Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

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

175 reviews

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

---

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

serena_andherstories's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, Gore, Classism, Death, Physical abuse, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Rape

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.

---

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

trippalli's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective fast-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

4.0

A good solid monsters story, feminist and yet also gruesome

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child death, Blood, Murder, Suicide, Vomit, Violence, Suicide attempt, Torture, Stalking, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racism, and Xenophobia

bitterseason's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Blood, Child death, Classism, Gaslighting, Gore, Murder, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Grief, Physical abuse, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Cursing

wayward's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Racism, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Death, Blood, Toxic friendship, Murder, Body horror, Rape, Misogyny, Gaslighting, and Dementia

ugh1ife's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.25

This book was a ride! First thing to know, these women are SOUTHERN. I was cringing a lot at the blatant classicism/racism/misogyny/etc. But the book did a decent job at criticizing it. AND BOY does the black community get the short end of the stick. Also, this book does kind of fall into the trope of having a black character (Mrs. Greene) do the brunt of the work especially in the aftermath. She also has to be the one to point out the obvious instances of prejudice which the other characters acknowledge in the moment but don’t really do anything about it?

At the end they admit that the black community was hurt the most but it’s in passing. And then that’s it. Like I think it’s meant to reflect that these characters are prejudiced and stuff, as a lot of rich suburb southerners are. There is also graphic violence depicted against black characters and straight up racism. So, this particular aspect fell short for me. Also, I am not black so I can only say the issues that I found with it

All the characters are extremely flawed, and so much of it had me furious (especially the husbands). It was also a deep dive into what being a “housewife” is really like and the learned helplessness of these women who have/had accepted their roles. I really think this book is for the parents: it does a great job at detailing the common worries that parents experience and their short comings. 

A short summary of the book?: a group of southern ladies form a book club that follows true crime novels. Patricia, a typical housewife in a strained marriage, befriends a newcomer to their tight night community. However, she begins to notice strange things happening and becomes increasingly convinced that their little home is in danger. 

The sexual content was a bit hard to get through, but I understand why it was there so I don’t really fault the book on it. Just be warned! 

SO SO SO MANY TRIGGER WARNINGS. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Gore, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Physical abuse, Slavery, Body horror, Gaslighting, Violence, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Blood, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Rape, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Dementia, Drug abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

uranaishi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Dementia, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Murder

Moderate: Rape, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Excrement, Mental illness, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Vomit, Classism, Cursing, Death, and Violence

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Addiction, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

savvyrosereads's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Rating: 4/5 stars

Patricia Campbell is a good wife and mother leading a normal life in her quiet corner of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, where her book club devours true crime and thriller novels. But suddenly a mysterious stranger arrives in town, and Patricia becomes convinced the true danger might be lurking outside the pages…

This was my first Grady Hendrix novel but it definitely won’t be my last. I adored the setting, which is equal parts Gothic southern elegance and small town drama, and the writing style, which is somehow both funny and viscerally horrifying.

I did enjoy the first half of this one more than the second, as I felt several characters made choices I didn’t particularly enjoy and the plot moved in some ways that I could have done without. That said, if you want a gory, terrifying, occasionally disgusting, but very well-written horror read, this one is for you. And, as a bonus, the themes are surprisingly deep—particularly the reflections on how quick we are to (unfairly) dismiss the importance of “women’s work” and women’s experiences.

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: vampire lore; Gothic horror; humor with a dark edge

CW: Murder/gore (including child death and animal death/injury); suicide/suicide attempt; sexual assault; domestic abuse; gaslighting; dementia; bugs/vermin; discussions of racism.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, Death, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, and Stalking

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

squid_ears'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? Yes

4.0

This book is a worthy spiritual successor to Bram Stroker’s Dracula. It expands on the themes of the vampire as the greedy capitalist and the sexual predator, with commentary on systemic racism and how even white people who consider themselves non-racist are complicit. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Child death, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Murder, Blood, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Excrement, Death, and Child abuse

Lots of imagery of rats, cockroaches, and other vermin doing some pretty fucked up stuff to people.