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

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.
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