I recently saw a post by @spookishmommy on Bookstagram pointing out that Stephen Graham Jones is about to finish the horror series The Indian Lake trilogy. Which is when I remembered I have a weak spot for series and I’ve been saving books by Stephen Graham Jones to my tbr whenever I see them at my library. So I immediately borrowed the audiobook for My heart is a chainsaw and am currently well into the second book in the trilogy.
Synopsis
My heart is a chainsaw follows Jade, a teenager with a deep knowledge of horror movies, specifically slashers, that knows something is wrong in her mountain town. It is not just the stories about Camp Blood, the rich building vacation homes in “Terra Nova” on what was designated park lands, or the rich flora of myths surrounding Indian Lake, Jade knows that something is coming for them all.
Thoughts
Jade was so much better than I expected. What an unusual main character to spend time with. An absolute delight in all the ways that it wasn’t a perfect, lovely, straightforward character. Jade made me think of Lisbeth Salander, there is a darkness and fierceness that both characters share.
The first couple of pages made me so tense. Stephen Graham Jones excels at not giving me the complete picture which is a must for me to get truly scared. When one of my family members by mistake (husband) or on purpose (kid) turns off the light as I’m walking up from the basement I will legit shriek convinced my time has come.
I loved the side characters not being what I expected them to be. They were more human and frequently veered away from stereotypes. The references to horror movies, concepts and references were delicious. I was fighting myself hard to not create a movie tbr. I’m still scarred from Friday the 13th and I know who I watched it with, decades ago. My nervous system cannot handle horror movies and the stress from work, I’ll start screaming out loud the next time someone calls me on Teams.
Emilie's Bookish Thoughts 