Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

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

411 reviews

ktbroski's review against another edition

1.0

This is not the campy, fun book you think it would be. I would look it up reviews/reddit before reading. I had to skip multiple chapters due to how uncomfortable it was. Most triggers were not even necessary 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Rape and Child death

Minor: Sexism and Suicide

gottbooks's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

This book definitely has more to offer than what is written on the pages. The plot takes a LONG time to develop. I think there were things added that were completely unnecessary (kid obsessed with Hitler/Nazis). Deals with some heavy topics like suicide and SA. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

ezravalentine's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

4.75

this was an absolutely insane read. the slower parts paid off and i absolutely love the societal aspects of this portrayal of vampirism and the symbiotic relationship he as a supernatural being has with a racist, classist, misogynistic society. i think some loose ends could have been tied up better, but overall its complexity was followable and enthralling. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Hate crime, Suicide, Gore, Child death, Body horror, Racism, Violence, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Kidnapping

Minor: Domestic abuse

as in many vampire portrayals, the vampirism is highly sexualised and the victims experience sexual euphoria and become addicted to being fed on. the vampire feeds extensively on children, especially poor, Black children, so the implications of this are obvious. it's extremely unpleasant, be aware.

jnnie's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

arukeni'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, Blood, Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Child death, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Racism, and Suicide

Moderate: Rape, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

leegray's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

At no point was this story boring. The narrator did a wonderful job bringing each of the characters to life. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Dementia, Gore, Suicide attempt, Murder, Rape, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Infidelity

nerdie88's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Gore, Suicide, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness

lewbug's review against another edition

I think a lot of my frustrations with this book deals with the way it was marketed. I expected a campy and funny story. I was told “Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meets Dracula”. What I read was horrific and gorey and graphic. It started out with funny elements and got exceedingly darker. I tried to tough it out and even got through the truly horrific rat scene (but not without gagging). I finally broke and looked up some more information and there doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel. There should have been an EXTENSIVE list of content warning clearly marked on somewhere on this book and they should not have marketed it like they did. There is rape (I stopped before this but I hear it is horrific and awful and doesn’t add to the story at all), racism, sexism, classism, abuse, child murder, child molestation, horrific deaths, body horror, gaslighting, awful scenes with rats and apparently cockroaches later, and so much gore in disgustingly graphic detail and frankly I feel a bit betrayed because I picked this up expecting humor and maybe a little bit of light gore. I’m sure there’s an audience for this book but I am not it and I’m kind of mad I was led to believe I was 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Rape, Physical abuse, Racism, Child abuse, Suicide, Death, Stalking, Classism, Drug abuse, Gore, Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Body horror

urmotherrr's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.25

This review is going to be filled with spoilers 

So, honestly the title is kinda misleading. The book club fell apart halfway through, there was absolutely no guide for slaying vampires and there was only one vampire not vampires. And they only killed him in like the last few pages and no one even believed he was a vampire for most of the book.

The way the characters all didn’t believe Patricia was honestly super annoying and I hated her husband, I wish he died.

But the writing was very emotion provoking and it kept me hooked. Grady has an amazing talent of making you feel anxious for the characters. Yet, he does go off the deep end usually in the last view chapters

Overall it’s a good read and if you’re chill with paranormal stuff and gore then you’d enjoy it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Rape, Suicide attempt, Racism, Suicide, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Death, and Murder

Minor: Child death, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

deshanejt's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book definitely has some dark themes that might not be for everyone's taste, but I absolutely devoured this book. 

I loved it. It felt like a satirical horror and dark comedy. Hendrix put all the vibes of the 90s, good and bad into this story.

Picture the Goonies, meets Golden Girls & Designing Women, meets the Lost Boys.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Dementia, Murder, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Vomit, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, and Animal death

Minor: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Racism