THE ANGEL OF INDIAN LAKE by Stephen Graham Jones

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: Mongrels, The Indian Lake Books 1&2, Mapping the Interior, The Only Good Indians, The Babysitter Lives

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978166801...

Release Date: March 26th, 2024

General Genre: Horror/Slasher, Trilogy, Suspense

Sub-Genre/Themes: Final Girls, small-town horror, third book in a trilogy, curses, Halloween, High School teachers, indigenous women, murder psychic trauma, secrets

Writing Style: Fast-paced, cinematic, violent

What You Need to Know: This is the third book in a trilogy. They must be read in order, theyÂ’re not standalone novels.

My Reading Experience: Jade Daniels finds solace and comfort in horror movies–particularly Slashers, and starts the trilogy as a seventeen-year-old girl of Blackfoot descent living with her abusive, emotionally unavailable father in rural Proofrock, Idaho. Nothing ever really happens and Jade is left to invent cinematic quality drama through her Slasher-Movie worldview–much to the annoyance and frustration of everyone around her. But then, real murders targeting wealthy people in a new sub-development at Indian Lake, turning Jade’s world into a real-life gorefest in My Heart is a Chainsaw.
In DonÂ’t Fear the Reaper, Jade returns to Proofrock around Christmastime after spending a few years in prison. Also headed to Proofrock around the same time is an escaped serial killer known as, Dark Mill South. A real bloodbath ensues as the body count rises.
This time, Jade is already experienced with this sort of situation, and recurring characters from book 1 band together to face down the devil.
Now here we are in the final book and shit goes down! You thought books 1 and 2 were fast-paced? Book 3 is an action film on double-time FF>>
And the body count!
And the tears!
And the laughter! I was genuinely fighting back tears on one page but then cracking up on the next. And just that feeling you get in the movie theater when you want to throw your fist up in the air and shout HELL YEAH at the screen, this book is packed with epic action sequences, elaborate kill scenes, and gut-wrenching, emotional discoveries.


Final Recommendation: I think fans of this trilogy will be well pleased with how SGJ decides to end this story, our journey with Jade Daniels. Even though each book has its own special place in my heart, I think the third one might be the most emotionally memorable. A lot happens and not all of it is good or happy.

Comps: No comps really
118 s1 comment megs_bookrack1,771 11.9k

While I understand this trilogy isn't for everyone, for the people it is for, for the people it resonates with, this is truly a gift. My heart hurts.



Full review to come...stay tuned!!!

Earlier

ARC received! I'm blessed. Thank youuuu, S&S/Saga Press!



Christmas has indeed come early this year. I cannot think of a better book to read over the holidays!!!

Original:

We have a title!
We have a cover!
We have a freak out!



I'm sooooo stoked for this. Hello, my most anticipated release of 2024!arcs-read105 s4 comments karen3,994 171k

dear santa,

i want this arc SO BAD! i will make you dozens of delicious cookies and feed each and every one of your reindeer molasses-glazed carrots.

please and thank you,

ktb...

santa didn't come through, so those cookies are MINEreview-pending75 s1 comment Sadie HartmannAuthor 22 books5,804

THE ANGEL OF INDIAN LAKE by Stephen Graham Jones

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: Mongrels, The Indian Lake Books 1&2, Mapping the Interior, The Only Good Indians, The Babysitter Lives

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978166801...

Release Date: March 26th, 2024

General Genre: Horror/Slasher, Trilogy, Suspense

Sub-Genre/Themes: Final Girls, small-town horror, third book in a trilogy, curses, Halloween, High School teachers, indigenous women, murder psychic trauma, secrets

Writing Style: Fast-paced, cinematic, violent

What You Need to Know: This is the third book in a trilogy. They must be read in order, theyÂ’re not standalone novels.

My Reading Experience: Jade Daniels finds solace and comfort in horror movies–particularly Slashers, and starts the trilogy as a seventeen-year-old girl of Blackfoot descent living with her abusive, emotionally unavailable father in rural Proofrock, Idaho. Nothing ever really happens and Jade is left to invent cinematic quality drama through her Slasher-Movie worldview–much to the annoyance and frustration of everyone around her. But then, real murders targeting wealthy people in a new sub-development at Indian Lake, turning Jade’s world into a real-life gorefest in My Heart is a Chainsaw.
In DonÂ’t Fear the Reaper, Jade returns to Proofrock around Christmastime after spending a few years in prison. Also headed to Proofrock around the same time is an escaped serial killer known as, Dark Mill South. A real bloodbath ensues as the body count rises.
This time, Jade is already experienced with this sort of situation, and recurring characters from book 1 band together to face down the devil.
Now here we are in the final book and shit goes down! You thought books 1 and 2 were fast-paced? Book 3 is an action film on double-time FF>>
And the body count!
And the tears!
And the laughter! I was genuinely fighting back tears on one page but then cracking up on the next. And just that feeling you get in the movie theater when you want to throw your fist up in the air and shout HELL YEAH at the screen, this book is packed with epic action sequences, elaborate kill scenes, and gut-wrenching, emotional discoveries.


Final Recommendation: I think fans of this trilogy will be well pleased with how SGJ decides to end this story, our journey with Jade Daniels. Even though each book has its own special place in my heart, I think the third one might be the most emotionally memorable. A lot happens and not all of it is good or happy.

Comps: No comps really
67 s Debra2,632 35.7k

The Angel of Indian Lake is the gripping, well written, well thought out, and pulse pounding conclusion to 'The Indian Lake Trilogy'. Those who have read and enjoyed the previous books My Heart Is a Chainsaw and Don't Fear the Reaper will be blown away by this bloody good book. If you have not read the previous two books in the series, I would suggest you do so before reading this book.

The Angel of Indian Lake, along with the previous books, reads a love letter to horror movies. I lost count of all the references to characters and movies that are mentioned in this book. Jade Daniels has come back to Proofrock, Idaho, four years after the events in the previous book, and curse of the Lake Witch is waiting.

The action begins right away and ventures into the OTT category. Jade has grown and matured since we last saw her. Now back in Proofrock, she is still trying to protect those she cares for. But when it's Halloween, all bets are off, and the town's curse will come calling. As with the other books, there will be blood, gore, and danger around every corner. Thankfully Jade is a fan of horror movies and will rely once again on her knowledge learned from watching scary movies, as the proverbial you-know-what hits the fan.

Gripping, shocking, and dark, Stephen Graham Jones has ended his trilogy beautifully. I found the ending to be very fitting. Be sure to read his author's note at the end of the book. It's a must read as well.

Gripping, shocking, scary, and dark.

Thank you to S&S/Saga Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my at www.openbookposts.com


horror43 s9 comments Becky SpratfordAuthor 4 books612

Star review in the January 2024 issue of Library Journal

Three Words That Describe This Book: heartbreakingly beautiful, thought provoking, perfect ending

The action of this book takes place on 10/30-11/1 2023 and I finished it on 11/1 2023 not knowing that. What a perfect tribute to a perfect trilogy. (Note: there is an epilogue the takes place 11/2)

All from Jade's POV

Destined to become an epic Horror classic ala The Stand, read for generations to come. I also dare you not to cry at the end. Can't do it.

Draft Review: ItÂ’s October, 2023. Four years have passed since the Dark Mills South Massacre and eight years since the Lake Massacre both which sent Jade to prison. Now, thanks to her best friend Lethe, she is back as the high school history teacher just as Proofrock is about to face another massacre, its most devastating and deadly night yet. This Halloween, will be ProofrockÂ’s final stand against the secrets that have been hidden under the pristine waters of the lake at the center of this cursed town for generations. Readers will get wrapped up in the action, as the bodies pile up, but it will be Jade who leads them through as she comes to terms with traumas both personal and historical, relies on her knowledge of slashers, and learns to trust herself and her renewed connection to her Native heritage. It is the perfect conclusion to this story of ghosts and monsters, both real and supernatural and of secrets that must finally be brought to the surface. A story masterfully told, allowing every detail to matter, but most of all one that provides a final girl to cherish, the angel at its center, the one who believes it is all worth saving.

Verdict: Jones has given the world a gift, an epic tale for the ages, one that is both a violent, high octane slasher and a frank, thought provoking indictment of America, past and present. For any reader but especially those who love when Horror stays true to its genre roots while always striving to let readers see themselves and their reality in its terror such as written by Due, Moreno-Garcia, and Tremblay.31 s1 comment Maxwell1,237 9,879

[Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy for review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.]

Jade Daniels is back, baby! But 4 years have passed since the last installment and she's grown a lot. She's in therapy, she has a steady job, and she's settling into life back in Proofrock with her best friend, Letha. But Proofrock isn't quite done with Jade just yet...

Another mysterious slew of deaths is haunting the town. And Jade is doing everything in her power NOT to get involved. These can't be the slasher-esque killings she's experienced twice before, right? But if it is, what is she willing to do to protect the ones she loves and end the cycles of violence she's endured her whole life? How far is she willing to go when that means maybe losing the parts of yourself you've worked so hard to fix?

After a brief detour into more characters' POVs in Book 2, Book 3 in the Indian Lake Trilogy is fully Jade Daniels' story. And it feels SO good to be back in her mind. The growth she's had from Book 1 to now is astounding, and that growth feels natural because Stephen Graham Jones has done such a good job developing her voice. At her core she's still the same old Jade with the same old knowledge of slasher films and genre conventions; but she's also more mature, wiser, more experienced, more wounded, and striving to make a peaceful life with what little she has left. I felt this portrayal of someone who has gone through so much trauma was done so well.

Because Jade is Jade, she doesn't turn into the villain and seek revenge, but she can't quite see herself, still, as the hero, the final girl. She just wants the film to end and for everyone to get on with their lives.

This plot too! It is so full circle. Trust me, you might want to re-read books 1 and 2 before reading this final installment. Because boy are there a LOT of important connections being brought together in this book from what we've learned and experienced before.

I will say, as someone who didn't do that before picking this up, I struggled at times and did a lot of Reddit/Wikipedia-ing to remind myself who's who. Jade treats her backstory she treats the slashers she constantly references: it's up to you to remember and recall the details because she isn't holding your hand. That could be frustrating for some readers, but I found it refreshing that SGJ throws you right in—and if anything it makes me want to re-read the entire series, immediately.

The emotional core of this book is strong; probably the strongest of the 3 books. I was stressed at the end because I felt so emotionally invested in what was happening. And the body count in this book: is it the highest of them all? I'm not sure but it sure felt it...

I think SGJ nailed this ending. I loved it so much, I couldn't put this book down. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. I know the series as a whole has its flaws and definitely isn't for everyone, but I love how unique these stories are, how interesting and strange the writing style is (if you struggle with it at times, you aren't alone—maybe try the audiobooks!) and how special it is to spend 3 books with a character in horror. SGJ is a modern day master of the genre!horror indigenous27 s Rex10 1 followerWant to read

YES. YES. YES. I AM SO STOKED FOR THIS. Jade, you are everything a gal could want in a final girl. I hope the finale to your story is as epic as you deserve.21 s Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany)2,421 4,032

Great ending to a fantastic series! I love Jade Daniels as a character and enjoyed how almost all of this book was from her perspective. It's a final showdown facing the Lake Witch, back in small town Proofrock, Idaho. And in this book, Jade has a job as a high school history teacher, which is quite the full circle moment. She has this great arc of growth and healing by facing her past, but in a brutal slasher with twists you don't expect. It also deals with mental health and responses to childhood trauma.

I will say I'm left with some lingering questions, but I kind of think that's the point. And for fans of horror films, each book in the series references a bunch of different films (this time even extending to Cocaine Bear). I don't feel I'm doing this book justice, but it's so good and if you horror and haven't yet picked up this trilogy you really should. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.indigenous-authors libro-fm-library20 s Ruxandra Grrr518 76

I have too many feelings now. But Jade Daniels will always be my Final Girl
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