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A review by arcticdryas
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.
DNF because the tone changed drastically after first third. The book club was barely a thing. The vampire was at times extremely capable and at others, woefully incompetent?
Patricia, oblivious and incompetent. One scene you’re beat over the head with all the signs of how they should be wary of the newcomer in front of him and no one even glances nervously or acknowledges it.
Kid is randomly obsessed with nazis for no apparent reason and it’s… persistent.
Lots of showing how sexism and classism and racism in the south in this era could have been, but it did feel more like 50’s or 60’s than 90’s - and again, kind of beat over the head with it (mc experiences something and then on-the-nose ruminates but doesn’t reallyyyy change).
If you’re looking for a book to open up discussion about those topics, along with sexual predation (especially of children, potentially grooming), then this could be good for that. There is explicit rape and graphic deaths, but it was sooo slow paced after the first 30ish % that it felt less and less like a horror and more like a slow thriller based around a woman’s dismantling of her beliefs - that she doesn’t act on very much (as far as I read).
Patricia, oblivious and incompetent. One scene you’re beat over the head with all the signs of how they should be wary of the newcomer in front of him and no one even glances nervously or acknowledges it.
Kid is randomly obsessed with nazis for no apparent reason and it’s… persistent.
Lots of showing how sexism and classism and racism in the south in this era could have been, but it did feel more like 50’s or 60’s than 90’s - and again, kind of beat over the head with it (mc experiences something and then on-the-nose ruminates but doesn’t reallyyyy change).
If you’re looking for a book to open up discussion about those topics, along with sexual predation (especially of children, potentially grooming), then this could be good for that. There is explicit rape and graphic deaths, but it was sooo slow paced after the first 30ish % that it felt less and less like a horror and more like a slow thriller based around a woman’s dismantling of her beliefs - that she doesn’t act on very much (as far as I read).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Rape, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Racism and Sexism