Jones seriously comes up with the best horror plot. Watch out Stephen King!! This book is a love note to horror movie lovers.

This book was a creepy, horrific delight! I enjoyed every single second and would absolutely read anything else the author puts out in the future. Easily 5 stars. The tension built like a symphony and left my hair standing on end as I tried to figure out what was going to happen until the last page. Jade was an absolute delight and the pop culture callbacks to all of the horror references made my heart happy.

Stephen Graham Jones is my new horror King. He writes a (meta) slasher here that reframes the genre. Something’s happening in her town and Jade is the only one who knows enough about slashers to recognize the signs.

I am a huge Stephen Graham Jones fan. My Heart Is a Chainsaw could be a text book on slasher films. There are so many references packed into this novel, maybe a few too many for me. I did get a bit bogged down in the middle of this one and found the ending a bit scattered. That said, I will still read anything he writes, including the sequel to this novel.

I accepted defeat. I simply do not enjoy this style of writing. It is such a bummer because I am a huge slasher fan. I love horror and I appreciated all of the references here. But the long, drawn out sentences and stream of consciousness storytelling make it difficult to follow, and difficult to enjoy.

Having loved "The Only Good Indians", I was excited to dive into another Stephen Graham Jones horror. While it followed a rather similar slow burn style, it was wholely new and unique. The suspense was key, the horror there and palpable, and the characters as they should be, whether likable or not. If I had a complaint it would only be that it did at times seem to drone on. I almost skimmed a few sections because they were starting to feel almost boring. Overall though, I definitely liked it and found it easy to devour.

I wanted to like this book as the author is very popular. There was a lot of press about him and his books. I read about 15% and had to give up, It has a very YA feel and was just totally cringy in my opinion.

Mentioned in Best science fiction, fantasy and horror of 2021 via The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/11/18/best-science-fiction-fantasy-horror-novels/

This is my second novel by Stephen Graham Jones and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite horror authors. My introduction to Jones was “The Only Good Indians” which is now one of my highly recommended horror novels. My Heart is a Chainsaw had some very big shoes to fill.

The story begins with Jade Daniels, a social outcast in her final year of high school. Her unstable and abusive home life has caused her to retreat into a world obsessed with horror films, specifically those in the slasher genre, and the “final girls” in those films. As her graduation looms, her history teacher takes pity on her and allows her to write essays on slasher films for her final grade. We get an insight into Jade’s psyche through her essays as she desperately looks for her own slasher flick to be a part of in real life.

Cue a group of rich folk invading Jade’s hometown of Proofrock and the island on Indian Lake. An untapped resource, they begin building mansions on the island & dock their yachts on the shores. Jade skeptically eyes the newcomers, but when one of them ends up as her classmate, Jade latches onto Letha Mondragon as the “final girl” in her warped reality. When bodies start turning up on the lake, Jade desperately tries to convince Letha that she is the Nancy to the Freddy Kruger lurking in their community.

What I Liked: This is the 2nd novel I’ve read by Jones that left me feeling unsettled and just off while reading… which is everything I want in a horror novel. Both novels had at least one scene where I was literally holding my breath until I caught myself. There are very few books I have read that have done that. Also, all of Jade’s insights on some of the most influential slasher films are fun to read.

What I Didn’t: The book was a very slow burn and I got impatient. It is my own fault and once I got to the end, I was mad at myself for being impatient. Jade’s story was well worth the wait.

I usually do not give trigger warnings on horror stories. Horror is a genre that I think of as “Enter At Your Own Risk.” However, this is a story that needs one as it is lauded as a “love letter to the slasher genre,” but is ultimately rooted in the abuse and trauma of a young girl. That being said, My Heart is a Chainsaw is another excellent horror story by Stephen Graham Jones.

So I decided to read My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones for the ARC or borrowed book prompt for the #BacktoKindle Readathon. The ARC was from NetGalley. I have never been so excited to receive an ARC. It was like winning a lottery, except with books instead of money.
Jade Daniels is from the small town of Proofrock, Idaho. She lives with her abusive father. Her mother lives in town but they don’t communicate. Jade is half-Indian and 100% angry.

Jade knows everything about horror movies. She writes her history papers mostly about horror movies or about the local ghost stories. Her history papers are my favorite parts of the book. Jade has a sense of humor and has gotten in trouble for doing many pranks. Not everyone has the same sense of humor. Her history teacher might be one of the few people that tries to help Jade. She writes her papers like they are letters to the teacher.

The dad is not only abusive but he is a raging alcoholic. I am puzzled by why the mom left her with the dad. If I were Jade, I would be 100% angry too.

Then weird things begin to happen in a subtle way. No one even notices how weird things are except for Jade. Everyone thinks she is overreacting. People die all the time, they say. There’s no serial killer, they say. However, the bodies are beginning to pile up before anyone can stop it from happening.

Jade is convinced that a new girl in town is the Final Girl. She thinks that the new girl might be able to save the town unless the new girl is the serial killer.

Conclusion:
If you love horror novels and/or horror movies, then you will love this book. Also, if you are already a fan of Stephen Graham Jones then you will probably enjoy this book as well.

People who will not like this book :

1. Abusive, alcoholic dads but we don’t care what they think.

2. Serial killers? Maybe they will love the book due to some sort of narcissistic traits.

3. Anyone who doesn’t appreciate the following joke.

Joke that I found and will always laugh at:

While discussing horror movies, my friend asked me who my favorite monster from film is.

Me: “Hmmm that’s a tough one. I think I’d have to go with the vampire from Sesame Street.”

Friend: “What!? He doesn’t count.”

Me: “Oh I assure you, he does.”

This is my favorite of all of the Stephen Graham Jones books. I enjoyed it more than the only good Indians which was my favorite book of last year. I loved the main character, and the story, and I can't wait for the next one to come out.

Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2021! The pacing and the sheer amount of knowledge jones puts into this novel is beyond insanity. The pacing is breakneck and you can’t put this book down, but wait there’s more, it’s a part of a trilogy and if this is any indication of what the others will hold, hold on to your seats folks.

<i>Final girls are good, they're uncomplicated, they have these reserves of courage coiled up inside them, not layer after layer of shame, or guilt, or whatever this festering poison is.
Real final girls only want the horror to be over. They don't stay up late praying to Craven and Carpenter to send one of their savage angels down, just for a weekend maybe. Just for one night. Just for one dance, please? One last dance?
That's all Jade needs in the world, she knows.
Instead she's got Tab Daniels for a father, Proofrock for a prison, and high school for a torture chamber.
Kill em all, she says in her heart of hearts. Let God sort them out.</i>

It took this book a while to really get started for me, but boy once it did - Stephen Graham Jones is finally starting to get the recognition he deserves, and it seems to be spurring him to even greater heights.

Through Jade Daniels, we get all of the author's considerable horror knowledge, tropes and killers and methods spilling out as she watches the small town she's convinced is in for a murder spree, or through the essays that she writes for the most understanding history teacher I've ever seen. She knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that there's danger on the way, and so does the reader, but of course she's the Cassandra of slashers, doomed to never be believed. Too young, too female, too unstable, or with a theory just too outlandish, whatever it is she's on her own and not about to let her town down, whatever it's done to her. I just really loved her as a character, so I'm gushing a little bit, but Jade is just so unable to see herself as the badass she is. I wanted to cheer her on as much as I wanted to offer her a safe place to hide.

My Heart Is a Chainsaw is both epic slasher, and tribute to the genre it inhabits - it's the kind of mix that couldn't possibly work as well with any other author, and even if it took a while to hook me, the ending took my breath away - luckily not literally but it would if it could.

I received a Kindle ARC from NetGalley. Because it took me so long to get through this book, I also bought a final Kindle version.

This book took me over 6 months to get through. Unfortunately, this book is extremely boring for the first 75% of the book. It finally gets better then just ends.

I am going to give the next book a chance because it does sound good.

If you love horror movies, this book is for you.

This was like nothing else I've ever read, Jade's pain raw and brutal, her obsession with horror movies sometimes making it difficult to decipher what is real and what is the product of an over-excited imagination. Details remain murky, the book reading like a sped-up dream sequence, the different parts needing to be picked out and pieced together to form a cohesive whole. While I wasn't always sure if this was exactly for me, I also couldn't stop reading it and knew it would be one I'd never forget.

I'm incredibly bummed out that I didn't enjoy this book. While. I think Stephen Graham Jones is a fabulous writer and I thoroughly enjoyed The Only Good Indians, but this one just didn't work the same for me. I found the narrative style disjointed and choppy, too slow moving, and a bit too heavy on the slasher movie recaps for my taste and ultimately ended up DNFing this story for the time being.

I hope to return to it and find the same love for this story so many others have. Would recommend for longtime slasher fans and people who like their horror slow and creeping.

Stephen Graham Jones is an immensely talented writer. In MY HEART IS A CHAIN SAW he gives us really magnificent, wholly realistic and completely human characters (except for the inhuman ones). The story in unusual and imaginative and Jones does a great job of immersing us in a place most of us will never see. the horror creeps up on you and while I was reading it, this sense of foreboding stayed with me, even when I was not reading it, until the story was done. and then I still felt unsettled. ONLY THE GOOD INDIANS was its own masterpiece and I can hardly wait to see what he writes next! Buy a copy for every horror fan on your list.

I was very scared reading this book. I am not sure I would recommend this book to all of my high school students just because it was a bit much for me. But I know there are students out there that will enjoy it. I had to keep putting this book down to read it again. It was well written and the characters were excellent.

Stacey Stacey Stacey Graves
Born to put you in your grave
You see her in the dark of night
And once you do you’re lost from sight
Look for water, look for blood
Look for footprints in the mud
You never see her walk on grass
Don’t slow down, she’ll get your -

In yet another offering of the “final girl” movement of late, Stephen Graham Jones offers his own more nuanced version of the now familiar tale. Like others, his is a love letter to the slasher flick and much like Riley Sager and Grady Hendrix he doesn’t fail to drop all the pertinent names. The difference this time around is Jones' more verbose, literary style of horror storytelling which also features a darker twist than the norm. You’ll know right away if his style is for you. I’ve had this on my Kindle since months before its release date when I got an early copy, but never picked it up because I feared this author would not be for me. I even had it recommended by my real life book buddy and still continued to avoid it. But then it became time for the library Winter Reading Challenge and, well you know how it goes ….

While this certainly could have been whittled down, a quiet Sunday where I could really lose myself in the story worked in this one’s favor so it gets a generous helping of stars.

Another selection for the Winter Reading Challenge. One more step closer to free crap!

Waaaaaaay past due ARC review of an advanced copy provided by NetGalley way longer ago than I should feel comfortable admitting. Thank you, NetGalley!

A very well done homage to slasher movies.
If you're at all a fan of the classic the movies of the 80's and 90's you'll love this one. I loved all the references while weaving it's own compelling story I couldn't read fast enough.
I Highly recommend.