Reviews tagging 'Gore'

My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

359 reviews

aiden_mr2's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book is a love letter to all Slasher Movies. The ending of the book kinda gets confusing but it was definitely worth it to see it all the way through.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Self harm, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Child death and Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia

shedevls's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Incest, Vomit, and Cultural appropriation

rrrbkh's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-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

4.5

I was soooo close to dnf-ing. About half of the book is just building up the story and characters and the last half is all action and horror. There were a couple twists and turns I didn’t expect that made this book absolutely heartbreaking.

Specifically, when jade reveals her father did in fact rape her as a child. When you realize the way she talks about herself and other and how it relates to her love of slashers as a genre, it all comes together. However getting there is the hard part. Many times in the beginning i found myself kinda struggling to get through the most dense explanations of slashers as a genre. However, the way Stephen graham jones sets it all up makes it all hurt even worse. I was crying in the Walmart parking lot because I was listening to the part where her trauma is revealed on the way to the store. It absolutely broke my heart, especially as I didn’t check any trigger warning prior to picking up this book but I’m kinda glad I didn’t because I probably wouldn’t have picked it up.

There could be something said about “horror chicks” and “stereotypes” but honestly I liked the story enough to not be bothered extremely by it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, and Blood

just_a_little_guy's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Violence, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

chaoshermit's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I had started the second book in this series first and got like a quarter through before realising it was a sequel. That being said, this series does look like it’s going to be in my favourites list. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

waveofelectric's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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

3.5

Horror novel based in the slasher genre. Main character annoying but got more loveable as time went on. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore

Moderate: Sexual assault

maryhungerford's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gore, and Murder

Minor: Child abuse, Rape, and Vomit

mikariah's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Chainsaw is stuck firmly between two equally strong narrative impulses: to go balls-to-the-wall literal meta-horror or play with a truly unreliable narrator. Rather than effectively straddle the line, the novel spends its over 400-page runtime jostling violently between the two. What I found so compelling about each option fell flat by the end, though SGJ knows how to smooth over my aches and bruises with a delightfully unrepentant gore-fest in the finale.

I didn't understand every reference. I probably would've enjoyed it more if I did. But even with that context, I still felt my questions were unanswered, the whiplash in tone and impulse just didn't gel with me, and somehow

Jade killing her father

was not as satisfying a move as I'd hoped it would be. You could argue that's the point, but I haven't read the sequel yet. It very well could be. And I'd jump for joy at that kind of internal conflict. The supernatural elements overwhelming the carefully laid real-world-logic foundations also left me with a sour taste. 

Ultimately, I liked it fine, just not as much as I wanted to. The action-packed finale works great in a vacuum. In the broader context, I wonder if I kept my brain too turned on for this.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

giselle_tbr's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I think the payoff of the book is good. We see the events of the book unfold from the main characters perspective and that could be really tedious at times. Jade is a troubled teen with a slasher movie addiction. I'm a fan of the slashers as well but reference after reference after reference gets old, especially when I don't know them all. I would recommend this book to die hard slasher fans. 

*spoiler alert* 
But when the bad guy turns out to not be a slasher in the traditional sense it kind of blindsided me. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore

Moderate: Rape

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

Such a sad story packaged in a terrible tale! I was excited to read this trilogy, but I'm reconsidering. I heard the third book is really good, which means I'll now need to read the second first. Better be worth it!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism