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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
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
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Turns out the real horror was the men they married along the way.
After sleeping on this book, I have THOUGHTS. In addition to the trigger warnings Storygraph allows, be prepared for rats, cockroaches, and sooooo much patriarchy and racism.
1. I should know better than to read horror books by men. So far, they have ALL thrown in SA as an incidental part of the 'horror.' For real guys. Vampires are ALREADY a metaphor for SA. You don't have to literally have the vampires SA people.
2. The husbands should have faced consequences. Sure,they went bankrupt, but so did the wives, so they made a huge sacrifice to save the world and the husbands are clueless and get to go, 'booohoo, poor me, all my money is gone, let me beat my wife again because i'm mad.' Bennett should've been punched by the vampire. Carter should've been hit by a car, freeing his wife and children from his presence with a fat life insurance policy. Ed should've been arrested.
3. All the horror books I've read by men acknowledge patriarchy and use it as part of the horror, but then leave the patriarchy absolutely intact at the end and I'm finding I hate that.
4. I wanted the female friendships to be... well, more like the female friendships I've encountered in my own life. Steadfast. Lifegiving. There are moments of that when caring for Miss Mary, but then it disappears.
After sleeping on this book, I have THOUGHTS. In addition to the trigger warnings Storygraph allows, be prepared for rats, cockroaches, and sooooo much patriarchy and racism.
1. I should know better than to read horror books by men. So far, they have ALL thrown in SA as an incidental part of the 'horror.' For real guys. Vampires are ALREADY a metaphor for SA. You don't have to literally have the vampires SA people.
2. The husbands should have faced consequences. Sure,
3. All the horror books I've read by men acknowledge patriarchy and use it as part of the horror, but then leave the patriarchy absolutely intact at the end and I'm finding I hate that.
4. I wanted the female friendships to be... well, more like the female friendships I've encountered in my own life. Steadfast. Lifegiving. There are moments of that when caring for Miss Mary, but then it disappears.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Classism
Moderate: Suicide attempt
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Book 4/4 for book club this month. Finishing this feels like my version of winning the Triple Crown.
I really wanted to hate this book if I'm being completely honest. However, once I got ~25% of the way in, I was hooked. The writing style made every chapter feel like a cliff hanger in a good way, so I just didn't want to put it down. I read probably 50% of it yesterday afternoon and was like fighting myself internally to go to bed instead of staying up and finishing it.
I would say I want emotional justice for Patricia, but she kind of got it. She persisted in the face of so many obstacles and people who doubted her and she stood firm in what she knew to be true and right. In the end, I was very happy to see her book club rally like a book club should, I just wish it hadn't taken Slick's suffering to make it so.
I hate Carter, I knew from the jump that he was a slime ball husband who took advantage of a woman who was willing to do whatever he said and give up her future to be a trad wife. I was very excited to see Patricia break out of her trad wife stupor and become a real badass, Carter deserved every hardship he got.
Out of the book club women, I think it's kind of hard to pick a least favorite out of Kitty, Grace, and Maryellen. They all seemed sincere and then proved to be very much fair-weather friends when push came to shove. I know Slick had her moments, but overall she was the only one who consistently seemed to value Patricia enough to not treat her like she was insane and then fragile. They all showed up for her in the end, but it honestly felt like they showed up more for Slick and then realized how wrong they had been about Patricia. Grace had a big redeeming arc at the end, but I'm not sure if it totally negates everything that she did leading up to that point for me.
Might have to read more Grady Hendrix! This month's book club picks really opened my eyes to some new authors and genres I have been missing out on.
I really wanted to hate this book if I'm being completely honest. However, once I got ~25% of the way in, I was hooked. The writing style made every chapter feel like a cliff hanger in a good way, so I just didn't want to put it down. I read probably 50% of it yesterday afternoon and was like fighting myself internally to go to bed instead of staying up and finishing it.
I would say I want emotional justice for Patricia, but she kind of got it. She persisted in the face of so many obstacles and people who doubted her and she stood firm in what she knew to be true and right. In the end, I was very happy to see her book club rally like a book club should, I just wish it hadn't taken Slick's suffering to make it so.
I hate Carter, I knew from the jump that he was a slime ball husband who took advantage of a woman who was willing to do whatever he said and give up her future to be a trad wife. I was very excited to see Patricia break out of her trad wife stupor and become a real badass, Carter deserved every hardship he got.
Out of the book club women, I think it's kind of hard to pick a least favorite out of Kitty, Grace, and Maryellen. They all seemed sincere and then proved to be very much fair-weather friends when push came to shove. I know Slick had her moments, but overall she was the only one who consistently seemed to value Patricia enough to not treat her like she was insane and then fragile. They all showed up for her in the end, but it honestly felt like they showed up more for Slick and then realized how wrong they had been about Patricia. Grace had a big redeeming arc at the end, but I'm not sure if it totally negates everything that she did leading up to that point for me.
Might have to read more Grady Hendrix! This month's book club picks really opened my eyes to some new authors and genres I have been missing out on.
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes