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hauntedantiqueshop's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I really liked the first one but the second book was a disappointment for me. And unfortunately, this was another let down. There’s way too much going on and I don’t think half of those loose ends get tied up in the end. I’m pretty sad that this trilogy ends on this note for me but it really was a mess.
tldr; Makes me think we would have been better off with just My Heart Is A Chainsaw as a standalone book.
tldr; Makes me think we would have been better off with just My Heart Is A Chainsaw as a standalone book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Murder, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug abuse and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Child death
hydecircus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'm going to miss Jade forever she truely is one of the best protagonists in the world to me. I know "we can't pick our genre" but I am sad she and Letha didn't get together, but at least we got confirmation that Jade is into women and honestly who knows what the future holds for them... But God. What a final installment. I love how well this book balances so many different types of killers at once and yet ties it all together in the end... Oh Jade... I'll miss you forever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Pedophilia, Racism, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Death of parent, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Suicide attempt, Violence, Drug abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Alcohol, Colonisation, Grief, Incest, and Car accident
kimwritesstuff's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The mark of a great horror novel is not that it makes you feel fear, but that it makes you care enough about the characters and world that your heart feels stomped on when they die. The third and final entry in the Indian Lake Trilogy made me anxious, made me chuckle, and also made me cry. Damn you Stephen Graham Jones.
After four years Jade is finally out of prison and back in Proofrock, this time as a history teacher. When a student gives an unsettling presentation showing several dead classmates and the missing Sherriff's Bronco from book 2 (Don't Fear the Reaper), Jade can feel the slasher start to put its claws into her. This time she doesn't want it. She doesn't want there to be a body count. She doesn't want to lose anyone else. She just wants to be the wise town elder. Let someone else fight for once; she has her best friend Letha and Letha's little girl Adie to protect. Of course, that's not what happens, especially after a dad's head gets ripped off while in the pick-up lane for school. Plus there's a forest fire and some new founders are trying to rebuild Terra Nova.
Jade is reluctantly dragged back into the slasher as she fights to find who is the bad guy this time. Of course, the new founders also promised thousands of dollars to Proofrock residents if they create a firebreak around Terra Nova by cutting trees down. What could go wrong with chainsaws and axes in a forest fire in a town where there are known supernatural disturbances? The answer is a lot.
This book hurt me to read, and I mean that in the best way possible. I knew the third entry meant loss and heartbreak, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Jade is much less eager in this novel, and watching her grow has been such a pleasure. Not only has she grown up, she's also created a family for herself. She has so much to lose this time around. The thing I love most about Jade is that she is so selfless. She is willing to walk away and leave if that's what Letha needs. What the town needs. She would end her life if that meant the massacres would stop.
This book is so much more raw and honest than the previous entries, and it's such a cathartic read. Sure, we lose some characters we love, but the comeuppance other characters get is so sweet. And we get some surprise guests who also make a return to Proofrock. The only thing that made this not a 5-star read for me is that I found myself having to reread passages a few times because the train of thought was a little jumbled. I couldn't understand what was happening so I would page back, reread, and then move forward.
Overall, this was an enjoyable bloodbath.
Thanks to Netgalley and Saga for the ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child death, and Gore
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse
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