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A review by afelice
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gore, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Body horror, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Child death, Sexism, Blood, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Racism, and Alcoholism
Overall, I liked this book more than I thought I would. I’m not typically a vampire person, but Hendrix put a unique spin on the stereotypical vampire we’ve grown accustomed to. I will say, the men in this book are assholes. They’re misogynistic, disrespectful, and mentally/physically abusive. You hate them throughout the book. Something I did like and appreciate was Hendrix touching on topics like gentrification, classism, and racism and what that looks like in suburban Carolina, though I almost wish they dig deeper and did more with that because there is importance in those topics that could be explored.
Something else I noticed after just finishing “Final Girl Support Group” (also by Hendrix) is that his female characters are very similar and kind of stereotypical. There’s the woman who is uppity and think is she’s better than everyone, the one who’s just a bitch it seems like for no reason, the sheltered/quiet one, the one who is thought of as crazy for a good chunk of the story then proven right later on. Etc. I do t necessarily like how He Eric writes his women either….like giving man-splaining how women are energy.
Still enjoyed it and do recommend giving it a read