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.

I’m so confused right now. I had no idea on why to expect from this book but the whole slasher culture wasn’t one of them. I am not a huge slasher movie fan so half the time I as lost, the other half I was trying to understand (and not get bored by it). Be aware it’s a slow book and things take its sweet time to happen but when it hits you’ll need to be ready.

This was not what I was expecting, at all. I couldn't even read it, it was so boring. I ended up slimming, but was still so bored. The narrator, Jade, just drones on and on and on for no reason. Nothing happens, there's nothing but the main character needlessly talking about horror films. Constantly. For no reason. Definitely not the slasher book I thought it was going to be. Even when the book finally had things happening, which was at 70%, it was still biting. The main character managed to drivel on and on, and there was no focus on the things going on, just her narration. Snooze fest. So disappointing.

Wow this was difficult… this book was very dense and hard to get through. Being in this characters head was exhausting and I wanted to love this story sooo much and was just disappointed it was hard to get through

There is so much going on in My Heart is a Chainsaw. Our heroine is 17-year old Jennifer Daniels, half Native American, living in a small Idaho town. Jennifer refers to herself as Jade, and is a misfit/outcast who is obsessed with slasher films. Her entire world is viewed through the lens of these movies, and she becomes convinced that certain events in her small town mean that a real-life "slasher cycle" has started.

The writing here is both excellent and difficult. I've seen complaints that the first part is too slow and hard to read. It's not easy. We follow along the best we can with Jade's scattered thought process, and at times I did have to re-read passages. Chapters alternate between current events and Jade's series of papers on the slasher movie genre, written for her favorite history teacher. This fills in some nice backstory on the genre for those who have no idea, but there are still a lot of references to slasher films that will go over the heads of those who don't watch these movies.

This ends up becoming a sort-of coming of age story, a definite horror story, a very violent story, and a character study. There's a lot packed in and I don't think it's possible to read the book without being somewhat confused. However, the story is fascinating, and the ending is a major emotional punch. Overall, this may have a limited audience. It's for horror fans who also are okay with a certain degree of difficulty in wading through the writing, but worth it for those who take on the challenge.

I have enjoyed so many of Stephen Graham Jones' books and novellas. While I did enjoy the story, something about it just did not quite click for me. I enjoyed the horror movie aspect and the main character. I think upon reread I might enjoy more.

DNF @ 87 pages. I have LOVED other works by Stephen Graham Jones but I did not like the writing style of this one. It read very much like The Last Final Girl by this author which I felt was more cohesive. The stream of consciousness type writing style isn't for me. I still look forward to more from this author.

I definitely recommend this one to anyone that loves slasher films, as there are great references to all sorts of slasher films in a very unique way. While the story itself was 3.5 stars for me, overall it was a fun read and I’ll definitely be picking up more from this author.

Stephen Graham Jones has been publishing for twenty years, and he has been highly revered in the horror community as one of the greatest living horror writers. Last year was a good year for him. He published the novel The Only Good Indians in July and the novella Night of the Mannequins in September.

He won both of the 202 Shirley Jackson Awards for novel and novella with these two. His newest novel, My Heart is a Chainsaw, is highly anticipated, and there are some huge expectations for many readers based on this success.

My Heart is a Chainsaw does not disappoint. The novel surrounds Jade, an half-indigenous outsider at school with an absent mother and a drunk father. She does what she can to survive, which is to delve into her love of slasher movies and be convinced that her small town of Proofrock, Idaho is going to be the victim of a huge massacre. There are several settings in this novel that can be seen as old sets from slasher movies. Proofrock is on one side of Indian Lake, which might have a Lake Witch, the other side is an old summer camp called Camp Blood, and there is Terra Nova, a rich suburb that is still in construction on top of what very well might be a Native American burial ground. Jade is convinced that this is the perfect recipe for bad things to happen. Throughout the novel, she is trying to warn the town, trying to get someone to listen to her, and getting in trouble for her efforts. She latches onto Letha Mondragon, one of the new girls from Terra Nova, and knows that she is going to be the final girl. Unfortunately when she tells Letha this, she gets into even more trouble with the police. In the end, Jade does not give up; she needs to warn everyone of the impending doom the town is going to face, even though most of her insights are based on slasher movie logic and not reality.

Stephen Graham Jones loves slashers, and he pours this love into Jade. He has been on many podcasts talking about his love for the slasher genre, and when Jade talks about slashers in this book, she does not only talk about the big ones, like Friday the 13th and Halloween. She describes some deep cuts, like Just Before Dawn and A Bay of Blood. There are also essays written from Jade to her history teacher about the rules and history of the slasher genre and how it fits into the life and events of Proofrock. These rules and history of slasher segments are things I have heard come from Stephen Graham Jones himself during some podcasts, so listening to Jade, I feel like I am also listening to the author. He has poured his love into this character, and it really shows.

My Heart is a Chainsaw is a novel for horror fans. Jade is written as a horror fan that many horror fans can understand. Many fans were outsiders through high school or do not have a good home life, so many use a world of horror movies and fantasy as coping mechanisms. Jade might be a little more obsessed than many horror fans, but the sentiment is there. Horror is a way that many people have coped with a tough life or tough times. Stephen Graham Jones makes his character someone that many horror fans can relate to, and in the end, Stephen Graham Jones is not only writing a horror novel but he is writing a love letter to a genre.

I received this as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the atmosphere of My Heart is a Chainsaw, but the book seemed slow until the last about 30% where all the action happens. I usually don't have an issue with liking or disliking characters, but I could not get myself to care about, or relate to any of the characters in the book, which made this one an unfortunate miss for me. Even though this book wasn't a hit for me, I can appreciate all the horror movie references and some of the gore towards the end of the book. I will continue to pick up books from this author as his previous book "Only Good Indians" was one of my favorite books last year. Definitely pick this one up this fall if you love old-school slasher horror.

This book totally shares the great parts of all slasher movies! Jade has a hard life but her obsession with slasher films have helped her. She is convinced that something is happening in her town. She’s seeing all the signs that some strange things are happening down but what is it? Will the town survive?

My Heart Is A Chainsaw is a non-stop ride of slasher references, red herrings, and old school slicing and dicing. Jones writing just keeps coming at you and the red herrings keeps you guessing until the very end. This is a solid, fun read.

This was my most anticipated book of the year and it took me 2 months to read the first 60% and one morning to read the last 40%. Unfortunately, the meta narrative about horror and especially slashers is something I've seen a lot of before and this one didn't do a lot for me. Some people can't get enough meta stuff and that's great but it's just not for me. I really thought it would be more about the gentrification of the town which I found super interesting but overall feels like a forgotten storyline. The pacing just felt majorly off for me too with long scenes of metanarrative and winking at the reader that gave us no new information pretty frequently. SGJ's writing style is so distinctive and evocative that I will continue to read anything he ever writes though!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is so much more than a thriller. It sure has the structure and storyline of a thriller, but it is also a tribute to the 70's, 80's and 90's slashers movies that, at this point, are cult films for horror fans.
Jade is a half Indian girl in her senior year that lives with an abusive father. She has a job as a custodian in the school system and has a very close relationship with Mr Holmes, his history teacher. She starts to write a serie of essays for Mr Holmes to get extra credits, about a very unusual theme that happens to be Jade's obsession: the history of slashers in movies.
At the same time, she is certain that, during the 4th of July celebrations, something terrible is going to happen. A real life slasher will massacre everyone in town. She even knows who the final girl is going to be: Thea, a new girl in town who lives on the other side of the lake in a rich people new development.
A lot of stuff happens, and every little detail seems to give Jade a new reason to believe in her crazy theory. But is she right or everything is just a mechanism to cope with abuse, as everyone seems to believe?
SGJ is such a great writer. He not only writes the most perfect horror books, he also raises awareness about very sensitive topics like the high rate of abuse among the native american girls.
A wonderful book by one of the best writers of the genre.

As originally published on The Nerd Daily

In his latest book, My Heart is a Chainsaw, Stephen Graham Jones gives us a breathtaking coming-of-age story that will appeal to both die-hard horror fans and readers new to the genre.

Jade Daniels has lived in rural Proofrock, Idaho her entire life. The lake and the adjacent island are filled with legends, superstitions, and a tangled, tragic history. Just like Jade.

When a group of wealthy new residents start developing a ritzy community on the island, her town slowly starts changing. But outside of the obvious signs of gentrification, Jade is the only one who notices a definite pattern emerging. And it paints a bloody picture.

As summer crawls forward, Jade is convinced a killer is lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike. Armed with an extensive knowledge of slasher films, Jade is sure she knows what’s coming. But no one will listen.

My Heart is a Chainsaw is a slow-burn horror story with profound bite. Outside of the initial blood sacrifice, the first half of the book is light on the gore. This may be surprising for fans, especially those new to Jones through the spectacular, The Only Good Indians, where blood and viscera flew early in the pages and built into a brutally beautiful finale. The end of My Heart is a Chainsaw is just as brutal and beautiful, but the journey we go on is far, far different.

Jade Daniels is the resident outcast. Mostly abandoned by her mother, she’s left to live with her abusive father. And she finds solace in the only place that makes sense to her: slasher films. Her collection will make die-hard horror fans envious, and the love Jones feels for the genre is woven throughout every single one of these details. The chapters are titled after the movies, and Jade references everything from tiny specifics only avid fans will pick up on to major pop culture elements that will be largely recognisable to everyone.

The result is this book reads as an homage to the slasher genre. But rather than write in a way that excludes new readers, Jones uses a clever storytelling device through Jade. We essentially get a ‘Horror 101’ breakdown, in Jade’s own words through extra credit term papers. Each paper takes us through these movies in a broad, yet thorough manner. We learn about the history of the slasher genre, character motive, plot devices, and standard tropes like the blood sacrifice and the final girl.

This is a lovely balance between the horror aficionado and someone who may be new to the genre. Fans will love the constant slasher references, and because Jade is an enthusiastic fan herself, she is willing to talk about her favourite films, devices, characters, and more to anyone that even half-listens. In our case, that means we not only get incredible insight into Jade herself, but we get a personal guide into the slasher world.

It may seem that by giving us what to expect, that the story would feel trite or cliché. Instead, Jones takes all of those tropes, devices, and expectations and shatters them. The papers guide us through what we should expect, and Jade does this too, seeing the clues and wrangling them to fit what she assumes is happening, or at least, what should happen. Except, Jade isn’t exactly the most reliable narrator. She turned to horror at a time in her life when she was at her lowest. She’s learned to use it as a shield, defending her heart, her inner self with the vehemence of a resurrected killer.

One of the best tricks in a slasher film is misdirection. Get the viewer to look the other way, so when the jump-scare happens, we never see it coming. Jones does this in the most spectacular fashion, lulling us into believing that Jade knows what’s coming. When she’s shocked, so are we. Jones weaves this story with a deft hand, showing us where to look but in such a subtle way that we forget we’re supposed to be on our toes, that a killer could jump out from anywhere. But Jones subverts even that expectation, making the killer second to the revelations that truly cut through us violently and deeply.

This book may be horror on the surface, but as Jones has pointed out in past interviews, we like to be scared so we remember that we’re alive. But living can be so hard sometimes. Through the horror lens, we get a devastating but gorgeous story about a girl trying so hard to not just live, not just survive, but heal and become whole.

Jade has experienced immense trauma, and while we don’t learn the extent of that trauma until the end, we feel it from the very beginning. It’s in her every movement, wrapped in every sentence. She’s wrapped her heart in barbed wire ensuring that anyone who dares to get close enough, will get cut. But she’s also desperate for connection, wanting to be seen, wanting to be told it’s okay, that she’s okay. Anyone who has experienced deep trauma will immediately recognise this heartbreaking duality in Jade. She talks horror, and hopes she’ll find someone who will talk horror back. But when they see through this defense, try to see the girl behind the blood-splattered cover, she shuts down, doing anything to get away including throwing herself out of moving boats and cars. Jade has such genuine defense mechanisms, such visceral and real responses both internally and externally, that she becomes real. It’s easy to imagine her fidgeting next to us, filling our ear with slasher facts while taking complete control of our hearts.

Horror isn’t about death. It isn’t about the gore, or the blood, or the violence. They’re stories about revenge and justice. They’re about retribution. And inherent within those themes is the underlying glimmer of hope. Slasher films are Jade’s safety, but they’re also her salvation. If her life is a slasher film come to life, then maybe, just maybe, she can finally get the justice she’s been denied her entire life. And even here, her trauma feels real. She doesn’t care what happens, only that something is happening. She doesn’t need to be the star, in fact, she can’t even see herself in that role. Her desperate need for justice overrides even her desire to survive. If that doesn’t absolutely tear your heart into pieces, the way she fervently clings to hope that justice will finally be served will.

Of course, Jones gives us plenty of gore and blood and supernatural violence towards the end. This may be an intimate coming-of-age story, but it’s still a slasher to the core. We watch plenty of people die in explosive and imaginative ways. But the most horrifying elements end up being far more human, and far more real. By the time we get there, we are so invested in Jade’s survival, that the book has moved well past the typical slasher trope. We don’t just hope she survives; we need her to survive. She’s more than a final girl, she’s our girl, and we would do anything for her.

My Heart is a Chainsaw is a powerful story that will appeal to a wide range of readers. Jones proves that a story can have both heart and sharp teeth. This book crawls under the skin, it bites, it clings. Within just a few pages, this book takes hold and slowly eviscerates in the best possible way. This is a story, a character, that will leave indelible scars, reminding the reader of Jade and her journey long after they close the cover.

Throughout it all, Jones takes our heart in his hands and squeezes, giving us a breathtakingly stunning and heartbreaking story brimming with unbridled hope. This is a story that hurts, but that pain serves to remind us of all the things horror should. That we’re alive, that there’s light in darkness, that not only do we deserve to survive––we deserve to live.

I wanted a good horror book for spooky season and this gave me that and oh! so! much! more.

Only thing is, I can't really talk about how this book is so 'bloody' brilliant without spoilers..... It's not until you've finished it that everything comes together. Actually, it makes me want to say something that shouldn't even make sense yet does and that is that 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨.

For the first 250 pages listening to Jade CONSTANTLY talk about slasher movies was really getting on my nerves. Even when she was being clever or funny I was still thinking JUST GET ON WITH THE STORY! However I believe that was intentional. I think the author expects readers to feel annoyed with Jade and think that she's not worth their time.

After the 70% mark the book becomes frantic, gory and moves fast. It also becomes somewhat illogical. But again, it's worth it to stick with it.

The final page left me speechless, incredibly heavy-hearted and with a bit of guilt for spending so much of the book thinking it only deserved a three star rating. Jade's story deserves all 5 ⭐

I have this a four out of five stars, I really enjoyed it and would buy the physical copy for myself. I really liked the story line and liked how people didn’t really believe the main character but they wanted to help her. I felt bad for the main character on things test have happened to her. There is a trigger warning for sexual assault.

I have tried to read this multiple times and unfortunately I am not going to be able to get through it. I am just too confused. This is a book that is not going to pick up until the end and I don't want to stick around and read a slow paced book for that long.