A review by archaicrobin
My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

5.0

I’m going to be honest here, I hated this book at first and could not get it into it. I had to make myself keep reading this several times and I’m so glad I did, because it is beyond worth it!! 

Stephen Graham Jones is one author I can’t stay away from, even when one of his novels doesn’t hit right. I was so excited to start My Heart is a Chainsaw, but reading something easy and straightforward then switching to Stephen Graham Jones’s style of writing was ROUGH. This isn’t one you can pick up alongside another, you really need to dedicate time to it. 

I would also say if you’re not at least somewhat familiar with slashers this might confuse you a good amount of the time, since Jade, our main character, has a wealth of slasher knowledge that is dissected, analyzed, and referenced constantly throughout the entire novel.   There are moments where you can hear Jones spewing his slasher expertise through Jade, which annoyed me at first but eventually get used to the chaotic narrative. 

This story is a great slasher but it also is so much more. I did not see myself even liking this book when I started it, let alone loving it! I can’t wait to read the next novel in this series, already announced for 2022!
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