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A review by morag
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.75
This is Grady Hendrix at his best. A highly effective horror novel that tackles class, race, and sexism through a tale about a vampire infiltrating an upper class southern neighborhood in the eighties.
Everything about this novel works. The characters are each distinct, rounded, fully-realized people with their own lives and struggles. The setting feels real, not just a backdrop for the characters. The villain is chilling and infuriatingly devious. The tone and pacing are carefully crafted to create the perfect roller coaster of fear and dread.
This book is great because it makes you feel. All the dread, the disgust, the hopelessness, the terror - I've rarely ever been affected by a book like this before. You really feel like you're experiencing all these things with the characters instead of just observing them. A lot of this can be attributed to how well-crafted and real the characters feel. The villain is a prime example of this. This is one of the few times in my life where I've ever felt genuine hatred and fear towards a fictional villain. Though the same could be said for the main character's husband. Christ, that fucker. I had to put the book down multiple times because the husband specifically made me want to start punching holes in the drywall.
Grady Hendrix peaked with this book. A must-read for any horror fan.
(Cross-posted on Goodreads)
Everything about this novel works. The characters are each distinct, rounded, fully-realized people with their own lives and struggles. The setting feels real, not just a backdrop for the characters. The villain is chilling and infuriatingly devious. The tone and pacing are carefully crafted to create the perfect roller coaster of fear and dread.
This book is great because it makes you feel. All the dread, the disgust, the hopelessness, the terror - I've rarely ever been affected by a book like this before. You really feel like you're experiencing all these things with the characters instead of just observing them. A lot of this can be attributed to how well-crafted and real the characters feel. The villain is a prime example of this. This is one of the few times in my life where I've ever felt genuine hatred and fear towards a fictional villain. Though the same could be said for the main character's husband. Christ, that fucker. I had to put the book down multiple times because the husband specifically made me want to start punching holes in the drywall.
Grady Hendrix peaked with this book. A must-read for any horror fan.
(Cross-posted on Goodreads)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting