Reviews tagging 'Torture'

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

36 reviews

fionaraney's review

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Animal death, Rape, Torture, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Injury/injury detail, Grief, Domestic abuse, Child death, Murder, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Death, Cannibalism, Body horror, Alcoholism, Addiction, Blood, and Animal cruelty

mitchteri's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Gore, and Sexism

Moderate: Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault

Minor: Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Suicide, Domestic abuse, and Suicide attempt

tonyanicole's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Antisemitism, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual violence, Dementia, Physical abuse, Torture, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Murder, Gaslighting, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence

jlye's review

dark funny mysterious tense fast-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? No

3.75

Despite giving a 3.75 rating, I really enjoyed this book! As a mom in a book club of moms, who also loves true crime books and podcasts, The Guide to Slaying Vampires hit a lot of right notes for me. I was particularly drawn in by Mrs. Greene's storyline and how her experience in the book mirrors real-life issues with wider society and police turning a blind eye to the safety of BIPOC children and families. 

Spoiler

James Harris is a truly sinister villain who embodies the nightmares of many women

. I would have preferred the story be told with Mrs. Greene as the main character, not Patricia, and for that I knocked my overall rating down by 1 star. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Rape, Suicide attempt, Blood, Murder, Misogyny, Gaslighting, and Child death

zalbion's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-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: Torture, Gore, Murder, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Cannibalism, Death, Gaslighting, Blood, Emotional abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, and Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse

jwill583's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Emotional abuse, Murder, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Child death, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Rape

halbo's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Self harm, Terminal illness, Violence, Body horror, Classism, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

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

mr_cain's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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? Yes

3.5

Good plot, but the gratuitous rape and violence was not for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Torture, Injury/injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Dementia, Gaslighting, Gore, Murder, and Sexual content

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Death, and Infidelity

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Grief, Pregnancy, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, and Medical content

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.