Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

66 reviews

victoriarose12's review

adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide, Self harm, Body horror, and Animal death

Minor: Rape and Incest

chaoticbookgoblin's review

dark emotional sad 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? Yes

3.5

I struggled to get through the first 300 pages but couldn’t put the book down for the last 100 pages. 

Jade was intolerable most of the book, her paranoia and rambling was frustrating and hard to get through. I wish there was more focus on the plot and less on slasher movies as I don’t get 99% of the references and have no idea what she was referring to. The ending was way off in left field but was super entertaining for a horro reader. 

A lot of trigger warnings, if you can get through the beginning it’s worth the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

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

theoldestbennetsister's review

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

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

mosscliffs's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Gore

blacksphinx's review

dark informative mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Suicide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Self harm

Moderate: Animal death, Rape, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Vomit, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Pedophilia

Minor: Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Racism

scoutee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Suicide, and Gore

Moderate: Pedophilia and Rape

seanamcphie's review

challenging dark mysterious 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Violence, Suicide, and Self harm

Minor: Pedophilia

sarahbw2's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.75

It’s definitely a love letter to the horror genre and I recommend it if you like horror movies. I had to DNF the book before because it is pretty slow in the first half but it really picks up in the second half.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Self harm

Moderate: Child abuse, Grief, Rape, Blood, and Body horror