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

dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I have so many thoughts, but they are as chaotic as the last chapters of the book, so yeah....
The very first chapter was really interesting and creepy. It set up the story so well and got me hooked from the beginning... but with the second chapter the plot slowed down A LOT. And I mean it almost froze for probably 60% of the book. 
I had problems getting into the writing style and the protagonist, Jade, at first. I didn't like her, I thought she was annoying, and I didn't get her actions at all. Until something clicked. I started to understand the writing AND Jade, up to the point where I ended up loving both with all my heart. She is such a fascinating character and I couldn't stop reading even when nothing was happening. 

I also loved the setting, the small-town vibes are on point. The lake is beautiful but also creepy, the town history is super interesting. And I like how we had to piece the stories and hints together to get a full picture of the place. Absolutely adored some of the character dynamics, especially between the sheriff, Jade and Mr. Holmes. At the same time, Jade was such an unreliable narrator that I was constantly questioning if it was all just in her head or if there really was something sinister going on, and I basically became paranoid about every character, including Jade herself. Loved that! 

When it comes to the ending and conclusion, I would have hated it in a movie. But in this book it kind of worked for me. I think it was very fitting, and I really liked it a lot. 

The only reason, I'm not giving this 5 stars are the slasher references. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy slashers, I grew up with them. However, the ones from the 90s/early 2000s. This book references a ton of slasher movies from the 80s, though, and even older ones. And although I liked the idea and some parts of the Slasher 101 I had a hard time enjoying it when I didn't get 80% of the references. I bet they are amazing (because the ones that refer to the movies I've actually seen ARE great) but it was frustrating to read about movies and characters you don't know and honestly don't really want to know in depth. I got the idea and what it did to the story, but I wasn't a fan of the execution. Sadly.

But I can't wait to read more by the author. 
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