Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

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

164 reviews

jessiejonesbentley's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

julesbarthe10's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

80's house wives in a true crime book club, husbands that don't appreciate anything their wives do, neighbors who think they are safe in their cozy suburban neighborhoods while the slum neighborhood in the back is ignored, and 1 neighbor who may or may not be a monster. But who would believe that anyways. Monsters aren't real. Especially not in good ole suburbia and gated communities. 
This is probably the most realistic version of events I've ever read play out of how people would go about the situation that happens in this book. And my gawd i hated passionately every man in this book. Every single one was just trash and blinded by boys stick with boys. It was a good book because the story was just spot on but those characters were infuriating.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

marlajensine's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Grady Hendrix always has ideas for his stories that are so unique and captivating, but the execution never seems to live up to the hype of the concept; it all ends up falling a bit flat. The stakes are always made to seem higher than they end up being. Main characters are put through hell and suffer an endless list of setbacks only for things to work out in the end - usually after a final "battle" scene that just feels anticlimactic. I can appreciate a slow-paced plot to build tension, but this one seems to drag. And of course, because it's Grady Hendrix, the women are gaslit and abused in various ways, while their revenge on their abusers is never satisfying enough to justify having to endure those parts of the story. 

I do not think he *intends* to write women this way - it truly does feel like he thinks he's writing badass female leads, and I certainly appreciate the effort. But I really hope in his most recent books (which, for full disclosure, I've not yet read) he gives them more rounded characters and more satisfying endings.   

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape

ryann2011's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

This was a fun and dark horror book spanning over years in the 80s and 90s. 

Had me guessing the whole time. I will day, I thought there’d be more vampire slaying … like I figured these women pretended to do bookclub but really fight vampires or something🤣

 In the end this was a great book about relationships friendships and classism. I wish the women would have been more cohesive throughout the book. I was questioning everyone and everything (which was probably the point) and thoroughly enjoyed all the mystery and intrigue. 

Highly recommend if you like high stakes fast paced horror stories with paranormal elements and morally grey characters that make you want to throw your book. 

Enjoy 🍑🧛‍♂️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Sexual violence, Blood, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, and Rape

my_weird_bookish_heart's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism

alicia_m_andrews's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Dementia, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

poeths's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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

4.0

I am not going to give it 5 stars just because that rape scene was horrible. For me it didn't make sense. I am tired of men not knowing how to actually write a rape scene. But also, why it has always to be rape? Why it's always sexual violence against women? He was doing so well, you don't need that to make it more horrific. Nor to make someone a vampire, you don't have to rape them. Just as you don't have to drink from their thigh... In that sense, with violence against women and little kids that was pretty sexual, just like when he is basically having ¿¿sex?? with a minor... I don't know man but like, we have moved on past that. It made me disappointed on the author, as he talks about gaslighting and sexism and racism and he depicts very different and interesting female characters... I am just sad because of that, overall the writing it's amazing, the grotesque elements are chilling, the book is raw and you hate the villain so much.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

fanboyriot's review against another edition

dark slow-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

3.0

I have some mixed feelings about this book.  I liked the plot, a bunch of true crime loving housewives starting a book club, reading their way through all the major serial killers.  Only to be met with a new guy to town, a guy who doesn't like the sun and who is all too charming once it sets.

It started out well though I would have liked to read more about some of the side characters.  I loved Mrs. Greene and would have liked to see more of her.  It was at the halfway mark or about there that things kinda went down hill for me.  Patricia was slowly being backed into a corner and the more she found out about her charming new neighbor the less people in her life believed her.

There are obviously some major issues within this book I'll add some content warnings that I think apply but I suggest looking them up if you're considering reading this.

The major problems I had with thus book were pretty self-explanatory.  The misogyny, sexism, and child molesting really popped off in this book.  I understand this took place at a time were housewives were seen as less than human and were it was common for misogyny and sexism.  That doesn't mean I wanna read a book about it.  And onto the child molesting vampire.  What was the point of that?  It wasn't like he could only feed off kids.  So why add that to the book?  It's absolutely disgusting.  And lastly what was with all the world war ii stuff?  Like dude your kid is drawing a swastika on their notebook and you're not worried?!  It just seemed really random to add.

I will say that it ended decently and I really liked the small town setting.  The kind of neighborhood that was safe enough to leave your doors unlocked all the time, and where the people who lived there would welcome you with some kind of food only to drop it off and learn your whole life story, that part was written really nicely.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Dementia, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Pregnancy, and War

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

while there are many parts of this book that i didnt like, that was kinda the point. this was gross, absurd, and just downright disturbing. i could not put this down and have not been able to stop thinking about this despite reading it like a week ago. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

cuddlygryphon's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Dementia

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, and Alcohol