Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

54 reviews

throwback682's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad

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

5.0

An excellent meta-slasher; a heartbreaking homage to the genre that keeps you guessing right along with the main character even though you both have the benefit of her encyclopedic knowledge of these films to guide you. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Incest, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Car accident, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation

fujiopples's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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

i love jade (despite her many flaws)! this book makes me realize that i need to watch more slashers...

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Incest, Rape, and Vomit

tifftastic87's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

• 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

 Content Warnings: suicide attempt, violence, gore, death, murder, off page SA of a minor, alcoholism, animal death

In Proofrock, Idaho, Jade is the resident horror girl. Escaping her life by spending hours watching, thinking and writing about slasher films. The summer of her senior year, as the land across the lake grows McMansions at a supernatural rate, Jade feels the start of a slasher beginning around her. 

I was worried in the beginning this was going to be a “not like other girls” story, and it kind of was but in the most tragic way. Jade doesn’t fit in, because she’s half Indian, because she likes horror, because her home life is rough and she doesn’t know how to make friends. She’s always watching from the outside until she meets Letha. The way she latched on to her was so easy to understand and tugged so hard at my heart. 

I don’t think this has as much to say about race or socio-economic class as some of his other works, but feels more about being an outsider and a survivor. About how important it is to feel like you have control over your own story, to control the narrative. Jade is written with such emotion that I cried for her, even when she couldn’t. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Incest, Racism, and Sexual assault

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

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

fkshg8465's review

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

csmoke85's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Incest, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder

ghostinyourcellar's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Incest, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

gracecrandall's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

msapocalypse's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail