Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

27 reviews

gamerreaper13's review

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

2.75

This book was hard to get through. Not because it was profound or gruesome or enlightening, it was just so damn BORING.

Jade was annoying and uninteresting. The constant call backs to slasher films was cute at first but quickly became repetitive and irritating. I signed up for a slasher book and only got the slashing in the final 100 pages of the book. 

The twist at the end was good and the gore (when it happened) was amazingly written, it was just having to crawl and claw through the first 350 pages to get there. I found myself skimming pages waaaay too often throughout this one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Blood, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Animal death, Gore, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child death, Cultural appropriation, Deadnaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, and Rape

Minor: Abortion

falloutofmyactions's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Suicide attempt, Blood, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Murder, Violence, Mental illness, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Rape, Incest, and Pedophilia

uhhlexiconic's review

challenging dark emotional 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

3.75

Very knowledgeable about slashers but missing some of their spirit, My Heart is a Chainsaw makes sure we know our protagonist before showing us what she's really made of. Slow to start and with a narration style that may take some getting used to, but the third act bloodbath is worth it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide attempt, Death, Racism, Animal death, Vomit, and Violence

Minor: Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

cottagecorecabbage's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

tesshersh's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

I’m not sure if I extra enjoyed this book because I’ve read so many BAD books lately, or if it really IS that good, so take this with a grain of salt. But WOW. One of my only gripes is that it touches on some themes that I’m not 100% sure I love being talked abt from a teenage girl’s perspective written by a male author, but I think it was respectfully done. 
Spoiler for my other complaint:

I wish that the conclusion/reveal of the killer DIDN’T have a supernatural element. I think the author’s point of regarding real life not being like a horror/slasher movie, about things like gentrification & colonization being a type of horror and violence of their own, was backtracked a bit by letting jade’s theory of a supernatural element be true at the end.

Also: cannot recommend the audio book enough, cara gee was amazing

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Abortion, Colonisation, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Death, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Suicide, Murder, Pedophilia, Racism, Child death, Incest, and Gore

HUGE trigger warnings - not just in the gore/violence you would associate with a thriller but for other content as well, please check content warnings before reading

awood17's review against another edition

4.25

fucking love/hate jade. such a grisly yet heart warming novel of self discovery. one of the most believable horror characters i’ve read recently as well, probably because of her extensive knowledge on the genre. 
great job Stephen Graham Jones! cant wait to read his other works!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Murder, and Animal death

squrrlgrrl's review

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

pollyem's review

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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Blood, Gore, Incest, Rape, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, and Vomit

emma_l_f44's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Murder, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, and Domestic abuse

mlewis's review

challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Suicide attempt, Violence, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, and Self harm

Moderate: Rape, Xenophobia, and Sexual violence

Minor: Vomit and Pregnancy