'My Heart Is a Chainsaw' by Stephen Graham Jones is a gripping horror novel that follows Jade Daniels, a social misfit with an encyclopedic knowledge of horror cinema, living in a rural lake town. As tourists go missing and tensions rise between the locals and wealthy newcomers, Jade dives deep into the town's history, convinced that a serial killer is on the loose. With a mix of dark humor, self-awareness, and literary depth, the book explores themes of alienation, racism, mental health, and the divide between rich and poor. Jade's obsession with slasher films leads her to predict a catastrophic event on the 4th of July, setting the stage for a thrilling and chilling climax that subverts genre expectations.
The narrative style of 'My Heart Is a Chainsaw' is described as chaotic yet multilayered, addressing serious issues while honoring the traditions of the horror genre. Stephen Graham Jones' encyclopedic knowledge of horror cinema shines through, providing readers with a primer on slasher films and incorporating subtle references that will resonate with fans of the genre. The book delves into Jade's character, her struggles with being an outsider, and her determination to save her town from a fate akin to a slasher film, culminating in a suspenseful and unforgettable conclusion.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of abuse, mental health issues, violence, and disturbing imagery associated with slasher tropes.
From The Publisher:
Named a Best Book of 2021 by NPR
In her quickly gentrifying rural lake town Jade sees recent events only her encyclopedic knowledge of horror films could have prepared her for in this latest novel from the Jordan Peele of horror literature, New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones.
"Some girls just don't know how to die…"
Shirley Jackson meets Friday the 13th in My Heart Is a Chainsaw, written by the author of The Only Good Indians Stephen Graham Jones, called "a literary master" by National Book Award winner Tananarive Due and "one of our most talented living writers" by Tommy Orange.
Alma Katsu calls My Heart Is a Chainsaw "a homage to slasher films that also manages to defy and transcend genre." On the surface is a story of murder in small-town America. But beneath is its beating heart: a biting critique of American colonialism, Indigenous displacement, and gentrification, and a heartbreaking portrait of a broken young girl who uses horror movies to cope with the horror of her own life.
Jade Daniels is an angry, half-Indian outcast with an abusive father, an absent mother, and an entire town that wants nothing to do with her. She lives in her own world, a world in which protection comes from an unusual source: horror movies… especially the ones where a masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them. And Jade narrates the quirky history of Proofrock as if it is one of those movies. But when blood actually starts to spill into the waters of Indian Lake, she pulls us into her dizzying, encyclopedic mind of blood and masked murderers, and predicts exactly how the plot will unfold.
Yet, even as Jade drags us into her dark fever dream, a surprising and intimate portrait emerges…a portrait of the scared and traumatized little girl beneath the Jason Voorhees mask: angry, yes, but also a girl who easily cries, fiercely loves, and desperately wants a home. A girl whose feelings are too big for her body. My Heart Is a Chainsaw is her story, her homage to horror and revenge and triumph.
Ratings (28)
Incredible (3) | |
Loved It (10) | |
Liked It (5) | |
It Was OK (6) | |
Did Not Like (2) | |
Hated It (2) |
Reader Stats (88):
Read It (26) | |
Want To Read (50) | |
Did Not Finish (3) | |
Not Interested (9) |
2 comment(s)
I find this to be heard to explain. While it definitely has horror, gore and a lot of intense moments. It's not that action packed over the top bam bam galore sort of action either. Rather a "calmer" sort of horror when it's compared to others but it does most definitely get under your skin and does as some terrifying moments.
I'm very torn on this book. It has all the elements of something I would love, but the sum of its parts should be better than it is, if that makes sense. It draws a lot from the visual language of horror films, and that doesn't always transfer well to the written word.
I will probably read the next one, if only because the end of this one was so messy.
What can you read after
My Heart Is a Chainsaw?
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