Reviews tagging 'Child death'

My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

47 reviews

atomicbritt's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

Minor: Cultural appropriation, Incest, and Sexual assault

squrrlgrrl's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, Self harm, Animal death, Body horror, Alcoholism, Blood, Gore, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Colonisation, Suicide attempt, and Addiction

Minor: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

emco_0's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Child abuse, Vomit, Racism, Murder, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Rape, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Child abuse

devilledgreggs's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

This is my second Stephen graham jones book and I have to say I’ve fallen in love with his writing style. This book wasn’t as scary as The Only Good Indians but I was much much more emotionally invested. I really loved Jade as a character, her framing the world through slasher movies along with her essays kept me really engaged. The first three quarters of the book is a more of a mystery narrative which explodes into a gore fest in the end. I genuinely didn’t know what would happen next. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, Cursing, Suicide attempt, Violence, Death, and Self harm

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Abandonment, and Child abuse

Minor: Child death, Incest, and Rape

moonlitemuseum's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny reflective 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

5.0

Hey man I love Scream too

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, Blood, Child abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Self harm, Animal death, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, and Vomit

incestuous father-child rape is alluded to as part of the protagonist's history

theoldestbennetsister's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Gore

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Child death, Classism, and Rape

Minor: Cultural appropriation, Racism, Colonisation, and Vomit

doomluz's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Animal death, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Blood, and Body horror

Moderate: Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Incest, and Child abuse

Minor: Child death

ehmannky's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

So. So good. It's one of the books where I can see where it lost people and is not going to appeal to everyone, but I loved it. The first 75% of the book I was just loving being in Jade's head (it was very dense though and I did have to go back and read things a few times to make sure I got it all right). And the last 25% of the book is simply wild and unexpected and had a twist I just honestly didn't see coming (even though looking back the clues were there!). It's a horror book and it's about the ways that buried trauma left untouched and untreated will simmer until it burns and slashes through in a burst of violence. It's so good. 

My second read through of this book and it's honestly better on a second read. Jade's longing for someone to care for her, her desire for safety in her life, the emphasis on what parents should do are just all so well done. Beautiful writing, beautiful characters, just a beautiful story. I also appreciated the ending so much more than I did the first time. 

The way Tab rises from behind Jade on the lake mimics the horror fantasy Jade plays out during her suicide attempt? The way she is the final girl of her dreams and can't see it? The last chapter where she goes and saves the town and sees the mother bear protect her cub and it just emphasizes that she's never had that? It's all so, so heartbreaking.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Death, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Child abuse, Animal death, Child death, Self harm, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Racism

backfrompluto's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

Moderate: Sexual assault

harley_sage's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Gore, and Animal death

Moderate: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Child abuse