Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

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

141 reviews

lotoblanco's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Gore, Hate crime, Death of parent, Mental illness, Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Sexual content, Suicide, Murder, Racism, Blood, and Body horror

katrinasherise's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, Medical content, Addiction, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Mental illness, Rape, Stalking, Child death, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Gore, Blood, and Gaslighting

anetesalu's review against another edition

dark hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Grady Hendrix found a way to mix together Desperate Housewives and Supernatural, and the outcome was honestly a lot more thrilling than expected.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Gore, Murder, and Child abuse

Moderate: Animal death, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, and Dementia

Minor: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt

joyfulfoodie's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This was the darkest, goriest book I have read, possibly ever. I don’t even know where to start with the trigger warnings. I HAD to finish it so I could have some resolution, something to replace some of the awful images from early in the book. But I won’t say I enjoyed it. A lot of this book had me staring in horror at the page with my eyebrows knit together and my mouth curled in disgust. Not for the squeamish, and I thought I was pretty strong. Apparently I can watch the gory shows and movies but not read the gory books. Who knew. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Suicide attempt, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Bullying, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit

Rats. Bugs. Droppings from both.

mrsjoellebell's review against another edition

dark 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexism, Animal death, Death, Blood, Dementia, Body horror, Child death, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Forced institutionalization

violetaalseide's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Dementia, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Animal death, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Suicide attempt

nialiversuch's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Ableism, Alcohol, Classism, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Kidnapping, Medical content, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Bullying, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Drug use

hauntedtesty's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

 This is more a one woman crusade with supporting characters, and every so often they do actually have a book club.
Slow to start, manic rush to the end. An intense and at times horrible read - the whole hospital sections - skewering white men's greed and combining it with white women's need to keep their place, even at the expense of the poor (specifically black poor people). Ursula Greene remains the mvp in this book, and I understand why she wasn't in the book club but also - she deserved much more of the spotlight. 
A few lingering plot threads I've been thinking on, but I suppose this wasn't the book to cover it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Rape

katymat18's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Misogyny, Murder, Gaslighting, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Body horror, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Cannibalism, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Mental illness

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

dark 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

4.5

This book is INTENSE. Kinda hit all of the trigger warnings on the way down. I was surprised how much I liked the author's characterization of the women, though.

But damn, I was so ready for Patricia's husband to bite the dust. He was on my last nerve.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Racism, Dementia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, Violence, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Stalking, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Bullying, Pregnancy, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Fatphobia, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Body shaming, Confinement, Excrement, Grief, and Vomit

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Abortion, and Drug use