Hardcover, 405 pages
English language
Published by Gallery / Saga Press.
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 …
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.
I am utterly elated having just finished this book! It's so good. I immediately connected with and cared about the main character, Jade, and I was so impatient to find out what happens... and what really happened. Essential reading for anyone who loves slashers.
As a horror fan who got all the horror movie references, I’m wondering how this book landed for those who don’t have a horror history. Although, I guess a book like this probably doesn’t appeal to people like that.
This novel focuses on Jade, a horror-obsessed 17-year-old trapped in a podunk town in Idaho. Her mom is mostly out of the picture, she lives with her alcoholic and abusive father, and she's just barely hanging on in high school. Suicidal, friendless, and treated like an outcast, horror movies are her only escape. But when she stumbles across a smartphone recording of what appears to be an inexplicable murder, she quickly concludes that a slasher has come to her tiny town, and that a movie-style Final Girl is needed to defeat the threat. She sets her eyes on Letha Mondragon, a recent arrival in town. Rich, athletic, kind-hearted, and effortlessly beautiful, she is everything Jade is not. But Letha is going to need Jade's help if she is to survive the coming massacre.
Some reviewers find Jade's perspective on events tricky to deal with—her narration is almost stream-of-consciousness, her focus …
This novel focuses on Jade, a horror-obsessed 17-year-old trapped in a podunk town in Idaho. Her mom is mostly out of the picture, she lives with her alcoholic and abusive father, and she's just barely hanging on in high school. Suicidal, friendless, and treated like an outcast, horror movies are her only escape. But when she stumbles across a smartphone recording of what appears to be an inexplicable murder, she quickly concludes that a slasher has come to her tiny town, and that a movie-style Final Girl is needed to defeat the threat. She sets her eyes on Letha Mondragon, a recent arrival in town. Rich, athletic, kind-hearted, and effortlessly beautiful, she is everything Jade is not. But Letha is going to need Jade's help if she is to survive the coming massacre.
Some reviewers find Jade's perspective on events tricky to deal with—her narration is almost stream-of-consciousness, her focus wanders, and she avoids reflecting on facts she finds uncomfortable—her voice is what makes the novel as good as it is. She felt real and painfully vulnerable. The characters closest to her, the town sheriff, her history teacher, and Letha, also feel authentic. Each of them struggles to connect with Jade, not quite understanding how to interact with her in the way that she needs, while she's evasive, protecting herself with sarcasm and the armor she's developed as the town weird girl. Characterization and Jade's offbeat voice are the highlights of this book.
This book is a gift to horror movie fans. It's absolutely drenched in slasher trivia and commentary. This might be off-putting or monotonous for the uninitiated, but as a horror movie nerd I thought it was a lot of fun.
The climax of the book is a bloody, chaotic tour de force, and the ending was so abrupt that it caught me off guard. Fortunately I don't have long to wait until the release of the sequel.
This is the second book I've read by Stephen Graham Jones, after [b:The Only Good Indians|52180399|The Only Good Indians|Stephen Graham Jones|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601545259l/52180399.SY75.jpg|71431671], and he's quickly become one of the most exciting voices in horror fiction. While I enjoyed this book slightly more than The Only Good Indians, its laser-like focus on slasher movie-style horror makes it more difficult to recommend to more casual horror fans. But if you like horror movies and slashers in particular this is an extremely engaging read.
With a literary quality that astonishingly complements its myriad pop culture references, this slasher-obsessed piece will have you stupefied until its frantic conclusion.
