Reviews tagging 'Cannibalism'

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

62 reviews

daffodilcherry's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-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

4.5

Really enjoyed this book that took a new perspective on the horror of the vampire through the eyes of the domestic housewife. It took me a little to get into this book, but about 20% of the way in I got hooked and devoured the rest of the book. I loved the way the plot zigged and zagged just when I began to think things would go the way I expected them. I liked how realistic the characters were, they were all truly flawed and fleshed out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Gore, Rape, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Murder, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Cannibalism, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Insect based horror, rat based horror,

katymat18's review against another edition

challenging 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Misogyny, Murder, Gaslighting, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Body horror, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Cannibalism, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Mental illness

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-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

4.5

This book is INTENSE. Kinda hit all of the trigger warnings on the way down. I was surprised how much I liked the author's characterization of the women, though.

But damn, I was so ready for Patricia's husband to bite the dust. He was on my last nerve.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Racism, Dementia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, Violence, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Stalking, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Bullying, Pregnancy, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Fatphobia, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Body shaming, Confinement, Excrement, Grief, and Vomit

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Abortion, and Drug use

claraortega's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

Probably one of my favorite horror/thriller books I’ve read in a while. Great Halloween read. I want to read more by Grady Hendrix! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Rape, and Sexual assault

thedinosaurkid's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

The book was good. 
The main reason I am giving this book a 3.5 instead of a 4 is because the majority of the action took place in the last 1/4th of the book. I wish that there was more action in the first 3/4ths. Other than that this was a really good book. 
As always Hendrix is great at pissing me off with the assholes he writes in his stories.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Body horror, Cannibalism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Infidelity, and Pedophilia

madelinekramer2021's review against another edition

challenging mysterious fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Rape, Child death, Cannibalism, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Death, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Dementia, and Classism

hea2109's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I loved how this book used a dark, horror theme to discuss and portray the strength of seemingly “weak” women, especially in numbers. This book really focuses on the power of community and having each other’s backs, even when it goes against the status quo or is inconvenient. I tore through it in less than a week. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Gore, and Murder

Moderate: Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Rape, and Violence

Minor: Police brutality

megmonahan's review against another edition

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Mental illness, and Violence

pclairx's review against another edition

dark 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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gaslighting, Rape, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Classism, Cannibalism, Racism, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Stalking, Vomit, and Alcoholism

venuscollective's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.5

This book was quite the roller coaster. I hated and really liked it for so many reasons.
The book follows Patricia, a boring and bored housewife who joins a book club and starts to spend her days reading murder mysteries and keeping her home in order. Still tired of the monotony of her life, she takes interest in one James Harris, a new mysterious neighbour. The closer James gets to her and her family, the more she realises he is not what he seems. Now she has to get rid of him.

This book has a really interesting plot and even though I had to take multiple breaks, I couldn't bring myself to throw it out completely. It's not very mysterious because they tell you everything as you go. But it did have quite tense scenes.
Patricia is a very bland character. She doesn't have very much personality but that's ignorable once you get into the thick of the story. One thing I can say about her though, is that she sticks to her beliefs for most of the book. Can't say the same for her friends who were pretty damn annoying and don't even get me started on her horrible children and husband. 

One thing I hate about the book is the near romantism of violence against women and girl children. Some of the sexual assault scenes almost read like they're supposed to sexy? Horrific definitely but also sexy. Which no. The way the women are spoken to and about ny the men also grated on my nerves so much I had to keep putting the book down. I know it's period-typical but God was it annoying. Maybe it's just me

I can also say with confidence that if you're a white woman you'll probably enjoy this book way more than I did.

P.S: I recommend finding playlists for this book to listen to as you read, if you're into that kind of thing

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6EQoLe7iHdurBEoVjpI8LH?si=WgBsLTt8S7qtnhi7OYqsyw&utm_source=copy-link

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6LBIpICOlL54b7tiRzRBIL?si=U8SL7eSeTNKuVqYv7UK9Iw&utm_source=copy-link

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Dementia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt