Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

62 reviews

amandadevoursbooks's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

4.0

I loved the only good indians. So I was excited to pick this book up. We follow Jade who is almost about to graduate from high school but she's one class shy. She lives with her dad her mom's not really involved in her life and she works as a janitor in the school system that she attended. It's set in a town built on secrets. It's at the edge of a national forest and there's developers in town building new houses.

Jade's narration is chaotic, and I found it difficult to track at times. She's obsessed with horror films and slashers and she is convinced that there is a slasher cycles starting in her hometown. While she does her best to communicate the danger the adults around her don't believe her and neither do the other teenagers.

This book started slow, and like a Gothic it built up speed until it was barreling down the tracks towards the end. Unlike a Gothic, the setting itself wasn't oppressive. 

It also had an interesting narrative structure. The chapters were broken up between jade narrating present day and papers that Jade had turned into her history teacher. This works to break up the tension and also to reinforce Jade's knowledge and perception of this being a slasher cycle. 

If you're a person that likes horror films and knows a lot about them this book might resonate a little bit more. I feel like as a person who only is tangentially aware of horror films and who primarily reads horror instead of watching it I think some of the illusions and the meanings were lost on me.

Like all good horror it has a lot to say about the state of the world. It tackles classism, racism, and sexism,  all while telling and entertaining slasher story.

I'm looking forward to the second book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Gore, Suicide attempt, Violence, Colonisation, Sexual assault, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

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

aimeebowen's review

challenging dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Domestic abuse, Deadnaming, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia

averagesparrow's review

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Animal death, Cursing, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Incest, Rape, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism and Alcohol

hotscarysummer's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Incest, Child abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, and Sexual assault

bambooboy's review

adventurous dark emotional funny informative 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Blood, Gore, Cursing, Self harm, Alcoholism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Classism, Sexual assault, Grief, Rape, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

ehmannky's review

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

blackcats_and_coffeecups's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Abandonment, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Murder, Death, Body horror, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt

squigleyline's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Self harm, Rape, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Incest, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

ynotlime's review against another edition

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child abuse, Death, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts