the lack of care or love she received. There is also definitely another story going on at the same time. The effects of neglect and trauma that go without any intervention. How her entire community let her down. Its kind of like the opposite of, it takes a village. The effects of gentrification. Discussions about race and more. That's what I always enjoy about Jones work.

This isn't my favorite by Jones but I will absolutely be picking up his next work.

3.5

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy! What a perfect read for this time of year. And I'm really looking forward to watching horror movies after this read. Gory, twisty, and everything I wanted right now!

This was a great book! Perfect for fans of the horror/slasher genre. I also love the intersection of Jade's identity into the story. I recommend this one.

I had a hard time with this one. There are definitely dark themes which I fully expected but I'm just not clicking with the writing style. I might pick this one back up in the future but for the moment I'm not into it.