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Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
93 reviews
editorsansserif's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
General overview: A book that is, actually, about a vampire, though not in the way you might expect - pitted against a community and a group of women (the 'book club') who are deeply flawed and fail several times, at a great cost, before finding the courage to do what is right. Strong themes of racism, sexism/misogyny, and child predation.
Emotional impact: I loved this book, despite not being able to love its characters. The main cast, and protagonist, are flawed, sometimes very deeply. They do show growth over time, while many of the side cast do not (or deteriorate), and it works - but they never truly become heroes. I spent a lot of reading time being angry and incensed, not toward the villain, but toward the main characters of the book, and the families that surrounded them. I feel like that's part of "the point."
Visceral impact: The body horror, and gore, did make my skin crawl, but never felt explicit enough to make me want to stop reading. The author sometimes went a little 'over the top' with the terrible events that happened in the novel, to the point of unbelievability and disgust. Spoilers/CW for child death:
Counter thoughts to some criticism:
- On the 'Stepford wife' nature of these wives and mothers in the 1990s: I found this not only believable, but incredibly realistic. I grew up in the 90s with a southern-trained mother and a southern grandmother, and around many families who had the same 'sensibilities' drilled into them. The way that these women acted in the book felt like a genuine flashback to what it felt like growing up around women who played pleasantries and kowtowed to men and never wanted to disturb the status quo. While I can see why they might not come off as believable to those who haven't experienced what I have, I felt it was authentic. CW (suicide/minor spoilers):
My mother didn't protect me from the predator in my own family, and she dismissed my earnest pleas for help when I was battling depression and suicide as a teenager. My father always knew what was best to the point he'd become threatening if he was questioned. They wouldn't have protected me from a vampire. - On the misogyny: See above - this felt very real to me thanks to my own lived experiences. Of course there are good men. It's just that none of these husbands were good men. It would have been nice to have a good man join the women to counter the culture around them - one husband who really did believe his wife and didn't fall for the trap - and that does feel like a disservice. I can also see that the author was trying to really lean in to the power of women and their shared bonds, so it could be a tricky balance to find while keeping the message the same.
- On the racism and racist stereotypes: As a white person, I can't and won't speak to representation of the POC in the novel. I do feel, however, that the quiet racism that was expressed by the white women in the book was genuine and called into question several times. These white women do not ever go through a full anti-racist transformation, but they are confronted and, I believe, do make some steps of growth. We're never shown anything more than a reckoning with their unspoken attitudes and the result of those actions, though.
- On animal death: I thought that the final animal death scene was touching, actually, and made both sense rationally and plot-wise. That's not for everyone though: if you don't like pets dying, you're going to hate that portion of the book.
Additional criticism: Addressed in my content warnings, but there is a side plot during which the main character's son is becoming increasingly obsessed with Hitler + Nazis. This isn't treated seriously at all by the characters in the novel and is not resolved by the end of the book. This should have either been dropped or handled with more severity, and that's a major lack of sensitivity to the implications the author adds with this plot element.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol
Minor: Antisemitism
Re: Antisemitism:sergyar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Drug use
blfrankwriter's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Blood, and Murder
pacific's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Plus, there's one point in the novel where I was so angry (on behalf of the characters) that I spite read late into the night just to see them vindicated.
A wonderful dark novel from beginning to end. There are few horror novels that capture the fleeting feeling of suburbia quite like this one does.
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Animal death and Drug abuse
lewbug's review against another edition
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism
ariana3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Plot summary:
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
pandaslime's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Drug abuse
wheelyautistic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I'm afraid I have to disagree with most of the negative reviews regarding the 3-year skip, where the main character is complacent. Many reviewers viewed it us difficult and unrealistic or annoying however they fail to realise that this book whilst it does have a vampire and the supernatural elements is far more about a serial killer and a murderer then a high energy vampire slashing book. It feels realistic that no one would believe her or that she would become complacent and subdued because in reality any outburst could land her straight into an institute given the timing. The race aspects were necessary to indicate and portray a very real and common thing seen in real-life killers: that those deemed as less than are usually the ones killed and often their murders are overlooked. I think this book perfectly paralleled the real lids true crime books the characters read with a hind of supernatural influence to increase the severity and difficulty of the situation.
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism
brysonsmommie84's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I just feel sick. This book makes me so angry…
Husbands telling wives:
“The girls have something to say”
“shake hands like a fucking adult”
being forced to apologize… these are your wives… educated wives… the children are also treated like this. Carter is the worst character of all time! Worse than the “vampire”.
Patricia is concerned about child molestation and you are all fucking protecting the stranger, because he has money and penis. Fuck these characters. Fuck this book. Fuck this author. They better all be under a fucking spell.
BTW child molestation big trigger! Lots of child rape… by an old dirty “vampire”. Too detailed. Children dying/suicides. Kids killing dogs, because they have been “left under a spell”. More Rape, burning people alive… At least the racism and “classism” were finally called out, I guess…
I will never give this author another try. The other authors that take flak for the misogyny and patriarchy in their books is bullshit in comparison and this author is being praised for this book. Fuck that shit.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism
wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
2.0
I’m glad that I read it because I was interested in reading a few books by this author but I don’t think they will be for me after all.
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism