Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

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

81 reviews

thevioletfoxbookshop'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Grady Hendrix is a genre all on his own. As the title implies, expect a vampire... but not a sparkly or spooky one. This vampire is disgusting, terrifying, and actually scary. If you're into body horror, gross stuff, and super tense scenes - this is for you! There were some funny moments, some heartwarming moments, and good parts, but it was definitely a rollercoaster ride. I loved revisiting the 90's and seeing these suburban housewives pitted against pure evil. It was such a mix of funny and horrifying in a way that only Grady Hendrix can really pull off. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Dementia, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Violence

Minor: Suicide attempt, Animal death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness

kmw2017's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

0.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Self harm, and Rape

terrabby's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

3.75

Definitely check out the content warnings for this one! 

While I don't think some of the elements (you know which ones) were necessary and hate when they are written for shock value, it was ultimately a very entertaining read. A page turner that kept me enthralled enough to forget my actual real life problems, which is just what I needed. The characters made the difference because they felt three dimensional and well written. I loved Kitty and Mrs Greene and I think Patricia is a good and complex main character. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Gore, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Murder, Suicide attempt, and Violence

Moderate: Medical content, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Classism, Dementia, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Terminal illness, Stalking, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse

growintogardens's review against another edition

dark tense

• 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

0.25

Tw: sexual assault/rape, including assaults of minors

I am so disappointed!! I really wish I had read reviews before starting this book. I just saw the synopsis on the library app and went for it because it sounded like a fun premise. After a bit, I thought this would end up being a bit darker than the cover led me to believe, but not as dark as it ended up being. It was also really gory at times, and really, really gross in multiple ways (especially with rats/bugs, like really graphic with that part). Someone else mentioned it felt like it was set earlier than it stated, and I agree it felt a lot older than the 1990s. 

I had so many issues with this book. The male characters in this are absolute GARBAGE, the female friendships felt off to me, the fate of the characters that are raped/assaulted is a cliche, terrible mess, and the way the few black characters are treated is not good. I also didn't like any character, not a single one in the whole thing. It read like a bad 1980s movie tbh. I kept reading hoping that it would somehow redeem itself, because I did want to know how the evil was defeated, but I cannot recommend it at all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, Racism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Suicide

reb_curt's review against another edition

Characters clearly written by someone who doesn't understand women. That and  

I couldn't take the out of nowhere child obsession with Nazis and White Supremacy groups and flashbacks of lynchings..just couldn't do it.

First DNF in a few years. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Murder, Torture, Stalking, Gaslighting, Xenophobia, Violence, Slavery, Hate crime, Gore, Emotional abuse, Classism, Religious bigotry, Child death, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Dementia, and Colonisation

jupiter_01's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-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

3.75

I expected something along the lines of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as the title seems to suggest, but it certainly wasn't that. The story was a grotesque delve into class and how monsters get overlooked because of status and money and charm, and how children suffer for it. It was heavy on manipulation/gaslighting and absolutely infuriating men. Never have a wanted to wipe the floor more than with these antagonists. The husbands are most definitely the secondary evil of the story!

The portrayal of vampires as actually horrifying was jarring since we don't see it often, but nonetheless was an intriguing myth to explore. I wish we got more background on how James Harris came to be.

While I got quite into the novel for long stretches, the excessive descriptions of Suburbia often took me out of it.

That scene with Korey was uncomfortable and probably as violating as it was for Patricia.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Rape, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, and Racism

Moderate: Stalking, Suicide, Body horror, Child death, Blood, and Child abuse

pages_with_a_preoccupied_prin's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Stalking, Violence, Body horror, Classism, Domestic abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Death, Suicide, Blood, and Mental illness

beccamlvn's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

Took a break from my usual romances... andddd wtf did I just read?!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Blood, Sexual violence, Gore, Death, Violence, Terminal illness, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Child death, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Mental illness

cmoryeah's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Violence

Moderate: Child death and Child abuse

alloftaysreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Stalking, Religious bigotry, Racism, Misogyny, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship