Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

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

151 reviews

lira_the_recluse's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I have mixed feelings about this book. The vampire is evil and manipulative, as one would expect. He worms his way into town and only a few people suspect him as what he truly is. His design, motivations and behavior is well done.

There are many morbid and grotesque scenes, many with a plethora of content warnings. 

I did not feel great about the climax of the book, and how much death it took to get all the white women to band together. I also don't like how the initial part of the book came off as very white savior, but I guess the book is about the flaws of the main characters and how they are finally driven to fight the vampire.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Racism, Murder, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Rape, Dementia, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Child death, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Grief, Death, Body horror, Animal cruelty, and Adult/minor relationship

r_o_s_e's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, Classism, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexism, Racism, Suicide attempt, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Grief, Animal death, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Rape, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Minor: Gun violence, Excrement, Stalking, and Vomit

areen's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.25

the heavy misogyny really made me uncomfortable and angry to enjoy the book. it's a sign of how well done it was but bc of that the story kept going back and forth and I really wanted to be done with this book. still it was better than I expected.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

azureumbreon's review against another edition

funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Murder, Child death, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Rape, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Dementia

hdzigurski's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Gore, Rape, and Toxic relationship

ohsunnyaa's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Body horror, Murder, Sexism, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Gore, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Dementia, and Racism

Minor: Infidelity, Animal death, and Domestic abuse

sshpurple1's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

The title of this book is entirely misleading, and the characters are frustrating.  The husbands looked down on their wives and were not even remotely supportive, and domestic abuse was hinted at, if not outright, to be part of all the marriages.  When Patrica turns to the book club with her thoughts and evidence against James Harris, the women quickly abandon her when their husbands put pressure on them to do so.
There was no vampire hunting and very little slaying. I enjoyed the first third of this book; the middle was boring, and the ending, while interesting, should have happened sooner. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Blood

Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, Dementia, Toxic friendship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Minor: Racism, Self harm, and Adult/minor relationship

oramayjutila's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

rachelmerrie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I’m unsure how to feel, but I know it wasn’t a pleasant experience. 

-What was the point of the son’s personality traits? Nothing came of it. 
-The “friendships” between these women were surface level and them coming together in the end gave me zero comfort in their “unbreakable bond”. These women sucked just as much as the men did. 
-Why did the children randomly choose to live with the mom after hating her the entire book?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Racism, Self harm, Classism, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Suicide, and Torture

mantnam's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-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

5.0

Loved it. While I didn't rate the characters as "loveable" I was still really invested in them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Dementia, Sexual assault, and Rape

Moderate: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Child death, Classism, Gore, Pregnancy, Suicide, Grief, Hate crime, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

The rape was described by a character after it occurs but it's still heavy and features intense body horror. The racism is not swept under the rug, is is explicitly dealt with.