While reading My Heart is a Chainsaw, I felt as though I was also watching my life play out like a horror movie like the main character Jade does to combat personal trauma. This is immersive to see fold out due to the number of allusions that Stephen Graham Jones used to be interrelated with the story.

It is not apparent what Jade's personal trauma is or that she has any at all, until a certain part of the book. The author adds the use of Slasher 101 notes after the end of each chapter. These Slasher 101 notes are Jades' writings to her teacher for additional credit in his class. They are tangents that go on about horror films and slashers but as you piece them together, they expose the truth about Jade. This use that the author adds feels like you are diving inside the mind of Jade, the main character, and it deepens the character complexity. This made me fall in love with My Heart is a Chainsaw because it feels more personal to read and connect with, than if the author didn't add the use of the Slasher 101 notes.

As you follow Jades characters and thoughts, you are swayed to either believe Jades conspiracies that a massacre is going to follow, or it is all in her head because of the information she is feeding herself. While reading this book I would be able to make many of my own references with the author's uses of horror film allusions. While being interested in horror films myself it was easy to follow along, and the author gives good background information if you might not have seen horror films. 

This book also has current issues that are also apparent in our own world today. There are explicit themes of trauma, alcoholism, smoking, and suicide. As reading on towards the end of the book, it will become apparent as to why Jade is the way she is, with her slasher obsession. This makes for a better read because it feels like you are actually learning about how the character is changing and the deep explanation behind it. The author does a good job of character development and it really brings up the book to the next level as she combats her own traumas. 

My Heart is a Chainsaw is a chest clenching read of a book as there are plot twists all throughout. The book does start off as a slow read but once you get the momentum, this book will keep you turning the pages to find out what the next plot twist will be. You keep learning information as you truly figure out Jade as a character and realize everyone around her just wants to help because of the dark secret she has been hiding her entire life. Especially with how the author represented this idea, it made sense and everything at the end finally came together like a puzzle. 

I have never read a book like My Heart is a Chainsaw before but it will definitely be a book I will come back to time and time again. This book might not be a happy read because there is a dark undertone, but there are definitely things to be learned and could be applied to anyone's real life. The book is enjoyable to read because of the grasping topics the author uses and how they are smoothed in with each individual character. Each character has their own flaws but their flaws empower each other to become their better selves, which can be implied into the real world. Overall, My Heart is a Chainsaw is a heart wrenching book that will keep you on your toes as you read towards the end.