WTH did I just read? After DNF’ng My Heart Is a Chainsaw I did not have high hopes. I could never wrap my head around the first book which is why I didn’t finish. I don’t know what it is about this author's writing, but it just confuses the heck out of me! I’m happy to say this book was much easier to follow, but it still had some WTF moments. I will say please don’t read this if your stomach hurts or if you're recovering from the stomach flu. Maybe I just get grossed out easily!

Overall I’m happy I read this, and I’m even more happy that I had people I could ask my questions to…but I'm still confused.

The master of supernatural suspense horror has done it again. Another book that undertones of creep, got into my mind and has stayed.

The sequel to My Heart is a Chainsaw, takes us back to the lake town of Poorfrock. It’s been four years since Jade’s senior year and she’s now being released from prison. Coming back might not be as safe as when she was in prison and the deadly force of Poorfrock is back.

Jade Daniels is the epitome of ‘Final Girl.’ This is such a perfect series for Slasher movie lovers. The fact that it’s an evil killer and death happens on Friday the 13th.. it’s like homage to the movie Friday the 13th! I mean serial killers are just never gonna disappoint or disappear.

Jones has such a way with writing and I love his whole take on the horror genre. The book hones into a lot of blood and gore and my happy heart just loves it!!!!

Gimme more!

I received a free copy of this book from the author through netgalley.com I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The second book of this series and I thought it was better than the first. Jade has returned to Proofrock as Jennifer Daniels, determined to put away her slasher loving persona. However the same day she returns a serial killer escapes his transport right out side of Proofrock. Then the bodies start to pile up and Jennifer has to resurrect Jade to save her friends and her town from another slasher.

I love these books as they pay homage to the 1980's slasher films of my youth. Filled with directors and quotes from various slasher films there is even a nod to the very unslasher movie The Breakfast Club but was also a staple of the 80's movies enthusiasts.

The only thing that I didn't understand was I thought Jade was exonerated and her conviction overturned therefore she wouldn't have been on parole and not been taken away to live out her sentence. However the scene just before she is taken away is classic and will be imprinted in my mind forever. I understand why he did it this way but it could have been handled differently.

#DontFearTheReaper:⁣
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Thank you @simon.audio and @sagasff for the gifted copy.⁣
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Jade. Fucking. Daniels. ⁣
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I loved My Heart is a Chainsaw, but I can’t really contain my love for Don’t Fear the Reaper. It was everything and more.⁣
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I was hesitant when I saw the same reader wasn’t back for DFTR, but y’all, that full cast IS IT. It’s so good. The audio is phenomenal and I know 100% that some of the story jumps a bit and I would have been confused if I didn’t know the POV changed. ⁣
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I feel like Jade and Letha both came into their own in the best way. We got so many references for slashers on top of the application. So not just fanatic, but also survivor.⁣
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Honestly, this blew away all expectations and while I loved Chainsaw, Reaper is top 5 favorite of all time. ⁣
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Jade Daniels is my final girl. ✌🏻⁣
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Don’t Fear the Reaper is out now!

I have said many, many times that there's a formula when it comes to slashers. They're predictable, sure. The thing is though - you never know when or how those predictable events are going to happen exactly. It's that not knowing that's the true addiction regarding slashers: the build of up fear and suspense...your head on a swivel, checking all directions at once...your blood racing and your heart pounding so much so that it's almost a relief when the slasher finally does make an appearance.

Slasher sequels have a slight change in their formula: they have to stay true to the original formula but they have to up the stakes: everything has to be MORE. The fear, violence, murder, and the reason behind it all must all be raised to a higher level.

Stephen Graham Jones absolutely accomplished this. In spades. It's very difficult, because I have so much I want to pick apart and discuss, as well as predictions for the final book in the trilogy, but doing so would spoil the first book and this one. It's a conundrum. I tell you though, I suspected EVERYONE. Which is funny, especially when you finish reading it.

Immediately upon finishing, I wanted to move my chair away from the wall, start the book over and put up sticky notes and threads to connect events and characters because I'm quite sure there were some valuable things that might have been snuck in about where this series will go in the final book. Plus, there was so much going on that I feel sure I missed some things...and then there's just the old fashioned, it was so good that I want to reread MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW and DON'T FEAR THE REAPER back to back.

There was a time when I actually cheered - it's the kind of thing that people will holler, clap and cheer when it happens in a movie - which, speaking of - HOW HAS THIS SERIES NOT BEEN PICKED UP YET?! Give us Jade Daniels on the Big Screen already! She's earned it.

I. CANNOT. WAIT. FOR. THE. NEXT. BOOK. IN. THIS. SERIES!

Jade Daniels is back in Don't Fear the Reaper after 4 years away. This time around there is an escaped serial killer on the loose in the aftermath of a terrible blizzard.

Jade and Dark Mill South are both super unforgettable indigenous characters. Dark Mill South is on a rampage of revenge. He is such an imposing antagonist. Jade has grown a lot in the last 4 years through trauma. She no longer wants to live a slasher, because she has already been through one. She will have to utilize her boundless knowledge of the genre against such a formidable opponent.

Small town Idaho in a freezing cold blizzard creates a fantastic backdrop for a whole bucket load of carnage. There was a frozen lake, mountains of snow, depending on snowmobiles to get around. I could feel the cold on every page. It had great winter and small town vibes.

My Heart is a Chainsaw as a fantastic book, but Don't Fear the Reaper is another step up. This will be a great read for slasher fans who enjoyed the first book. I recommend you check it out.

Jones has created one creepy villain that gets under your skin. Thank goodness his protagonists are are equal to the threat. I can't wait for the third novel in the trilogy.

I was given this book for free by Netgalley to review, but eventually got my hands on a paper copy. First, let me say, I don't generally read this kind of fiction. I was a Stephen King fan in college, but overall I read to escape my anxiety, not give it a fix. That being said, Stephen Graham Jones is the only "horror" novelist I read these days, because his work is so much better than the genre should give him credit for.

The book hits all the high notes of a good suspense/thriller, while maintaining a balance between something like a conversational tone and literary fiction. He bends words into a beautiful literary flow that a lover of any good literary genre would appreciate. I would recommend this book to anyone willing to pick it up and read it. You won't be disappointed.

3.5 stars
After enjoying the first book, My Heart is a Chainsaw, I was super excited to be able to read this advanced copy of the second book through Netgalley.  I've been a fan of SGJ for some time, and Reaper was at the top of my most-anticipated reads.  That being said, for me, something just felt "off" with this one.  I didn't feel the same draw to the characters, and there were several times when I felt like an outsider listening in on strangers' conversations and not knowing what the hell they were talking about.  However, I did like the storyline, and the last 30 percent or so was the awesomeness that I had been expecting.  Even though this didn't hit the mark for me, I am still looking forward to the final installment.

The moment I got access to an ARC of Don’t Fear the Reaper I dropped everything else I was reading so I could focus on it. Though an excellent sequel, in many ways Don’t Fear the Reaper is a completely different animal from the first book in The Indian Lake trilogy. In many way it’s like comparing Ridley Scott’s original Alien to James Cameron’s Aliens. Both were spectacular experience in their own right, but where Alien was an exercise in slowly building tension, Aliens was nonstop action. Both were great and honestly I go back and forth on which is the better film. It’s pretty much the same debate I’m having over which of the current Indian Lake Trilogy books is better (a decision that will no doubt get even harder once the third book eventually gets released).

I’m going to try to keep spoilers to an absolute minimum, but I can’t help but mention at least one or two things from the first book so if you haven’t read My Heart of a Chainsaw yet, just skip my review for the moment and go read it…seriously I’ll wait! In Don’t Fear the Reaper we jump a bit into the future, Jade having been released from prison returns home…and it isn’t long before the killing begin. Jade, Lithe, and a host of new faces join in on the new adventure, and what a wild, fast paced, and bloody adventure it is. This series is an absolute love letter to the Slasher genre and is not to be missed. Note this is not for the squeamish or faint of heart. And now, sadly, the wait for book 3 begins. I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me access to an ARC.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont-fear-the-reaper-stephen-graham-jones/1140377014?ean=9781668022177&bvnotificationId=9ef7fae6-a8b2-11ed-bac4-129ef2de3031&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/240215251

Jade Daniels returns to Proofrock four years after the horrifying events of My Heart is a Chainsaw. In less than 24 hours after her arrival, a terrible snowstorm hits along with the infamous killer Dark Mills South. And BAM, the book goes full force into slasher sequel mode without a break in the action. I shouldn’t be surprised that I liked this one more than first. SGJ brings the same slasher film vibe as the first book, but this time it is balanced out by the growth of his characters. I loved seeing the buddy dynamic of Jade and Letha as they fought their way using all their slasher sequel knowledge. Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book!

Don't Fear the Reaper is the thrilling sequel to My Heart is a Chainsaw. Jade, out of prison and back in Proofrock, finds herself in the middle of a killing spree by the convicted serial killer Dark Mill South. So much of Proofrock has changed, and yet so much has stayed the same. Wary of those around her and wanting to move on with her life, Jade is forced into saving her hometown once again.
Stephen Graham Jones has written a perfect sequel to Jade's story. Jade's transformation from an angsty and horror movie obsessed high schooler to a young woman with an overturned murder conviction was remarkable. This time around, Jade, now Jennifer, wants to use more than her horror movie knowledge to save the town as her friend Letha, having spent the last four years immersing herself in Jade's former obsession, is convinced there is a new final girl that they must help in order to save them all.
Thrilling, fast paced, gory, and brutal, Don't Fear the Reaper is a compelling and terrifying novel of survival, family, friendship.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝙅𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙈𝙮 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙄𝙨 𝘼 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙖𝙬.

📍 Read if you like:
• Horror Movies
• Slasher Films
• Creepy Atmospheres
• My Heart Is A Chainsaw

I was hesitant starting this one as I felt meh about My Heart Is A Chainsaw. I loved the concept of the book, but it was so slow and it took me a while to click with the story. Unfortunately, I felt the same way about this one. I was hoping I would give this trilogy a shot again - not sure if I’ll read the last one.

This book was long so it took me a while to get into (deja vu, eh?) but there were some moments that I liked. For example, the titles were named after horror films which were just incredible. I love when horror books mention horror references, and this one was full of those!

I can say the same as I did with the first, this author knows how to write - the creepy atmosphere set off a dark tone to the story.

Some new characters were mentioned in this book that I didn’t care for. While this “technically” could be read as a standalone, I would highly recommend reading the first book first - otherwise, past events can be confusing to understand.

I loved how quickly the bodies started dropping. You can’t deny the author is a fan of slasher-style kills. I do think this one started a bit quicker - still slow - but quicker than the first. It may have been because the first book was setting the vibe while this one started right after.

I’m middle of the road with this series. If I had to choose then I would say this one was a tad bit better, but again I would advise reading them in order. This is a longish book and slow so it took me a while to finish it. Some moments were confusing… but I respect the different style of horror this author does. It’s more creative and unique.

I am so sad to give this book such low ratings!

I was given an ARC in September - and I literally danced through the house; I was so excited. It literally took me until Feb. 7th when the novel came out and I could buy the audiobook for me to finish. I put the book on 2 speed and barreled through it.

I LOVE SGJ’s work normally, but this book was so long and confusing. I love a novel with multiple POV’s, but this book just had so many POV’s that I started to get confused as to who was what the hell was going on. It also felt overly wordy, which isn’t uncommon in his books, but it seemed unnecessary this time around.

However, I still love all of the horror movie references there were and I really loved the strong female characters, but that’s kind of where it ends for me.

I will absolutely continue to pick up SGJ’s novels in the future, but this was not a win for me.

The long-awaited sequel to 'My Heart Is a Chainsaw' is soooo good, a gut-punch of a story just like its predecessor. Can't wait to get this in the hands of as many people as possible.

Jennifer "Jade" Daniels survived the horrors of the Independence Day Massacre (also known by her preferred title, "The Lake Witch Slayings"), but the murkiness of those events and a subsequent Incident at the local dam left her open to prosecution. After 4+ years of incarceration, hearings, and whatnot, she's been released on her own recognizance, and has returned home to Proofrock, Idaho. It's not a welcome return by any stretch of the imagination.

Not long after her arrival, word comes down than the serial killer Dark Mill South has escaped custody not far away. He's a psychopath, eager to spill blood until he avenges thirty-eight wrongfully executed Dakota men. And it seems like this snowy December has turned into a bloody playground for him.

Can Jennifer once more embrace her horror movie obsessive roots and employ the encyclopedic knowledge of slasher cinema she once mastered in order to find and defeat this menace? Or will she go the way of the final girl heroines of the Friday the 13th franchise, dying in the sequel and paving the way for a new Final Girl?

When Stephen Graham Jones released My Heart is a Chainsaw, I did not recall seeing that it was the start of a trilogy. However, that information is presented front and center on the title page of Don't Fear the Reaper. The Indian Lake Trilogy has a lovely ring. Will Jade Daniels make it through all three of them? That's a good question. "Will she make it through book 2?" is an even better one. After all, this isn't the Jade Daniels' trilogy, it's named for the location where these events take place. And while My Heart is a Chainsaw was closely tied to Jade's perspective, book two is a much more sweeping novel of literary horror embracing several members of the town … although there are a few interstitial chapters where a first-person narrator intrudes to make the kinds of horror cinema commentary that Jade made in the first book. Just who that commentator is turns out to be one of several mysteries, second only to why are high school kids getting themselves killed off in such large numbers this time around?

One of the best parts of the book, and going with the trilogy's title, is the way Jones evokes a community that has been trying to recover from trauma. Although Jade returns to town by the first line of the third chapter, the opening half of the book is a much more layered approach to a cross section of Proofrock's population, showing how they've coped (or not) with the events of that first book and how they are continuing to grapple with trauma. And the second half of the book weaves Jade's continuing story and developing character into that of the town and many of its inhabitants. It's a more holistic approach to the area and its people as well as the threats lurking in the shadows or up the snowy street …

The writing style is that conversational one Jones has perfected, made a little more breathless when he presents those mysterious first-person comment chapters. The quality of the writing is high, the tension he evokes throughout the book is strong, and there are several gruesome set pieces as the slasher does the slasher thing, stalking and killing with abandon. As this is a sequel, the carnage candy is on a much higher level with increased body count and gore factor. Luckily for the readers, the cleverness is also heightened—this is not simply more of the same, but a new spin on what Jones established before with plenty of new wrinkles to hold the attention and get the gray cells firing.

Don't Fear the Reaper is a terrific work of drama and terror, which is both a throwback to the heyday of slasher flicks as well as a shrewd analysis and assessment of that horror film subgenre. With a page turner plot and plenty of moments of character and introspection, this is the best possible sequel we could hope for. I am curious to see how Jones pulls everything together for the final entry.
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A special thank you to NetGally and Saga Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Our girls Jade Daniels and Letha Mondragon are back in book two of The Lake Witch trilogy, and they somehow find themselves in the middle of another real-life slasher film. A Native serial killer gets loose during the snowstorm of the century and starts roaming around Proofrock, as dead teenagers start to pile up. Can Jade and Letha coach a new final girl through her duties? Or should they take the reins and meet the danger head-on? What on earth is living in that damn lake, and where did this spirit elk come from?!

This book is even better than the first, for me. The pace is much faster from the start, which is exactly what I hoped for books two and three. I absolutely love the image of Dark Mill South (the serial killer) and some of the slayings are especially creative! Stephen Graham Jones is a master of unique structure in this series, and I think Jade is a fantastic character all around. Highly recommend this one, especially if you enjoyed My Heart is a Chainsaw!

Thank you to SGJ, Gallery / Saga Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

We’re back with our final girl Jade, 4 years down the road, freshly out of prison and most importantly, no longer going by Jade- she’s back to Jennifer. With no place left to go after being released, she has to abandon her dream of escaping her hometown and head back. And this time with a new (to us) serial killer on the loose and the whole town trapped in with him during a blizzard, of course.

Thank you to Gallery and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, though I think that a lot of the horror movie stuff went over my head. This one struck me as much more brutal and much bloodier, though I didn't know that it was possible for that to happen. I felt awful for Jade, for all the stuff that was happening to her and around her, and I felt like the setting of the storm was so claustrophobic. I also don't think I totally caught on to what was happening, so I'm not sure where this narrative left us, exactly. But I will keep reading Stephen's stuff because it's so engrossing!

3.5 stars.

Finally reunited with my favorite final girl, Jade Daniels! I am beyond excited that this is a trilogy because that means we get one more book – EEEEK! If you haven’t read MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW I highly recommend you do because this picks up four years after the Lake Witch massacre. The book does give a little backstory to some of the characters and events in the 1st book for anyone who jumps into this not knowing anything. We pick up four years later with Jade Daniels returning to her hometown only to be welcomed by Dark Mill South. That’s right, a new killer has entered the series and boy did he deliver his “real slasher” status. You will get an amazing 360 glance of the terrible night that he meets final girl, Jade. Told in multiple POV’s (1st, 2nd, 3rd) Stephen takes you down a Wes Craven directed story of Dark Mill South’s Reunion Tour (the new massacre name). In a slasher movie, it’s pretty easy to watch a kill happen on screen but Stephen goes into such detail writing each character and kill scene that you feel like you’re there. There were times I was reading this late at night just utterly scared and anxious as if I was projecting this onto my bedroom walls while eating popcorn. If you’re obsessed with horror movies like me, then you know exactly what feeling I’m talking about. I genuinely can’t wait for the 3rd installment!

Did the sequel match the energy with the first in the series? Yes, yes it did. Bravo, Stephen! Thank you for another spectacular homage to slasher movies with some extra gore and top notch horror.