In this ode to the slasher horror movie genre, Jade is convinced that a final girl has arrived in the small town of Proofrock. She puts it upon herself to alert the final girl as to what she believes is about to happen to the people of the town as a slasher comes to destroy everyone.

I had mixed feelings battling inside my brain throughout my time reading My Heart is a Chainsaw, and I ended up just liking it. Although Jade really annoyed and confused me at first, I eventually began to enjoy being inside her head and following her, especially during the second half of the book. I was super engaged in the plot off and on until the last 10% or so, and then I just got lost again. I couldn't tell you how the book ended because I just didn't understand it.

Content warning for rape (off-page, in the past), abuse, violence, gore, animal death, human death.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC of My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones.

this was such a great horror novel, the characters were better than I expected and I really enjoyed the storyline that happened in this book.

There are a few books that I've read in my life that I know are going to stay with me forever: My Heart is a Chainsaw is going to be one of them.

There is something so compelling about Jade as a narrator. She is complex and alive in the best possible way, and we're both with her in wondering if she's right about what's happening, and with the people around her who doubt her, because this can't be happening, right? There's got to be another explanation than the real-life horror she's theorising! Even as it's a horror novel - perhaps because it IS a horror novel - we know that things aren't going to wrap up neatly the way Jade thinks. No one's actions are as straightforward and easily plotted as Jade thinks - least of all Jade's own.

The reviewers who have talked about this being a slow start are right, in terms of action - it's not until the last third of the book that the bodies really beging piling up - but that doesn't mean there's no development.

Instead of the big horrors at the end of the book, the first two thirds focus more on the little horrors of holding onto secrets so sharp they cut you, of being both visible and invisible to the world, of trying endlessly to make yourself heard in a world that doesn't speak your language. Of being betrayed by people who should protect you, and having the truth of that betrayal burn up any faith you have in the world and in your own worth.

Jade is the kind of protagonist that is too messy to be a traditional final girl, but there's no escaping that she is a true and battle-tested heroine by the end of the book. I loved following along on her journey to find out how things ended, and I would happily read more of her exploits.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found this very interesting and enjoyed the slasher movie references throughout the story and as part of JD's character. I'm glad to hear there will be a sequel, the end felt abrupt.

This is my second book read by Stephen Graham Jones and it won't be my last one. In the beginning it did take me a bit to get into it, but I quickly loved Jade, the main character. I thought the first chapter was one of the scariest chapters I have ever read. I couldn't stop thinking about it! The way the author details it, is amazing. Overall a very enjoyable read specially if you love slashers!!!

This is such a great book! Even though it is horror, I think it will have lots of appeal outside of that genre's fans. This was a fresh take on the final girl theme, and while the main character wasn't necessarily likeable, she was sympathetic and a true spitfire. I am so thrilled that there will be a sequel to this title!

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones is a retelling of The Boy Who Cried Wolf but this time it is The Girl Who Cried Slasher. This book is a huge homage to the Slasher movie genre and the final survival girl filled with history, facts, and opinions. Where Slasher movies are not known for there characterizations this novel is all about character; as it breakdowns the many layers of the main character Jade. Jade at first is seen as a Slasher obsessed trouble maker, rebelling from society, at the end of the story Jade is explained and grows and it is a truly beautiful thing. The ending was great and everything you want in a Slasher (high body count). The story is good but I did not like the way it was told. Jade has ADHD and at a moment notice will focus on something else usually a Slasher, ad then circle back 7 paragraphs later which I found extremely frustrating. I also found that this novel missed key descriptors he first scene it fills like the couple are in the car but they are not they're by the car, I kept having to rewrite what was already in my head, time and time again. Jade is ignored so she will have dialogue that just sits there unanswered, for a while I thought is this all in the character head. Half way through the novel becomes more focused and allowed me to truly see it, but me and the writing style did not mesh even though I love the eventual full characterization of Jade I struggled and thought about not finishing, very happy I did not because of the excellent ending. Thank you Netgalley Gallery / Saga Press for letting me read and review this book. My Heart is a Chainsaw was published on August 31 2021.

The Plot: Jade is a half American Indian, 17 year-old who is Slasher film obsessed. After a suicide attempt at Indian Lake she is released from a hospital/treatment center, she is given the wrong phone one of a foreign person. she watches a video on the phone of a foreign couple getting massacred at Indian Lake by the pier she slashed her wrist at. Jade is convinced that this and the town is building a subdivision on the other side of the Indian Lake on what once was Indian land is a sign. That a slasher will take revenge on the town at an upcoming festival on the Lake where the film Jaws will be played. Jade tries to warn people that think she's crazy. It is up to Jade to find the final girl of the story and train her up before the massacre.

What I Liked: The layers revealed about the character of Jade why she is broken, why she is slasher film obsessed, and why she believes she is the plucky side kick in the slasher. The ending is great blood filled. The education you get on Slasher films is the best part, and not just the popular ones but the obscure ones, as well. I liked the metaphors that related to the stealing of Indian land due to commercialism. I loved the title and how it is referenced in the book.

What I Disliked: This book at times was so hard to picture what was going on at the time that I contemplated not finishing. Character's ignoring what Jade said was annoying and not even acknowledging that she spoke. A couple of the character overlooked a lot, the same character act friendly when Jade through a machete in her direction and is horrified of Jade's Slasher theory and goes so far as calls the cops but the next time they see each other Jade has not stopped her theory and broke in and the character is like sleep over?

Recommendations: If you can't tell this is a very uneven review on the one hand I love what was added to the slasher/horror genre a real character with real issues finding her own confidence in a horror like scenario, one the other hand this novel was really hard to follow with Jade getting distracted and circling back to speaking dialogue that was ignored. A lot of my horror blogger friends have raved about this novel calling it a game changer, which I acknowledge this novel goes to places and areas I did not think would get explored and was happy to see. I will hesitantly recommend this novel for it's addition to the genre, bt will say this novel is not for everybody and if you were like me struggling to see this novel played out in your head it does not get any easier until over half way through. I rated My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones 3 out of 5 stars.

This book is the one for horror fans! Tons of horror nostalgia and it definitely wasn’t lacking in the slasher area. Great read

I may have given this one a higher rating if it wasn't so dang confusing. I'm not sure if it was just the mistakes, the way this author writes, or a combination of both, but I found myself re-reading sentences quite often and lost a lot of this book. I feel like the writer tries to be conversational to a point where the reader i son the verge of being lost quite often. The story was quite good but I felt it dragged and could have been a lot more to the point.

Full of slasher nostalgia, this is a nonstop, movie-in-your-head thrill ride. With a little humor, teen angst, and a whole lot of blood, every horror fan will love this book!

I'm very appreciative of the fact I got to read this book in exchange for an honest review; thank you Netgalley!

I absolutely love all things horror, so this book did not disappoint. Stephen Graham Jones set the scenes perfectly, and I was blown away. It was a great read!

A fun, well-written book, MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW does sometimes drag for lack of a solid antagonist and really strong plot. The novel does read well though, and was a quick read for me nonetheless, a rush fever-dream of a book I enjoyed, but wouldn't necessarily come back to (although that's not ruled out entirely). I do recommend this book to any of the (now common) superfans of final girls, but found it wasn't as good or well-constructed as THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP, etc. But that title!

This is a rather unusual story. A hybrid between a supernatural thriller perhaps and a slasher horror film. Jade, an Indian girl from Proof rock, Idaho is our narrator.Jade’s obsessed with slasher flicks, and knows all there is to know about every one that’s ever been made. Her obsession is so all consuming that she dreams of the day a slasher flick will come to her small town. With the deaths of 2 random Dutch tourists, Jade sees the first signs of a possible slasher fantasy playing out in real life. From there things get wild, and a little bit disorganized. This story seems to want to be 2 things at once and I think it loses the coherence of the story in trying to make the story so broad. The ending was also a little flat. The story is sustainable with Jade as the heroine. As a troubled young girl with a history of trauma she is able to ground this story despite it getting pretty far out there. While this wasn’t a favorite for me it does stand out as very different, and that makes it memorable. Review posted to Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, Litsy, LibraryThing and Amazon

Imagine you have spent your entire life watching all the horror movies ever made and now weird things are happening in your small town. Have you ended up in your own horror film or are you going crazy from your obsession?

Jade Daniels is just this person. Jade is just about to turn 18 and she has been an outcast her entire life that no one believes or treats kindly. Now she feels as if she is the only one who can save her town from a slasher. When a new development is going in across the lake from Proofrock mysterious deaths start to occur on the lake. Jade is convinced that there is a slasher in their town and she is the only one who can train the "final girl" to do what needs to be done.

Jade is not a character that ingratiates herself to the reader and you start to question is she is crazy and nothing is happening. This book is very strange and while it was well written it was not my cup of tea so I cannot really recommend it. It is just not my style but there are many who would love this.

Loved this book. I don't know that I 've ever wanted to hug a narrator more that I wanted to hug Jade at the end of this book. A slasher story with heart

Another great book by one of the very best in the business. MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW is a slasher with a ton of heart!
Highly recommended!

Raw , disturbing , thrilling love letter to slasher movies this book grabs you fro m the chilling opening and doesn’t let go . Be prepared to stay up all night reading or all night frightened . Brilliant storytelling

Stephen Graham Jones is the reigning king of horror. While I found the first half of this novel a little slow, I've never had the second half of a story pay off quite like My Heart is a Chainsaw did. Nonstop heart-pounding action, like the very best slasher movie put into book form. I barely breathed as I devoured every word. This is his best work yet. 5 stars.

I heard so many good things about this one, but I couldn't get into it. I just didn't understand enough about what was happening early on that it left me confused and not wanting to pick it up.

A thank you to Negalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having read The Final Girls Support Group earlier this year despite my not being a horror movie person, it's also the first novel by an Indigenous author that I've had a chance to read this year, and for that reason alone, it moved me far more. While I must stress that I am not of Indigenous descent, I did grow up on an Ojibwe reservation in Northern WI, so all of my best friends were Native American, and while I did experience some judgement second hand for who I hung out with, I did see what my friends and their families experienced, which was not always good. Far too many of people I knew did young and the poverty level is much higher than in other communities. Jone is an excellent writer and does an excellent job of bringing both characters and story to live. This would be a great read for older teens and has the potential to be a good movie.