Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

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

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

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

mynameisrebecca's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

If this book was 50 or 75 pages shorter, I would have enjoyed it more. There was a lot of background development that didn't really propel the plot forward. Similarly to other Hendrix books I've read, he does a great job at building a world and cast of characters around the protagonist. However, it felt like a little too much to keep track of and muddied the focus of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Animal death

booksnooksandcooks's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

2.25

Do you ever read a book and afterwards, take a moment to pause and reflect how it was so clearly written by a white man? Truly, this was one of those moments.

I would like to personally thank whoever told me this book would be great for my thesis. On one hand, it gave me nothing. On the other hand, it gave me everything. The religious aspect was weak. The sexual violence of vampirism? Chock full. I especially hated the unnecessary rape scene and sexual aspects of the bloodletting.

And especially the white saviorhood combined with the strong black woman trope. Please, please, I beg of you, let black women have agency outside of a white woman's story. The whole "these rich white Southern ladies discover the meaning of true friendship and racism" schtick was just not it! Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk, this will be part of the thesis.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Racism, and Forced institutionalization

madelinekramer2021's review against another edition

challenging mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism

motleybooksandtea's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

angelsfw's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Antisemitism, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

lestie4short's review against another edition

Far to descriptive about things that creeped me out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Mental illness, Excrement, Vomit, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

I had to stop at the description of a roach crawling into MC's ear. It was just to much

megmonahan's review against another edition

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder

floweratmyfeet's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Murder

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