Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

169 reviews

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

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

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

harley_sage's review

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

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

val_so_'s review

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child abuse, Gore, Murder, Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Vomit, Alcoholism, Grief, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, and Classism

sphinxofblackquartz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gore, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

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

bookcaptivated's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Suicide attempt, Violence, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Animal death, Blood, Death, and Gore

Moderate: Racism, Mental illness, Stalking, Sexism, and Vomit

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Sexual assault