“The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires” by Grady Hendrix is a hell of a ride. I’ve read Hendrix before and also enjoyed “The Final Girl Support Group” very much as his writing style, character development, plot twists, and all the creepy/scary situations are done very well.
For this novel, if you love vampires and want a scary, vulgar, modern story that gives you major “‘Salem’s Lot” vibes, this checks all those boxes and then some. Everything from the main protagonist, Patricia, to the eventual villain you’ll encounter, made for an extremely memorable read. I enjoy reading vampire novels and this is right up there with one of the more unique ways to tell a compelling story that hooks you right from the start to a wild ending.
Don’t worry, I won’t ruin anything for you but this is one of those hard-to-put-down horror novels. Some scenes and situations make you cringe, look away, re-read, and wince. The way Hendrix fleshes these certain situations out is so horrific that you’ll be on the edge of your seat leading to a beyond-satisfying conclusion. The buildup and momentum going into the ending were fantastic!
I give “The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires” a perfect 5/5 as I’d consider it a must-read for anyone who loves vampires, gore, blood, and just what a Southern ladies’ book club would do if this ever happened in real life. That’s what I loved the most about it as it all felt believable which added to the overall immersion of a high-quality horror novel. I plan to recommend those to anyone who also loves this genre.
by LTJ81