Stephanie

Although there are a lot of good stories in the collection, there are a number of boring ones that made it hard for me to finish, but I pushed through.

I enjoyed the stories that focused on creatures and folklore tales. I also enjoyed the stories that dealt with racism. I was pleased to see Cherie Dimaline in this collection. Her story was one of my favorites out of the collection.

All of the authors brought their A game when it comes to writing. Pacing is excellent, styles are cohesive. I would recommend people to read this collection because every story is written by an Indigenous author, which you don't see often in horror.

Book Review ✨ My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Jade knows everything about Slashers. She can tell you every body count for every slasher. Okay maybe the better word for it is obsessed. After a body is found in the town lake, it's Jades time to shine. She knows this is how all slasher films begin, and she knows who the final girl is going to be and it's not her. It's Letha Mondragon, she's beautiful, smart, kind and a perfect final girl. Jade must prepare her for the inevitable, the Lake Witch killings.

I'm not sure if you're aware but I'm not a fan of SGJ's writing but this book has given me a little hope. At first I wasn't feeling it but around 30 percent I was hooked. I needed to know what was going to happen. SGJ tends to rant and go off topic and characters often speak in circles and the story becomes hard to follow. However, after around 30 percent, his writing becomes more fluid only going off track a few times. If he could cut out about 100-150 pages of extra details, rants and boring information about boring subjects, this book could easily be a 5 star read.

The plot is what won me over. It's fun to guess who the slasher is, only to be completely surprised at the end. I enjoyed his characters, especially the main character. She's absolutely tapped, and definitely interesting.

I will say SGJ added perfect amounts of humor at the right moments. His kill scenes are also cringeworthy. Like any typical slasher, he throws in lots of blood and gore, so beware if you are squeamish like me.

I can appreciate that this book is considered a classic and brought us generations of haunted house stories but for me, it doesn't hold up to current time.

I can see how it was scary for 1959 but tbh I enjoyed the Netflix series a lot more.

I wouldn't say it's iconic, but times were different and maybe if I wasn't born in 1990 and exposed to so much more horror, I'd find it to be spooky.

Initially I thought this was a Christmas collection because of the title so it was a bummer to find out that it was a single story. However, I did enjoy the story. There's something about R.L. Stine's writing that hooks you in. I love the cliffhangers at the end of each chapter because they add to the suspense and anxiety. There was a part in the book that totally grossed me out even as an adult so I could imagine this being frightening for young readers. I wish it was a little more “Christmas themed,” but I dug the originality of the story. Cute, chilling Christmas tale, perfect for children.

I loved this book. This is my third Grady Hendrix book and my favorite so far. I couldn't put it down.