Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

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

12 reviews

tayter's review against another edition

One word…gaslighting 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Murder, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Gore

This book made me not want to read anymore from this author.

fanboyriot's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

I have some mixed feelings about this book.  I liked the plot, a bunch of true crime loving housewives starting a book club, reading their way through all the major serial killers.  Only to be met with a new guy to town, a guy who doesn't like the sun and who is all too charming once it sets.

It started out well though I would have liked to read more about some of the side characters.  I loved Mrs. Greene and would have liked to see more of her.  It was at the halfway mark or about there that things kinda went down hill for me.  Patricia was slowly being backed into a corner and the more she found out about her charming new neighbor the less people in her life believed her.

There are obviously some major issues within this book I'll add some content warnings that I think apply but I suggest looking them up if you're considering reading this.

The major problems I had with thus book were pretty self-explanatory.  The misogyny, sexism, and child molesting really popped off in this book.  I understand this took place at a time were housewives were seen as less than human and were it was common for misogyny and sexism.  That doesn't mean I wanna read a book about it.  And onto the child molesting vampire.  What was the point of that?  It wasn't like he could only feed off kids.  So why add that to the book?  It's absolutely disgusting.  And lastly what was with all the world war ii stuff?  Like dude your kid is drawing a swastika on their notebook and you're not worried?!  It just seemed really random to add.

I will say that it ended decently and I really liked the small town setting.  The kind of neighborhood that was safe enough to leave your doors unlocked all the time, and where the people who lived there would welcome you with some kind of food only to drop it off and learn your whole life story, that part was written really nicely.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Gore, Sexual violence, Sexism, Rape, Gaslighting, Violence, Sexual assault, Body horror, Classism, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Death

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Animal death, Kidnapping, Antisemitism, Self harm, Hate crime, Torture, Ableism, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Drug abuse

Minor: Pregnancy, Grief, Bullying, Cursing, War, Vomit, Suicide, and Domestic abuse

joyfulfoodie's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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? Yes

2.0

This was the darkest, goriest book I have read, possibly ever. I don’t even know where to start with the trigger warnings. I HAD to finish it so I could have some resolution, something to replace some of the awful images from early in the book. But I won’t say I enjoyed it. A lot of this book had me staring in horror at the page with my eyebrows knit together and my mouth curled in disgust. Not for the squeamish, and I thought I was pretty strong. Apparently I can watch the gory shows and movies but not read the gory books. Who knew. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Suicide attempt, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Bullying, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit

Rats. Bugs. Droppings from both.

nialiversuch's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Ableism, Alcohol, Classism, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Kidnapping, Medical content, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Bullying, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Drug use

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book is INTENSE. Kinda hit all of the trigger warnings on the way down. I was surprised how much I liked the author's characterization of the women, though.

Spoiler

But damn, I was so ready for Patricia's husband to bite the dust. He was on my last nerve.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Racism, Dementia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, Violence, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Stalking, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Bullying, Pregnancy, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Fatphobia, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Body shaming, Confinement, Excrement, Grief, and Vomit

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Cancer, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Abortion, and Drug use

trippalli's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

A good solid monsters story, feminist and yet also gruesome

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child death, Blood, Murder, Suicide, Vomit, Violence, Suicide attempt, Torture, Stalking, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racism, and Xenophobia

bitterseason's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Blood, Child death, Classism, Gaslighting, Gore, Murder, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Grief, Physical abuse, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Cursing

aardwyrm's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Like having your teeth pulled out by barbed wire, but they're really polite about it. There is a very scary vampire, but, you know how all good horror is about the unnatural threat AND the real ones? There's more dread in a cocktail party with friendly acquaintances than in most of the scenes with, you know, vampirism. The book juggles its time and place, both as a setting dripping with dread and with a comfortable, sympathetic gentleness that never actually lets anybody off the hook (though Mrs. Green is really much too forgiving in the last act). Does a really interesting job with being horribly physical about the most mundane and most otherworldly manifestations of gore alike. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Violence, Vomit, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Self harm, Racial slurs, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

I liked this book, but it's billed as more horror comedy, and I do want to be clear, the horrible parts are gonna hit.

taytayc23's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

This was the first book that really got me back into reading recently and it was a good start. I'd heard about it for so long and finally decided to pick it up. There's a part that I really thought the plot line died but I was wrong and it got good again! 10/10 would recommend during spooky season.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Child death

Moderate: Bullying, Rape, and Domestic abuse

val_so_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Misogyny, Blood, and Sexism

Moderate: Child death, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, and Medical content

Minor: Bullying and Body shaming