Reviews with content warning for Body horror - My Heart Is a Chainsaw

The format was so interesting but also made it difficult to follow along at certain points. Definitely not something to read on audiobook.

Unrelated to the pacing/writing style, my only critique is that the author, like most (male) horror authors used

child sexual abuse

as a plot device/background on the MC when it could have easily been avoided

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keenanmaree's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

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rachelunabridged's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.0

I just could not get into this read, unfortunately. For something that is a homage to slashers, it was incredibly slow, and I found myself literally falling asleep as I tried to read it. Ultimately, I had to borrow the book in audiobook format just to finish it.

The main reason this ended up being such a slog fest is the POV character, Jade. So much of this read is bloated by her inner monologue where she explains to the reader all of the slasher tropes happening around her. In addition to her constant chattering, every other chapter is a selection of her history class papers that also explain how slashers work. This felt like overkill to me because it slowed the action of the book soooo much.

Additionally, I don't understand the constant holding of the reader's hand through the whole thing. Is this book written for people who are fans of slasher horror or no? If it's for people who already into slashers, the genre doesn't need to be explained to them, however, if it's not for people who already enjoy slashers, who is all the nostalgia for?

By the end, I felt like all of the interesting subtext and commentary was completely overshadowed by the nostalgia mining. I finished this read feeling like it suffers from the same issues that a lot of nostalgia-driven media has: the author leaned so hard on it that they forgot to write a proper story.

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lh_reads's review against another edition

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dark 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

4.75

This was definitely a rollercoaster to listen to but I loved it. I really loved Jades character

my favorite parts when she explained slasher lore between chapters. At some points it felt like a friend telling you about there hyperfixation which I loved.

it really kept me in the edge of my seat and didn’t expect the ending 100% I really love the authors writing and definitely will be adding only good Indians to my tbr. It’s really cool especially if you aren’t into slashers it still a fun read.

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maregred's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

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teaandtales1's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-paced

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

2.5

Horror sub-genre: Slasher, Paranormal

Plot: Jade Daniels is the biggest 80s slasher fan you'll ever meet. Unfortunately she's also an outcast of her small Idaho town that's also changing due to a new development being built for the uber rich. As people start dying Jade is ecstatic that her vast knowledge of horror movies is finally going to be of use - of course that also leads her to be the prime suspect.

Review: ⭐⭐ I was so hopeful for this book. I'm a big fan of SGJ and of horror movies, so this seemed like a perfect match. Unfortunately it was a long slog to a chaotic ending, to an even stranger coda at the end. I'm used to horror books and movies being dark, but this story was such an incredibly depressing downer of a novel. I also literally couldn't tell you everything that happened at the end because it was such a jumbled mess. I've liked every other book Stephen Graham Jones has written, but this is definitely my least favorite books of his.

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carrionkid's review against another edition

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5.0

Extremely heartfelt and equally gory, everything a horror fan could've wanted. Full of twists and turns and the miserable loneliness of a traumatized teenager.

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demon_catheter's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.25

Really fun read, a bit confusing at times but not in a bad way. Keeps you asking questions right along with Jade and really sucks you in. Also loved how fleshed out the setting was, I’ve never been to a town at a high elevation in Idaho but My Heart is a Chainsaw makes me feel like I have.

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