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.

I was excited to read Stephan Graham Jones' latest book - My Heart is a Chainsaw, His earlier novel - The Ony Good Indians - was fascinating in many ways. It was a compelling horror story, and a fresh look at Native American culture. I had the opportunity to read his new book courtesy of NetGalley and Saga Press. I was not disappointed. To be honest, I was scared $&@&$!

Be warned. This novel is out-of-this-world unnerving, and not for the faint of heart.

Jade Daniels has never met a slasher movie she didn't like. To say she is obsessed with the genre, is putting it mildly. It consumes her. She views her life and that of the people around her as one long series of horror films. When we first meet her, she is afraid, as she senses something evil is coming. Recognizing all the signs that mark the beginning of a slasher film, she searches and finds the 'last girl' (the one left alive at the end of the film) - Letha Mondragon, the beautiful girl who just moved in across the lake where all the 'rich' people are building houses. Both excited and frightened, she feels ready, as she knows exactly who the actors are (mostly) and what she needs to do. Unfortunately, no one believes this geeky troubled outcast, including Letha. Then the slaughter starts.

Graham Jones uses a series of murder and urban legends in small town America as his framework to tell this haunting story of a young, angry half-Indian teen from abusive parents who meets life on her own terms. We come to care about Jade Daniels and are sympathetic to her struggles. The writing is faced-paced and filled with unrelenting tension. Yet, there manages to be a somewhat caustic sense of humor throughout the telling. Graham Jones populates his story with some wonderfully written characters (who could best be described as 'characters'), all-too-vivid murders, and an evocative sense of a community which time seems to have passed by. He has masterfully captured the essence of the slasher genre, with references to iconic killers such as Freddy, Jason, Jigsaw, Ghostface, Michael Myers, and even Pamela Vorhees.

Just a heads up, do not start reading the final third of the novel if you plan to sleep, go to work or school, or need to adult in the near future. You will not want to stop reading until the final page.

The author seamlessly navigates a delicate balancing act between horror and poignancy. I think the highest compliment a reader can pay to an author is to ask him/her for the next part of Jade Dainel's story. I don't want to wait too long, so please hurry!

This was a fast paced horror/thriller read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I enjoy slasher movies and books and recommend this read to anyone who enjoys that genre. Could not put this read down. Amazing!

It’s been a while since I’ve read a book in a day, but there is a rambling flow to Jones’ writing and Jade’s voice that makes My Heart is a Chainsaw a fast and thrilling read. I found myself so caught up at times that I’d need to go back to re-read sections to figure out exactly what happened and to who and why it matters, because it all matters in the end.

My Heart is a Chainsaw follows an Indigenous teen girl that loves horror- well slashers specifically- she suddenly seems to find herself in a real life slasher. She navigates the events that are upturning her small Idaho town by all the rules she's learned from studying any and every slasher film. The book starts a little slow but does pick up about mid-way and keeps you flipping pages to find out whats really going on, the last few chapters especially delivers all the flair you'd expect from a slasher. There were many clever details in the book, from each chapter referencing a slasher film and the essay's written by the main character as extra credit projects.

This was a DNF (did not finish) for me. I was beyond hooked in the beginning of the book. It was intriguing, scary, had me biting my nails in anticipation. However, once the protagonist began giving horror movie knowledge I was beyond bored. It no longer felt like a book, but a textbook for a horror classics 101 class. I read around 25% of it and couldn’t finish. I saw other reviews that it was amazing, but I just couldn’t keep my focus or attention on it. It’s rare for me to not finish a book, but this one didn’t do it for me. Give it a chance, hope you like it.

For most fans of slasher filrms, horor flicks and thrilling reads Stephen Graham Jones's laters meta novel, My Heart is a Chainsaw willl be well received. The premise surrounds a teenage final girl -type named Jade who is addicted to slasher films and characters. Her knowledge and familiarity is extensive and she lives her life waiting to be a victim in a real life slasher story. The community at large in her small town in Idaho is struggling to get by day to day until the land across the lake (near Camp Blood) is developed and she befriends Letha, whose father is heading the new development among other scions of industry. Letha is, to Jade, the true final girl. When mysterious deaths occur Jade is convinced her real life movie is about to begin and as more blood is shed readers are taken along a gory ride at breakneck speed until the startling conclusion.

The first part of the book, which opens with a prologue that will remind readers of 80s slasher films, is much slower than the back half. Through multiple perspectives, including Jade's extra credit papers for history, the reader will start to peel back the layers that surround Jade's obsession with horror. The town of Proofrock serves as an interesting backdrop to the murder and mayhem that are about to occur. While I love campy slasher movies and horror films at times the book was frustrating because it felt almost as if it tried too hard to be "meta" or different. The ending was extremely frustrating also (however, many movie endings are too) but perhaps fitting. However, it could set up for a sequel-as any good slasher film should.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

“Horror’s not a symptom, it’s a love affair.”

I don’t remember it but I saw my first slasher movie when I was 6. A friend and I begged our moms to take us to Child’s Play 3, and those lunatics took us. And so my education in age inappropriate viewing began.

My grandfather set a rule going forward. I wasn’t allowed to watch Psycho until I was 10, because he was worried I’d fear taking a shower like Janet Leigh.

Him and I spent many afternoons sit on the couch after school, eating peanut butter by the spoonful, and watch whatever VHS he’d just got.

When Scream came out on video, I watched it every single day for a year straight.

Growing up with horror pulsing through my veins means that Jade was my absolute soul sister.

Horror movies are really the only way to survive any small town whether a slasher is loose or you’re bidding your time.

So when all the trademarks of a slasher start happening, Jade is the only one prepared. An axe stored here, a machete there, and her handy Slasher 101 essays to help the OBVIOUS final girl in her quest to save the people of Proofrock. As the body count rises and the Fourth of July looms nearer, can Jade convince everyone what’s happening before it’s too late for them all?

I absolutely loved it and can’t wait to read the sequel. Yes! We get more Jade!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press for an ARC of this title.

Described as a slasher horror/final girl book- I was all in for this one! Read in October, my spooky time for reading! We follow Jade, a 17 year old half-Indian girl in a quiet lakeside town in Idaho. She sees the world through the view of her favorite slasher films. A lot of the references went over my head, if this happens to you, don't worry because she always explains it along the way. Jade starts noticing a plot to a slasher film unfold around her in her town. There are clues to what she is seeing in local legends and ghost stories.

Here's the bad part: I was bored a lot. Even with the gore, lots of dead elk, the final slaughter all that, but at no point was I really scared. The good part, I did like the slasher film obsession being a defense mechanism against other things Jade has gone through. I will be looking out for more books by this author, since I liked it even without being scared.
Thanks again, Netgalley and Jones. 3.5 stars

I've always been a huge fan of Horror and Slasher movies. When I read the synopsis for this book, I knew it was a must read for me. I've previously had a hard time following Mr. Jones writing style, and unfortunately this book was no different. I loved the main character, Jade. She felt so real, like someone I had been friends with in high school. This author writes in a very physical sense, meaning that when its a feeling, a taste or a smell, its conveyed perfectly. Unfortunately, the action parts became hard to follow. We were seeing things through the eye of the protagonist, and in the chaos, they became very confusing. There was no true closure in the conclusion, only sadness and a want for more. All in all, I enjoyed several parts of this book, but my over all feeling is that if this is your first encounter with the author or the genre, you are going to walk away disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy for review.

I don't usually read horror so I was pretty excited to get this one. We follow Jade, a 17 year old half-Indian girl in a quiet lakeside town in Idaho. She sees the world through the lens of her favorite slasher films. Not going to lie, a good majority of the references went over my head, if this happens to you, don't worry because she always explains it along the way. Jade starts seeing a plot to a slasher film unfold around her in her town. At this point I started being 100% positive this chick was just straight up insane, There are tie ins to what she is seeing in local legends and ghost stories.

I am not gonna lie I was...bored for a lot of this. Yes there is gore, lots of dead elk, the final slaughter all that, but at no point was I scared or jumpy. I think the thing that scared me most in this book is the amount of damage this girl does to her hair. I did however like the slasher film obsession being a defense mechanism against other things Jade has gone through. So while I didn't find anything frightening about this book I did end up enjoying it. But also that end was just....I really didn't get the end, very fade to black. I would try another of his books though because I did enjoy his writing. 3.5/5

I requested My Heart Is a Chainsaw specifically because I've read some of SGJ's short zompoc stuff and loved it plus I'm a big horror fan. I was so excited to read this book but unfortunately it just wasn't one that I enjoyed. I struggled from page 1. It felt like I was just reading a stream of consciousness rather than a crafted story and to be honest, I hadn't a clue what was actually going on. That feeling continued until I finally gave up at around 50 pages. I waited until the book was published and then borrowed it from my library as an audiobook and continued with the book that way. So then I just listened to a constant stream of stuff that I had to filter through to get to the actual storyline. I didn't particularly like Jade nor any of the other characters. I don't think this writing style if for me. It just felt like a lot of words to tell me not much of a story.

With Halloween Kills being a disappointing slasher flick, I found my peace in reading My Heart is a Chainsaw. I knew this is a slasher-final girl combo, so I waiting for the right moment to indulge myself! Thank you Gallery / Saga press for the arc.

Jade is a loner who has built a dome around her by finding comfort in horror movies. She is a perfect final girl who is caught in this slasher’s horrific, gory, bloody reality by seeking revenge on the world that wronged them. Yeah this is an escape plan story, but its also about a girl with complex personality, predicting the next move of this killer by using the extensive knowledge she gathered from horror movies. Its quite obvious that Jones has scripted Jade as a version of himself, to let the world know his love for horror. No one honours horror, revenge and triumph better than Jones.

Also, did you hear? This is a trilogy—Indian Lake Trilogy, second book releases Summer 2022.

This was my first of this author's books and now I can't wait to go back and read all his previous works. I really enjoyed the overarching feel of this story. I'm not really a slasher person but I have seen all the classics and I can appreciate all the easter eggs, which was definitely one of my favorite parts. The main character was super badass and I loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

This was my third Steven Graham Jones novel and sadly I just don't think this author is for me. I love the premise of the story and the homage to slasher films but felt the story fell flat. It took forever for anything to really happen and by then I had lost interest in the story. I can see why people would fall in love with this story and I do hope people give it a chance.

Do you love slasher movies? Are you the friend that always has a movie quote to toss back in any situation? Do you identify as the odd-man-out more often than not? You don’t REALLY want to go to the party, but an invite would’ve been nice. Does the outside looking in make you feel at ease but at the same time give you a chip on your shoulder?
Is Randy your favorite character from Scream?
Coincidences, bad (or perfect?) timing, the haves vs the have nots, movie (of the slasher/horror/gore variety) trivia, mystery, mayhem, ghost stories, hauntings, history, and snark all add up to a very satisfying read that I couldn’t put down. ,

I came into this one expecting a spooky story, but instead, I feel like I got more of a creepy, psychological thriller. I did NOT like the main character which made reading this one kind of hard, and her mental state made the writing feel a little too jumbled for me. Gave this one 2 out of 5 stars.

I couldn't get to this one by publication date, but I thought it'd make a perfect Halloween read. I've heard nothing but RAVE reviews for Stephen Graham Jones and was entirely stoked to finally read from him. We're from the same parts of Texas, and I just felt like we would connect. Unfortunately, I was really really wrong, at least where this book is concerned.

Synopsis is we follow a Native teenager, Jade, who is obsessed with slasher movies and uses her knowledge and manic interest in them to make sense of the world around her and her place in it. Set in a rapidly gentrifying lakeside town, there's a lot of promising stuff in the setting here (other side of the tracks ideas, abandoned summer camp cabins, local lore.) You quickly understand while reading this that Jade's slasher movie painted worldview is a lens through which she's filtering personal traumas, but then is that it? Is a real life slasher truly set to occur on top of that? It all sounds like great, delectable stuff, but it took everything in me not to DNF it. Honestly, I skimmed a lot of the second half which surprised me because that's where people really say this book picks up.

The writing is just bizarre. It reads so much like a first draft, I was surprised it hadn't been edited down more. I've read some reviews that suppose the reading experience is intentionally exhausting, but goodness. I am one who really likes a slower book, character studies, mundane day to day things, but this wasn't even that. It was a ton of internal monologue, pop culture references, Jade's nonsensical thought processes. You were hit over the head by it so much I couldn't ever easily follow the actual action. I frequently had to go back and reread to figure out where another character came from or when the setting changed because the actual description of such things happening was so clouded by this weird chaotic writing style. Maybe if you are someone who has a lot more patience for experimental writing, this wouldn't be so bothersome, but it really, really didn't work for me.

None of these characters felt very real to me, even Jade which pains me to say as we spend so much time with her so closely. It really does take to about the 40 or 50% mark for anything to really feel like it's happening in this story with her, and by then it was too little too late. I could never get into it past that, and if I wasn't reading an overdue arc, I would have definitely DNF'd it. I've heard a lot of talk about the payoff of the ending, but for me it fell short. It wasn't a big twist or reveal to see what was really going on with this book, and it may have been more impactful had this been shorter or easier to follow for the entire first half. I am interested to give Stephen Graham Jones another chance, but this book was just bizarre and not in a fun way, not at all what I expected.

Thank you, Gallery Books and NetGalley for an e-arc.

a little painful to get through with the writing, sadly couldn't do it and gave up. thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. i tried, i really did,