Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

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

108 reviews

torismazarine'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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Gore, Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Dementia, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Rape, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Stalking, Misogyny, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Vomit

kk_gotit_goinon's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This was a really intense book! Oh my goodness. I was in the edge of my seat the whole time. I was angry, I was sad, I wanted to shake some things in the characters. I loved the way the author drew things out. It's a crazy book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Dementia, Medical content, Terminal illness, Rape, Sexual violence, Death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Grief, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, Cursing, Mental illness, and Misogyny

competitive_reading_is_a_sport's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

It had me shouting at the characters, which means I cared about their survival. A tribute to the strength of the overlooked woman. Can a group of Southern housewives take on a vampire, in spite of the obstacles posed by their husbands? Why do you even have to ask?!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Antisemitism, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, and Bullying

dynila's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Child abuse, and Child death

Minor: Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Terminal illness

maegenll's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No

0.25

Should have DNF it

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Rape, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness

kelseymcg20's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

1.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Classism, Blood, Rape, Death, Dementia, Gaslighting, Murder, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Gore

Moderate: Infidelity and Alcoholism

wheelyautistic's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

I actually really enjoyed this book. The amount of times I had to put the book down because of how tense it showed just how good the writing is. 

I'm afraid I have to disagree with most of the negative reviews regarding the 3-year skip, where the main character is complacent. Many reviewers viewed it us difficult and unrealistic or annoying however they fail to realise that this book whilst it does have a vampire and the supernatural elements is far more about a serial killer and a murderer then a high energy vampire slashing book.  It feels realistic that no one would believe her or that she would become complacent and subdued because in reality any outburst could land her straight into an institute given the timing. The race aspects were necessary to indicate and portray a very real and common thing seen in real-life killers: that those deemed as less than are usually the ones killed and often their murders are overlooked. I think this book perfectly paralleled the real lids true crime books the characters read with a hind of supernatural influence to increase the severity and difficulty of the situation.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Stalking, Gore, Body horror, Toxic friendship, Torture, Sexism, Mental illness, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Animal death, Vomit, Murder, Gaslighting, Death, Child death, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Cannibalism

Minor: Racism

wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

slow-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

2.0

This book made me so uncomfortable at points because the writing is very visceral.  The fact that there is a time jump made everything so much worse.

I’m glad that I read it because I was interested in reading a few books by this author but I don’t think they will be for me after all.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Grief, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Animal death, Classism, Gaslighting, Gore, Terminal illness, Vomit, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Bullying, Chronic illness, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Racism, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, and Violence

carbinara's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

How did our girl Miss Mary raise a bitch like Carter? I enjoyed this book as a whole, but there were quite a few slower paced moments which made sense, but dragged on a little bit. Specifically, with everyone taking so long to believe Patricia. That being said, some of the gory scenes made up for it; there was some fantastic horror locked away in here.

I’ll say two of my favourite scenes were the rats killing Miss Mary (RIP queen fly high) and Patricia hiding in the attic and the cockroach crawling in her ear. Made me physically cringe (and reminded me of that one lady on I’m a Celebrity who got a cockroach up her nose). That being said, I think the women of this storys suffering was broadcast in a very explicit way, compared to the main villains death. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not signing up to be taken apart, but the book writes it in a way that seems more palatable than the other two instances. That being said, I loved the detail of Patricia saying she still felt like she could hear his body moving in his grave. P.S I didn’t only read for the gore lol!

I also wish they had more clarity on the vampire lore of this book, as we have our one villainous vampire and seemingly thats the only insight we get, with very little confirmed on what his vampiric nature allows him to do. I say this specifically as the ‘feeding’ scenes are so different to what we imagine for a classic vampire novel, and I wish it was expanded on more, although it makes sense as it’s from the perspective of Patricia, who has no way to know.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Sexual assault, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide, Violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Dementia, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Death, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Physical abuse

decie's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

I have so many issues with this book, but I was slipping into a reading slump before I started reading and it pulled me back. and kept me up until 2am because I couldn't put it down. (REALLY hated the [spoiler and tw:

rape

] plot at the end though.)

it reminded me of the show good girls, but a southern 90s version with a vampire. couldn't stop picturing the main character as beth. do with that what you will. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, and Terminal illness

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Kidnapping, and Forced institutionalization