A horror novel with a fantastic premise. The cover? Perfect. The title? PERFECT. It’s safe to say my expectations for this were very high. Sadly, it fell a bit flat for me. It just took too long to get into the story and once it did, I found it to be a bit too long.

TW: Rape, bullying, family drama, child sexual abuse, abortion, racism

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book: 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…especially the ones where a masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them. And Jade narrates the quirky history of Proofrock as if it is one of those movies. But when blood actually starts to spill into the waters of Indian Lake, she pulls us into her dizzying, encyclopedic mind of blood and masked murderers, and predicts exactly how the plot will unfold.Yet, even as Jade drags us into her dark fever dream, a surprising and intimate portrait emerges…a portrait of the scared and traumatized little girl beneath the Jason Voorhees mask: angry, yes, but also a girl who easily cries, fiercely loves, and desperately wants a home. A girl whose feelings are too big for her body. My Heart Is a Chainsaw is her story, her homage to horror and revenge and triumph.
Release Date: August 31st, 2021
Genre: Horror
Pages: 404
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
• Interesting storyline
• Jade was a great character

What I Didn't Like:
• Maybe too much talk about slasher killers(I know I sound crazy)

Overall Thoughts: Sadly I hadn't liked any of the authors books, so I had to give this one a chance. I hate to just dismiss an author because of a few books that didn't mesh with me. I have a hard time getting into his writing style. It always feels like he's blurring his words together and mumbling. Not this book though. I adored this one. Jade was a character that was believable. My heart breaks for her and what she went through.

The ending was so interesting in how it tied in her obsession while giving a reason for how she was and why. How the author showed how trama can alter your perspective to reality.

Final Thoughts: I'm really starting to get into the books by this author. I think this one was great, just be prepared since there is a lot of Dark themes here.

Seriously, what a fun book. Dark in some parts, but absolutely fun. Not your average, predictable slasher.

I originally got this as an arc from a site that i used earlier this year, but I didn’t read it because I finally admitted to myself that I HATE reading on devices. Since I work in an office and stare at a computer all day I really don’t enjoy doing that when I get home. So I waited for the release of this book to read it the correct way.

Jade Daniels is an 80s slasher obsessed, rebellious teen. Doing her best to navigate life without her mom and stuck in a house with a drunk ass father, Jade adapts to these already rough teen years by making the best of it: enter Slasher 101.

This is where shit gets interesting. An honest-to-god slasher turns up in Proofrock and people just dismiss it as Jade just being Jade, but what they don’t know is that Jade might just be the only one that can save them all.

Slasher 101 was a nice, authentic touch to break up the story.

But also, this book hit me hard because Stephen Graham Jones touches a nerve that a lot of people have, but won’t talk about. The fact that some people love and latch onto horror because they’ve lived through their own horror at an early age, and they all know that people- real human beings- are the actual horror in this world, not monsters or made up ghost stories. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but once innocence is talked from us, it can never come back.

I’m seriously so happy that more and more authors are touching down on this point and putting it in their work. It ads a real human touch to a genre a lot of people do not take seriously.

If you have the time, definitely check this one out. It’s not your typical final girl story.

🔪🔪🔪🔪/5 stabs.

My Heart is a Chainsaw is a great, interesting title and a perfect representation of the book. This book is full of violence and blood and fear; it is a slasher in print. If you grew up on Friday the 13th and Halloween and other slasher movies, you will really enjoy this book. The heart of the book is its main character, Jade, who is a teenager obsessed with slasher films; she writes extra credit papers about the history and meaning of slasher films, which helps anyone who is unfamiliar with them to understand them, and this book, better. Jade is portrayed as weird and unlikeable, with a toughness to her, but the more you get to know her, you start to understand that there is so much more to her. She is such a strong, memorable character and it’s hard not to cheer for her by the end (I would love to read more books about her). This was the first book I have read by this author, but it won’t be the last.

”Brutal, beautiful, and unforgettable, My Heart Is a Chainsaw is a visceral ride from start to finish. A bloody love letter to slasher fans, it’s everything I never knew I needed in a horror novel."
-Gwendolyn Kiste, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Rust Maidens


Now, in many ways and for many reasons, Stephen Graham Jones is quickly becoming one of my go-to storytellers. That might or might not surprise you, given my review and subsequent low rating of The Only Good Indians, but that’s because, in my opinion, the two are polar opposites. They shouldn’t be compared, and I’ll try my best not to. While it’s true that both are technically slashers and they were published sequentially, My Heart Is a Chainsaw is a much better, well-thought-out and stronger effort. In typical SGJ fashion, both shed light on the Indigenous culture and the impact that has on the Blackfeet, and I love that. I admire his passion. It’s an element that I’ve come to expect in his work.

I could go on and on about the different ways in which My Heart Is a Chainsaw impressed the world out of me thematically. The gentrification of smalltown America was one of them. There were also elements of progress versus tradition (paying special attention to the impact that has on the Blackfeet,) and how the lines separating virtue from immorality often become blurry. The novel, as a whole, was much more alluring and made more clear. I could also wax eloquent about the character development. Jade Daniels especially was easily some of the best character development I’ve read in quite some time. I connected with her profoundly and for many reasons, not just once or twice or even sporadically, but throughout the novel’s four hundred- plus pages. To maintain that continuity and depth really says a lot and, in my experience, you just don’t often find that in fiction. It’s almost a lost art, and in this instance, Jones nailed it.

Also, it was never once boring or dull, whereas The Only Good Indians bored me to death, more often than not.

But before I go any further, I must admit something else that might surprise you: the slasher subgenre isn’t really my thing. Yes, I love horror, but not all dark fiction is equal. Not by a long shot. I don’t get excited about indiscriminate and senseless body drops. I need more substance and intellect. I guess that’s why I’ve only seen bits and scraps of Friday the 13th, or why I only very recently saw the original Halloween. Back in the day, I did, however, find myself enamored with the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise, but that stemmed less from the content and had everything to do with Wes Craven’s brilliant vision. Seriously, the dreamscape concepts were the coolest things I’d ever seen.

So, to clarify, I wouldn’t consider myself a slasher fan. That, in itself, speaks volumes, given how much I enjoyed this book. Reading it, particularly in conjunction with The Only Good Indians, helped me that much more appreciate the author’s enchanting prose, as well as his unique take on the slasher.

Shooting Glasses just sits there. Which is to say, he’s not leaving, not sloping off to whisper to his buds how weird this girl is with her throwback references, all the horror, all the gore. Jade’s face heats up, and, praying her voice won’t crack, and only saying it after she’s gone over it and over it in her head, she says, “I could like you, I think.” When Shooting Glasses looks over for more, the Dr Pepper can to his lower lip, she adds in quick, “As someone to talk to, I mean.”
“Where was I your last four years?” he sort of quotes.


Conveniently sprinkled throughout the novel were a dozen brief essay sections, written by Jade, which delved deep into the slasher genre and essentially dissected it, analyzing the very fabric of its many ins and outs; the things which make it tick, the things that work and don’t work. She took it further than that by giving insight into the actual Rules of the Slasher. That was done in such a way that it never came across as being didactic or pompous or any other negative adjective. On the contrary, I couldn’t get enough of Jade’s contributions. They were wholly fascinating and I left each one with the sense that I’d learned something. I learned a LOT. I say that fully knowing that Jones most likely wrote them with an audience of horror aficionados in mind. I also realize that a fair number of reviewers found Jade’s sections somewhat off-putting, and that’s clearly their right. The point is, I loved them. I’d read an entire book containing her essays, if I could. Even if the slasher gave me more enjoyment and if I’d considered myself fairly knowledgeable of the films, Jones is such an encyclopedia of horror that I’m sure this would’ve, at the very least, given me something more to consider, on an intellectual as well as an artistic level. He’s just that dang good.


The most exceptional yet was Jones’s full utilization of red herrings. They were more impressive than plot, setting or historical context; more exquisite than the breathtaking prose, which comfortably straddled the line separating a frenetic, almost manic prose, with that of an incredibly controlled one. And although the unrelenting suspense and built up tension between various characters was rather unprecedented (on par with nothing I’ve read in a long time,) the aforementioned red herrings were virtually everywhere. They were so masterfully executed and rendered beautifully that I never knew the identity of the killer. I never wanted to stop reading. None of that is hyperbole, either. In a world where predicting certain details of a fictional story has become increasingly easy and predictable, being completely clueless until the denouement’s Big Reveal was no small feat. Not knowing made My Heart Is a Chainsaw that much more rewarding and mysterious and fun. I cannot adequately express just how refreshing that was.
That’s precisely how it should be, too. After all, this wasn’t Stephen Graham Jones’s debut or even his second foray into the slasher. Over the years, he’s diligently honed his craft, intentionally experimenting well within—and pushing the envelope of—the deceptively simplistic slasher narrative, starting with Demon Theory in 2006, followed by The Last Final Girl, Night of the Mannequins, and the Bram-Stoker Award-winning The Only Good Indians. In fact, it would seem that his “black heart” knows no bounds, for his forthcoming novel is called Don't Fear the Reaper and on July 26th, 2022, Jade’s journey is set to continue in a direct sequel. I’m excited about that.

”Town reject, nice to meet you.”


Needless to say, the good far outweighed its flaws. In fact, there were only a handful of constructive criticisms to give. The most significant or damaging was Jones’s tendency to ramble, which made this slow burn a little slower paced. Neither are necessarily bad or even a criticism and here’s why: this is my second Stephen Graham Jones book, and both are what some might call agonizingly slow, so in conclusion, they aren’t really flaws or even poor executions. That’s just his style. He’s not the first author to do this, nor is he the last. Concerning said rambling, which had certain stream-of-consciousness vibes, they almost always revolved around the protagonist’s obsession with the string of murders, and that could feel somewhat daunting and repetitive at times. It was undoubtedly disturbing, given her already precarious mentality. But at the same time, it was utterly fascinating to be locked inside her head, to learn about her various thought processes, defense mechanisms, and knowing there were shades of gray within her made me admire and adore her that much more. I love Jade Daniels so, so much. I can’t overstate that. She’s the endearing spirit and lifeline of the book. Being that close to her lent it a palpable sense of the uncanny and of claustrophobia. That’s not a criticism, either. More to the point, that intimacy was a great method of further developing her character, and I can’t imagine a less developed protagonist, even though sacrificing some of her ramblings would’ve resulted in a significantly trimmed down book; a tighter constructed story. Oftentimes, I question whether or not he could’ve told the same story with a more economy of words, and earnestly, I’m not sure. I’d like to think the depth and strength of Jade could remain intact, but where do you draw the line? What do you keep and what would you omit? Because as lengthy as some of them were, every thought and theory and cinematic insight felt relevant and interesting. I oscillate whether any words were wasted at all.

As impactful as the overall work was, My Heart Is a Chainsaw had the potential to really GUT ME, to leave me speechless, if the supporting cast had been developed. Instead, most of them were one note characters, and that bothered me. It bothered me because with the obvious exception of Jade, the easily likeable Mr. Holmes (the primary recipient of Jade’s essays,) and the charming Letha Mondragon, I felt nothing for them, and I wanted to feel something, anything about them. Something that mattered. I longed to get to know them deeper than the surface level. And trust me, I get. I really do. The slasher is typically devoid of emotion and depth. Just take a cursory glance at Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, or Billy Black from 1974’s underrated Black Christmas, which served as the blueprints for John Carpenter’s Halloween, in addition to countless imitations that followed. It bugged me even more, considering how fully realized Jade’s character was. If nothing else, there was a part of me expecting to have a decent sense of who the others were. They were basically lobotomized, intent only on personal gain, and perhaps that was the point. It unequivocally communicated a lot about greed in America and how depraved humanity has become.

I did, however, feel something for the killer. The backstory was compelling, the motivation felt authentic and was given ample consideration by the author. I actually sympathized with the slasher.

This is always her favorite part of any slasher. It’s already been established, thanks to the bodies stacking up, that somebody thinks they’ve got a good reason to be doing this, however it is they’re doing it. Now the push is to figure out what the dead might have in common, where their paths might cross. After that it’s just a matter of thinking back to who was where when a prank or accident went down. Who had stepped out to powder their nose, see a man about a horse, make a call?

Or, before Scream, that’s how you used to be able to figure a slasher out.


Which brings me to that ending. That wholly diabolical, seemingly out-of-nowhere, brutal ending. And I mean BRUTAL. Without going into spoiler territory, it was very fast paced, intense, and aesthetically pleasing. It was, in fact, beautiful, with just enough details and gore to render it classy. In other words, the opposite of gratuitous violence present merely for shock value. I found none of that here. On the contrary, it harkened to the classic slasher’s of the 1970s and 80s, where less was more, where visual stimuli wasn’t usually necessary, and was the source of Jones’s primary inspiration. (Another highlight was the author’s note, where he detailed a plethora of said influences and an anecdote of Chainsaw’s origin.)

In the midst of such insanity came a scene which was earned, but which could’ve been so much more impactful if a certain character had been granted that which was due, instead of receiving only half the opportunity. I think that character was kind of cheated, possibly in a big way. Having said that, I’d been anticipating the other antagonist (technically, there are two, but they couldn’t be more different,) to finally, finally reach a comeuppance and boy did Jones deliver. I just wish the payoff was larger, with a broader emphasis on inner turmoil and injustice.

Now, approaching the last chapter, which was aptly entitled The Final Chapter, I had no idea what to expect. The final girl was revealed, the killer’s identity was laid bare, and where Jones took the reader was unlike any culmination that I can recall ever reading. In two words: sheer brilliance. Yet, there was another chapter left. What else did Jones have in store for his audience? How could he hope to exceed the previous chapter? I had my doubts. I also had a myriad of questions, and yes, he answered them. Or most of them, I suppose. But the content given was such a disappointment and for the life of me, I cannot decipher why it was included. Which isn’t to say it was bad or in poor taste. It just felt unneeded and there was a big disconnect between it and everything that preceded it. Those parting pages, which was the shortest chapter (I don’t consider Jade’s essays as actual chapters,) felt forced and like an afterthought, as though Jones simply wanted to write a longer book. I do see what he was trying to achieve, but the execution was a feeble attempt to, on the one hand, justify her past actions. On the other, and this is my biggest complaint, I had the impression that it was a means of redeeming her, as well as a means of bringing her journey full circle. And I’m not sure he pulled it off. Not believably, anyway.

Some girls just don’t know how to die..


In summation, I still wouldn’t consider myself a fan of slasher stories. What I am a fan of, however, is the author’s interpretation of what the modern-day slasher can, and perhaps should, convey. In light of his inarguably unique and imaginative storytelling, in conjunction with Jade’s mountainous insights, what I knew (or presumed to know,) about the subgenre was so much more than the emotionless death knell and high body counts. Stephen Graham Jones suppled that often absence of substance and intellect, and fueled it with an abundance of heart and soul. Highly recommended.

In exchange for an honest review, I received an advanced e-copy from NetGalley, the publisher, Gallery/Saga Press, and the author. I’m eternally thankful. The opinions thein are my own.

This was a strong read, and a strange one. It's part of the recent spate of final girl remixes, but here, when the action gets going, and the bodies start piling up, things get seriously bonkers. Protagonist Jade Daniels is a student of the horror movie (some of the narrative is composed of her extra-credit horror movie analysis papers submitted to one of her teachers) and trusts in the slasher format. So she knows that the rich people who're encroaching on her town are not bringing anything good, and that the old closed-down summer camp (murders!) is going to play a role. But the underlying story is of a girl who's been failed by those who were supposed to take care of her. A girl who has to make her own way, figure out her own rules for survival. When Jones takes a jacked-up narrative to 11, that's the story that shines. It's a good read, but the very ending kicks it up into great territory, and not because of the body count.

Some authors have such a unique writing style that it feels like it is a new medium. Cormac McCarthy, and Kurt Vonnegut are prime examples and to me, so is Stephen Graham Jones.
I am not knowledgeable enough to know what makes his stories so different, as I detested English class in school. All I know is that it works for me and My Heart Is A Chainsaw was no exception.
There are lots of characters but Dr. Jones has created ways to make them all memorable. If you are concerned that you’re not a “slasher” connoisseur and you won’t understand any references and therefore not like the book, you can cut that worry out of your head. To me this was more about mental health and obsessions and any references to Michael Meyers jumping out of the lake, wearing a knife glove to attack the girl in the canoe while he was being chased by a shark will all be explained in the story.
This was a fun story leaving you in suspense throughout the book wondering if Jade’s predictions will come true.

Wasn't a huge fan of this book. Felt like I was reading an encyclopedia of horror movies the whole time. Shame, had really high hopes for this book!

As a fan of thrillers, this book called my name. Chilling, raw, intense and bleak this book took a lot from me. This book does a good job presenting a diverse range of characters and weaves in among the intensity great popular references.

Jones has a deep understanding of horror films which is evident through his main character's obsession with slashers. A fun, thrilling read with an unreliable narrator that leads the reader to discovering if they are reading a slasher or not.

It's been said in a bunch of reviews that this book is a love letter to slasher films. It might be a tad more accurate to say the heart of the book is slasher films. I consider myself a pretty big horror fan but throughout the book I had to stop and look up a slasher film that was referenced. Or look up a name that was mentioned because I knew it was in some horror movie but I didn't know which. My Netflix and Amazon Prime watchlists both had multiple films added to them as a result of MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW.

Jade Daniels is a half-Indian teenager in a small town; she lives with her abusive father and wants nothing more than to be rid of the town. Her one solace is slasher films. Her knowledge and love far surpasses Jamie Kennedy's character in "Scream". Then when blood spills and people start to die, Jade knows exactly how things will go. Or she thinks she does.

Jones does an amazing job with the novel. His love and understanding and passion for slash films comes through from start to end. Jade tells us the rules while the book follows them. And then deviates. Or does it? The meta-feeling of fitting the book into the formula runs throughout the length. Then all that changes and is no longer important because at the very end Jones gives a gut punch that I should have seen coming but was too distracted to see. Something so emotional that I was left stunned. He did the same thing to me when I read THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS. I'm not going to give anything away. You should simply read this book and enjoy! Stephen Graham Jones is an amazing author.

This was such an interesting book to review. It was, first and foremost, a love letter to slasher movies. Jade, the main character and local "horror chick", is convinced that she will experiences a slasher in her lifetime. She is just counting the days and reading the the signs of the impending blood bath. Letha is Jade's pick for the final girl. As the days roll on, Jade is more and more convinced of this so she hatches a plan to "train" Letha to become what Jade knows she is destined to be. In between mishaps, attempts to draw out the slasher, and half-hidden cries for help, there are Slasher 101 writing that Jade submitted in high school for history credit. There is a part of the book that I really thought that just reading these and then getting to the 80% mark of the book would be good enough to cover all of the depth of this story. My feeling was "just get to the good part, the bloody bits". But there is more to Jade, and Letha, and "The Founders" that needed to be covered to do it justice. I didn't get that until after I was finished with the book and thought about it. This was a good book and a sad book, because you want Jade and her fellow Proofrockers to be well and come to terms with each other. And then all hell breaks loose and you want specific ones to survive. And then you find out more information and a little part of you will probably think that this is just what needed to happen. As messed up as that sounds.

Well. I LOVED this book! This is a love letter to the horror/slasher genre and it is my jam!
It gave me the feel of an 80s horror movie, and I devoured every minute of this book.

There are so many references to my favorite movies and movies that I grew up loving.. Even for those who don’t know all of references, I guarantee you still enjoy it, and may even be compelled to go watch a few of the movies!

It has GORE, it is scary at times and had me on the edge of my seat. I loved Jade and I felt like every character was so perfect for this book!

Per usual, Stephen Graham Joneses writing is a thrilling and hard to describe experience.

(After all the Grady Hendrix books I have read this year, I feel I may be somewhat of a horror movie connoisseur!)


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

B&N-AllieReads
Amazon-Allie G

I was so excited when I read the description of this book. As a horror movie fan, it seemed practically written for me. But while I did make it through the entire book, it was a bit of a slog, I'm sad to say. There's something about Jones writing style that just never clicks for me (I tried The Only Good Indians, and couldn't get into it). It just feels haphazard, scattershot. And so while I enjoyed the story going on, the narrative style never settled into a groove for me. I also felt the story spun it's wheels a lot and could have gotten on with things more quickly and not repeated itself. So I can't give this book or this author an enthusiastic rating.

I tried to read this book several times but always ended up DNFing it because it was just too slow. I was really intrigued by the premise because I am a fan of slasher movies, but unfortunately the writing style and story could not hold my attention long enough to finish the book.

Decent read IF you stick it out. You have to pay attention and it is slow going, but the slasher movie references help. The first 60% of the book will have you questioning if you are going to stick it out but the last 40% will make it worth powering through. Perfect October read, full of gore and terror.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Stephen Graham Jones and Simon & Schuster for this edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

I cannot tell you just how much I loved this novel! It has inspired me to work my way through all of Jones' back catalog as well. It's a brilliant rumination on the history and nature of both slasher films and the Final Girl archetype. These characters are fascinating, and the story kept me guessing until the very end. It's such a great horror read! I learned a whole lot about the slasher genre along the way, which was also super great. READ THIS ONE. You'll thank me, I promise.

Love the author and his work but had a hard time getting into this book. Will definitely read more Stephen Graham Jones but this just wasn't for me.

This book was too slow for me. I had a very hard time staying interested.


I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Don't miss Stephen Graham Jones's newest book that just came out on August 31st, My Heart is a Chainsaw. I was so excited to read this one after reading and absolutely loving Stephen Graham Jones's The Only Good Indians, and thanks to Netgalley, I was able to get an e-galley of this one in exchange for an honest review. This novel, which falls in the horror genre but is a pretty light read for its category, is a fascinating and self-reflective look at the iconic aspects of slashers from the golden age of slasher films.

The protagonist Jade is a bit of an expert when it comes to the details of slasher films, and she knows the ins and outs of the plot arcs as well as the archetypal characters in the slashers... and she realizes as she sees events unfolding around her in her small town of Proofrock that she might very well be living through a real life slasher. As bodies start showing up and as Jade identifies the "final girl" who will surely be the center of the events, Jade tries to convince others around her that they are experiencing a slasher and that she can guide them through it to try to minimize the loss of life.

Graham plays with fiction and reality in this one, and the incorporation of Jade's analytical papers to her history teacher exploring slashers (as she struggles to get the last credit she needs to graduate in the summer after her senior year) make this a particularly interesting read. The beginning really grabbed me, but then it took a while to get more momentum going, but ultimately I found this one to be an interesting and surprisingly fun with a focus on history, revenge, the carelessness that comes with extreme wealth, and the desire to right historical wrongs.