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faysie34's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
4.0
valandthegianttbr's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
i just love stephen graham jones’s mind. no one writes twisty, rambling, jaw-dropping, unexpectedly funny horror like him!!!
this story returns us to proofrock years after CHAINSAW ends, with jennifer (jade) daniels being released from prison on the same day as a convicted serial killer rolls through her tiny idaho hometown. 4 years later, the town is still reeling from the lake witch slayings/independence day massacre. but no good revenge slasher will let sleeping dogs lie, so proofrock residents will need to face the consequences of their actions once again. but what are they paying for this time? & who is making them pay? jennifer daniels will need to put her horror girl hat back on to answer those questions
like CHAINSAW, the 3rd act bloodbath had me absolutely reeling & unable to look away. i was flipping through my (digital) pages at light speed trying to keep up with the dead bodies at every turn, nearly getting whiplash as more & more bodies dropped. i’m not usually one for gratuitous gore, but something about how sgj just keeps the blood flowing absolutely hooks me in
he often says in interviews that he doesn’t know who the killer will be as he’s writing his books & i can so see that process with REAPER, in the best way possible. there are so many twists & turns that kept me on my toes, but all of them had roots in earlier scenes & foreshadowing — truly a testament to his excellent writing & editing
the writing in this book really is what made it such a stellar read for me. i am obsessed with his conversational, winding prose that is deeply rooted in & reminiscent of indigenous storytelling. i was glued to every page of this book because i loved seeing the action from different characters’ povs, feeling like i was watching a horror movie cutting back & forth. even though the narration was in 3rd person, it was so impressive how each pov still felt distinct both in narrator & scene
it is so cool to me how sgj keeps things ambiguous. readers are forced to draw their own conclusions based on the internal musings of characters, their sideways mental glances at past events or memories, their half-finished sentences (often interrupted by another body!!) he does this with indigenous issues/themes as well, making nods to residential schools, the microaggressions faced by “the only”, the ways indigenous people are seen as only existing in another place/time, etc. he also weaves in some themes of parenthood & grief through different characters’ arcs. i just really appreciate how he sprinkles these in, mentions them almost in passing, as a way to just get readers thinking without spelling out what he wants them to take away
i’ve said it before & i’ll say it again — i would read sgj’s grocery lists. i love his writing, his characters, & his brain more than words can express!!
overall, i had SUCH a good time getting to know tertiary characters from CHAINSAW as main characters in REAPER, seeing history repeat itself as yet another massacre rocked this tiny idaho town, & just coming back to jade & proofrock. it was incredible seeing jade finally get the flowers she deserves
because she’s jade fucking daniels. & a thousand men like you can’t even reach up to touch her combat boots.
this story returns us to proofrock years after CHAINSAW ends, with jennifer (jade) daniels being released from prison on the same day as a convicted serial killer rolls through her tiny idaho hometown. 4 years later, the town is still reeling from the lake witch slayings/independence day massacre. but no good revenge slasher will let sleeping dogs lie, so proofrock residents will need to face the consequences of their actions once again. but what are they paying for this time? & who is making them pay? jennifer daniels will need to put her horror girl hat back on to answer those questions
like CHAINSAW, the 3rd act bloodbath had me absolutely reeling & unable to look away. i was flipping through my (digital) pages at light speed trying to keep up with the dead bodies at every turn, nearly getting whiplash as more & more bodies dropped. i’m not usually one for gratuitous gore, but something about how sgj just keeps the blood flowing absolutely hooks me in
he often says in interviews that he doesn’t know who the killer will be as he’s writing his books & i can so see that process with REAPER, in the best way possible. there are so many twists & turns that kept me on my toes, but all of them had roots in earlier scenes & foreshadowing — truly a testament to his excellent writing & editing
the writing in this book really is what made it such a stellar read for me. i am obsessed with his conversational, winding prose that is deeply rooted in & reminiscent of indigenous storytelling. i was glued to every page of this book because i loved seeing the action from different characters’ povs, feeling like i was watching a horror movie cutting back & forth. even though the narration was in 3rd person, it was so impressive how each pov still felt distinct both in narrator & scene
it is so cool to me how sgj keeps things ambiguous. readers are forced to draw their own conclusions based on the internal musings of characters, their sideways mental glances at past events or memories, their half-finished sentences (often interrupted by another body!!) he does this with indigenous issues/themes as well, making nods to residential schools, the microaggressions faced by “the only”, the ways indigenous people are seen as only existing in another place/time, etc. he also weaves in some themes of parenthood & grief through different characters’ arcs. i just really appreciate how he sprinkles these in, mentions them almost in passing, as a way to just get readers thinking without spelling out what he wants them to take away
i’ve said it before & i’ll say it again — i would read sgj’s grocery lists. i love his writing, his characters, & his brain more than words can express!!
overall, i had SUCH a good time getting to know tertiary characters from CHAINSAW as main characters in REAPER, seeing history repeat itself as yet another massacre rocked this tiny idaho town, & just coming back to jade & proofrock. it was incredible seeing jade finally get the flowers she deserves
because she’s jade fucking daniels. & a thousand men like you can’t even reach up to touch her combat boots.
taliesinrex's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.25
I found this one a little harder to follow than its predecessor at times, and wasn't sure how I felt about the Ginger/Cinnamon twist. However, this was still a ton of fun and I really enjoyed returning to Proofrock and following Jade after her release from prison following My Heart Is A Chainsaw. While there's a lot of back-and-forth in the blizzard, I think the heavy snowfall and lack of communication resources or way into/out of town lend themselves well to a tense and harrowing plot. I also think the supernatural elements of this were a little better integrated than in the first book.
I really was not expecting to like Banner going into this, but he really came through and I found him an interesting "outsider" type of character to follow in contrast to Letha and Jade. In general it was cool to get to know some of the other characters featured in the first book in-depth, and involving the kids who survived the massacre in Chainsaw was a very fun move. This one really moves into a full-on teen-killing slasher VERY quick and I had a great time with it. I do wish we got a little bit more discussion aboutTheo Mondragon between Jade and Letha as while it would definitely be a stressful moment for their friendship I would have liked to see that side of things as well as how Letha felt about Jade's testimony/her father at large. I also think some kind of discussion on that would have been an interesting potential foil to Jade's parents, especially her mom now showing up towards the end of Don't Fear The Reaper to finally stand up and try to defend her daughter (which yes, did make me cry).
Its pace is significantly quicker than Chainsaw but it is about the same length, which I think works both for and against it. It ramps up the action fast and never takes its foot off the pedal, but as I noted there is a lot of literal back-and-forth and characters traverse the town which can make things hard to follow especially in conjunction with Jones's writing style. Even so, a great sequel in my opinion; very excited to read The Angel of Indian Lake.
I really was not expecting to like Banner going into this, but he really came through and I found him an interesting "outsider" type of character to follow in contrast to Letha and Jade. In general it was cool to get to know some of the other characters featured in the first book in-depth, and involving the kids who survived the massacre in Chainsaw was a very fun move. This one really moves into a full-on teen-killing slasher VERY quick and I had a great time with it. I do wish we got a little bit more discussion about
Its pace is significantly quicker than Chainsaw but it is about the same length, which I think works both for and against it. It ramps up the action fast and never takes its foot off the pedal, but as I noted there is a lot of literal back-and-forth and characters traverse the town which can make things hard to follow especially in conjunction with Jones's writing style. Even so, a great sequel in my opinion; very excited to read The Angel of Indian Lake.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Murder
Moderate: Stalking and Mental illness
Minor: Pedophilia
goodbyerachel's review against another edition
4.25
I enjoyed this one a lot more than the first one. Not sure what changed but I stayed very engaged.
angiedaz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
saldre's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
"Don't Fear the Reaper" is an action-packed horror sequel to "My Heart is a Chainsaw" that never lets up. The story follows Jade as she returns to her hometown, Proofrock, only to find herself caught in the middle of bloody mayhem. What makes this and the previous novel stand out is their diverse cast of indigenous characters, which adds depth and authenticity to the storyline. With a lot of characters to follow, I found myself doubling back at times to fully understand the story. As a horror fan, I appreciated the nods to classic horror movies because they added an extra layer of enjoyment to my reading experience. I believe this book needs to be reread a couple times to grasp all the references & intricacies of the story. Additionally, the novel balances blood and gore with moments of humor and genuine emotion, making it a touching and thrilling read all at the same time. Overall, "Don't Fear the Reaper" is a must-read for all horror fans, especially slasher fans.
dante_rebelo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
tontu00's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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