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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
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
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Gore, Pedophilia, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Medical trauma
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Excellent follow-up to My Heart is a Chainsaw. It was still an homage to horror movies, but with much more action and a faster pace.
Jade is such a fun protagonist and I loved watching her develop over the course of this book. my heart kept breaking for the injustice and beaurocratic nonsense she kept facing though - will she ever be able to actually exist and heal without being a fall guy for someone else's BS?? The commentary here on the injustice in our justice system and how cruelly we treat people who are just reacting to trauma is spot on.
Some of the plot gets a bit convoluted and the changing character POVs gave me a bit of whiplash, but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel. Looking forward to seeing how the trilogy wraps up in the next one!
Jade is such a fun protagonist and I loved watching her develop over the course of this book.
Some of the plot gets a bit convoluted and the changing character POVs gave me a bit of whiplash, but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel. Looking forward to seeing how the trilogy wraps up in the next one!
Looks like I might be in the minority here…
The two things that made Chainsaw great was it deconstruction of the horror and slasher genres and Jade Daniel’s POV. I understand Jones probably didn’t want to rehash the structure and basic story of Chainsaw, but what is a slasher sequel if not just that? Horror sequels are notoriously unwarranted and uninspired, produced to cash in on what made the first successful or beloved. So I’m surprised that Jones, who is clearly well-versed in the formula, veers away from it.
Now, if his devotion to the formula goes so far as to intentionally make a messy sequel, Jones has succeeded. It is messy. It is convoluted. It is trying too hard to be clever. And the multiple POV’s? It tracks if this is a film. But as a novel…? We fell in love (or maybe love to hate) with Jade, and her character is too compelling for her to not be allowed to hold the majority of the book. She has such a good arc but it is buried beneath so many other storylines and cryptic passages that her “enlightenment” feels ill-gotten.
Now, there is some really great writing here. The “Big Showdown” is an amazing, amazing set piece, and I literally could not put the book down through that whole section. Some beautiful prose in places. And setting it during a snowstorm is a nice touch; Jones really drives the cold of Proofrock into your bones. But at the end of the day there are too many warring components. Jones clearly loves horror, loves slashers, loves film. He clearly loves writing and seeing how to make these loves mesh and dance with each other. And I love that about him. Unfortunately with Reaper, it doesn’t quite work.
I’ll be here for the third book because I adore Jade and I appreciate Jones’ abilities. And before I read the third one, I’ll read Chainsaw and Reaper again. I appreciated Chainsaw even more on a second read. So, who knows? Jones is the type of writer who deserves the extra effort, and maybe next time around I’ll see Reaper in a different light.
The two things that made Chainsaw great was it deconstruction of the horror and slasher genres and Jade Daniel’s POV. I understand Jones probably didn’t want to rehash the structure and basic story of Chainsaw, but what is a slasher sequel if not just that? Horror sequels are notoriously unwarranted and uninspired, produced to cash in on what made the first successful or beloved. So I’m surprised that Jones, who is clearly well-versed in the formula, veers away from it.
Now, if his devotion to the formula goes so far as to intentionally make a messy sequel, Jones has succeeded. It is messy. It is convoluted. It is trying too hard to be clever. And the multiple POV’s? It tracks if this is a film. But as a novel…? We fell in love (or maybe love to hate) with Jade, and her character is too compelling for her to not be allowed to hold the majority of the book. She has such a good arc but it is buried beneath so many other storylines and cryptic passages that her “enlightenment” feels ill-gotten.
Now, there is some really great writing here. The “Big Showdown” is an amazing, amazing set piece, and I literally could not put the book down through that whole section. Some beautiful prose in places. And setting it during a snowstorm is a nice touch; Jones really drives the cold of Proofrock into your bones. But at the end of the day there are too many warring components. Jones clearly loves horror, loves slashers, loves film. He clearly loves writing and seeing how to make these loves mesh and dance with each other. And I love that about him. Unfortunately with Reaper, it doesn’t quite work.
I’ll be here for the third book because I adore Jade and I appreciate Jones’ abilities. And before I read the third one, I’ll read Chainsaw and Reaper again. I appreciated Chainsaw even more on a second read. So, who knows? Jones is the type of writer who deserves the extra effort, and maybe next time around I’ll see Reaper in a different light.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I still sometimes find it difficult to follow the action but I can follow the theme/tone/characters much better now that I have an understanding of the world from a re-listen of book one. Disgusting and fun in the most horror-filled way
If there are three things SGJ loves to write about they are Slashers, Final Girls, and Basketball.
Let's follow up on what I loved so much about the first novel and compare this sequel:
- The writing - Still superb
- Tone - This was greatly improved as it no longer felt so "young" comparatively
- The spunky character - Jade is back...it took her a while to find herself again, but she's back all the same and better than ever
- The slasher knowledge - Somehow it is amped up even further passed a scholarly level
- Pacing - I didn't love the pacing in the first novel as there was a lot of setup, but that is all irrelevant in this sequel and it reads at a pulse pounding speed without losing any of the atmosphere
Where I feel this book lost a little bit of its hold over me is in the sheer unbelievability of some of the elements. In the first novel, they play on Jade's mental stability calling into question the narrative and its reliability. However, in this novel it was just a little over the top. I am all for those gag kill scenes from the horror classics, but there are other moments where I really struggled to stay in it.
I have read quite a few novels from Jones and, while this sequel may not be as good as the original in some ways, in others it really kicked it into overdrive. For fans of the first novel, it is definitely worth continuing on. For those who have struggled with SGJ's writing style or didn't quite enjoy the first novel, I think you are safe to skip this one as it is definitely in the same vein as his other works. Still gets a big recommendation from me.
Let's follow up on what I loved so much about the first novel and compare this sequel:
- The writing - Still superb
- Tone - This was greatly improved as it no longer felt so "young" comparatively
- The spunky character - Jade is back...it took her a while to find herself again, but she's back all the same and better than ever
- The slasher knowledge - Somehow it is amped up even further passed a scholarly level
- Pacing - I didn't love the pacing in the first novel as there was a lot of setup, but that is all irrelevant in this sequel and it reads at a pulse pounding speed without losing any of the atmosphere
Where I feel this book lost a little bit of its hold over me is in the sheer unbelievability of some of the elements. In the first novel, they play on Jade's mental stability calling into question the narrative and its reliability. However, in this novel it was just a little over the top. I am all for those gag kill scenes from the horror classics, but there are other moments where I really struggled to stay in it.
I have read quite a few novels from Jones and, while this sequel may not be as good as the original in some ways, in others it really kicked it into overdrive. For fans of the first novel, it is definitely worth continuing on. For those who have struggled with SGJ's writing style or didn't quite enjoy the first novel, I think you are safe to skip this one as it is definitely in the same vein as his other works. Still gets a big recommendation from me.
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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
This series continues to be a total love letter to horror films, and I am HERE for it. Don’t Fear the Reaper brings back everything I loved from My Heart Is a Chainsaw…plus more blood, more heart, and more slasher goodness. This is seriously a horror lover’s dream, loaded with Easter eggs and genre nods. The character work is next level again—Jade just shines and completely steals the show. Her relationship with Letha gets so much time to grow here, and I loved every second of it. I also really appreciated the short vignettes from the victims—it gave every death a gut-punch of emotion and made the stakes feel real.
I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook? The large cast brought it to life and can help you follow the different characters a bit more. I will say I wanted a bit more fromDark Mill South’s backstory and the spirit elk, especially around the boarding school trauma, but even with that, this one delivered. I’m absolutely dying to see how this all wraps up in the final book.
I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook? The large cast brought it to life and can help you follow the different characters a bit more. I will say I wanted a bit more from
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
This series continues to be a true love letter to horror films and I love it. Long live the Final Girl, Jade.