MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW – by Stephen Graham Jones

‘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…’

I want to open this review by saying a sentiment that rolls out of my mouth more often than not when I’ve just read a book or short story that emotionally grabs me, and that is—My Heart!

As a lover of Horror and an Avid Slasher Fan, I knew this book would resonate with me on so many levels; I was not disappointed.

The narrative told from Jade Daniels’ point-of-view felt at times like she was channeling Randy Meek’s: ‘There are certain RULES that one must abide by in order to successfully survive a horror movie.’

Jade navigates her world through the lens of a slasher film aficionado, her eyes affixed to who she deems as The Final Girl in this real-life movie—or, only in her mind—fellow high school senior, Letha Mondragon.

If you go into this book thinking it’s an ode to slasher films, then you would be right. Like the films, there’s more to the story and more to Jade than what’s on the surface.

The execution of the storyline in the book felt bumpy and a bit confusing in parts; however, the last twenty percent of the novel wraps everything together with a heart-wrenching bow, which was *Chefs Kiss* Perfection.

The Last Scene—Hit home on so many levels!

I’ve already pre-ordered Book Two – DON’T FEAR THE REAPER

I.Can’t.Wait!

Thank you, NetGalley and Saga Press (Simon & Schuster), for providing me with an eBook of MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW at the request of an honest review.

as a horror movie enthusiast this book meant everything to me. it had so many recalls to popular horror books and it just made me really happy. i’m a bit iffy about it being a series but i’ll check the other books out regardless

I have mixed feelings about My Heart is a Chainsaw (a recent Bram Stoker Award-Winning Novel) by Stephen Graham Jones. The character Jade (and by extension, the book's author) demonstrates an impressively comprehensive knowledge of the slasher movie genre, sometimes to a fault. In attempting to be so inclusive of every slasher sub-genre offering, I felt at times the narrative lagged. At first, Jade's internal monologue feels like a post-modern examination of the field, which is certainly entertaining, but as a reader, I would have preferred a little less inclusivity for the sake of pacing. That the story is so inclusive of seemingly every iteration of the slasher through decades of cinema undermines the ending in a way that some may find surprising and refreshing while others may feel a bit cheated. Overall, the novel attempts to straddle the lines between horror and thriller without fully committing to either, challenging reader expectations.

Stephen Graham Jones does it again. This book felt like reading the inside of my head, crammed full of horror knowledge and esoteric movie minutia that wouldn't be understandable to anyone. Jade is a character that is written perfectly. A character that embodies grief and trauma in a way that I have never read. Chainsaw is easily one of the best books I've read this year and SGJ is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine.

This has been a long overdue book review on my behalf! Thank you NetGalley for an eARC of My Heart is a Chainsaw. The premise of this book was interesting to me and I highly anticipated its release. However, I picked this one up and put it back down multiple times before finishing it and it just wasn't for me. That being said, the author's writing is great and I look forward to trying out whatever he comes up with next!

I wanted so badly to enjoy this book because I have been a fan of Jones for a while now. The tone of the book reminded me The Last Final Girl (which I loved), reading like a movie script. I don't feel like I connected enough with Jade and so the pace seemed slow and uneven to me, however, I did enjoy Jade's little piece of revenge at the end. Hoping the sequel, Don't Fear the Reaper, reads a little faster now that all the background has been laid.

This gritty horror novel is a slasher movie turned into a book. The ending has to be read in order to be believed. I am a big fan of horror movies, but I have yet to read something that gripped me as much as an actual slasher movie. Until now. Jones does a great job of portraying the mind of troubled teen Jade. I felt that she was a character worth knowing. She was interesting, yet troubled, and I was rooting for her the entire time. This book makes me want to read on in the series. I definitely recommend it for those who love horror as much as I do.

I was craving a creepy read and this one hit the spot. I devoured this page turner in one sitting and was bummed when it was over.

Loved it

if you're a fan of horror then this book should be a fun time, the many references to classic slashers while playing on but also twisting up some tropes made for a good reading experience. the representation and social commentary was also great

Took me a while to get into this book and the main character, but the ending chapters certainly were much more fast-paced and not at all where I thought things were going. Overall, this was a fun horror/mystery book and I look forward to reading the second book in the trilogy!

An absolute gorefest told in the style of indigenous story telling this was an amazing first in a series and looking forward to the next. If you aren’t familiar with indigenous storytelling it may be difficult to follow the plot of this one as things happen not just quickly but so nonchalantly that you have to go back and re read to make sure you understand what just happened. major players casually have their faces ripped off in half a paragraph and the story just moves on with or without you. But man what a ride. I absolutely love Stephen Graham Jones. He is an INSTABUY for me always.

Stephen Graham Jones is a master of the horror genre and this novel just proves that once again. Featuring a heroine with an encyclopedic knowledge of horror films, Jones crafts a slasher novel that also exposes the deeper horror going on in her life and the revenge she seeks.

This book fell short for me. I found it very boring and was unable to finish. Thanks for the opportunity.

4.5/5

Absolutely 100% did not expect to arrive at the end of this book loving it and giving it four stars. Expected not being able to get it out of my head for months and upping my rating to 4.5/5 even less. BUT HERE WE ARE.

This meandering, slasher-reference-heavy book did so SO many things that I typically Do Not Like but somehow it worked so well?? So much was handled sensitively without being patronising n that especially feels rare, ESPECIALLY from a male horror author.

Jade and her bears and her isolation and her slasher movie obsession were just the perfect protagonist for me. Loved this so much. VERY excited about it being the first in a trilogy too.

Would definitely recommend this to horror fans - and if you think its a lil slow-paced just please settle in for the ride cause the payoff is so worth it.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and the author for the e-ARC. Available to buy now!

I really want to like his books, but I feel underwhelmed and dumb at the same time. I will keep picking them up though because I know it's just me. lol

I loved this book. Pacing is a bit slow at times, but it was fun to read of Jade's love of horror movies and seeing it all play out in her life. The ending is a bit erupt, and I feel like it could have benefitted from a few more pages for closure, but overall, this book was great.

Slashers. If I had to pick one subgenre of horror films as my favorite I would probably have to go with the slasher. From Halloween and Michael Myers to Scream and Ghostface. Is it nostalgia, maybe? Spending the night at a friend's house, eating cold pizza and drinking way too much Mt. Dew while staying up all hours of the night watching some masked killer stalk and murder his victims on the television. Experiencing those frightful instances of a jump scare while knowing deep down that I was safe and that the boogeyman wasn't real (or is he?) Now take that slasher film, convert it into a novel and you’ll get MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW by Stephen Graham Jones. A love letter to the slasher film.

Meet our protagonist Jade. She is obsessed, and I mean absolutely obsessed with horror movies, and slasher films in particular. Honestly, for me Jade was a bit unlikable at first. Maybe unlikable isn't quite the right word, a bit overbearing might be better? Jade is all about the slasher. Full of passion for the genre. She lives and breathes all things slasher. Twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. It got to the point where she was so hopeful with every fiber of her being that an actual killer would show up in her hometown of Proofrock and start murdering people just so that she could live and breathe the slasher experience firsthand. Jade was just too much for me up to a certain point where I thought that she was just crazy. A bit off her rocker. But then Jones' expert storytelling kicked in and his ability to craft great characters transformed Jade from being someone I wasn't sure I liked to me viewing her in a completely different light. There was a revelation of understanding as to why Jade is so absorbed and obsessed with slasher films. I won’t say why here, I’ll let you have that moment of discovery for yourself reader, but suffice it to say that it fully changed my opinion of Jade as a character.

Jade fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it) gets her wish as blood spills and people around town start to be killed off one by one. Is a masked killer on the loose or is it something more sinister from the town’s dark past come back for revenge? With all her years of accumulated knowledge of the slasher Jade sets out to predict who will be the next to die a gruesome death, the killer's motives, who the man or woman behind the mask is, and who will be that final girl left standing bloodied but not beaten by the time the proverbial credits roll.

This is not a fast paced slasher with a tight hour and a half run time. After a bloody and brutal opening scene the book switches gears and we coast along in the slow lane. I am all for a slow burn of a book but this one was at times a bit too slow, even for me. Hold onto your hats though because as we approach the third and final act Jones dumps gasoline onto the fire setting up one of the most frantic and frenzied conclusions to a book I have ever read.

MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW by Stephen Graham Jones pays homage to the great films of the slasher genre while carving out a unique place of its own. It is far more than just a fun, bloody, and mindless slasher though. Jade’s story is about seeking acceptance. About how we all have an inherent need to feel loved and protected no matter how though we might act. Of finding that someone who is willing to fight for you, just as much as you’d fight for them. A slasher with a beating, revving heart, just like a chainsaw.

SGJ writing can be very choppy at times, but his story development is so very good. Creepy atmosphere, loner girl, and she suspects a murderer is on the loose in her town. Great story.

If you like horror and gore...this is for you. Perfect read for around Halloween or anytime you need a scare!

This book gave me ready player one vibes but for horror movies. It was also a little Glee like. It seemed a little bit rushed as well. Thanks NetGalley and Gallery Books.