My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham -> Restarting June 23rd, 2024

[Aly]

“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.

[Jammin Jenny]

I'm excited to start this one. Hopefully this weekend!!

[Trisha]

I'm slowly chiseling away at this one lol
I've been off my reading game :D

27% it IS really good so far!
(view spoiler)[ I love this idea of Final Girl. I wonder why it's gotten so big lately? I think this is the 2nd or 3rd book coming out in the next couple of months with this final girl theme.

I like the MC but I'm not sure she's putting all her hope in to the right girl. Could she be the final girl? Eh, I haven't seen her do anything amazing yet. and it's our MC that knows all the ins and outs of how slasher movies should go. I guess we'll see who's alive at 50% lol
I like the history teacher and his interesting retirement speech
and I wonder if the guy who rescued her from the boat will re-pop up too! (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha]

55%
this one is taking me forever lol

(view spoiler)[ what does it mean that Hardy was just sitting there? or. . .who was smoking? I think this last part confused me a bit
I'm sad that Final Girl just thought she was an abused kid - interesting to see there's another death. awful it was her father and his mangy crew but, again, what does this death mean? I don't see how this fits in to the narrative other than another death near the lake, tied to these founders

that story about the cave, the fall and then the poor kid dying. awful. But I'm not sure how him crawling on all fours and not understanding words ties in to all this. So lost! lol (hide spoiler)]

[Jammin Jenny]

I hope to be reading this tomorrow. Dealing with movers today

[Trisha]

81% (view spoiler)[ Okay, sooooo is it the dad or isn't it? I mean, it would seem not, right? IS it the final girl?
I still feel like we're missing something here
although there are already an awful lot that are. . . dead. Yikes (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha]

Jammin Jenny wrote: "I hope to be reading this tomorrow. Dealing with movers today"

yay! I hope moving/packing is going good!

[Vicki]

My book is still pending on NetGalley.

[Trisha]

Vicki wrote: "My book is still pending on NetGalley."

I hate when they just sit in limbo. Fingers crossed!

[Vicki]

I FINALLY got this one! :)

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Just got this one myself, hope I can make it to this one in time!!!

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

12 % (view spoiler)[Really struggling to get into this one, Jade is all over the place. Her thoughts and narration are all over the place, hopefully things get better once more stuff starts happening.

That first scene in the lake reminds me of Creepshow. There is an episode with a lake monster that literally looks like sludge and weeds, just like the one here. Wondering if that's on purpose???? (hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

55% (view spoiler)[I love horror movies and so I’m disappointed this is not working for me. Between her jumbled thoughts, actions and mixing reality with her mental horror movie it comes across messy and hard for me to focus/stay connected. The third person narration is not helping either. But why the f would her mother leave her with a father who molests her? (hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

80% (view spoiler)[Still only taking in like 15% of this. This chicks thoughts are all over. Some of the editing could use some improving, hopefully for the final copy. (hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

Finished (view spoiler)[I don’t get any of this I’m just glad it’s over. So lost and confused honestly. (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

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RESTARTING JUNE 23RD, 2024

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[Vicki]

Trisha, I didn't know this was a re-read for you. I plan to start it on July 1 so I can use it for another challenge.

[Trisha]

Yes, I'm starting today too!

and YES! I had it as a netgalley and I loved it! I bought the audio so I could re-read before I move to book 2! So excited to read it again!

[Trisha]

okay, through Curtains and Slasher 101 (stopped at Silent Rage) / 27%

I still really love this one

(view spoiler)[ I'm still with my previous comments.
interesting that she thinks this girl is "THE" final girl.
I love how much slasher knowledge she has but it breaks my heart she seems to use it as a defense or comforting survival technique to keep herself okay.

her dad's lack of protecting her is just heartbreaking (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Through Curtains and Slasher 101 (stopped at Silent Rage) / 27%

What in the heck is going on? lol I'm still trying to figure it out!

(view spoiler)[I don't know where this is going. I don't know anything about "final girl" theme nor have I seen it in any books (yet) except this one. I was trying to figure out what this quote means, but I don't know: "If a pier can be a camel's back, then a bird can be a straw, right?" lol I like it though.

I don't know who the real final girl is going to be. I think it would be ironic if it were Jade. I think a lot of this section of the book is giving us background info so we can understand Jade and the Final Girl and maybe a lot more. I'm not familiar with slasher films, I don't think. But Jade seems to know a lot. It's like an obsession. Curious to see where this is going. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Going to start the next part now. We went to the store to use some digital savings coupons good for today only. They were also good yesterday for the 2-day sale but hubby worked and didn't want to go until this morning. Got some great deals! lol

With my daughter Heather having had surgery, my other daughter Kim "rents" out her pool for Swimply guests to earn money, and my youngest daughter Becky doing her RN studies, PLUS it's going to be 108 degrees today (it's already 104), we are staying home this year where it's nice and air conditioned. Although, good ol' Gov. Newsom shut off the power to about 2500 homes yesterday and more shut offs are expected EVEN with this heat! So we never know. Anyway, I'm going to have some lunch and then, hopefully, get back to the next chapter.

[Vicki]

Through 55%

(view spoiler)[Jeez, her dad is pretty despicable! The plot is picking up for me and I'm gaining more interest. I was wondering why Hardy was just sitting there and asked her who it was "over-innocently" and then looked up at Jade "for a moment then away before she can register anything." Hmmm...he doesn't sound so innocent.

As I've been reading this, I was reminiscing a college class and discussing stream of consciousness. We had to write a paper using it, and Jade's story reminds me very much of a stream of consciousness. I really like her as the MC. Although, I generally prefer 1st person, I feel like 3rd person is working well because she is a MESS! And I feel like the stream of consciousness follows her personality in that regard...if that makes sense.

I think I have seen maybe one of the slasher films she's mentioned, but I can't handle watching gore so I tend to steer away from those types of movies. I wonder if knowing those allusions better would help me have a deeper appreciation of the story. I'm guessing so. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Through 81%

(view spoiler)[I don't know who it is! I think it could be the Final Girl. But I really am so all over the place, just like Jade lol (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Finished

(view spoiler)[Wow! That was a quick/rushed ending, right? I liked this more than I thought I would. I loved Jade's character, She's sarcastic, humorous, and is passionate about...are you ready for this...SLASHER FILMS! I don't think I missed out on much, but I still feel like if I knew anything about those 100+ allusions to those movies I would've gotten deeper meaning. Therefore I'd have gotten a better appreciation. I'm looking forward to the next book and I'm hoping it answers some of the things that got left unanswered. (hide spoiler)]