Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

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

153 reviews

karleywestra's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Blood, Child death, Animal death, Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gore, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Classism, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Murder

amycam's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Murder, Racism, Excrement, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Violence

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

multiplyoctopi's review against another edition

dark emotional funny tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Dementia, Death of parent, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Pedophilia, Vomit, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Police brutality, Alcoholism, Excrement, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity

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

apestforwrens's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense 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? Yes

3.75

Grady Hendrix always makes you think with his writing. Sometimes that thought is " I wouldn't have made that narrative decision" and sometimes that thought is "this is a super creative take on the vampire story".
Hendrix is fantastic at pulling you into his main character's head and forcing you to see why they are reacting to their situation the way they are. This is a horror book and contains some potentially upsetting stuff. I'd definitely recommend checking the trigger warnings before starting if you're worried about that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Classism, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Suicide attempt, Death, Death of parent, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Vomit, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Dementia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Terminal illness, Violence, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Medical content, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Drug use, Fatphobia, and Drug abuse

marieeveparentroy's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Gore, Grief, Vomit, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Violence

Minor: Infidelity

maxattack's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious 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

4.0

“He thinks we’re what we look like on the outside: nice Southern ladies. Let me tell you something…there’s nothing nice about Southern ladies.” 

See content warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Classism, Death, Gore, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Antisemitism, Child death, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and War

Minor: Animal death and Fire/Fire injury

Re: antisemitism — a young boy forms an obsession with Hitler and the Nazis, which is treated by his family members as a morbid fascination and a source of annoyance rather than a major concern. There are no blatant acts of antisemitism, and apparently the boy grows out of his fascination, although he remains a major edgelord. There are themes of racism throughout, as this is set in 1990’s American Southern suburbia. I don’t believe that racist or antisemitic behaviors are being promoted in this book, but of course read with caution.

alexandramiller's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted tense 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

3.0

This felt reckless and irresponsible on so many levels, none of them necessary

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Infidelity, Blood, Death, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Animal death, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

ewinnk's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Body horror, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, and Violence