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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I finally got round to reading this & I bloody loved it!! So many movie references! Jade is an awesome Final Girl and I wasn’t sure how this was going to play out! This would have been a 5 star read for me but I had to re-read the last couple of chapters as I was scratching my head/a bit lost! I still have questions…… onto the next!
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-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
I put this down sometime last year but am so glad I picked it back up again. I don't have much to say other than this might be the horror book with the biggest heart to ever exist. I want to pick Jade up in a hug and never let her go.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Self harm, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Vomit, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Classism
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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
4.5 ⭐️ This was great. Pulled me in and kept me interested until the end. I really enjoyed how the main character was written. I developed an attachment and was rooting for her.
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
funny
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:
Complicated
This is my second read from Stephen Graham Jones. My first was The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, which I absolutely loved. That book introduced fresh ideas into the vampire genre and built toward a wild, creative finale that left me shocked, horrified, and fully entertained. It set a high bar, so I came into My Heart Is a Chainsaw with high hopes—especially knowing it kicks off the Indian Lake Trilogy.
So, did I love it? No. But I did enjoy quite a bit of it.
The story centers on Jade, a teenage horror fanatic who sees the world through a slasher-film lens. Think of that high school friend who only talked about horror movies and tried to get you just as hyped about them—they could be a little much, but they were also passionate, loyal, and strangely endearing. That’s Jade. She’s weird, obsessive, and often hard to pin down—but also someone you end up rooting for. It took me a while to connect with her, but once I did, I appreciated her complexity, even when she frustrated me.
The premise is clever: Jade suspects a real-life slasher is about to emerge in her sleepy town. No one believes her—because of course she’d think that. But as events start unfolding eerily in line with slasher tropes, Jade’s encyclopedic horror knowledge might be the only thing that can make sense of it all. Her “Slasher 101” reports to her teacher are some of the book’s best parts—fun, self-aware, and full of nostalgia for fans of 1970s and 80s horror.
There’s also a darker, more serious thread running beneath the gore—Jade’s trauma, rooted in abuse and assault. These revelations become crucial to the story later on, but for me, they didn’t quite land emotionally. I’m not sure why—it may have been the way they were woven in—but something about that part of her arc felt slightly disconnected.
Stylistically, the book felt dense at times. I found myself backtracking occasionally to keep up with the characters, town lore, and history. There’s a lot packed into this story—sometimes too much. I love rich worldbuilding, but this one occasionally felt like it was trying to stir too many ingredients into one pot.
Still, My Heart Is a Chainsaw is worth the read, especially if you’re a die-hard fan of horror movies and slashers. There are moments of real humor, tenderness, and insight, and Jade—despite all her quirks—is a memorable lead. I didn’t love it the way I loved The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, but that hasn’t stopped me from planning to finish the trilogy. Stephen Graham Jones is a bold, talented writer, and I’m excited to see where he takes the story next.
So, did I love it? No. But I did enjoy quite a bit of it.
The story centers on Jade, a teenage horror fanatic who sees the world through a slasher-film lens. Think of that high school friend who only talked about horror movies and tried to get you just as hyped about them—they could be a little much, but they were also passionate, loyal, and strangely endearing. That’s Jade. She’s weird, obsessive, and often hard to pin down—but also someone you end up rooting for. It took me a while to connect with her, but once I did, I appreciated her complexity, even when she frustrated me.
The premise is clever: Jade suspects a real-life slasher is about to emerge in her sleepy town. No one believes her—because of course she’d think that. But as events start unfolding eerily in line with slasher tropes, Jade’s encyclopedic horror knowledge might be the only thing that can make sense of it all. Her “Slasher 101” reports to her teacher are some of the book’s best parts—fun, self-aware, and full of nostalgia for fans of 1970s and 80s horror.
There’s also a darker, more serious thread running beneath the gore—Jade’s trauma, rooted in abuse and assault. These revelations become crucial to the story later on, but for me, they didn’t quite land emotionally. I’m not sure why—it may have been the way they were woven in—but something about that part of her arc felt slightly disconnected.
Stylistically, the book felt dense at times. I found myself backtracking occasionally to keep up with the characters, town lore, and history. There’s a lot packed into this story—sometimes too much. I love rich worldbuilding, but this one occasionally felt like it was trying to stir too many ingredients into one pot.
Still, My Heart Is a Chainsaw is worth the read, especially if you’re a die-hard fan of horror movies and slashers. There are moments of real humor, tenderness, and insight, and Jade—despite all her quirks—is a memorable lead. I didn’t love it the way I loved The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, but that hasn’t stopped me from planning to finish the trilogy. Stephen Graham Jones is a bold, talented writer, and I’m excited to see where he takes the story next.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
THIS COULD BE THE BEST THIRD ACT I’VE EVER READ!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
2.5/5
I think it's official and I can (sadly) say that I don't think Stephen Graham Jones is for me. I've watched slasher films but don't care too much about them, so while hearing some of the thematic requirements or general plot points of the genre was interesting I generally didn't care about the nods to all the classics. I also just couldn't care less about the plot and was just hustling through this book. I was never scared and I didn't like our main character all that much (I think that's the point and sometimes it's okay not to like a main character, but I didn't like her in a boring way). This is probably great for somebody, that's just not me and that's okay.
I think it's official and I can (sadly) say that I don't think Stephen Graham Jones is for me. I've watched slasher films but don't care too much about them, so while hearing some of the thematic requirements or general plot points of the genre was interesting I generally didn't care about the nods to all the classics. I also just couldn't care less about the plot and was just hustling through this book. I was never scared and I didn't like our main character all that much (I think that's the point and sometimes it's okay not to like a main character, but I didn't like her in a boring way). This is probably great for somebody, that's just not me and that's okay.