Scan barcode
A review by themermaddie
My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
5.0
sgj is so indisputably the king of horror for me, it's crazy. this is a man who understands the genre inside and out, and this book is one long metatextual thesis on "the real horror" of horrors.
jade daniels is such a truly unforgettable horror protagonist. the whole book is told alternately through her lens of slasher movie trivia, dry wit, masked trauma and also excerpts of essays on slashers she writes for her favourite (though she'd never admit it) teacher. the town of proofrock is so rich with detail, history, lore, and pain, and sgj crafts a beautiful and elegant portrait of the place jade feels suffocated by. so much of the book feels so unsettling, even when nothing important is happening, like the entire story's rules could flip on a dime. sometimes something would happen and i would be so sure it was a bombshell revelation, only for it to be later disproven. it's like the literary equivalent of a jumpscare, it's brilliant. i feel like the best way to experience any sgj book is to go in completely blind, so that you can let yourself get blindsided by your own assumptions and biases. it has been my favourite way to read through his books so far.
my pitch for you to read this book would be: troubled half-native teen jade finds escape from her dangerous home life through slasher movies, and she spends her time wishing she could witness one in real life. a new girl moves into the gentrifying town across the lake, the murders start happening, and jade is sure that she's found her very own final girl. insane hijinks ensue! murder and gore abound! female friendship! real catharsis! trauma and emotional breakthroughs!
jade daniels is such a truly unforgettable horror protagonist. the whole book is told alternately through her lens of slasher movie trivia, dry wit, masked trauma and also excerpts of essays on slashers she writes for her favourite (though she'd never admit it) teacher. the town of proofrock is so rich with detail, history, lore, and pain, and sgj crafts a beautiful and elegant portrait of the place jade feels suffocated by. so much of the book feels so unsettling, even when nothing important is happening, like the entire story's rules could flip on a dime. sometimes something would happen and i would be so sure it was a bombshell revelation, only for it to be later disproven. it's like the literary equivalent of a jumpscare, it's brilliant. i feel like the best way to experience any sgj book is to go in completely blind, so that you can let yourself get blindsided by your own assumptions and biases. it has been my favourite way to read through his books so far.
my pitch for you to read this book would be: troubled half-native teen jade finds escape from her dangerous home life through slasher movies, and she spends her time wishing she could witness one in real life. a new girl moves into the gentrifying town across the lake, the murders start happening, and jade is sure that she's found her very own final girl. insane hijinks ensue! murder and gore abound! female friendship! real catharsis! trauma and emotional breakthroughs!