Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

If you want a low-key horror Spooky Season read like “Valley of the Dolls”-vibe with Dracula in it, that’s your book ^ ^ CW for a lot of misogyny, (domestic) abuse, r*ape, blood & gore. & a dead dog.

I found the first few chapters highly entertaining, slightly in the vein of Big Little Lies (or Little Big Lies?), but it threw me off when a "black woman" was introduced. Wait, was I supposed to assume everyone else is white?

Various thoughts while reading the book (there may be spoilers):

• A few dozen pages in, this book is about 50% pretty good, 20% really good, and 30% cute.
• Neat vampire concept. According to his podcast, Super Scare Haunted Homeschool, he spent a ridiculous amount of time studying vampire lore history, and it shows. He took a very unique approach to the vampire, while at the same time, keeping it very obviously a recognizable vampire.
• Overtly sexual without being sexy. The transfer of fluids in a very specific bodily location increases the rape-yness that vampirism already exemplifies.
• About 2/3 of the way through, the book is 60% pretty good, 30% really good, and still 10% cute.
• All the husbands in this book suck. Not a single one is a redeemable character.
• Time jump! Finding it hard to believe in the 3-year gap, maybe it will pay off in some way.
• COCKROACH IN THE EAR BURN IT WITH FIRE
• Oof, turning the kids’ situations into what could easily be viewed nowadays as “grooming” makes it even creepier.
• There is no way Grace would have come through in the end, based on how she acted the rest of the time. Probably the only part of the book where I had a legit problem w/ where Hendrix took the plot.
• 3-year gap not really paid off, would have probably made more sense with one year.
• Book’s over. I go back to the original statement – 50% pretty good, 20% really good, 30% cute.

Not bad over all. I would give it it 6-out-of-10 Cockroaches wriggling their way into your ear. You’re welcome for the image.