Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

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

93 reviews

lesbegays's review against another edition

dark funny 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

4.75

for the first few chapters i almost forgot this was a horror novel because i was so invested in these housewives’ drama. but then things got dark FAST. i don’t think i’ve ever been angrier at a fictional character than i was at the husbands in this book. if i could have skinned them all alive i would have. i HIGHLY recommend the audiobook. 
side note: it is so nice reading a book set in south carolina????? like, i know the towns they’re talking about! they shop at bi-lo!!! the bit about the whole town being busy watching the clemson v. carolina game!!!!! is this what people who live in states that are more frequently featured in fiction feel like all the time??? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Infidelity

jenniferroach's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, and Drug abuse

noteleks_terces's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting

claresbookshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

3.0

3 out of 5 stars.

The more I'm thinking about it, the more this book just made me feel sad. Like, the horror was good but the real horror was the absolute level of gaslighting the main character had to endure from everyone around her.

The true monster of this book wasn't the vampire; it was the misogyny of almost all the characters.

Also, trigger warning for my next points because this book contains multiple r*pes.

Did not need a full description of the 17 year old whilst she was being assaulted. Nor was there a need for two separate descriptions of the other r*pe that happens in this book. There are ways of including distressing topics like these in books without doing so in graphic detail.

Definitely not one of Hendrix's better works...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Gaslighting

heypretty52's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Animal death

jessthanthree's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Drug abuse, and Pedophilia

laurenkristine's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child death, Rape, Sexual violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Drug abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

boundforinfinity's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

A brilliant tale that kept me gripped for 2 hours. Southern mum's book club comes to terms with the horror in their neighbourhood, reading crime fiction about Ted bundy and Charles manson, Patricia and friends try to save their children and their souls from the dark and mysterious neighbour, James Harris. Well worth the read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, and Sexual harassment

kam_pearson's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

philomathean's review against another edition

dark hopeful tense fast-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Dementia, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Physical abuse