Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

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

279 reviews

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

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

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

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

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

sar_she_her's review against another edition

adventurous challenging tense

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

3.75

Entertaining, angering, and gory.

~ Entertaining at x1.2 speed. 

- Fyi LOTS of gore and Trigger Warnings for many themes. In addition to numerous ones cited below, also creepy/crawly/gross out factor. (Albeit, worst gore is mostly in isolated parts of book: earlier in book as impetus for some call to action, and 1/2-2/3 through book with family endangerment, and 3/4-end with more of the same.)

+ I used to have to skip any books narrated by the much celebrated Bahni Turpin bc her performances of immature, catty, or complaining/whiny characters was too grating. But her array of performances for this book's variety of personalities and ages really impressed me and even converted me as a new fan. impressive performance!

~ While surely part of the author's intentional commentary, his representation of the male partners and how dismissive, condescending, and unaware they were was enraging. His tipping of the scales, whether feeling odds were against certain characters, or the resolution of certain conflicts, felt too steep and stacked, left unfinished or too tidily wrapped up.  I wish these scenarios or interpersonal conflicts were more mixed and balanced.

~ Similarly, for better or worse, predictable. which can be helpful with scary horror, depends on readers' preferences.

+ That said I REALLY enjoyed the main protagonist, appreciated the representation of different aged women and black women, and glaring commentary around racism and classism and their effects. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Blood, Dementia, and Classism

Minor: Bullying, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

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

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Content Warnings

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

cyndi1966's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Animal death

ariana3's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I was really excited to read this book, especially given the hype I've seen around it for so long. I was pretty disappointed in it, and I just don't think it was my kind of book. This is the first bloody horror book I've read, and it didn't mind that so much as the gaslighting, misogyny, and explicit descriptions of sexual violence. I think a book can be really good without all of that. I'm glad I gave it a shot, and I did read it pretty quickly (mainly because I was hoping it would turn around at the next chapter...).
Plot summary:

Set in this utopia-like southern town near Charleston, SC, weird occurrences start to happen when someone new moves in. Patricia, the main character, sees a man in need and with her southern hospitality helps him out. He immediately ingrains himself into the community, despite Patricia feeling weird about him and trying to make him leave. All of the men, including her terrible husband, gaslight the group of women friends into thinking it's just one of their true crime books affecting them. Turns out Patricia is right, and James Harris is a vampire and has lived for 400 years, and Mrs. Greene (the only person of color and of course the cleaner for the community) is the only one who believes her and wants to help. Gaslighting and misogyny continue, Patricia tries to kill herself because no one will listen. Several years go by and Patricia finds out her now teenage daughter is serving as a "food source" for James Harris, and her son is obsessed with him as well. James Harris attacks one of their friends, and they decide to kill him. Patricia serves as a sacrifice while the others knock him out, dismember him, and burn him/drop him down a pit where ashes are stored (I'm not super clear on if he's ashes or if the several bags that are his body are just down a big hole). Their friend dies and decides to be cremated so the "thing" that James Harris impregnated her with also dies. Things seem to go back to better situations, despite the community now being poor. Patricia thankfully wanted a divorce and the kids decide to live with her. I am glad it had a happier ending. I was waiting the entire time for the other shoe to drop, saying that James Harris found a way to continue living and that he'd be back for Patricia's kids or grandkids or something. But it didn't!! And I liked the little additional notes and letters at the end, I thought they were clever and a nice touch to the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

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?!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

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

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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Violence

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

andreanneveillette's review against another edition

1.5

Killing the dog in the last pages was uncalled for and didn’t do anything for the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

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.

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Racism