****Thank you Saga Press and NetGalley for physical and eARC versions in exchange for an honest review ****

In May, Stephen Graham Jones released an essay called “Open Letter to the Cons from the Indians No Longer in the Background of a John Wayne Movie” (really recommended, by the way) and in this short but profound piece he asks a question I’ve seen him ask us all to consider before. Instead of “who is your favorite Native writer?” why are we not asking “who is your favorite writer” which can include Native authors? Now Jones presents this question in the context of questions or comments Native authors experience at panels at cons (and honestly anywhere), but this question is a valid form of inquiry for any one at any time when engaging with writers who are Indigenous.

What does this have to do with Jones’s forthcoming My Heart Is a Chainsaw? Well it reaffirmed for me that Jones is one of my favorite writers. His writing style is not for everyone (seriously it can be very flow of consciousness) and the gore represented in so many of his books (SO MUCH GORE) probably turns a lot of people away from his work, but I have never been so captured by an author’s ability to create a scene, an atmosphere, a feeling of waiting for the next jumpscare if you will.

Now is MMy Heart Is a Chainsaw a new favorite book? Well, no. I liked it, I did. But, for me, it wasn’t my favorite. This novel is written for those who love slashers and I am far from an expert in that genre. You know the films though: last girl [standing], a villain who is maybe human, maybe not, with a slow but steady method of racking up the body count, lots and lots and lots of death. The main character Jennifer (Jade) Daniels is a recent graduate of her small town high school in Proofrock, Idaho and everything is absolutely hate-worthy. The place, which she has a kind of love for, rejects her oddities. Her peers are too predictable. Her abusive father and his creepy predator of a friend are real life horror. Jade has spent her life wishing and hoping that a slasher would come to Proofrock. When a new girl who lives in Terra Nova, the new rich enclave across Lake Indian, moves right before graduation Jade is positive that Letha Mondragon is the final girl and finally (finally) things are being set in motion.

Here’s the thing. This novel is an ode to slashers. Jade’s massive understanding of the genre pulls you through much of this novel. Though there are deaths throughout, they’re not exactly harbingers of what most casual viewers will think of as slasher, except for the prologue which is very Friday the 13th meets Jaws meets what the hell is in this Indian Lake water. Yet there’s a clear undercurrent of anxiety, of discomfort throughout this that really shows Jones’s skill. The horror in My Heart Is a Chainsaw is slasher, but it’s also honest-to-goodness real life. There are monsters all around us. The people we expect to be the monsters might not be and the ones we know are monsters, but convince ourselves, protect ourselves from naming are the ones who need exposure.

I can already pinpoint why people won’t like this book. 1: it’s too slow. A lot of the action doesn’t happen until the final third or so of this novel. I felt like this was fairly evenly paced and I appreciated knowing what was inevitably coming because this is a Stephen Graham Jones book. If you’re hesitant or feeling like you might not finish, I beg of you to keep reading. The ending is pure horror gold. 2: it’s not really about Indigenous people. Let’s re-reroute to the beginning of this review. Now, let’s think about how Indigenous authors don’t owe you tropes, stereotypes, or expectations. I know Native girls like Jade. I, in many ways, was a Native girl like Jade. It’s not all powwows and sacred teachings. Sometimes we just cope with trauma and also obsess over gorey movies just like anyone else. 3. There's so much gore. This is obviously opposite point number 1 and I want to end on this one because Stephen Graham Jones knows gore. His books are not horror lite. They are visceral. If you cannot do gore (squishiness, blood, body parts, animal death, rot, etc.) you should probably not read this book. Jones does have others that aren’t as graphic. I always recommend Ledfeather.

All in all, I liked this book a lot. It was the kind of summer read I needed. It’s got a lot going for it, especially if you like your horror slasher-y. For me, it wasn’t my absolute favorite by Jones, but it reaffirmed my adamant declaration that he is one of my favorite authors. I could write a completely different review about being an Indigenous reviewer reading an Indigenous author (and I did for The Only Good Indians last year), but really my love of his work transcends that. This man has a skill and devotion to his craft that is so tangible in My Heart Is a Chainsaw. And like I’m sure Jade would say, some films (or books) are better than others for whatever purpose they serve when we watch(read) them. This is being filed away under: “remember this one. Who knows when it will come in handy.”

A final note that may not be strictly necessary: this book has a lot of content warnings, both graphic and implied. CW includes: gore, animal death, suicide attempts, child abuse, sexual abuse, pedophilia, incest, sexual harassment, and, of course, murder.

I think I just am not compatible with Stephen Graham Jones' writing! Which sucks, because his plots and characters seem fantastic. But this is the second book I've tried that I've found it hard to stay focused on his prose and to feel grounded in the story. BUT don't listen to me because literally everyone else loves his stuff.

2.5 stars Ok, big caveat with my rating -- I don't think I'm at all the intended audience for this book. I hate horror movies. I have never seen a "slasher." And this book is 95% one giant love letter to slasher films with just a teeny tiny bit of room left for a heartbreaking story about an indigenous teen girl who has been totally failed by the system. And... I cringe to say this because I so wanted to love this book but... I didn't really like the way it as written or the "big reveal"/climax either. It just really didn't work for me.

I know The Only Good Indians (which I haven't read) is a pretty love-it-or-hate-it book, and I think this one will be received much the same way. If you loved Good Indians and/or you're a true slasher film aficionado, this book may be for you. Just know that I was ready to stab my eyes out if I had to read the phrase "slasher cycle" one more time so... proceed with caution.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Saga Press for a free review copy.

I'm trying so hard to get through this book. It's just so weird and I'm having trouble staying focused. I'm the biggest fan of the horror genre, but I cannot get into this.

A solid entry in the current wave of meta-horror novels, and a good companion to Grady Hendrix' Final Girl Support Group. I didn't feel it quite rose to the level of Jones' previous books, particularly in the slow middle, but the end comes with a bang!

Ok, what did I just read?

This is the type of book you need to read twice back to back just to make sure you didnt miss something. You definitely need to read and absorb this novel slowly or you can get a bit confused.

Jade is a very complex character with many layers. Jade has an obsession with slasher movies and tries to use her knowledge to see how a local murder will pan out. Pay attention or you might miss something! I absolutely loved this book, although at times I was left puzzled, I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is plenty of gore, if that is your thing (i loved it!) . Some may have claimed this novel to be a slow burn, but I actually thought it was perfect. The ending is gripping and absolutely perfect.

If you love thrasher movies this is definitely a book for you!

Whelp, that was a wild rollercoaster ride with alot of turns I didn't see coming & other potential ideas that were put back burner that I did solid hits on but in the end was shocked. For horror fans, especially the slasher types this is a must read because it is your future bible. Starts with a wild broken winged crow of a teenager in a very messed up environment as far as any type of family is concerned. Jade lives with her dad, a Blackfoot living
a stereotype of disfunction by drinking & doing construction work when he can.. Her estranged mom a broken vessel of cast off trying to survive working at a dollar store. Jade is a spun manic obsessive slasher aficionado whose whole life revolves around the horror jantra. She has no friends in this tiny dead end town built on mythos & trauma & person she seems to be closest to is a recalcitrant history teacher. Things start moving when rich people decide to build McMansions on the cursed side of the lake. Graham knows his business & then some. His ability to dissect motivations, psychology, comparisons & categories & actions of and within slasher movies in & of itself would be enough to read this book. But there is more, much much more. There is a huge lake the town revolves around that is cursed by a poor mixed blood ghost child Stacey, also called the lake witch who goes on supposed murder sprees. Her mother was Shoshone, I believe & father white. Daddio murders mom & kid is spending her eternity trying to find her before & after she died. She haunts lake for revenge. Naturally there is also a long gone deranged preacher & his congregation that also drowned by not moving when a dam was opened to flood area to take out a fire at a later date. In other words, there are enough side action stories to take notes on at time because you really might need them later. This book ripped me apart over all the circumstances of things that should never be but are as that is where the worst bleedings come from. Both Stacey the castoff lake witch child and Jade never should have been put in the roles that were forced on them but they are examples of so many people don't want to deal with until they have to, that is the real horror.

Stephen Graham Jones has written the perfect horror novel for fans of slasher films. On virtually every page, there is a reference to movies such as Halloween or Friday the Thirteenth. Jade is a disaffected teenaged girl in a small lakeside town and she is convinced that July 4th will be the trigger for mass slaughter. She is looking for a girl who can defeat the monster. In movies, that is known as the "final girl"--the one who rises to the occasion and who vanquishes the evil. Jade's only problems are to convince the town of immanent danger and to convince the "final girl." The book contains gruesome scenes, easily handled by slasher movie fans but general readers may not and may find the movie references obscure and too numerous.

4.5 stars, rounding up
Seventeen-year-old Jade's obsession with '80's slasher movies helps her deal with her real life horror story.  But when strange things start to happen in her small town, will her encyclopedic movie knowledge save her?  This is far from your standard slasher horror tale.  This is not really a story about serial slashers  (fair warning though, there are some pretty gruesome scenes!), but rather one of an outcast girl who finds the idea of killers running amok better than her own reality, who finds bravery behind her own fiction.   I fell in love with Jade and I hope you do, too.  Be sure to mark your calendar for the August 31 release date!

Y'all, no one writes horror like Stephen Graham Jones. My Heart is a Chainsaw is the second of his slashers that I've read (the first being The Only Good Indians -- which is also amazing). This book is more straight forward than The Only Good Indians (if you can ever say hat about any of his books). It's a love letter to slashers on several levels, and sent me on a slasher movie binge.

Jade, the town "horror chick" and only Indian besides her father, knows everything about slashers. She's studied them passionately and academically, and the author integrates her History extra credit papers (that are really just explanations of the various tropes in slasher movies) alongside the actions in the town that mirror these elements in the films.

There is also a deeply personal element to his books that is not missing here. There is always horror outside the narrator, but it is rarely worse than the horrors the narrators experienced growing up. This book does need to come with a sexual violence trigger warning, though the violence doesn't happen during the actual events in the book.

I loved Jade in all her f'cked up, weirdo-ness. If I lived in Proofrock, we would have been friends. The best bit is that she was right all along! I love that tension in Jones' books between if the narrator is losing their grip on sanity or if reality is going insane, and it's done so well in this book.

The last section, with the momma bear, broke my heart in the best way.

I highly recommend this book to all horror readers or slasher enthusiasts. If you don't know much about slashers, you'll be an expert by the end, and have a great list to start watching. Even if you are an expert, this new take on the final girl will excite you. If you get grossed out by gore, don't read this book; everyone else should.

I was provided an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

This book was such a unique read! While this story is creepy, thrilling and grisly, it also has so much more to it. This book touches on culture, gentrification, upbringing, and family relationships. There are some heavy topics discussed in this book, so I would recommend readers look up trigger warnings prior to reading. Stephen Graham Jones gave the main character Jade such a distinct voice in this story and she is truly one of the most interesting characters I have read. As a fan of horror movies, I really enjoyed the way slasher films were at the center of the story. All the references to movies such as Scream and Friday the 13th were super fun as a reader who is also a fan of those films! This story truly picks up in the last quarter of the book and the ending was one I did not see coming. For fans of horror movies and thrilling books, this is a great combination for you!

I absolutely loved the other books Stephen Graham Jones has published, so I had high hopes for this one. I’m a fan of the slasher genre, so this book sounded perfect. Unfortunately, I could not get through it and I made it about 40% of the way before I gave up. The writing is fine, but I couldn’t get over my dislike of the main character to continue reading.

I legitimately spent the last hour and a half of this book with my collar pulled up over my mouth, hand grasping in the vicinity of my nose, eyes flicking back and forth - not fast enough, not fast enough, not fast enough.

4 bloody, bloody stars--I really liked it, though I don't think I'll read it again. The book takes on the format of a slasher movie, and true to the genre, the book's last act is an absolute bloodbath. Content warning for gore! Lots of it!

Despite all these horror trappings, the meat of the book is a coming-of-age story about a misunderstood native American girl growing up alone in a small town. Jones' writing style is quite literary, and his characterizations are flawless. The main character, Jade, broke my heart--and the novel's ending broke it all over again.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

This was such a difficult read and just as difficult to review. This novel is the ultimate love letter to horror films. The way that Stephen Graham Jones intricately weaves so many components of horror into this novel is something that can’t go unnoticed. That, to me, that was most fascinating part of this story.

The issue that I had with this book could entirely be my fault. It was incredibly difficult to follow and I had to re-read parts because I was confused as to what was happening. Like I said, maybe I wasn’t in the correct headspace. The story kept me intrigued and I was eager to continue but this took me a whole lot longer to get through than normal.

When the book is released in August, I do plan on giving it another chance. I think the audiobook might be helpful. Overall, it kept me interest and the ode to horror films was superb.

⋆⋆½

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read this ARC!


Content Warning: death, violence, murder, gore, animal death, rape, misogyny, racism, child sexual abuse. Please keep in mind that all of the content in this book is very graphic.


Jade Daniels has spent all seventeen years of her life in tiny, backwoods Proofrock, Idaho. She's angry, an outcast amongst her peers who spends her time studying horror movies and hoping that an actual slasher will be knocking on their town's door soon. But when a slasher actually arrives in Proofrock, Jade finds herself caught up in all the gore -- and hoping that her knowledge will keep her ahead of the game.

This one was quite the ride. Of course my interest was piqued by the concept, since I'm a big fan of slashers and 80s' horror films, and the thought of a strong, Native heroine was exciting. I've never read anything by Stephen Graham Jones, but I had heard such good things about his previous books that it was enough for me to request this one. Unfortunately, though, it didn't quite all come together for me.

The main problem I had here was that the story itself just ended up being not that compelling. It takes a very long time for us to actually get into the slasher portion of the book, and while those elements are fun, the rest drags in comparison. There's a portion a little more than halfway through where I truly started to enjoy the craziness going on, but the ending left me feeling disappointed and a touch unsatisfied.

Graham Jones's signature style is very much present, and while he is undoubtedly an accomplished writer, that style simply doesn't work for me. The sentences were overly long, overly complicated, and we spent the majority of our time in Jade's head as she monologues. While this works for some stories, for this one, it instead felt as if we were stuck in one spot for a little too long. There simply wasn't enough happening.

I do want to make a point of saying that I enjoyed Jade's characterization, and that it's refreshing to watch her go through the world with righteous anger. The rest of the cast is a bit one-dimensional, attempts at changing up horror film tropes and archetypes. It's clear that Graham Jones is trying to subvert our expectations, but sadly, the execution falls a bit flat. There's more that should be discussed here, particularly about Jade's background, but I can't go into too much without spoiling everything. Let's just say that there are some tropes that should be retired.

All in all, this one just wasn't for me. But, if you're a fan of Graham Jones's previous works, I have a feeling you'll enjoy this one. Horror fans should also give it a go, because once the slasher gets going, there's quite a bit of bloody fun!

This novel is so dark and disturbing that it gave me nightmares. It’s also a great piece of fiction written in flawless prose and populated by powerful characters. Just like the author, I’m a fan of slasher movies, so Jade’s constant references to the genre were familiar. She’s a horror junkie who’s seen and analyzed every single slasher film ever made. She’s grown up wishing for a real-life murderer to start a killing spree in her boring town of Proofrock, Idaho. When she meets the perfect candidate for final girl, she knows what’s coming. Or is she just obsessed and borderline insane? Jade is also Indian, as is the author, so her backstory from her cultural perspective is fascinating and heartbreaking. She’s not easy to like, but it’s not hard to root for her, considering the life she’s led and how grim her future looks. I was surprised how a man could get the psychology of a teenage girl so dead-on. I was never that much of an outcast, and I still could relate to some of her issues and attitudes. The last part, which was a little too long and over-the-top, is not for the squeamish, even if, as a slasher fan myself, I couldn’t stop reading. And the ending - wow, just wow. This is a killer book.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Gallery Books!

While I was not a fan of Stephen Graham Jones' "The Only Good Indian" (DNF), I was still excited about "My Heart Is a Chainsaw". I am so glad that my opinion of "The Only Good Indian" did not deter me from requesting "My Heart Is a Chainsaw". This is the first book in a long time that kept me up well into the night to read just one more chapter, one more page, one more paragraph! Jones's character development was suburb - Jade, Hardy, Tab, Letha. You become invested in the journey and motivation of each character.

Unfortunately, like a good slasher, there was a really slow burn to the ultimate climax. And then....what? The symbolism in the ending (parent protecting child) was understood, but it cheapens the ending. To involve a peripheral character at the very end? To diminish the confidence, the "final girl" characteristics, that are finally found?

Still. An absolutely solid book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I had a hard time with this book. To say it starts out slow is an understatement, the first 10% was good but the next 70-80% was pretty dull. After finishing it I was questioning what the point of so many of the occurrences during the story.

The “Slasher” articles were interesting and I enjoyed them but almost DNFd this one. Even when hell broke loose I didn’t seem to really care about any of the characters. After it was all said and done I was happy it was over so I could move on to the next one.

Pays off in the end, but it's a long road to get there. I liked a lot about this book: the opening chapter that grabbed my attention, the extensive cast of interesting characters, the setting within a gentrifying lake town. Jade's headspace is occasionally a challenging place to be in, and her single-minded obsession with how things are supposed to play out due to her extensive slasher film knowledge became a little frustrating at times. My biggest complaint is that the book takes far too long to get going, with the first two-thirds painstakingly setting everything up before the climactic bloodbath finally occurs. Overall, it should provide an enjoyable experience for horror fans who are patient.