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

Note: While my review does not contain triggers, this book does. If you consider reading this book, I recommend reading the trigger warnings.

Summary:

Book club is the only thing Patricia Campbell has to look forward to in her life and the only people who understand having a workaholic husband and children who want their own lives. Bonded together by reading true crime, the group takes on new interests when Patricia is attacked by her neighbor and her attacker’s nephew, James, has moved into the neighborhood. Unlike everyone else is town, James has had an interesting life of travel and books and Patricia cannot help but be drawn to him. However, when kids on the other side of town start to go missing, Patricia has a strange feeling that James may be involved. Realizing too late what kind of monster James is, Patricia is determined to fight for her town and her book club.

My Thoughts:

This review is a little hard for me to write. This book is my first horror read and, after finishing, I realized horror is not for me. I do not think I can give an accurate review of the horror aspects of this book as it is my first horror read. However, there were enough horror elements that I feel comfortable saying this is a great match for anyone interested in horror.

As for the other aspects of the book, the story was intriguing enough to keep me going until the end. The description of small town living, the personalities of the women in the book club, and the lives people live behind closed doors were both stereotypical and spot on at the same time.

The relationships portrayed in this book were hard to read for me because of the forms of abuse and manipulation. The gaslighting was insane! The writing was amazing to have evoked discomfort and frustration from me at some the harder situations Patricia experienced.

I think the writing and the anticipation of what would happen next is what kept me reading. Overall I think it was an interesting story but some aspects just made it one that I would not want to read again. I would say this was a genuinely good read for horror fans.