Reviews

Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

taliesinrex's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious 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

4.25

I found this one a little harder to follow than its predecessor at times, and wasn't sure how I felt about the Ginger/Cinnamon twist. However, this was still a ton of fun and I really enjoyed returning to Proofrock and following Jade after her release from prison following My Heart Is A Chainsaw. While there's a lot of back-and-forth in the blizzard, I think the heavy snowfall and lack of communication resources or way into/out of town lend themselves well to a tense and harrowing plot. I also think the supernatural elements of this were a little better integrated than in the first book.

I really was not expecting to like Banner going into this, but he really came through and I found him an interesting "outsider" type of character to follow in contrast to Letha and Jade. In general it was cool to get to know some of the other characters featured in the first book in-depth, and involving the kids who survived the massacre in Chainsaw was a very fun move. This one really moves into a full-on teen-killing slasher VERY quick and I had a great time with it. I do wish we got a little bit more discussion about

Theo Mondragon between Jade and Letha as while it would definitely be a stressful moment for their friendship I would have liked to see that side of things as well as how Letha felt about Jade's testimony/her father at large. I also think some kind of discussion on that would have been an interesting potential foil to Jade's parents, especially her mom now showing up towards the end of Don't Fear The Reaper to finally stand up and try to defend her daughter (which yes, did make me cry).

Its pace is significantly quicker than Chainsaw but it is about the same length, which I think works both for and against it. It ramps up the action fast and never takes its foot off the pedal, but as I noted there is a lot of literal back-and-forth and characters traverse the town which can make things hard to follow especially in conjunction with Jones's writing style. Even so, a great sequel in my opinion; very excited to read The Angel of Indian Lake.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Murder

Moderate: Stalking and Mental illness

Minor: Pedophilia

vavagloom's review against another edition

4.0

3.5

goodbyerachel's review against another edition

4.25

I enjoyed this one a lot more than the first one. Not sure what changed but I stayed very engaged. 

angiedaz's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.25

saldre's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

"Don't Fear the Reaper" is an action-packed horror sequel to "My Heart is a Chainsaw" that never lets up. The story follows Jade as she returns to her hometown, Proofrock, only to find herself caught in the middle of bloody mayhem. What makes this and the previous novel stand out is their diverse cast of indigenous characters, which adds depth and authenticity to the storyline. With a lot of characters to follow, I found myself doubling back at times to fully understand the story. As a horror fan, I appreciated the nods to classic horror movies because they added an extra layer of enjoyment to my reading experience. I believe this book needs to be reread a couple times to grasp all the references & intricacies of the story. Additionally, the novel balances blood and gore with moments of humor and genuine emotion, making it a touching and thrilling read all at the same time. Overall, "Don't Fear the Reaper" is a must-read for all horror fans, especially slasher fans.

readuntilthelastpage's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

dante_rebelo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

tontu00's review against another edition

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

4.5

maywhitelauren's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

jenhurst's review against another edition

4.0

I thought this was great. It was so much fun. I finally get why everyone raves about Stephen graham jones. The chapter titles being horror books was a nice touch