Horror is a genre in which I’ve not read deeply. I’ve read some Stephen King, some Joe Hill, and a Grady Hendrix book. But really that’s about it. This is an area my speculative fiction reading lacks. I do try to keep tabs on interesting books in that genre, and I’ve noticed one name continually draws my attention with interesting back cover summaries. Stephen Graham Jones is an author that continues to write books that interest me. However, during his releases, I’m always packed with books to review. I don’t like requesting books unless I know I’m going to read them. So, when I saw that he had a new novel coming out, I requested a review copy, and I blocked out time for it. I was going to see why everyone keeps saying great things about Stephen Graham Jones. Luckily for me, the publisher granted my request, and I had a copy of My Heart is a Chainsaw. I loved everything about this book from the minimalist cover to the main character to the essays she writes for her history teacher. My Heart is a Chainsaw hit every beat necessary for an enjoyable novel. Now, I see why he’s getting the acclaim he deserves. I’m a fan, and that sound you hear in the background is just me adding his other books to my TBR pile.
Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone.
© PrimmLife.com 2021
TL;DR
My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones is a horror novel that I really wanted. It educated me; it thrilled me; and it made me care about Jade. Highly recommended.
From the Publisher
In her quickly gentrifying rural lake town Jade sees recent events only her encyclopedic knowledge of horror films could have prepared her for in this latest novel from the Jordan Peele of horror literature, New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones.
“Some girls just don’t know how to die…”
Shirley Jackson meets Friday the 13th in My Heart Is a Chainsaw, written by the author of The Only Good Indians Stephen Graham Jones, called “a literary master” by National Book Award winner Tananarive Due and “one of our most talented living writers” by Tommy Orange.
Alma Katsu calls My Heart Is a Chainsaw “a homage to slasher films that also manages to defy and transcend genre.” On the surface is a story of murder in small-town America. But beneath is its beating heart: a biting critique of American colonialism, Indigenous displacement, and gentrification, and a heartbreaking portrait of a broken young girl who uses horror movies to cope with the horror of her own life.
Jade Daniels is an angry, half-Indian outcast with an abusive father, an absent mother, and an entire town that wants nothing to do with her. She lives in her own world, a world in which protection comes from an unusual source: horror movies…especially the ones where a masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them. And Jade narrates the quirky history of Proofrock as if it is one of those movies. But when blood actually starts to spill into the waters of Indian Lake, she pulls us into her dizzying, encyclopedic mind of blood and masked murderers, and predicts exactly how the plot will unfold.
Yet, even as Jade drags us into her dark fever dream, a surprising and intimate portrait emerges…a portrait of the scared and traumatized little girl beneath the Jason Voorhees mask: angry, yes, but also a girl who easily cries, fiercely loves, and desperately wants a home. A girl whose feelings are too big for her body. My Heart Is a Chainsaw is her story, her homage to horror and revenge and triumph.
Review: My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
Jennifer “Jade” Daniels has been studying slasher films her whole life. She has an encyclopedic knowledge, but she’s more than just a walking wikipedia of slasher films. She analyzes. She puts the films in conversation with her life, and for extra credit in her history class, she’s been educating her teacher about slashers. High school graduation is approaching. Her home life is terrible, filled with harassment. So, Jade, unsuccessfully, decides to take her own life. After a brief stay in a psychological ward, she returns to school to find all the attention is not for the near-suicide but for a new student in the senior class. This new student is part of an out-of-town family that moves across the lake from Proofrock, Idaho. These across-the-lake families are rich people creeping in on National Park land bordering Proofrock. In addition to the national park, these new homes are being constructed near the abandoned summer camp with a ghastly history. Upon seeing the new student, Jade believes that she is a final girl. With the final girl comes the slasher, and Jade is here for it. Her wishes have come true. But as the body count begins to climb, will she be able to prepare the final girl in time to stop the slasher?
My Heart is a Chainsaw is a close third-person POV following Jade through the whole book. It’s written in a stream-of-consciousness way that relies heavily on the voice of Jade. It works. This is the type of book that looks easy to write because it flows so smoothly. But, even without reading the acknowledgements, I can tell that Jones put a lot of effort into getting it to read effortlessly. Like any good mystery, Jones kept me guessing throughout as to who the killer was. The story walked that perfect line of giving enough information to flood the zone while still giving the right information that the reveal felt earned. By about 50% of the way through the novel, I suspected everyone and no one at the same time. Jones kept me guessing to the very end.
Writing
Stephen Graham Jones does a hell of a job writing this. I’d love to learn how he kept it all straight because looking back, it seems like a difficult balancing act. Maybe that’s just because I’m not as good a writer as he is. Everything happens when it needs to happen but still feels surprising and fresh. And I don’t mean that just about the plot. Jade is the outsider, not just at her school, but in her town also. She is a damaged, young woman, but she’s also peppy, energetic, and sharp as the edge of a boxcutter. Her voice carries the novel. She’s interesting, and she’s funny. I almost wished there was a slasher in the town just to make her happy.
In fact, the book delights because Jade is the main character. She’s the voice of My Heart is a Chainsaw, and her narration propels the story. She feels young and hopeful in a dark way. Like she knows that people will die, but she also has faith that the final girl will win in the end. Jade drives this novel, and her viewpoint makes it memorable. For anyone interested in learning how to write a strong, voice-driven narrative, this is a book that should be studied closely.
Slasher 101
In between chapters, Jones gives us Jade’s extra credit essays as part of a Slasher 101 lecture series. These essays are directed to Mr. Holmes, her history teacher, but I learned a lot from them. These essays are exactly what the title says, a crash-course in field of slasher horror. Well, horror films anyways. Jade educates Mr. Holmes and the reader as to the necessary parts of the slasher genre. I loved these essays. It’s a different look at Jade. Her enthusiasm is a bit contagious. I don’t watch much horror films, but these essays made me want to watch a few. I don’t know much about the slasher genre; so, these essays helped me understand Jade. They also provide a way for Jones to frame the story in the way he wants. It’s another device to dish out information necessary to the story while educating readers about the parts of his own story. I loved these sections.
Throughout the story, we see many reasons why Mr. Holmes is her favorite teacher, but these essays convey that sentiment in a different way. Jade, like all of us, wants to be noticed for who she is. She wants someone to care about her, and she knows she found that in Mr. Holmes. These essays are another way for the reader to see that student-teacher relationship but in a different light. These essays show Jade wanting to impress Mr. Holmes with her knowledge because he takes her expertise seriously. He may not be as interested in the subject as she is, but he lets her conduct her lectures anyways. Because sometimes teachers reach us and inspire us to be more of ourselves. Through these essays, we learn that Mr. Holmes took Jade seriously, and that she thrived under this attention.
Hazy Action
Conclusion
Stephen Graham Jones’ My Heart is a Chainsaw won me over quickly with Jade. Her voice, her dedication to the slasher genre, and her need to prepare the final girl had me turning the pages as quickly as I could. This is a horror book that will keep you up at night because you won’t want to put it down.
My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones is available from Saga Press on August 31st, 2021.
© PrimmLife.com 2021
Pingback: My Heart is a Chainsaw – Stephen Graham Jones