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mulletapologist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit
cebadgley's review
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Vomit
torturedreadersdept's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
plantybooklover's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
My Heart is a Chainsaw is indeed, as most have mentioned, a celebration of the Slasher/Horror film genre, as told by Jade, a 17 yr old who is singularly focused on them, after experiencing a traumatic life event.
The author toggles between Slasher 101 chapters and the current events of Jade's life in a small town of Proofrock, Idaho (and YES- I hope ProofRock is a nod to T. S Eliot's Prufrock....it sure seems to be) - In the Slasher 101's we are treated to all sorts of Slasher lore, key elements (like mask, weapons, back stories, revenge plots and final girls. In Jade's life chapters- we are reminded how hard it is to be the odd one in a small community, and we are see the actual... slasher is it? evolve and gradually devolve gloriously on the 4th of July with some confessions from Jade and just abject horror, we have dead animals, dead people, macabre misuse of construction tools, (and chainsaws as well)... It was so hard for me to decide if the murders were actually occurring or if Jade was just kind of having a psychotic episode, as both seemed equally possible by the end of the book. There was probably quite a bit of symbolism that just flew over my head, especially as I was using an audio book, and thus was not always 100% focused only on the narrative.
Because I don't like Slashers at all, I didn't really find this book funny- like many did. It seemed more to me a tragedy, but, for the right audience, I think it's both hilarious and tragic. And even though it's a slow build up, the writing is always on point.
Will I read book 2? yeah... I am entirely hooked. I'm rooting for Jade.
Graphic: Violence, Vomit, and Alcohol
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Blood, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Car accident
school_for_scandal's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction and Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
melchncookies's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse and Fire/Fire injury
creativeerosion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
squrrlgrrl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
caitlyn_rehs's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
robynbookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Interspersed throughout the story are Jade's essays explaining the rules, themes, and metaphors of slasher lore. Fans of classic horror films will find themselves grinning in recognition as they read. As the story progresses, the pace and the gore both pick up. The novel itself begins to feel like an action-packed thriller, yet somehow finds time to dive deep beyond the surface and unpack some very serious subjects.
Stephen Graham Jones is an amazing writer and upon re-reading it, I felt compelled to highlight and underline some of my favorite lines, in part because there are so many good ones, but also to capture some of the moments that have so much more meaning than they first appear. Yet, by the final chapters I found I couldn't slow down enough to pick up my pen, despite already knowing how it ends. If you love horror novels and horror films, this is a must-read!
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol