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Reviews tagging 'Racism'
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
610 reviews
angorarabbit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
There is a small spoiler regarding a early plot point in this review.
TLDR; I’m not really into horror or thrillers so take my review with a grain of salt. Improbable plot device, flat characters, little humour. Just enough interest to keep reading, though I was thinking of dnfing at the 60% point out of frustration.
Mr Hendrix tells the story as a third person narrator from the pov of the female main character. Thus we know almost nothing about the other characters, particularly the male ones. We learn almost nothing about the past of the fmc. Descriptions of places and things are also light. On the other hand the book felt too long to me, I was almost skimming when I got 60% to 80% in.
I have a few complaints about the novel but I’m keeping it to three.
Do your suspicions lessen or increase when a rat army invades your nice home and kills your mother?
Secondly why is every male in this book either non-existent or a jerk? Yes, I do complain when author’s female characters are poorly drawn. This book has the opposite problem and I’m not happy about that either.
Finally, there was humour in the first 11 chapters.. The humour disappeared with the rats in chapter 12 and never returned. (Do not read chapter 12 if you have musophobia.) While I wasn’t expecting a Christopher Moore style novel the humour of the first chapters did help to humanise characters some.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, and Medical content
Graphic rats.tiernanhunter's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming
roocharffer's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this one and breezed through it. it's definitely an odd read, and I felt like the tone really shifted half way through. to me it felt pretty campy at the beginning but got genuinely dark about two thirds of the way through in ways I was not expecting. definitely do read the trigger warnings others have left.
I was reading some of the other reviews people left, and I am confused by people calling it a sexist book. the book is constantly commenting on the horrors of sexism. there are certainly very sexist characters in it, but I feel like it's clear from the narrative that they're the baddies so to speak. perhaps people are more upset with the portrayal of the women in the book; I'm not sure. they felt like kind of average people to me (by which I mean that, yeah, they do have a lot of internalized sexism and are fairly racist themselves throughout the book). they were fleshed out enough to not feel one-dimensional imo.
I can see why people are calling this a white savior narrative. that said I do think you're meant to feel like the white women in the story are fully complicit in the continuing horror of the second half of the book--that they in fact do not do enough given their relative privilege as white people.
patriarchy and racism are more the villains of this story than the vampire. said vampire is able to get away with everything he does by praying on people he knows are vulnerable specifically because of the systematic oppression that they face.
I dunno. overall, it's well written but complicated. I can see people coming away from it with a lot of different feelings and thoughts. again, definitely recommend reading the trigger warnings to get a better idea of what you're in for. the title of the book is a little misleading.
I was reading some of the other reviews people left, and I am confused by people calling it a sexist book. the book is constantly commenting on the horrors of sexism. there are certainly very sexist characters in it, but I feel like it's clear from the narrative that they're the baddies so to speak. perhaps people are more upset with the portrayal of the women in the book; I'm not sure. they felt like kind of average people to me (by which I mean that, yeah, they do have a lot of internalized sexism and are fairly racist themselves throughout the book). they were fleshed out enough to not feel one-dimensional imo.
I can see why people are calling this a white savior narrative. that said I do think you're meant to feel like the white women in the story are fully complicit in the continuing horror of the second half of the book--that they in fact do not do enough given their relative privilege as white people.
patriarchy and racism are more the villains of this story than the vampire. said vampire is able to get away with everything he does by praying on people he knows are vulnerable specifically because of the systematic oppression that they face.
I dunno. overall, it's well written but complicated. I can see people coming away from it with a lot of different feelings and thoughts. again, definitely recommend reading the trigger warnings to get a better idea of what you're in for. the title of the book is a little misleading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual assault
sallysimply's review against another edition
3.0
It started out fun, then got super dark and I rushed to finish it just so I could know how it all turned out. My main question is wtf are we supposed to make of the unquestioned Nazi fascination of it all?
Please check the content warnings on this. I wish I had known them ahead of time.
Please check the content warnings on this. I wish I had known them ahead of time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Forced institutionalization
kaylin830's review against another edition
1.0
I was incredibly disappointed in this book. The beginning made it seem like we were going to be reading about badass mothers who don't take crap, who protect their children, who are afraid but are there for their kids when needed. Instead, we got spineless mothers who let their narcissistic asshat husbands walk all over them. The cherry on top is that it's only white women. I want a book about mothers of all races and backgrounds who want to bond over their love of books and the love of their children.
This book is set in the '90s. Tell me why these white women are terrified to go into a predominantly black neighborhood. Get a grip. You are there to talk to a specific person, not walk around willy-nilly. I don't even have words for how idiotic this is. You can not argue that the setting is the real world because the main villain is a vampire. That's fantasy, so make your world fit the prompt.
The biggest issue that I have with this book is not just that it's racist, but it is so disgustingly pedophilic. This vampire has a strict diet of black children. Hendrix could have made this because he feeds off of children to maintain his youth... except for the fact that his bite is "orgasmic". You're telling me that a book with MASSIVE racism, misleading summaries, and scenes of the vampire feeding off of children down by their genitalia, made it through a slew of revisions, editors, and publishers? This book is vile. I wish I had DNF'ed but I gave the book the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the mothers grow a backbone? Maybe they save the children out in Six Mile? Maybe just maybe they can defeat the vampire to save their town. Nope. Nada. You know the book is bad when the old senile woman is the most sane.
This book does not deserve to be sold out of my collection, it deserves to be thrown in a raging dumpster fire so that at least its death represents the contents.
This book is set in the '90s. Tell me why these white women are terrified to go into a predominantly black neighborhood. Get a grip. You are there to talk to a specific person, not walk around willy-nilly. I don't even have words for how idiotic this is. You can not argue that the setting is the real world because the main villain is a vampire. That's fantasy, so make your world fit the prompt.
The biggest issue that I have with this book is not just that it's racist, but it is so disgustingly pedophilic. This vampire has a strict diet of black children. Hendrix could have made this because he feeds off of children to maintain his youth... except for the fact that his bite is "orgasmic". You're telling me that a book with MASSIVE racism, misleading summaries, and scenes of the vampire feeding off of children down by their genitalia, made it through a slew of revisions, editors, and publishers? This book is vile. I wish I had DNF'ed but I gave the book the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the mothers grow a backbone? Maybe they save the children out in Six Mile? Maybe just maybe they can defeat the vampire to save their town. Nope. Nada. You know the book is bad when the old senile woman is the most sane.
This book does not deserve to be sold out of my collection, it deserves to be thrown in a raging dumpster fire so that at least its death represents the contents.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Stalking
DO NOT READ SAVE YOURSELFhappyknitter2020's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A female mid life bookclub challenge vampire, all husband's don't support them, children and people living experiencing poverty were more at risk. A fantastic story, enjoyed yhe audio reader, she brought the characters to life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
luise96's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Racism
hannahsbookshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
This was a real mix of a book, starting with gathering insight into our protagonist Patricia and her group of friends who are part of a true crime bookclub in the Deep South. We find out about each of their lives, and their group dynamic. Then Hendrix starts to create little pockets of horror throughout until it crescendos towards the end.
This book deals with themes of racism, sexism and infidelity alongside the vampire storyline and shows how a charismatic outsider can worm their way into a community and start controlling the population in such a subtle way they don't even realise.
I found it interesting as it was quite different to other books I'd read but I didn't like the characters, and the discrimination/prejudice was prehaps accurate for the time and place it is set, but I did struggle with that a little.
I listened to the audiobook and I am a fan of the Charleston accent, so this was a plus for me.
This book deals with themes of racism, sexism and infidelity alongside the vampire storyline and shows how a charismatic outsider can worm their way into a community and start controlling the population in such a subtle way they don't even realise.
I found it interesting as it was quite different to other books I'd read but I didn't like the characters, and the discrimination/prejudice was prehaps accurate for the time and place it is set, but I did struggle with that a little.
I listened to the audiobook and I am a fan of the Charleston accent, so this was a plus for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide
victoriamark's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Dementia, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
nzlisam's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Don’t let the lighthearted title fool you, this one gets very dark!
45.
Patricia Campbell is a dutiful and sheltered housewife in a Southern small town in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Her one night of escapism is her monthly book club with four other housewives from her neighbourhood, where they drink wine, gossip, and discuss gruesome true and fictional crime reads. When James Harris moves to town, Patricia tries to be a welcoming and friendly neighbour, but from their first meeting there’s just something untrustworthy and off putting about him that she just can’t shake. And the more James inserts himself into her life, and those of her family and friends, the more uncomfortable Patricia feels. And children are changing…
An engaging, absorbing, riveting read. The prologue sucked me right in, and the references and tie-in to My Best Friend’s Exorcism has me even more excited to read that one. The author excelled at writing tense, nail-biting, claustrophobic, heart-pounding, nightmarish scenes. But then the next chapter would see me snorting out loud, which I was grateful for as it gave me a chance to calm down. The final showdown had me glued to the audio, and the ending was poignant and satisfying. The variation on the vampire myth was unique and different. It could’ve been a 5-star read, but unfortunately there were a couple of scenes that were too much for me (see next paragraph), although I understand why they were included as James was a vicious blood-sucking creature with zero humanity who relished exerting control and power over the main characters. I really warmed to Patricia and her friends, and their struggles to come to terms with the evil surrounding them, their setbacks, and struggles to remain loyal to one another. The novel was set mainly in the 90’s, although the first two chapters took place in 1988 explaining how the book club came to be. These characters submissiveness to their husbands and the misogyny of the men reminded me more of the 1950’s although I understand that there were pockets of the South like this in the 90’s and it worked well for this novel further isolating the women, and fuelling their fear that they wouldn’t be believed, and that there was no help to be found outside of one another.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires was something of an enigma. Because if you happened to sample the first couple of chapters on say Amazon, you could mistakenly buy it thinking it was going to be on the lighter side of horror because a lot of the novel was entertaining, fun, and amusing. Until it wasn’t. Things took a turn in the third chapter, we’re talking blood, gore, and mutilation. And it didn’t stop there. There was a chapter straight out of James Herbert’s first novel (true horror novel fans will get this reference and it was a cool tribute), and for those who are squeamish or phobic when it comes to cockroaches, spiders, or bugs in general, I advise you to give this book a wide berth. And there’s more. Around the 75% mark, the novel went in an even darker direction, and I now understand why some readers/reviewers gave up at this point.
I listened to most of the book via Libby and the narrator, Bahni Turpin, completely and utterly brought these characters to life. Bravo! For those who can get past the above trigger warnings I highly recommend The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires on audio. I am thrilled to have found a new horror author in Grady Hendrix.
45.
Patricia Campbell is a dutiful and sheltered housewife in a Southern small town in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Her one night of escapism is her monthly book club with four other housewives from her neighbourhood, where they drink wine, gossip, and discuss gruesome true and fictional crime reads. When James Harris moves to town, Patricia tries to be a welcoming and friendly neighbour, but from their first meeting there’s just something untrustworthy and off putting about him that she just can’t shake. And the more James inserts himself into her life, and those of her family and friends, the more uncomfortable Patricia feels. And children are changing…
An engaging, absorbing, riveting read. The prologue sucked me right in, and the references and tie-in to My Best Friend’s Exorcism has me even more excited to read that one. The author excelled at writing tense, nail-biting, claustrophobic, heart-pounding, nightmarish scenes. But then the next chapter would see me snorting out loud, which I was grateful for as it gave me a chance to calm down. The final showdown had me glued to the audio, and the ending was poignant and satisfying. The variation on the vampire myth was unique and different. It could’ve been a 5-star read, but unfortunately there were a couple of scenes that were too much for me (see next paragraph), although I understand why they were included as James was a vicious blood-sucking creature with zero humanity who relished exerting control and power over the main characters. I really warmed to Patricia and her friends, and their struggles to come to terms with the evil surrounding them, their setbacks, and struggles to remain loyal to one another. The novel was set mainly in the 90’s, although the first two chapters took place in 1988 explaining how the book club came to be. These characters submissiveness to their husbands and the misogyny of the men reminded me more of the 1950’s although I understand that there were pockets of the South like this in the 90’s and it worked well for this novel further isolating the women, and fuelling their fear that they wouldn’t be believed, and that there was no help to be found outside of one another.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires was something of an enigma. Because if you happened to sample the first couple of chapters on say Amazon, you could mistakenly buy it thinking it was going to be on the lighter side of horror because a lot of the novel was entertaining, fun, and amusing. Until it wasn’t. Things took a turn in the third chapter, we’re talking blood, gore, and mutilation. And it didn’t stop there. There was a chapter straight out of James Herbert’s first novel (true horror novel fans will get this reference and it was a cool tribute), and for those who are squeamish or phobic when it comes to cockroaches, spiders, or bugs in general, I advise you to give this book a wide berth. And there’s more. Around the 75% mark, the novel went in an even darker direction, and I now understand why some readers/reviewers gave up at this point.
I listened to most of the book via Libby and the narrator, Bahni Turpin, completely and utterly brought these characters to life. Bravo! For those who can get past the above trigger warnings I highly recommend The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires on audio. I am thrilled to have found a new horror author in Grady Hendrix.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Animal cruelty