My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones ~ARC Review~

Thank you, Stephen Graham Jones, NetGalley, and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this book!

I really enjoyed Stephen Graham Jones’s previous book, The Only Good Indians, so I thought I knew what I was getting into with My Heart is a Chainsaw. Nooooooope. I had to read a romance novel immediately after reading this or else I would never be able to fall asleep. I know Stephen Graham Jones has what I will call extremely graphic details but somehow I am never prepared for it. Jade Daniels is back at school after being hospitalized. She needs to make up some history homework to get her final grades and what better way than to incorporate her love of slasher lore. A Dutch couple goes missing at the lake which is being gentrified. Jade Daniels recognizes the signs of what is happening…slasher movies taught her everything she knows– if only those around her would listen.

TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide, Gore, Murder, Abuse

Dear friends, those who adore Friday the 13th, Halloween, Saw…this is for you! It has the scares and the gore. I am not the biggest fan of slasher movies but I do love horror and really appreciate how the author breaks down and analyzes the themes that are incorporated with slasher movies. No stone is left unturned. There were moments when I covered my eyes while reading because I was terrified…of course, I kept reading but I am not exaggerating, I was scared. But that is what I wanted! There have been some books that claim to give you goosebumps but are lacking, not this book!

There is so much to unpack with Jade Daniels. She is a teen with a troubled home life, plus she is obsessed with slasher movies (don’t you dare call it “horror”.) It is obvious she is traumatized and slasher films help her cope. But she is a fantastic main character! She cares and loves so deeply for those around her. If I were to be in a place where a murderer was unleashed or the end of the world-she is the type of person I would stick with.

Then there is the colonialism and gentrification themes within the community and that its own horror. Overall, another phenomenal book and recommend it to all my fellow Halloween fans! I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars!