(4.5 stars, rounded up to 5)

"My Heart Is a Chainsaw" by Stephen Graham Jones is a masterfully crafted novel that delves into the depths of horror and psychological suspense. Jones's character development is exceptional, with protagonist Jade Daniels standing out as a complex and compelling figure. As a Native American teenager navigating the complexities of small-town life, Jade's struggles with identity and trauma are deeply affecting, drawing readers into her world with empathy and authenticity.

The atmosphere of "My Heart Is a Chainsaw" is palpable, with Jones expertly conjuring a sense of dread and unease that lingers throughout the narrative. Set against the backdrop of a sleepy mountain town with a dark and troubled history, the setting serves as a perfect backdrop for the unfolding mystery and suspense. Jones's writing style is immersive and evocative, with prose that crackles with tension and foreboding, keeping readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

The plot of "My Heart Is a Chainsaw" unfolds with a perfect blend of intrigue and suspense, as Jade embarks on a quest to uncover the truth behind a series of grisly murders. The pacing is brisk and relentless, with each chapter building upon the last to create a sense of urgency and momentum. The relationships between the characters are expertly woven into the narrative, adding depth and complexity to the story. Overall, "My Heart Is a Chainsaw" is a chilling and unforgettable read that will leave readers spellbound until the very end.

"Some girls just don't know how to die."

Jade Daniels is convinced that her hometown of Proofrock, Idaho is in the midst of a slasher gearing up for its big, bloody climax. The problem is, even as the bodies start to stack up, no one believes her.

SGJ has a very distinct writing style that can feel perplexing and disjointed. Numerous times after picking the book back up after having set it down I needed to reread previous pages to reacquaint and ground myself back into the story. Once back in the rhythm and flow of things though, I found the book hard to put down.

My Heart is a Chainsaw demands effort from its readers but that effort is warranted.

There's such great humor strewn throughout this novel full of underlying emotions and issues. Despite some confusion, and the need to drop down a reddit rabbit hole of interpretations immediately upon completion, I am invested and curious to continue on with this series. I'm looking forward to having some of my lingering questions (hopefully) answered 🤞

If you're a fan of slashers, you'll love all of the recognition & regard that the subgenre gets.

"Horror's not a symptom, it's a love affair."

I give My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones 3.75 stars ⭐⭐⭐✨ (rounded up to 4 stars for NetGalley)

Thank you Gallery Books / Saga Press / Simon & Schuster for providing me with an eARC of this book, it only took me 3 years to finally read it! I suppose the upside to my lanquidity is that both book 2 & 3 of The Lake Witch Trilogy are now published & ready to be consumed by me 📚

I sometimes struggle reading books based on folklore I’m not familiar with, but this horror mixed with Native aspects was great. The audiobook was well done and the book felt well-paced. The twists were fun, never knowing who was really the killer, or honestly if even the MC was reliable. I enjoyed this overall and recommend it to those that love horror with some gore!

Whoa. This was intense!

I am equally in awe of SGJ's horror movie knowledge and petrified. This book was so good, I'm looking forward to reading book two and three. Just wow!

MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW is a love letter to horror's slasher era. It's horrific, melancholy, and a perfect Stephen Graham Jones read. Jade Daniels is a social high school outcast with an abusive father and an absent mother. She watches the world through the detached and dissociated lens of a genre she loves, and for this reason, she keeps you at arm's distance, but what we find underneath it all is a severely traumatized child trying to fit into a world that doesn't understand or accept her, one who's yearning for connection. The story keeps you guessing, flipping pages through the night to find out if real life will play out like a horror novel after all. Love it and you will, too.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW.

Stephen Graham Jones is a master of his craft. He's essentially the only horror writer I'll read, because, yes, his stories are endlessly creepy and have me keeping the lights on after dark -- but his characters also carry so much depth and dimension. In this book, I was consistently unsure whether I liked Jade, and more importantly, whether I trusted her. But at every turn, I was rooting for her. I'm going straight to the second book in this series -- I can already tell I won't want to put this trilogy down.

"This is the real world, not a movie, and the real world doesn't have to follow any special rules." This pretty much sums up this book for me.

Jennifer "Jade" Daniels is a young Blackfeet girl who is an outcast in her town of Proofrock, Idaho. Living with her alcoholic father is a horror show in itself, but Jade is a huge fan of slasher movies. Not horror movies, but those 1980's slashers like Friday the 13th and Halloween. The book is written like the inside of Jade's mind (which is pretty messed up most of the time), so it takes some effort to follow the storyline.

I think that I would have enjoyed the book more if I was more of a slasher fan since much of the book is based on knowledge of those movies. But, the book also touches on abuse/neglect, friendship and rich vs. poor. The town is on one side of Indian Lake and a group of "founders" (aka billionaires) are building houses in the former National Forest. And, oh yeah, there is an old camp complete with cabins across the lake, too. Don't forget the legend of the Lake Witch aka Stacy Graves. See a pattern here?

The narrator of the audiobook did a great job and was perfect for the voice of Jade. I admit that the author's writing style takes getting used to, but he can definitely write a great, creepy story. My main complaint with this book (other than my ignorance of the slasher references) is that the ending left me wondering about some of the many unanswered questions raised throughout the book. I hope that the next book in the series might rectify that problem.

I love horror and slasher films so I knew from the description alone this book was for me. This is definitely a book that will keep you up at night. I enjoyed all of the urban legends surrounding the town and the slasher references throughout. This story is definitely heavy but beautifully written.

This book was something else. I enjoyed it so much that I actually went out an picked up the book from the local bookstore! It is a trilogy, and I can't wait to have them all in my collection. What is not to love? Jade loves horror films, has a mind that knows them all, catalogued to the T. She is in her own world and while some find comfort and safety in romance, food, friends, etc not Jade. Take away though, if you aren't a horror fan, don't want to hear all about horror films this one may not float your boat. For me, I enjoyed it. All of it!

Thank you Saga Press Books and Netgalley for a gifted ebook!
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Thanks to my friend @kerasalwaysreading for recommending me this book as part of the 12booksin12months challenge!

It’s been 10 days I finished reading this book and I still keep thinking about Jade Daniels, who is obsessed with slasher horror and final girls but thinks she doesn’t have what it takes to be one. She has a heart of gold even though she doesn’t believe so, and the entire town of Proofrock, Idado treats her like an outcast, making her feel trapped and self-conscious in a small town. For anyone who reads this book, I think we can all see a little bit of Jade Daniels in ourselves, which made the story relatable to me, even though it’s a slasher horror!

I can also see why everyone loves Stephen Graham Jones’ books. His writing is raw and like a conversational dialogue which makes me feel like I was inside the story and all the characters were speaking to me, alongside me.

The first two-thirds of the book are a slow burn with a lot of character development particularly with Jade. The last 30% or so of the book is where all the action takes place nonstop and makes for every horror reader’s dream! I realize I’m one of the last horror bookstagrammers who have read Book 1 of the trilogy but I’m so glad I finally got to it! I can’t wait to read book 2 and also book 3, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍 𝑶𝒇 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑳𝒂𝒌𝒆, which comes out March 26! Woohoo!!

Jade Daniels has the 'tism, doesn't she? The girl didn't grow up with the best childhood or the best parents as examples for her young life. The people in her town don't really care for her and she's extremely knowledgeable when it comes to horror movies. When people start showing up dead, she predicts what's going to happen next based on what she knows from her favorite movies. She's just a girl with lots of emotions, trying to figure out her way through life like the rest of us and narrating what's happening around her as she tries to make sense of it all.

This was my second read from Stephen Graham Jones. I did enjoy this - but probably not as much as The Only Good Indians…I think my main concern was that I didn’t LOVE Jade - she kinda got on my nerves a bit, making silly choices etc. Hopefully she grows on me as I am looking forward to moving on to Don’t Fear The Reaper.

One of the best crime/thriller writers out there. My Heart is a Chainsaw has all the twists and turns of all the horrors you know and love but from the lens of a trouble teen who is sure she knows why the string of murders local to her are happening.

For lovers of horror and slasher movies, this book is a perfect read. The writing is so complex and interesting. It’s not an easy read, but when I finished it, I couldn’t wait to read the next book in the series.

My Heart Is A Chainsaw really rocked! It's got characters you're invested in, and an antagonist you won't want to miss.

If you’re looking for a great book to read for the spooky season, then this is it! My Heart Is A Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones reads like a good scary movie, which makes sense since the main character Jade is obsessed with slasher films.
Jade Daniels is an indigenous outcast with an abusive father, an absent mother.
She lives in her own world in a town that doesn’t seem to like having her in it. Jade finds solace I watching and studying horror movies, especially the ones where a masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them.
The story unfolds as Jade seems to predict and we are left reading about the horrors that in old this town and Indian lake.
For me this was a page turner! I’m happy to see this is a trilogy and I have two more to read after this one.

I've really enjoyed other books by Stephen Graham Jones, but I could not connect with the narrative voice in this book. I found myself getting confused mid-sentence and rereading things. I was so excited for this one, but it was ultimately difficult to follow and I set it down without finishing.

Full disclosure: I am a person who had nightmares after watching Scary Movie. I was not a fan of slasher movies and I was nervous to read this book.

Much to my delight, this book is fantastic. 17 year old Jade lives her life through the lens of a slasher movie. The violence in slashers makes sense and follows a pattern. Jade sees the signs that a slasher cycle is starting in her small town of Proofrock Idaho. If you ask her, she'll tell you all about it, and even if you don't ask, she'll still tell you all about it.

While she's alone in believing a massacre is on the way, she has people who care about help. There's sheriff Hardy, but everyone knows that law enforcement is useless against a slasher. There's her history teacher Mr. Holmes, but he's the crazy old man no one believes. And then there's the new girl at school, Letha. Letha is the perfect final girl. She's beautiful, smart, kind and most importantly pure.

When the summer death toll ramps up, Jade excitedly lurks around town, preparing Letha to become the final girl.

The author creates a deep and understandable character in Jade. I could absolutely understand her connection to slasher movies and how this makes it difficult for her to connect to others. The side characters could be as two dimensional as their slasher counterparts, but they are also fully realized characters. I don't think I've had such a clear view of a cast in a book.

The finale is a masterpiece. In my opinion it's up there with battle scenes from Game of Thrones. It's chaotic, but the writing makes it easy to follow.

I cannot recommend this book enough, even if you don't like slashers!

Loved everything about this, from the wildly relatable main character (whose love of horror movies shines throughout this entire book) to the "slasher" aspect. This isn't my first Stephen Graham Jones book, and it won't be the last -- I LOVED THIS!

Gosh, where to start? There is so much going on in this novel from the introduction of the main characters to the slasher storyline to the countless movie references that had me looking everything up. Its almost a novel version of a very specific type of encyclopedia. I loved it. Jade is a fully realized character and the twist backstory was so welcome. Highly recommended.