This book was totally meant for me. I love the title, it takes place on my birthday, and in my home state. I do wish I had reread the first book again before this one because it got a little confusing, but all in all it was great.

Four years after the events of My Heart is a Chainsaw, Jade returns to Prufrock. On the same night, serial killer Dark Mill South escapes from police custody just outside of town, and is bent on getting revenge for the 1862 murders of 38 indigenous men. It's Friday the 13th in Profrock, Idaho. And the bodies are beginning to pile up again.

Stephen Graham Jones has created a phenomenal sequel to his hit novel, My Heart is a Chainsaw. He continues he grand love letter to the slasher genre, playing with tropes and diving ever deeper into slasher trivia and lore. It's fascinating to watch Jade navigate the changes inherent in the slasher sequel. Graham Jones' sharp commentary on the legacy of colonialism and the high price of our history is on point, and he has rapidly become one of my must-read horror authors.

My Heart is a Chainsaw was one of my favorite reads of last year. So Don’t Fear the Reaper was one of my most anticipated books of 2022 (until it was delayed to 2023). Now having read it, while I don’t think it reaches the highs of the first book, it does have some incredible moments that still have me engaged.
Jade is still a great final girl. However I think the real scene stealer this time around was Letha. Letha really steps ups to the plate in this one and has some seriously kick-ass moments.
On that note, one thing I really liked about this one was the isolated slasher set pieces. The one that really comes to mind is the one set at a school. These scenes are so well paced and build the tension perfectly. The deaths in this were gruesome and seriously memorable. Even the slower, quieter moments kept me engaged. This is a tribute to Jones’ writing and how well he has fleshed out these characters.
However, what didn’t work for me was the villain. While I think the mystique surrounding him at first was awesome, the further along in the book we went the less I found myself caring about him. In the first, what I appreciated about the antagonist was the mystery aspect of it all and having it tied to the history of the town. However Dark Mill South, while his past was interesting, didn’t do it for me in the present. Throughout the book I found the switching of points of view to be a little jarring and left me antsy to get to the next section with Jade or Letha. By the time the book wrapped, I found the ending slightly convoluted and left me wanting a little more. However, middle chapters are infamously difficult to land and Stephen Graham Jones still has me invested and itching for book 3. While this book doesn’t reach the highs of some of his other works, it’s still 100% worth your time and solidifies his spot as one of the best horror creators working today. 4.25/5

This is the second book in the Lake Witch Trilogy. It takes place 4 years after My Heart is a Chainsaw. And once again, it is a slasher addicts dream! For those who sad there wasn’t enough actual “slashing” in the first book, well this time the action takes place throughout the whole book.

Since I’ve finished the book, I’m going to watch all the classic slasher movies mentioned in the first two books.

Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for this ARC!

I loved My Heart is a Chainsaw. It was entertaining, Jade was a compelling character, the horror/slasher references were interesting and not overbearing, and it was creepy and gory and slashery, along with some twists for Jade's story.
I tried many times to get into this sequel but I couldn't. I read to about 2/3 through the book and I had to stop. Perhaps since it's an ARC (thanks netgalley!) some of the bloated and confusing parts will be addressed before publication. I hope so.

My Heart is a Chainsaw was one of my favorite books of 2021, and when I read a sequel would be coming out, I don't think I could have been more excited. I preordered a copy literally the moment I saw the news, and was so excited to be approved months later for an ARC. That all being said - my expectations were very high, and Don't Fear the Reaper absolutely delivered.

We start right off seeing where all the main characters are 4 years later, and I loved the growth that both main and side characters from the first book had gone through. There are some characters I didn't think survived or took paths I didn't expect, but we spent time with each of them to see where they were and how they got there. It was great to see Jade/Jennifer and Letha again of course, but I also found myself very attached to (ex-Sheriff) Hardy, and intrigued by the expansion of some of the Terra Nova survivors. I actually wish we could have spent more time in the head of Jade/Jennifer, particularly at the end, and more time with Letha in general. While a horror novel on the surface, it's the characters and their interactions/emotions that have me invested in this series.

The action was literally non-stop - so don't expect a slow build up to the climax like My Heart is a Chainsaw. There were some pretty gruesome parts, and though the killer is introduced as such in the description (Dark Mill South, notorious serial killer), there are plenty of suspicious characters, twists, and surprises. After this very impressive sequel, I'm excited to see what's to come in book 3!

Sequels can be hard to perfect, and Stephen Graham Jones DELIVERS with this second installment in the Lake Witch Trilogy. Jade Daniels is a f*cking legend.

Another great read from Jones. I have patrons who will absolutely love this one, so we are definitely ordering a couple of copies. Thank you!

It has been four years since the Indian Lake Massacre in Proofrock, Idaho. The local teens have turned the events of the massacre into a sex game, and Jade’s house into a hangout for partying. Jade—recently out of prison and on probation for the murder of her father—has dropped the eyeliner, colored hair, and horror-movie obsession, and embraced her original self: Mixed Native-American heritage, black hair, and her given name of Jennifer. Through her renaming, she returns to Proofrock like the newly-baptised through her immersion in the water and blood of the massacre. However, not everyone is pleased by her return. She will always be Jade: the one they hold responsible for the carnage.

In Don’t Fear the Reaper, Jennifer has arrived in town on the same day a new series of murders begin. Twenty souls get murdered within a thirty-six- hour period, and they fit the modus operandi of the recently escaped Dark Mill South—a very prolific (and inventive serial murderer). He is a killing machine, likened to the Cenobite (i.e., Pinhead from Hellraiser): a being whose main purpose is to kill. He is unstoppable.

Like book one—My Heart is a Chainsaw—Don’t Fear the Reaper references many slasher films from the 1980s. I understand that these books (number one and two of an impending trilogy) are a homage to the genre; however, there are times that the discussions of the films by the book’s characters bogs down the plot. The minutia of how a specific movie and/or a specific movie character parallels the events and people of their town slogs on for pages causing me to zone out. I wanted to skim past these sections, however, I couldn’t: I feared I’d miss something that would keep me on the proper track to follow the plot, twists, and characters. A glossary/summary of movies, plots, and characters would be beneficial and appreciated.

This is a book that I think could be tightened up to keep the story going.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. I look forward to reading book three.

The sequel to My Heart is a Chainsaw and a great one at that. I will read a book in the horror genre time to time depending on who the author is. And Stephen Graham Jones. I find that while I’m excited to read a horror book I just don’t tend to get captivated by them. That is definitely not the case with SGJ. This book is no exception and I will be going back to reread it again next year whenever I want a good horror read I know I will enjoy! Thank you NetGalley and Gallery/saga press for letting me read and review early!

I absolutely love this author. This was a fantastic read and can’t wait for more! Thanks for allowing me the chance to read and review.

I love SGJ's prose, his ability to form complex emotions into lovely turns of phrase. DON'T FEAR THE REAPER had that going on in spades (especially sections from Letha's POV, which I particularly enjoyed). That ability to mesh emotional impact with a horror story is something he does so well. It keeps me coming back to read him again and again.

However, I found the plot for DON'T FEAR THE REAPER confusing at times, and while I absolutely adore Jade/Jennifer (who doesn't??), this story wasn't totally what I hoped for.

Jade Daniels makes her return to Proofrock as the slasher sequel demands more.

And with a slasher sequel comes a whole new wave of mangled bodies and cleverer ways of committing murder. Unfortunately, it didn't feel like the right medium to paint that chaos and carnage. The mass of POVs and plot lines felt too tangled, and some were difficult to follow. However, it was fun to see what the time passage had done to the previously beloved characters, and to see how those changes unfolded in this sequel's events. While this one didn't hit it off so much for me, I'm intrigued to see what the final addition has to offer.

Jade Daniels is BACK!!! And Jones delivered another thrilling, unputdownable story!
Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones is book #2 in The Lake Witch Trilogy
This has been so high on my anticipated list. Once again this brilliant author didn't disappoint me!
I freaking LOVED My Heart Is a Chainsaw and this was no different.
Stephen Graham Jones knows how to write a damn good horror story.
Very well-written and developed read with vivid descriptions and amazing characters who grabbed my attention and kept me hooked!
This book had me eagerly turning the pages. I HAD to know what was going to happen next and I was never disappointed… I love a book I can’t put down until I’m done.
I loved being back with Jade. And I look forward to more!

I find it so hard to pick a great horror novel out.
One that absolutely hooks me, keeps me wanting me, has me up all night reading and not wanting the book to end... It's hard to find!
But I know when Stephen Graham Jones writes a story I know I'm going to find those things and for that I seriously thank him!
IMO he is one of the greatest writers in the horror genre!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Gallery/Saga Press,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

There was simply so much going on in this that I don't even know where to start. When it stuck to the main plot, this was a fantastic sequel that read just like a slasher movie sequel. However, there was too much trying to be done that it was difficult for me to get through, and after reading this I'm not even sure I want to finish the trilogy when that time comes. There were too many character vignettes to introduce a new POV that were often such brief characters in the main plot that I could not find myself caring and the shifting POV/side plots ended up serving more as distractions than additions to the story. I also found the essays between chapters to be a bit too dry for my taste and often found myself becoming incredibly sleepy as though reading a textbook. I'm sad to say I trudged through this one, much like the characters trudged through the heavy snowstorm.

I love everything Stephen writes. I have been a fan since his early days. This was a solid sequel to his first book in this series. I am Cherokee so I love authors of native American heritage writing about our people, customs, etc. Even if just small bits are incorporated into the story. Loved the characters and truly hope there may be a third book.

4.5 stars-Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel!

I have reached the "read everything the author publishes" stage with Stephen Graham Jones, I fear. The Only Good Indians was my introduction, after which I devoured My Heart Is A Chainsaw, so I was so excited to get an ARC of the sequel! If you enjoyed the first, there's more to love here in the second, which picks up four years later with a new killer on the loose. The carnage starts much earlier in this volume-we already know many of the characters so there isn't as much lead in, we get right to the slashing. The school essay interludes continue with a new narrator, and there's just as many references to the what-seems-to-be endless catalog of slasher movies.

Jones's horror has such a human element to it, with the various relationships, trauma, and recovery woven into the story, and I just deeply love Jade. She's such a wonderful protagonist and Jones has given her such a clear voice in both these books. A fast-paced, gore-soaked sequel with a killer (no pun intended) protagonist? What's not to love? Looking forward to the third volume!

Jennifer “Jade” Daniel’s returns to her hometown, Proofrock Idaho, 4 years after the events of the first book in this Lake Witch Trilogy. If you liked the first book, you will like this one, as it continues the storyline and themes, as well as adding new characters. The first book may have had more shocking gore, but this book doesn’t disappoint in any way. There are 20 murders in this book, many twists and surprises that you probably won’t see coming. For me, though, I love these books because of the voice of Stephen Graham Jones - the way he writes and puts sentences and scenes together is just brillant. I don’t think it’s far fetched to compare him to another of my favorite authors, Stephen King. Even if you don’t necessarily love horror stories, the writing is so beautiful it becomes the defining characteristic of the story. Thank you so much NetGalley, for the advance copy!

A year and a half ago, I wrote that Stephen Graham Jones' My Heart is a Chainsaw was, among other things, a love letter to the slasher genre. If that's the case, then its sequel, Don't Fear the Reaper, is like an increasingly passionate correspondence with a long-distance lover. Also, the ink is blood and the paper is made from crushed-up bones.

In Chainsaw, Jade was the one trying to warn others of danger. Since the massacre that summer, though, she's become far from the only one who has devoured slasher films. Previously, her devotion to the genre was one of survival and escape. In Reaper, the reasons why others find resonance in the genre vary: some as part of a way to work through their trauma, some to feed a sick fascination with the bloodbath they've only heard stories of, some to use as a training manual for next time. It's an exploration of why people are drawn to movies centered on violence and death and fear. It's the kind of thing Jade would love, but all Jennifer wants to talk about is anything but slashers, while the people around her, and the events surrounding her, refuse.

A lot of the emotional force of the book circles around that issue. When our heroine was Jade, she was forcefully trying to define herself contrary to what her father and community saw her as. As Jennifer, she wants peace and quiet, but doing so means ignoring all she once was. It's a fascinating parallel to the push and pull of identity when you grow from teenager to adult, albeit pumped full of steroids and steeped in buckets of blood. Who is she? Who does she want to be? Who would she have been if she were not fighting all the time against the assumptions of others?

In my review of Chainsaw, I called Jones' writing "unflinching," which is consistently true across his work. Chainsaw was violent, for sure, but in Reaper, Jones ups the horror. He might not blink from the deaths in this book—spilled innards or people impaled on antlers or a killer musing about what it would take to skin a victim alive, and then trying it out—but there were moments when I needed to take a moment. Collect myself. Think of daisies. Make sure my skin was all where it was supposed to be. I get most of my reading done before bed, but there were nights reading Reaper when I wished I'd gotten my reading done earlier. Maybe morning. Whether this is a criticism or an endorsement depends on the reader, but don't every say I didn't warn you. I do recommend reading or re-reading My Heart is a Chainsaw immediately before reading Don't Fear the Reaper, since so many of the events and people from the last book are crucial to this one.

Still, I can't stop thinking about the world Jones has built, as violent as it is. Somehow, beneath all the gore, there's a heart beating with as much substance as there is blood (and there's a lot of blood). I can only imagine how much the violence and body count will escalate when Jones wraps up this trilogy, and where—and who—Jade/Jennifer will find herself at the end of it all.

Keep it coming, Jones.

(A longer version of this review will post to RingReads on 7 February 2023 at 2:44p.m. MST)

Rating: 3.5
I liked this, but thought that the first book was better. I found this one hard to follow at times. If you didn't like My Heart is a Chainsaw because it wasn't enough of a slasher, I'd definitely recommend you read this one.