Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

52 reviews

jlye's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Despite giving a 3.75 rating, I really enjoyed this book! As a mom in a book club of moms, who also loves true crime books and podcasts, The Guide to Slaying Vampires hit a lot of right notes for me. I was particularly drawn in by Mrs. Greene's storyline and how her experience in the book mirrors real-life issues with wider society and police turning a blind eye to the safety of BIPOC children and families. 

James Harris is a truly sinister villain who embodies the nightmares of many women

. I would have preferred the story be told with Mrs. Greene as the main character, not Patricia, and for that I knocked my overall rating down by 1 star. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Rape, Suicide attempt, Blood, Murder, Misogyny, Gaslighting, and Child death

zalbion's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Gore, Murder, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Cannibalism, Death, Gaslighting, Blood, Emotional abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, and Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse

jwill583's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Emotional abuse, Murder, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Child death, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Rape

halbo's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Self harm, Terminal illness, Violence, Body horror, Classism, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

trippalli's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A good solid monsters story, feminist and yet also gruesome

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child death, Blood, Murder, Suicide, Vomit, Violence, Suicide attempt, Torture, Stalking, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racism, and Xenophobia

mr_cain's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Good plot, but the gratuitous rape and violence was not for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Dementia, Gaslighting, Gore, Murder, and Sexual content

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Death, and Infidelity

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Grief, Pregnancy, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, and Medical content

aardwyrm's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Like having your teeth pulled out by barbed wire, but they're really polite about it. There is a very scary vampire, but, you know how all good horror is about the unnatural threat AND the real ones? There's more dread in a cocktail party with friendly acquaintances than in most of the scenes with, you know, vampirism. The book juggles its time and place, both as a setting dripping with dread and with a comfortable, sympathetic gentleness that never actually lets anybody off the hook (though Mrs. Green is really much too forgiving in the last act). Does a really interesting job with being horribly physical about the most mundane and most otherworldly manifestations of gore alike. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Violence, Vomit, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Self harm, Racial slurs, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

I liked this book, but it's billed as more horror comedy, and I do want to be clear, the horrible parts are gonna hit.

lesbegays's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

for the first few chapters i almost forgot this was a horror novel because i was so invested in these housewives’ drama. but then things got dark FAST. i don’t think i’ve ever been angrier at a fictional character than i was at the husbands in this book. if i could have skinned them all alive i would have. i HIGHLY recommend the audiobook. 
side note: it is so nice reading a book set in south carolina????? like, i know the towns they’re talking about! they shop at bi-lo!!! the bit about the whole town being busy watching the clemson v. carolina game!!!!! is this what people who live in states that are more frequently featured in fiction feel like all the time??? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Gaslighting, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Violence, Misogyny, Gore, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexism, Dementia, Torture, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Child death, Racism, Animal death, Classism, Forced institutionalization, and Pedophilia

Minor: Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Drug use

reb_curt's review against another edition

Characters clearly written by someone who doesn't understand women. That and  

I couldn't take the out of nowhere child obsession with Nazis and White Supremacy groups and flashbacks of lynchings..just couldn't do it.

First DNF in a few years. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Murder, Torture, Stalking, Gaslighting, Xenophobia, Violence, Slavery, Hate crime, Gore, Emotional abuse, Classism, Religious bigotry, Child death, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Dementia, and Colonisation

parasolcrafter's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

fuck you and fuck this book actually 😒

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Misogyny, Violence, Dementia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship