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starrysteph 's review for:

My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
4.25
adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

There's a slasher coming to Proofrock. But Jade's the only one who sees the signs .. the history .. the groundwork for a night of horrors from a masked killer. 

I don't think I've ever read a book quite like this. As many other reviewers have shared, you need to be patient. This is a slow, smoldering story until the last ~100 pages. 

But just because it's slow doesn't mean it's not worth it. There's so much depth in the groundwork here - Jade is an incredibly complex teenager and we are given an inside look into her heart and her struggles. It's for sure a better read if you have at least some knowledge of classic slasher films. But Jade's a good teacher if not! SGJ also writes with a bite - I loved the humor throughout the book.

And then the final showdown is just electrifying. I couldn't put it down.

This book isn't for everyone. I get that. But if you have a bit of patience, it's worth it.

CW: murder, gore, suicide attempt & self harm, murder, rape, child abuse, sexual assault, animal death, body horror, incest, alcoholism, vomit, addiction, drug use