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marshalls_library's reviews
180 reviews
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The Redeemer by Jo Nesbø
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Growing Dark: A Collection of Short Stories by Kristopher Triana
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The Hunger by Alma Katsu
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
For a Few Souls More by Wile E. Young
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The September House by Carissa Orlando
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.0
Some context is most likely required here. This is my first SGJ book (I had no idea he had so many), and I didn't find his style difficult to read, which is something I hear about his books all the time.
That being said, I found My Heart is a Chainsaw tedious and underwhelming, and insanely overrated.
A big part of this has to do with the main character Jade. As a protagonist (or wannabe anti-hero), she's incredibly annoying and downright insufferable. Her character arc as a horror fan who can only see the world through the lens of a slasher flick becomes immediately tiresome.
The plot of the story (such as it is) unfolds largely with Jade's internal dialogue as she suspects her town is about to experience the plot of a real life slasher. Instead of any meaningful interaction with other characters, most of the first three quarters of the book is spent looking through the lenses of Jade's slasher-tinted glasses.
By the time the "end" starts to unfold, there's so few pages left that it all feels half-assed and rushed. Jade's character predictably folds as a completely different genre reveals itself.
I need to find another SGJ book at some point to provide a point of comparison because I won't let a single book form the entirety of my opinions about any author. That said however, this book was largely a painful slog for me to get through which lead to a counter-climactic and rushed conclusion. Easily one of the most overrated books of the year.
That being said, I found My Heart is a Chainsaw tedious and underwhelming, and insanely overrated.
A big part of this has to do with the main character Jade. As a protagonist (or wannabe anti-hero), she's incredibly annoying and downright insufferable. Her character arc as a horror fan who can only see the world through the lens of a slasher flick becomes immediately tiresome.
The plot of the story (such as it is) unfolds largely with Jade's internal dialogue as she suspects her town is about to experience the plot of a real life slasher. Instead of any meaningful interaction with other characters, most of the first three quarters of the book is spent looking through the lenses of Jade's slasher-tinted glasses.
By the time the "end" starts to unfold, there's so few pages left that it all feels half-assed and rushed. Jade's character predictably folds as a completely different genre reveals itself.
I need to find another SGJ book at some point to provide a point of comparison because I won't let a single book form the entirety of my opinions about any author. That said however, this book was largely a painful slog for me to get through which lead to a counter-climactic and rushed conclusion. Easily one of the most overrated books of the year.