Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

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

172 reviews

emilywemily6's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I really enjoyed this book and found it to have many more layers than I originally expected. It started off campy and hilarious, but turned more dark and serious. There is definitely both paranormal and more domestic-style horror elements and it felt like I read two different books between the first half and the second. I really appreciated the messaging about how no one listens to POC (specifically black people in this book), women, or children. And no one cares what happens to the black people in this book, many characters turn a blind eye and just say “oh well, that’s too bad” without giving it more thought. I feel like this book could have been a 5 star if it had been written by a black person and seen from Mrs. Greenie’s perspective. She was my favorite character!! I felt like the author did a pretty good job portraying Patricia in this book, but a lot of the other characters were more superficial. This book inspired a lot of unsettled feelings, both related to the paranormal and the relationships between the characters. It felt a little long and drawn out though, especially with Patricia getting back into the James Harris issue. I wish there had been more actual book club time throughout the book and that the friends could have been better friends to each other. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Classism, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Dementia, Sexual assault, Rape, Self harm, Racism, Religious bigotry, Violence, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Murder, Sexual content, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, Medical content, and Infidelity

nerdie88's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Gore, Suicide, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness

lewbug's review against another edition

I think a lot of my frustrations with this book deals with the way it was marketed. I expected a campy and funny story. I was told “Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meets Dracula”. What I read was horrific and gorey and graphic. It started out with funny elements and got exceedingly darker. I tried to tough it out and even got through the truly horrific rat scene (but not without gagging). I finally broke and looked up some more information and there doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel. There should have been an EXTENSIVE list of content warning clearly marked on somewhere on this book and they should not have marketed it like they did. There is rape (I stopped before this but I hear it is horrific and awful and doesn’t add to the story at all), racism, sexism, classism, abuse, child murder, child molestation, horrific deaths, body horror, gaslighting, awful scenes with rats and apparently cockroaches later, and so much gore in disgustingly graphic detail and frankly I feel a bit betrayed because I picked this up expecting humor and maybe a little bit of light gore. I’m sure there’s an audience for this book but I am not it and I’m kind of mad I was led to believe I was 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Rape, Physical abuse, Racism, Child abuse, Suicide, Death, Stalking, Classism, Drug abuse, Gore, Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Body horror

ejlee111's review against another edition

Too dark and random. Gruesome descriptions. Violence that didn't seem to go with the plot. SA.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Child abuse, Death, Dementia, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Blood, Murder, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Body horror, and Cannibalism

sar_she_her's review against another edition

adventurous challenging tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

Entertaining, angering, and gory.

~ Entertaining at x1.2 speed. 

- Fyi LOTS of gore and Trigger Warnings for many themes. In addition to numerous ones cited below, also creepy/crawly/gross out factor. (Albeit, worst gore is mostly in isolated parts of book: earlier in book as impetus for some call to action, and 1/2-2/3 through book with family endangerment, and 3/4-end with more of the same.)

+ I used to have to skip any books narrated by the much celebrated Bahni Turpin bc her performances of immature, catty, or complaining/whiny characters was too grating. But her array of performances for this book's variety of personalities and ages really impressed me and even converted me as a new fan. impressive performance!

~ While surely part of the author's intentional commentary, his representation of the male partners and how dismissive, condescending, and unaware they were was enraging. His tipping of the scales, whether feeling odds were against certain characters, or the resolution of certain conflicts, felt too steep and stacked, left unfinished or too tidily wrapped up.  I wish these scenarios or interpersonal conflicts were more mixed and balanced.

~ Similarly, for better or worse, predictable. which can be helpful with scary horror, depends on readers' preferences.

+ That said I REALLY enjoyed the main protagonist, appreciated the representation of different aged women and black women, and glaring commentary around racism and classism and their effects. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Cannibalism, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Body horror, and Sexism

Moderate: Child death, Suicide, Blood, Sexual assault, Racism, Addiction, Classism, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Rape

Minor: Death, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Bullying, Misogyny, and Sexual violence

cyndi1966's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child death, Physical abuse, Suicide, Rape, Death, Gore, Racism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Animal death

gg_reads41189's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Racism, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Torture, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, Rape, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse

ariana3's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I was really excited to read this book, especially given the hype I've seen around it for so long. I was pretty disappointed in it, and I just don't think it was my kind of book. This is the first bloody horror book I've read, and it didn't mind that so much as the gaslighting, misogyny, and explicit descriptions of sexual violence. I think a book can be really good without all of that. I'm glad I gave it a shot, and I did read it pretty quickly (mainly because I was hoping it would turn around at the next chapter...).
Plot summary:

Set in this utopia-like southern town near Charleston, SC, weird occurrences start to happen when someone new moves in. Patricia, the main character, sees a man in need and with her southern hospitality helps him out. He immediately ingrains himself into the community, despite Patricia feeling weird about him and trying to make him leave. All of the men, including her terrible husband, gaslight the group of women friends into thinking it's just one of their true crime books affecting them. Turns out Patricia is right, and James Harris is a vampire and has lived for 400 years, and Mrs. Greene (the only person of color and of course the cleaner for the community) is the only one who believes her and wants to help. Gaslighting and misogyny continue, Patricia tries to kill herself because no one will listen. Several years go by and Patricia finds out her now teenage daughter is serving as a "food source" for James Harris, and her son is obsessed with him as well. James Harris attacks one of their friends, and they decide to kill him. Patricia serves as a sacrifice while the others knock him out, dismember him, and burn him/drop him down a pit where ashes are stored (I'm not super clear on if he's ashes or if the several bags that are his body are just down a big hole). Their friend dies and decides to be cremated so the "thing" that James Harris impregnated her with also dies. Things seem to go back to better situations, despite the community now being poor. Patricia thankfully wanted a divorce and the kids decide to live with her. I am glad it had a happier ending. I was waiting the entire time for the other shoe to drop, saying that James Harris found a way to continue living and that he'd be back for Patricia's kids or grandkids or something. But it didn't!! And I liked the little additional notes and letters at the end, I thought they were clever and a nice touch to the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Violence, Child abuse, Rape, Gore, Child death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Dementia, Sexual violence, Body horror, and Blood

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Vomit, Kidnapping, Death, Infidelity, Classism, and Excrement

Minor: Drug abuse, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, and Car accident

lauraevelyn's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Chronic illness, Rape, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Gaslighting, Death, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Racism, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, and Murder

eden_briar's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book was absolutely amazing. Set in the 90’s, a book club made up of five Southern housewives in the Old Village of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina finds themselves defending their families and homes from a new evil that’s cast itself into every part of their lives. I was NOT expecting some of the things that happened to actually happen and when I did read them I was slightly horrified. Since it does take place in the 90’s, there were a lot of topics and discussions that are still relevant to today, just a lot stronger. PLEASE be very careful reading this book because I was not aware about the potential triggers in this book going into it since I didn’t read reviews, but i still enjoyed it nonetheless thankfully. It was a really emotional story with a rather happy and slightly satisfying ending. Moral of the story: don’t mess with southern women.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Blood, Dementia, Gore, Medical trauma, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Racism, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Animal cruelty