Don't Fear the Reaper

This is both the middle book in a trilogy and a slasher novel, combining two things I don't usually like; series and horror. Which is to say, I liked the first book in this trilogy well enough to jump right into the second book. And *spoiler alert* I'm planning to read the third book when it is published. Because it is the second book in a horror trilogy, spoilers are unavoidable for the first book. Just letting you know.

A handful of years after the massacre, Jade returns to Proofrock along with an enormous snowstorm which has everyone hunkering down at home. She reunites with her friend Letha, still recovering from her injuries but also married and mother to a toddler. At the same time, a transport moving a serial killer disappears in show more that same storm. Is it a surprise when the serial killer, a man as well-versed in slasher lore as Jade, shows up in Proofrock?

What makes this book interesting are Jade and Letha and their relationship and knowledge that it's up to them, once again, to stop what's happening. They believe themselves too old to be the target of the killer, but they are certainly willing to take him out, at considerable risk to themselves. Jones manages to make the secondary characters interesting as he gives attention to both characters from the previous books, and a few new ones. Especially well done is the chapter about Jade's mother's life. This is a horror novel that absolutely respects the genre, but it's also a novel about people living in an isolated town in the Wyoming mountains. show less

Yowza, the bodies hit the floor, the blood sprays on the walls and the cupscakes strike. This sequel fractures the narrative into multiple POVs, not all of them entirely reliable, as a snowstorm and an escaped serial killer and Jade Daniels all close in on Proofrock for a night of murder and mayhem, and everyone complaining that this can't possibly be happening again it's not fair! Well, it isn't fair and Jones leans into and milks that unfairness for all he's worth, expertly putting beloved characters, older and wiser though they tend to be, through hideous wringers, such that even the survivors don't get away clean. Multiple narrators do the story justice. Seriously, as an audio book, it's a keeper. This is only the second in a show more trilogy, and the heart quails even as it yearns to see what tortures await. show less

This thrilling slasher sequel to My Heart is a Chainsaw is another educational, gory, beautiful ode to the rich world of slasher films and to the strength it takes to survive as a final girl—really, the strength it takes to survive as a girl, in any genre. I thought the story packed less of an emotional wallop this time around, with the catalysts for the new slasher cycle and secondary narration more removed from our primary heroine, but on the other hand it was more tightly and intricately plotted, the new and returning characters all fascinating, and the scares were truly scary. It was an interesting (though grisly) exercise to match up deaths to horror film inspirations, and after all was revealed at the end, to possible killers.

Typically the sequel (yes I know it's a trilogy) isn't as good as the first. Imagine my shock when it was even better than the first. It's been a while since I read My Heart Is A Chainsaw, but I remember the town, the people, and the events of that story so well so it was like putting on my favorite sweatpants returning to Proofrock. Jade/Jennifer paid her debt (though she shouldn't have had to in my opinion) to society and has come back to the only place she's known, only to find that though things are different, they're also still very much the same. Stephen Graham Jones has done it again and I while I can't wait to read the next story in this trilogy, I am not rushing in because I want to savor it. I did this on audio and really show more recommend it because the different narrators add a lot and the author's note at the end is excellent. show less

Review of uncorrected advance reader’s eBook proof

Four years have passed since the Lake Witch carnage; Jade . . . now Jennifer . . . Daniels has had her conviction overturned and is released from prison. With a wiser perspective, Jennifer is determined to remain free and so must stay out of trouble.

Jennifer returns to Proofrock, Idaho just as Indigenous serial killer Dark Mill South, seeking revenge, escapes during a prison transfer. A winter snowstorm complicates searches; it also brings down the phone lines.

It doesn’t take long for the bodies to begin to pile up.

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The veneration of the slasher film trope continues, first appearing in “My Heart is a Chainsaw” and now continuing in this compelling sequel. Pulling the show more reader into the telling of the tale from the outset, the gritty plot isn’t the least bit shy about bringing a significant amount of gore into the story. Chapters cleverly titled after horror films, keep the apprehension building while slasher trivia abounds.

With well-developed characters, a strong sense of place, and a firm foundation from “My Heart is a Chainsaw,” the gripping narrative is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Along with the never-ending grit and gore [and some Proofrock history], a student is once again writing for a teacher, providing explanations; readers are offered multiple points of view as the unfolding narrative keeps the good folks of Proofrock struggling for their very survival.

The pace is relentless; the plot takes some surprising twists along the way to its satisfying denouement. Horror fans are sure to find much to appreciate in this intriguing yet reverential homage to the horror genre.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Gallery Books, Gallery/Saga Press and NetGalley
#DontFeartheReaper #NetGalley show less

A perfect mix of horror tropes, social commentary, and levity, this is a slasher that is bold and entertaining. This sequel to My Heart is Chainsaw further explores the nature of trauma and PTSD, especially since the citizens of Proofrock are still recovering from the lingering effects of the Independence Day Massacre—during which many members of the community where slaughtered on Indian Lake during the annual Fourth of July viewing of Jaws in the first novel. In Don't Fear the Reaper, Jade returns to Proofrock as a new slasher cycle commences and she reluctantly gets drawn into the violence. A serial killer named Dark Mill South has escaped from custody near town right as the worst snowstorm in decades is about to hit and is out on show more the prowl with a hook hand and vengeance in his veins. And Jade finds herself in the middle of the violence, attempting to keep everyone she loves safe. The only problem, as she deduces from the killer’s unstoppable onslaught, is that “he knows all the same movies we do.”

Jones - in typical Slasher fashion - creates a bloodier, even more thoughtful sequel that ups the ante. And has created a final girl to stand beside the best of them (Laurie and Sidney) in Jade. The ending is just, wow. WOW. It's just perfect.

Recommended for fans of slashers, literary fiction, and great writing. show less

I have always liked a bit of the thriller aspect in my books and movies and this book seemed to fit that element with it's very high body count and lots and lots and lots of blood and gore almost from the first chapter. I understand that the story and the characters bounce off another book. I picked up this book not realizing at the time that it was book #2 of The Indian Lake Trilogy. I seldom read books in order anyway, so it didn't matter to me all that much. The bodies start dropping in the first few pages and they keep coming at a good pace until the big "body dump” when they really begin dropping like flies. The deaths are all pretty gruesome....so bear in mind that this book is not for those with weak stomachs or the faint of show more heart. Most of the descriptions are very graphically detailed and all very gratuitous, but what an ode to the slasher genre it was for sure! Anyone who likes their horror done with an extra side of blood and guts will love Don’t Fear the Reaper. If you’re into the slasher genre this is your book. However, if you like horror, but want it a little more subtle, then you’ll probably want to skip over this one. show less