The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

From the title, I was expecting a clever satire. What I got was a mediocre, trope filled horror novel.

It was fine. The first section of the book had good pacing and some increasingly tense and terrifying scenes that lived up to the marketing. The pacing in part two felt too slow and then the author decided to use sexual assault as a plot point, which was unnecessary. It turned me off the book for about a month before I decided to just finish it. The end was solid and duly gruesome with only a slight nod to some of the racial dynamics that may have been true in the 90s but probably could have been reevaluated for this story.

I agree with Grady Hendrix that the scariest things in the world aren't monsters, it's patriarchy and white privilege. But a little less desperate housewives and more vampires would've made this way less a chore to get through.

This book is nothing what it seems.

This book almost feels like it doesn't belong to one genre. It has humor,a monster and a detective story. And I don't think that's a bad thing. It's also an amazing palate cleanser if you've been reading a lot of one type of book. I enjoyed how fleshed out some of the characters are. It would be very easy to just type cast one of the characters as the “religious one” etc.
So given the above, why not five stars? This book has what I see as a few small problems. They weren't barricades to my enjoyment, but they caused me to pause and “Huh?” a few times. For instance, I think the writer needs slightly more practice writing action scenes. I had to re-read a paragraph a few times to figure who was doing what to whom and how. In addition, at one point a character undergoes some development (yay! Go Team!) and then there's a time jump and seems like the character development has moved to another country, changed its name, and disavowed it's former life as a plot point. The character recovers their mojo (which is part of the reason I have 4 stars.), but I would have liked if that time jump was handled differently.

4.5
This book was unique, disturbing, complex, atmospheric and one of the most entertaining books I read this year. Truly an unforgettable read!

This was my first Hendrix read but I've heard so many good things about them. I think this book lived up to my expectations. I love a friendship story and vampires so why wouldn't I love this book?! I did find it a bit slow but I loved all the little inner monologue and time they took to build these ladies characters. Can't wait for my next read from Hendrix, even the new book coming out next year, pregnant witches? Hell yeah!

This was a wild ride! The story at times made me cringe, hold my breath, laugh out loud, picture people I know, and clench my jaw in anger, but it was a great book to get lost in! In addition to be a very readable book, there are so many things to discuss that it would make a great book club choice.

This is the first Grady Hendrix book I didn't love. The characters just aren't as vibrant as they are in his other works, and the story feels like it takes forever to actually start. It's not a BAD book - it picks up in the second half - but it's the first of his titles that I could never see myself rereading.

I love this so much!! The description of the horror scenes had me reading with my book at arms length. I held my breath and gasped. The characters are written in such a way that I was rooting for those I loved and despising those I didn't. Any book that evokes this much emotion in me can never be less than a 5 star.

I found the plot to be enjoyable although at times uncomfortable. I don't lessen my rating for this however as it is of the genre that uses shock value.

Definitely check TWs

This was good, though I didn't love it like I did [b:Horrorstör 13129925 Horrorstör Grady Hendrix https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1414314217l/13129925.SX50.jpg 18306052] and [b:My Best Friend's Exorcism 26118005 My Best Friend's Exorcism Grady Hendrix https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456208235l/26118005.SX50.jpg 46065002]. It didn't seem as funny - in fact, some seriously heinous all-too-realistic bad shit happens, like rape, suicide, and child abuse (seriously, big trigger warnings here). Of course icky bad stuff happened in the other books too, but this seemed more like real life and less fantastic.Now, the more serious tone fits with the metaphors and is pretty well-executed. Horrorstor dealt with 20-something employment and commercialism, and MBFE was like a pure hit of “I was a 14-year-old girl in 1987” nostalgia and dealt with how being a teenager can be like literally being possessed, from the standpoint of parents, friends, and even self. This book takes aim at misogyny, domestic abuse, sexual assault, racism, classism, and dementia. That's . . . a lot. The nostalgia angle doesn't hit me as hard with this one - I'm not (really) southern and I haven't had a circle of friends that was both enduring and close and also kind of judgy (heh - maybe I just repeated myself?) Also, my husband isn't AWFUL, as the husbands are in this story. The most sympathetic ones were kind of non-entities/checked out. I'm thankful I can't connect to the experience of feeling both at the mercy and abandoned by the person who's supposed to support you. But that said, this does hit some perfect notes about being a primary-caregiver mother: feeling pressure to perfectly control and orchestrate your children's lives to the point where they literally don't feel negative emotions; and simultaneously resenting your kids or being irritated beyond all measure with them. I was certainly nodding along a lot of the time!

This book was the choice for a book club that I am in on Facebook. I was immediately intrigued by the cover, and colors of the book. It's eye-catching. This is my first Grady Hendrix book and I adore the authors writing style. There is no lack of detail and the story sunk me in. It was a quick read and I enjoyed every part of it except the ending. The ending came up a bit dry for me but in defense of the author, I'm picky with endings. I enjoyed the book so much I went out and bought a copy for my shelves.

Perfect.

“‘We're a book club,' Maryellen said. ‘What are we supposed to do? Read him to death? Use strong language?'”

It's a return to the neighborhood of My Best Friend's Exorcism, and I want even more, thank you, Grady.

That was so out of my comfort zone. I hope I will never read about cockroach in the anyone's ear ever again.

Awesome first book for bookclub with my friends. All of us even finished it and we had a lot to talk about.

As for the bookclub in the book - I wanted more from it. It was always somewhere in the background, always mentioned but rarely directly involved. The whole book had a bit weird plot structure. There was a lot of overshadowing and reader had no doubts about who the vampire was. But he was kinda the obvious monster. The main nightmare were lives of the women which looked more or less perfect but were very far from it.

Well, this book did provide me with the happiest of all possible endings, when the MC said that she wants a divorce. I hated her husband so much I couldn't understand how she can be with him in the same space. Especially when he opens his mouth. The murder should've happend sooner and to Carter.

OH MY GOODNESS!!! This was so good. It was humorous and suspenseful all in one. They were right it's like vampires meets Steele Magnolias. Read it you won't regret it.

Near perfect read. I like and respect the premise – the nods to other books, including mashups of “literature” and horror. I liked what the book had to say about the human instinct to ignore the things we want to keep at a distance. And I liked what the book had to say about women not being taken seriously. Bahni Turpin! I listened to the audiobook, and I'm so glad I did. If I listed my favorite audiobooks of all time, no narrator would show up more than Bahni Turpin. I just love her work, and she blew me away yet again.A deal with the devil. I kept on thinking about the Audre Lorde quote about how the master???s tools will never dismantle the master???s house. The white women at the center of the story are invested in not rocking the boat, in not challenging their husbands, in justifying the status quo. White women, then and today, come by a lot of their privilege through the white men with whom they align, and these women find out just how precarious it all is. Early on, we're told a story about the vampire which shows his modus operandi – target black people, appeal to the greed and ego of white men. The main character, Patricia, tries to appeal to her friends, telling them he's harming black children. They try very hard not to believe, wanting to choose ignorance, especially since their husbands are in business with him. Patricia fairly early on makes the association that those kids could be her kids, and you save children when in peril. Why, yes, there's foreshadowing then. I had sympathy for some of the women, I also wanted to smack them, and their willfull ignorance. These women were rarely overtly racist, but they happily lived in their segregated neighborhood, chatting about gated communities, oblivious to what's happening down the road from them. Arguably the most heroic person is a black woman who looks after the main character's mother in law, and she I would have loved more of her perspective. She also calls the ladies on their B.S.This story is the road to these women removing their blinders, which might be a bit of a familiar feeling to some people these days. You could definitely read it through the lens of BLM, and a theme of which lives matter, and to what degree. Not that the author is overt, or directly invokes it. A quick Google search indicates he is not publicly political. SSDGM by a Vampire The women are fans of true crime, and that just might be what saves them. The excerpts and discussions are murderino approved! Blah Blah Blah The vampire, and just about every man in this story is a big old mansplainer. The vampire mansplained until the last moment. Some “people” cannot be killed enough. The men also kinda ruined the book club for a bit. Being a woman with important information, and being gaslighted and not heard is a pretty classic (and relatable) horror trope. He has his father's eyes. One of the classic authors of satirical horror was a man named Ira Levin, and I have to think Grady Hendrix, who is a student of the genre [b:Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction 33670466 Paperbacks from Hell The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction Grady Hendrix https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1504436657l/33670466.SX50.jpg 54542087] had him in mind, particularly [b:Rosemary's Baby 228296 Rosemary's Baby (Rosemary's Baby, #1) Ira Levin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327878603l/228296.SY75.jpg 883024] and [b:The Stepford Wives 52350 The Stepford Wives Ira Levin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554371721l/52350.SY75.jpg 1534281]. The Levin books and this one have oodles in common, particularly husbands who will sell out their family for success, and wives who are belittled while living the saying that you are not paranoid if people really are out to get you. You CAN judge a Grady Hendrix book by it's cover. He has the best covers these days. I cannot decide which version of My Best Friend's Exorcism I prefer, but I think it's the VHS looking one.[bc:My Best Friend's Exorcism 41015038 My Best Friend's Exorcism Grady Hendrix https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533059241l/41015038.SY75.jpg 46065002][bc:My Best Friend's Exorcism 26118005 My Best Friend's Exorcism Grady Hendrix https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456208235l/26118005.SX50.jpg 46065002]Genius. Meanwhile, this cover is –Chef's kiss– Women's fiction, literary fiction, horror, maybe even Twilight. Compare:[bc:The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires 54333381 The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires Grady Hendrix https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593499474l/54333381.SX50.jpg 68534292][bc:Commonwealth 28214365 Commonwealth Ann Patchett https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1483278132l/28214365.SY75.jpg 48242398][bc:Twilight 41865 Twilight (Twilight, #1) Stephenie Meyer https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1361039443l/41865.SY75.jpg 3212258][bc:Bite Me 8570832 Bite Me Christopher Moore https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442548654l/8570832.SY75.jpg 6752024]Here's a secret I usually also end up becoming a bit chocked up ready books by this author. The stories are camp, and satire, and funny, but there's also a real heart there that comes shining through at unexpected moments. What else? I hate when pets die horribly in horror, and this author HAS DONE THAT BEFORE in a way that – no pun intended – haunts me, so when I saw there was a dog in this one... See, I am traditionally so worried about the pet that any time they're on the page I'm so freaked out that my enjoyment of the story is diminished. In case you are like me, and would prefer to know going in... The book takes place over several years, and the dog does eventually die, and it IS sad, but Ragtag does not die a sad horror story death. Close, but...Oh, the son is obsessed with Nazis, and Patricia never pursues that, which to me is just part of the theme of not wanting to deal with the hard stuff. Also, I am not saying this would automatically make him evil, considering what I read, but it fascinates me that she never pursues this. Major Spoiler And nothing comes of it. I suppose it was just there for the reading to track and worry about.

One of those books that sounds spectacular in concept but falls rather flat in execution.

The writing wasn't for me. Maybe it's just because I'm not in the mood to read something like this, but I felt the book was overly descriptive which made me want to skip sentences and sometimes whole paragraphs - the worst is that I wouldn't be missing anything if I did.

Entertaining and fast read with many disturbing, chilling and creepy moments. There were some good aspects and bad aspects of this book but it actually got better as it went along.

It was also surprisingly funny with quirky bits of dialogue:

“I am not sure what the appropriate gesture is to make toward the family of the woman who bit off your ear, but if you felt absolutely compelled, I certainly wouldn't take food.”

The title to me implied that a book club would be working together to fight vampires. That's not what happened. Instead, most of the book is about gaslighting Patricia. Patricia is a character to empathize with and root for in her struggle to free her family and town of their evil neighbor. Her fellow book-clubbers unfortunately put their fears of their husbands, fears for their personal security, and fear of public opinion in front of protecting the children of their town. Things went bad for Patricia, but it kept me reading, hoping she was going to be vindicated.

Now the not so good things.

The Messages about the wrongs of Racism, Sexism, and Classism from the book were far from subtle. Hendrix doesn't trust the reader to be smart enough to come to any conclusions on their own. There is evil in putting your own financial and social standing above all else, while allowing disadvantaged people to be exploited and destroyed. Unfortunately, it's not left for the reader to think about these evils in the character's actions. Instead, it is overtly said, words stating the obvious put right into the characters mouths:

“Then again, I moved here because you people are all so stupid,” he said. “You'll take anyone at face value as long as he's white and has money.”

I also thought the stupidity and egotism of the Husbands Who Don't Listen was weak. The worst of them cheat and abuse their wives either physically or emotionally and the best of them are shallow and clueless. Not one book club member is in a good marriage, and to me it feels like a device used to make the men jackasses in order to elevate the women. Hendrix is yet another writer who doesn't trust that a female character can be written as resourceful, brave, and layered without also diminishing the men.

This book was fun and exciting but could have been so much more if Hendrix had faith in the intelligence of his audience.

5/5 stars TW: sexual assault
The cockroach scene had me screamingggggg

5 stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was on the fence between a 4.5 and a 5 star but since I stopped reading, I can't stop thinking about everything that's happened!

What a whirlwind. From beginning to end I was pushed from one direction to another, not knowing what to think or who to believe or what the hell was going on.

Honestly from reading this... I'm gullible as hell lmao. I truly enjoyed Patricia as a main character. I enjoyed how deeply she cared and her determination to keep people especially children safe. I loved the friendship between the women in the book club and I loved how you could see the ups and downs in the friendship. The husbands.. SUCKED. Especially Carter. But I am so happy how things wrapped up in the end.

This caught me by surprise. Definitely wasn't expecting this to be a 5 star but I'm so glad it was. AND my first Grady Hendrix!! Can't wait to read more by him!

3.75 ⭐️

3.5
Great writing, I cringed and tensed up when I was supposed to.
If this was set in the 1950s (because that's what it felt like and not the 90s) then I would say it felt very realistic like I could picture this actually happening and the characters acting they way they did, if I suspended my disbelief that vampires existed. This had a lot more serious topics then I expected, it brought issues of class, race, sexual assault, child abuse and domestic abuse. There was even gas lighting.
The women were there for each other when it came to “normal” matters like arranging care for an elderly parent but when it came to the supernatural aspect of the book it took much longer then I liked for everyone to ban together. Based off the title of the book and the premise I thought there was going to be more of group of friends taking on this evil entity but that really didn't happen until the end of the book and it was mostly the main character having to handle things on her own.

I've seen criticism of the women representation in this book, personally I found this book to be no worse in its representation of women than a lot of books I've read that were written by women so I did not take particular exception to that. Are the characters somewhat flat? Yes. Is that something I would expect from that type of narration? Also yes.
The white woman main character ends up leaving the heavy lifting at the end to the black woman and the fattie (the character is never actually described as fat as far as I can remember but it's implied that she is heavyset) even though it was not that she wanted to leave it to them that seemed pretty realistic to me.
There were definitely moments where I was afraid this book would take a turn for the white saviorism but when it did it turned around and bit the character in the proverbial ass.
It also doesn't end with our “heroine” going back to her status quo so but with her divorcing the jerk so there's also that part which was satisfying.
Long story short, I enjoyed it well enough even though it was a little too lengthy for my tastes.

The book just seems like another book club group get together but about 25 percent in it changes into a supernatural book. Really loved the world building in this. The “vampire” is a bit different from what you would expect.
Pamela is a southern woman just looking to connect with other book lovers only she really hates the books that are being picked by their group leader. She and some other members branch off and make their own bookclub which is very successful. This is set in the early 1990's but it seems much earlier than that to me. more like the '70s.
I really did enjoy this book very much.