Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

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

29 reviews

aardwyrm's review

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.

madscientistcat's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Infidelity, and Suicide attempt

val_so_'s review

dark mysterious tense

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Misogyny, Blood, and Sexism

Moderate: Child death, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, and Medical content

Minor: Bullying and Body shaming

marlenealina's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Racism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Medical trauma

elizabeth_o's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child death, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Gore, Domestic abuse, Death, Blood, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Toxic relationship

maxmeann's review

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.5

This book was really slow to start, but was a very good tense horrifying book, there is a strong sense of monotony before the really terrible things happen. 

Some themes seem to try to address racism and the apathy towards the plight of black Americans, but I’m not sure it hit the mark. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

I think the scariest things about this book are actually how the men treat and belittle their wives in favor of a slimy white man

syfylauren's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

4.5

This book is fun, for those who love a good horror movie set in the 80s and 90s. It is gory, and it there were moments when I had to take a break, but I loved this journey. At it's core, this is a story about a woman listening to her gut, being supported by her friends, and reclaiming her agency. Honorable mention to Kitty for bringing the most laughs. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Dementia, Gaslighting, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Animal death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Racism, Murder, Medical trauma, and Medical content

Minor: Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Pedophilia

ilvy's review

dark tense slow-paced

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

1.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Dementia, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicide

kelsea's review

adventurous lighthearted tense medium-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Pedophilia, and Rape

Moderate: Body shaming and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Domestic abuse