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

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

4.5


With such a tongue-in-cheek title, I assume The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires will have a dark, macabre comedy on it despite its sinister synopsis. But, true to the blurb, the book is a true horror come to life, in this case for five housewives's life in the Charleston's suburban. The book tone is...very depressing. Full of uncertainty and despair, I can feel how hopeless the main character, Patricia Campbell when it comes to defend her children from the monster that wear a face of charming neighbor. Grady Hendrix was right when he said, the fight between the housewives vs the Dracula is not fair. Never. There's happy ending, but it comes in a high price.

I usually tend to avoid horror books, especially if its have any ghost on it. The Southern Book Club indeed have some ghost, but more like apparition of sort, since the enemy is, well, vampire. The book itself start so slow. Spanning for 9 years, from 1988 to 1997, its depict the daily life of Patricia Campbell with her book club friends, Kitty, Grace, Slick and Maryellen. Despite a shaky beginning, the five develop a friendship, bonded by their love for a true crime book genres. Even after the vampire, aka James Harris (this is no spoiler. It already describe on the blurb, lol), comes into the Old Village, the mundane daily life still go on. This part can be boring of sort, so I recommend to be patient when read it. Hendrix carefully weave the plot thread, one by one. I admit, I got so impatience reading this one. I want to know the fate of Patricia, if she finally succeed to defeat James Harris.

I can said, it's not easy. The setting do wonder. It's 90's era, an era where the housewives roles is reduced to merely clean their house, provide the family with food and educated their children. They must become proper ladies, prim to the core, manners first. Patricia just want the best for her family, even her husband become far until he practically a stranger to her. So when she start to suspect James Harris, of course no one believe her. Of course a fact that James Harris as a vampire is just Patricia's figment of imagination, since she got to much things to handle and with her love for a crime books that considered as trash. Of course what Patricia did, threat the peace of the neighborhood, even children from another neighbor who happen to be full of people of color are dying one by one. No one believe her, not even her book club friends. But, even so, Patricia didn't relent. She didn't give up. And even what she did make her feel humiliated, she still persist to protect her children from James Harris.

This book deals with many things, from misogyny views, especially to the housewives (like, they are just a bunch of mindless women who should know their place), to the systemic racism. Reading this book really give me a mixed feeling, but it's in a good way. I like that Hendrix didn't try to romanticize his villain while still manage to give James Harris a vampiric trait. Not the silly ones like can't eat garlic, must sleep in the coffin, sparkling in the sun, etc. More like, he must be invited if he want to enter the house, can walk in the daylight but still must avoid the sun, and can command animals to do his biddings. James Harris might be a charming fellow, even Patricia feel for his charm at first. In the surface, he seems like your usual good neighbor, willing to help with your problem, care for your children. But Hendrix show that's it's all just a facade. James Harris is a true psychopath, a man without morale compass, without remorse. Even to the end when he got cornered, he still try to use his charm in the pretend that he care. James is a true horror, a monster and I like that Hendrix didn't try to sugarcoated him, since James also a child molester and rapist. Reading that part make me want to bleach my mind. I don't care if his scene when he suck the blood from his victim make the victim feel euphoric (in a sexual way), what he did is totally wrong.

While Patricia is the main character, her book club friends is a part of the club for this slaying vampire thingies. They might not believe Patricia at first and for years they pretend that Patricia is wrong about James Harris. I'm glad when they finally come to senses, and in the climax of this book, they unified to fight James Harris when he threat one of their own. Even I liked Grace, the icy ones of the book club. While for me, Maryellen is the weakest link, since Kitty and Slick have their own arc. Do not expect a lynch mob or Buffy-like action when you read how Patricia and her book club friends defeat James Harris. There's no such action. The ending go quietly, without too much fanfare. Not with a bang, but an end befitting of monster such as James Harris. Although, it can be too gruesome, even for my taste. So I just try to read it without imagining about it too much. Not eat anything when reading will help.

Even there's no ghost (just apparition), I can feel the horror atmosphere. The scene with rats, insect, etc give me heebie-jeebies. The scene when Spoiler James rape Slick and sexually assaulted Patricia's daughter make me feel nauseated . The suspense, literally killing me, especially when Spoiler Patricia investigate James's house attic and then James coming home early, knowing that Patricia try to search his house for any evidence . So many is going on despite the mundane and slow beginning, so I'm glad that I finish this book and try to read another book to cleanse my mind, lol.

I have some little pet peeves for this book such as Spoiler why make Carter, Patricia's husband, as a cheater at the end. I think it will be different, lol. The one husband that seems devoted is only Kitty's husband. The rest is just a jerk, with Carter is the biggest jerk of them all. The book might be full of stereotype, but I don't mind. All I know is, housewives is a force to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to protect their children from any harm. Even said children might not realize it at first. I will recommend this one if you like a horror with suburban setting. But, like I said at first, don't think that The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires (goodness, the title is such a handful!) will be full of dark comedy or you will get a Buffy-or-Van-Helsing (the one with Hugh Jackman on it)-worthy action when it comes to slay the vampire. Because this book is more than that. 

It will make you feel uneasy. Just like what happen to me.
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