A review by edoherty
Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

dark 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

4.25

I didn't think this was quite as strong as My Heart is a Chainsaw, but it still grabbed me and pulled me along for the ride.  For all their flaws, I like Jennifer (Jade) and Letha and (most of) the other inhabitants of Proofrock Lake and I care about their fates.  While I preferred the slower buildup -> explosion of violence of MHiaC, I appreciated the gonzo approach of Don't Fear the Reaper: there was certainly no waiting to find out when the violence was going to start!!

I have two main reasons for rating DFtR slightly lower than the first book:

1.
I thought I could follow the identity-swapping between Ginger and Cinnamon, even up until the end.  The final reveal with the wigs in Cinnamon's room, though, was one twist too far: I'm no longer sure I know which twin survived, and - more importantly - I'm not sure why it matters from an overall trilogy perspective.  Whichever one survived, will, I'm sure, be an antagonist in the final book, but I don't know what I'm expected to conclude about that.


2.
I didn't think the supernatural element worked quite as well.  I figured out the identity of the ghost elk at about the earliest possible point, and it was interesting and had emotional resonance, but I didn't feel like it connected to the book as well as the appearance of Stacey Graves did in the first book.</spoiler?
Expand filter menu Content Warnings