Nestled in what could be a National Forest, Indian Lake in Proofrock, Idaho, is being threatened by a developer who envisions wilderness mansions for the wealthy on the pristine side of the lake with impoverished locals, many of them Native Americans, living far enough away on the other side of the lake. More than merely threatened are two tourists from the Netherlands: Sven and Lotte. Hoping to “soak in” the natural beauty of the area before returning home, they encounter something evil on the water as they venture out upon it in a canoe. Something that has survived which shouldn’t have. Something which makes sure neither Sven nor Lotte will survive. The two of them are only the beginning.
MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW (2021) is the latest novel by the remarkable Stephen Graham Jones. As he does in his last novel, THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS (2020), Jones brings a beautifully composed, literary style to a novel which is quite dark (with occasional sparkles of humor) and references to Native American life today as well as cultural beliefs with roots in what many would deem to be the supernatural. Lush with vivid description which appeals to one’s various senses, Jones chronicles his story in a leisurely fashion, slowly building suspense and fright, until the latter portion of the novel becomes quite cinematic and frantic in tone and action.
A superb trait of Jones’ writing is his ability to create and animate amazing, diverse characters. Minor characters as well as those principal to the plot are real and believable. Foremost among them is high school senior Jade Daniels, a Blackfeet native. All but alienated from her peers, having taken a leave from school after an attempted suicide, Jade’s closest friends are a history teacher, Mr. Holmes, and the local sheriff, Hardy,—both of whom are ironic choices as friends because Jade is constantly in trouble with both of them—and others as well—until Letha Mondragon appears on the scene, her family planning on moving into one of the mansions across the lake.
Far from being a mere fan, Jade is a walking, talking encyclopedia of slasher film knowledge. She lives and breathes slasher films and wishes she actually was in one. Slasher films are obviously her escape from the grim reality she sees daily. “Horror is [her] religion.” Jade also envisions her new friend, Letha, becoming a “final girl,” the one who nearly always is the last one standing, the survivor in slasher films. As much as she would like to be a “final girl” herself, Jade knows the rules: “Final girls are good, they’re uncomplicated, they have these reserves of courage coiled up inside them, not layer after layer of shame, or guilt.” Jade doesn’t fit the mold. She is far from an innocent much like most “final girls” and Jade also carries within her a dreadful secret.
The papers she writes for Mr. Holmes to receive extra credit so she can still graduate are all devoted to slasher movies. Jones’ omniscient narrator and Jade throughout the novel provide a primer on slasher movies with frequent mention of and discussions about film titles and content. Some of Jones’ references, however, are subtle, but to fans of the genre, they are readily identifiable. However, even dedicated slasher film fans are likely to add titles of films they need to see or re-watch from reading MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW.
With the deaths of Sven and Lotte along with an ever-growing list of victims, Jade has the confirmation she has long perceived—Proofrock is about to become front and center in a real-life slasher film with grisly horrors fast approaching. Adding further validation to Jade’s theory and worse of all—what could be better timing and a more ideal setting for a slasher attack than a Fourth of July celebration in which the entire town participates. It is an annual Proofrock celebration and fast approaching.
As Jade attempts to “train” Letha to become a “final girl,” the two are plunged deeper into a world of terror and personal peril which Jones masterfully relates. The author deftly builds suspense in MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW and if possible, the novel takes on a darker and darker tone, growing deadlier teeth, as it becomes more and macabre. Amazingly, with all of the nightmarishness, Jones utilizes Jade and her at times flippant attitude to add touches of sardonic humor throughout. Jones also makes sure his readers never lose sight of the humanity involved as well as the motivation behind the ever-growing number of deaths in his story. His messages regarding American life today and poverty never become intrusive or moralizing.
Readers who patiently follow the plot of MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW and its growing intensity with anxiety are treated to a tremendous climax during the town’s Independence Day celebration. Ironically, part of the town’s celebration includes a yearly outdoor showing of the movie JAWS, a film Jade explains earlier is a slasher film at heart. Jones pulls out all of the stops as chaos reigns in the water in the projected movie, just as does blood, killing, and a bountiful supply of gore in Indian Lake itself.
True to the tradition of slasher films, the nerve-wracking bedlam which takes place in Indian Lake is followed by an even more potent, personal show-down between good and evil. The conclusion of MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW is tremendously successful and unforgettable.
Stephen Graham Jones follows the story with a most heart-felt and insightful Acknowledgements in which he gives thanks to numerous people for aiding in the completion of MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW and why. He also informs readers the novel was ten years in the making, having undergone a number of total rewrites until a satisfactory story was given birth. The effort put into MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW is most evident throughout. Readers will be pleased.
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Reviews with images
Horrible condition
I ordered New. Not used. Was sent a water damaged and ripped pages copy of the book with library stickers and stamps on it. It had someone’s medical information stuffed inside (not photographed) and a medical room card. I paid $19 for a horribly damaged item.
Top reviews from other countries
Andrew Weston
Watch out for an ending that spoils an otherwise excellent book.
Reviewed in Germany on February 11, 2023
D. P. Jackson
Great story, narrative sometimes a little hard to follow
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 6, 2024
Joe Bathelt
For the slasher devotee
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2022