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crabbynico's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Now I’m dipping into spoiler territory.
And speaking of the killer. Maybe there were clues sprinkled throughout the book. Maybe with better pacing, they would have stood out more. Maybe it wasn’t an entire ass-pull. But it sure felt like one. The kind that leaves unanswered questions. Why did Theo Mondragon kill the construction “grunts”? Why was he still gunning for Shooting Glasses even after he saved the kids? Was that one scum bag involved with the sheriff’s daughter’s drowning part of the same killings, or was that good old revenge? What of Grayson Brust, who we never saw but was described in a way that would suggest he was possessed by the spirit that was apparently off fully corporeal and doing its own thing?
The Scream films were referenced many times throughout this book and were a clear inspiration. The problem with that is that the later films don’t hold up to a shred of scrutiny in the same way this story doesn’t. There may be answers to these questions, but we don’t get them. Maybe you have to read the sequel for that? But as a reader who loves a tight mystery, where all the puzzle pieces eventually fall into place, I was left less than satisfied.
All that harsh criticism out of the way, I’m giving it 3.5 stars. It may have been a slog at times, it could have benefited from heavy editing (and trimming) and it may not have stuck the landing—but I also couldn’t wait to get off work to finish it, so it clearly built enough suspense to keep me hooked. I’ll even read the sequel (already have it checked out from the library anyway). You can have a good time with this book, especially if you enjoy slashers. Just maybe take some of the hype with a pinch of salt.
Graphic: Gore and Murder
Moderate: Sexual violence and Child abuse
imaginary_space's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book hit me harder the second time around. Probably because, as often happens, the first time I was occupied with keeping up with the story. This time I could appreciate all the little nuances, the hints and the small moments of foreshadowing so much more. And for me, it's all those layers that make this book so good.
The first time I read My Heart is a Chainsaw, the revelation about Jade towards the middle of the book completely took me by surprise, I had not seen it coming at all. Which I found shocking, and it made me take a long, hard look at my privilege.
The second time, I suddenly realized why I had not seen it. Because in a lot of ways, I was Jade at that age, so her inner monologue and her behaviour seemed completely normal to me. Which is astounding, because my circumstances growing up were very different from Jade's, and our experiences weren't even the same, just similar enough that we reacted in very similar ways.
So yeah, that fucked me up. Thank you, SGJ. (I mean that unironically. I try to read diverse stories not just because I find it to be a more interesting experience, but also to actively learn about lived realities different to my own, and be a better educated citizen of Earth. Which is why I like my horror to be mixed with a good dose of real-world horror.)
The fact that Stephen Graham Jones wrote a character that I, a person from a very different background halfway across the globe, could identify with so much I didn't see the obvious, proves two things:
- He is a truly skilled writer.
- Adult men can write believable teenage girls if they just write them as persons and not try to write them as "teenage girls(TM)". Thank you for that, too. Yes, I, too, am sad the bar is that low.
My teenage emotions aside, there's more I like about this book:
- The story is multi-dimensional, there's a whole mythology around Proofrock and Indian Lake that feels very much alive - an abandoned camp, a creepy local legend, real past tragedies, things that happened in the past people don't want to talk about ... it feels like a real place and it gives so many layers to the story.
- Also, I just love a
creepy little girl , I'm biased like that. - I like an unreliable narrator, so to me it's refreshing and interesting to see the story through Jade's eyes and her eyes alone.
- SGJ is a fan of "show, don't tell", and I appreciate that a lot. In general, his writing style is right up my alley, which is extremely important in horror.
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, and Self harm
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
grp101's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Gore and Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Racism
kate_303's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Gore, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault
thevillainschronicles's review against another edition
2.25
First and foremost, let me acknowledge my misstep in opting for the audiobook rendition of this novel. Unaware of the author's penchant for a disjointed and perplexing writing style, my choice significantly marred what could have been an optimal reading experience. My review is undeniably influenced by this regrettable decision, as the intricacies of the narrative were lost in translation, compounded by the unavailability of a Kindle or physical copy.
Moving on to the substance, I found the characters to be disappointingly one-dimensional. Despite the protagonist exuding individuality and strength notably because of her trauma, the lack of a substantial backstory left her feeling more like a sketch than a fully fleshed-out character. Peripheral figures seemed relegated to obscurity, their names fading into the background and making it an arduous task to keep track.
While the plot held a kernel of interest, my dissatisfaction with the character development leaves me contemplating future works from this author with a degree of skepticism. Though the story intrigues, the absence of depth in characters and the challenge of connecting with them leave me hesitant to venture further into this series.
Moderate: Child abuse and Rape
henrygravesprince's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
I 100% recommend this to people who like slashers for both the gore/horrorfest and the sociological and psychological undertones and people who love horror media because it gives them control over the circumstances of their fear. The strongest aspect of this book is the perfect meeting of social commentary to a brutal slasher. The weakest is that I think the last chapter could be paced up quicker than it is to hold the momentum the last quarter picked up on a little more. I’m glad I finally gave this book a go after years of wanting to but not finding the time. If you can stomach gory writing and you’ve considered reading this book but haven’t yet, now is the perfect time to jump in before the final book in the trilogy comes out.
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Blood, Child abuse, Death, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Self harm
Discussion of child sexual abuse; Portrayal of gentrificationuhhlexiconic's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Suicide attempt, Death, Racism, Animal death, Vomit, and Violence
Minor: Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Child abuse
danimacuk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: Incest, Child death, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, and Child abuse
Minor: Vomit, Racism, Rape, and Pedophilia
auteaandtales's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book was ultimately about trauma, both Jades’ personal trauma from her abusive family and others but also the trauma that came with being Native American. Jade uses horror as a way to cope with this, and it also makes her an unreliable narrator as we cannot tell what is real and what is Jades’ imagination. Unreliable narration, especially in mystery/thrillers, is one of my favourite things to read. It also has other themes of gentrification, which provided some extra commentary on the horrors persistent within the book.
I thought it all flowed together quite well, especially at the start and the end, I couldn’t wait to get back to the book and read more. The middle felt pretty slow and dragged, it felt like the pacing was off, but once it got back on track it was amazing again. However, the way it was written overall felt like a representation of the mental state of Jade as she struggles with what she has been through and copes with grief.
I recommend this a lot. It felt like a love letter to the horror genre and I’d especially recommend this to people who love the horror genre, and those who used the genre as a way to cope with their own real life monsters. I may give this a go via a different format, though. I listened to this via audio, so a lot went over my head and I didn’t feel like I could engage properly. Maybe both audio and written text, even. Either way, I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series at some point.
Some quotes I liked:
“Horror is not a symptom, it’s a love affair”
“It’s perfectly natural for you to want to defend him. It’s the…it’s like you consider yourself an accomplice just because you were involved, but your involvement wasn’t complicit. Wasn’t voluntary. It never is, it can’t be. You don’t even know you can say no to a parent. Parents are good. Parents are shining and bright, they are the Gods of our world, so whatever they do can never be wrong. It must be your feelings that are wrong. Their mask is that they’re parents. Some of them are more, though. Some of them are monsters”
Graphic: Racism, Child abuse, and Cultural appropriation
cottagecorecabbage's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Addiction
Minor: Bullying and Cultural appropriation