Caveat: I do think it's best that you read the first book before diving into this one and I do think you likely need to love Slasher Movies in order truly get everything out of this.

Now, I loved this! I'd forgotten how much I adored Jade and was so glad to be back with her.

The author very quickly brought us back into a world that's scary, heartbreaking and absolutely pulse-pounding. I worried for our characters, really wanted to know the 'who' of everything, and I was just happily along for a thrilling ride.

Loved this and ended it just wanting more!

“Fifty thousand ancestors, going back and back, each of them a final girl.”

I say it every single time -NO. ONE. writes a intro like Stephen Graham Jones. The rhythm took me longer to get into than usual, for which I’m blaming baby sleep deprivation. But hoo boy, once it came back to me, once I started singing it in my head instead of reading it? Off and running.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest (and delayed) review.

‘Don’t Fear the Reaper’ is everything its predecessor was and then some. It’s got all the same love-letter-to-the-genre slasher tropes and even more literary character development and social commentary than ‘My Heart is a Chainsaw’ did. With red herrings galore and an unrelenting pace, this sequel avoids the middle child of the trilogy slump by simply not letting readers rest or process any of the visceral action before slamming to a halt at the thrilling conclusion. Jones’ passion for the horror genre is as palpable in ‘Don’t Fear the Reaper’ as it is in all his work, beating like a heart with every trope and subversion. This is one that’s difficult to get into too much detail about without spiraling into spoilers, but if you like slashers, ‘My Heart is a Chainsaw,’ or any of Jones’ novels, you will love this latest installment in the ‘Lake Witch’ trilogy.

Thank you so so much to Stephen Graham Jones, Netgalley, and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read an advanced e-galley of this incredible book in exchange for an honest review.

As does every Stephen Graham Jones novel, this one got up and went from the first page and I was so extremely, insanely happy to be reunited with Jade Daniels because she is everything; tough, resourceful, brutally honest.
What I wasn't expecting was to develop such a relationship with Dark Mill South, who is essentially a bad guy that you wouldn't want to come face to face with in a well-lit public place let alone a dark alley, but here we are.
I can't wait for book three.

Absolutely brilliant, somehow manages to surpass My Heart is a Chainsaw! I love Jade Daniels and this world, and Jones once again lets us into their world in terrifying and intimate fashion.

I wish I had known more about this book before i read it. If I remember correctly, it’s book 2? Apart from that it was slightly hard to keep track of and I personally fell a little bored with it. It was written well and the story carried through as it should but maybe this one just wasn’t for me.

I did not care for this story at all. I know there’s a whole group of individuals who love this genre, but I am not one of them. I read this one because I finally gave in to all the hype about how creepy and horrifying it was, and because I also read My Heart is a Chainsaw and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. However, I would not consider either horrifying. I’ve read some light hearted mysteries that were more intense than either of these.

SGJ DOES IT AGAIN. Jade is back and she's fierce as ever in this follow-up to My Heart is a Chainsaw. Dare I say I may have even loved it more than the first??(and I LOVED the first one). I missed the slasher expert herself so much. You can't miss this.

I would first like to thank Simon & Schuster for sending me an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I was highly anticipating this novel because I adored the first book in this series, My Heart is a Chainsaw. I loved the meta-slasher that Jones was able to create while also weaving important social commentary into the story as well. I enjoyed Jade Daniels’ love for horror as a genre, and I was able to geek-out with her throughout the entire story. I’ve heard others refer to it as slow-paced; however, I think that it was the perfect pace for the story Jones was trying to convey to the reader.

I’ve also read other works by Stephen Graham Jones and enjoyed them all as well, so I knew that I would enjoy Don’t Fear the Reaper, regardless. I’m pleased to say that my assumption was correct; I did enjoy Don’t Fear the Reaper; however, unfortunately, I did not enjoy it as much as I enjoyed My Heart is a Chainsaw.

Initially, I was unsure of how this story would be continued into a trilogy, but it was interesting to see the continuation of the story through the lens of our returning characters. This read felt a lot like watching a cliché horror sequel, but in the best ways.

There was a lot more action in this novel, and Jones doesn’t shy away from the goriness of a lot of these kills. It was also interesting to see the kills that were inspired by horror movie kills (even one from my favorite horror film: It Follows). There were twists and turns, nonstop action, and a propelling premise that really made this book nearly impossible to put down.

One thing I wasn’t the biggest fan of was the switching perspectives throughout the novel. Some of the characters were interesting to read from (mainly the same characters we were familiar with from the first novel in the trilogy); however, I felt like it became a bit much at certain times. Also, as someone listening to this novel as an audiobook, it was harder to follow than the first novel was (even with the full-cast audio).

I’m interested to see how this trilogy concludes in the final installment. I, unfortunately, felt that this book suffered from the second-book-slump; I hope that the final book is able to bring everything back around as a successful trilogy.

There is something so poignant about Jennifer "Jade" Daniels. She went through hell for years, taking comfort in an encyclopedic knowledge of horror movies to deal with the many traumas in her high school and home life. Then there were a series of horrific murders in her rural town of Proofrock, and after the blood had settled, Jennifer was arrested, and spent four years in prison before her conviction was overturned. She decided to return home and ends up arriving in the midst of a snowstorm.

Jennifer reconnected with Letha, who still bore the results of her injuries (in book one) and several surgeries. She married Sheriff Hardy's deputy, and had a child.
The town also has a number of new residents, including several high school-aged kids.

The same day that Jennifer was making her way back home, indigenous serial killer Dark Mill South escaped from custody during his prison transfer and arrived in Proofrock to continue his killing spree to avenge the deaths of thirty eight Dakota men hanged in 1862.

Jennifer was not inclined to draw horror movie parallels this time around; she was wiser, and her mental health was much better. I loved Jade of book one, and I loved this older, quieter person who returned home to rebuild her life. Letha instead, in the interim, had taken on the mantle of horror movie queen, and she and Jade/Jennifer find themselves back in a terrifying scenario when Dark Mill South began targeting high schoolers.

And speaking of Dark Mill South, from his hook hand to his ability to keep popping up almost everywhere Jennifer and Jade seemed to go, as well as his seeming invincibility, he felt more monstrous than human. His ability to leave a gory trail and a high body count everywhere he went was prodigious. He was freaking terrifying.

Jennifer realized that she had to take Jade back on if she hoped to make it alive through Dark Mill South's rampage, and this time I felt a different strength and determination in her--her four years away and in relative safety have helped her immeasurably. How she eventually faced off with Dark Mill South (she's much, much braver than I am!) and saved the town, again, is brutal, bloody, scary, and damn, just wonderful. I was scared, hopeful and just so entertained.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Gallery Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Stephen. Graham. Jones.

The man can do no wrong, and this follow up to "My Heart is a Chainsaw" is a true slasher sequel in every sense. The plot is more propulsive, the body count higher, and while he doesn't go for the emotional wallop of the first book, there's still so much heart in this novel. If you struggled with MHIAC I would highly recommend giving the series another shot. "Don't Fear the Reaper" lowers the barrier for entry and dials up the fun.

This was a fun continuation of a character that is well-loved by so many. While I'm still not fully convinced that SGJ's writing as a whole is for me, I can definitely see where people connect with his stories and especially this one.

In this follow up to the hugely popular MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW, Stephen Graham Jones brings Jade home to Proofrock. She's not "Jade" anymore... not trying to be that girl, like it's a coat you can take off and hang up. In this fast-paced ride that hits high gear very early on, no one is putting aside any jackets. For one thing, it's cold out there. For another, you need all the padding you can get when bodies start piling up, old horror movie plots and scenes appear, and a giant of an escaped serial killer is on the loose.

The survivors of the first book come together in a disjointed battle against an ever changing enemy, a massive snowstorm, and a veritable army of possible final girls and victims. A very satisfying sequel to the first book. Particularly recommended for fans of B movie horror and slasher films.

Highly recommended!

OMFG this book was amazeballs. I loved it and cannot wait for the next one.
Even the acknowledgements were beautiful, a love story to books and movies and teachers.
Yes, it's horror, but it's also survival.
Full disclosure, apparently I got this book from NG but never downloadedit so i actually read on KU.

This book was hard to keep up with what was going on. I was not crazy about how it was written. I honestly could not even give you a preview of what this book was about because it was hard for even me to understand.

Stephen Graham Jones is sometimes one of those authors you have to focus hard while reading not miss all of the hidden meanings and words. This is no exception.
Although over the top at times, Jones is able to pull back and tie everything together, giving satisfaction to slasher fans everywhere.

This is book 2 in the Indian Lake Trilogy series. Four years later, Jade Daniels is released from prison when her conviction is overturned. Life outside turn dangerous when she returns home, when a serial killer seeks revenge. Can she stay alive?

I felt got off the ground a lot faster than My Heart is A Chainsaw. I was hooked from the beginning and it used multiple POV’s to tell the story and I enjoyed that more. But I felt this one started to drag at the tail end.

Overall, Stephen Graham Jones has a really unique voice and I enjoy his horror. This makes three books I’ve read of his and probably not my last. He is extremely descriptive and while that helps the creepy suspense factor in his books it still tends to lose me a little too. I still like reading his books

The second book in the Indian Lake Trilogy did not disappoint. In fact, I think I enjoyed this read better than the first.

Jade Daniels, now going by Jennifer, returns to Proofrock after spending the past 4 years in prison due to the infamous events that people call the 4th of July massacre. Right when she returns, a convicted serial kill named Dark Mill South escapes his prison transfer convoy right near Proofrock during an intense blizzard. Jade (or Jennifer) is thrown right back into the world of slashers and will have to use her vast knowledge of horror movies that she's tried to forget to save her and the others in this town. But as before, Proofrock and Indian Lake are never quite what they seem.

First, I want to say that if you are a fan of horror movies, especially slashers, at the very least you'll appreciate the vast knowledge Stephen Graham Jones includes in this series. It's a dream for horror aficionados - I even wrote quite a view titles down that I wasn't familiar with.

While I enjoyed the first book, it was exhausting being inside Jade's head the whole time. Sometimes it was hard figuring out what was fact and what was just in Jade's head. I very much enjoyed how this book jumped between narrators. While it may seem confusing (and could be at times) I felt like I had a better understanding of what was going on. It also really allowed me to get a sense of just how impactful the Lake Killings of 4 years prior were to the town and people in it as a whole. The amount of characters are a lot, however, each one serves an important purpose and helped the many moving parts of this book to come together. This book also solidified my love for both Jade and Letha.

Overall, I highly recommend this horror series. To fully appreciate Don't Fear the Reaper I recommend reading the first book My Heart is a Chainsaw first.

DON'T FEAR THE REAPER follows in the bloody footsteps of MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW. 4-1/2 stars

I have heard talk that the first book was so darned good. The publisher, like almost everyone who read it, wanted more. Stephen Graham Jones had a killer on his hands that would not die—his book about THE last girl, Jade Daniels. Unlike so many sequels ordered up after a successful stand alone, REAPER shines brighter than the first, and that is a good thing because this book is cold, dark, and brutal. That’s not surprising as this book, like its predecessor, MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW, is an homage to the slasher, particularly of the 1980s-90s, the Crimson Age of Slashers.

REAPER picks up four years after the first book with an escaped serial killer on the loose. Jade, now fresh out of prison, is back in Proofrock. No longer obsessed with horror movies, she wants normalcy, but that’s not how things work with final girls. The town has been cut off by a blizzard. The serial killer, Dark Mill South, has escaped and has begun killing once again in Proofrock. Or has he? Is he more than human? Is it something else? Something is definitely going on here. The town’s senior class is being picked off in theatrical slasher form. And we are off and running.

There is a LOT going on in this book. At times, I felt like I was the one lost in a blinding snowstorm—one I couldn’t get out of because I had a hard time putting this book down. The writing of Stephen Graham Jones is intelligent, if not downright nerdy in the way he drills down into the characters. And he brings each of those those characters to life. Flesh and blood. Lots of blood.

Two down. One left.

I would like to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this novel.