I was excited to read this book and I wasn't disappointed! It was a hilariously scary read that made me cringe at times and then burst out laughing. The story is based in Charleston and revolves around Patricia and her book club friends. They are sent on a crazy journey when a interesting man comes to town that tests their friendships and families to prove their crazy beliefs. I was surprised at how gory it was, which might bother some, but it made the story very interesting to me. It was a quick read and I look forward to reading more titles from Grady Hendrix.

I was pretty excited about this book based on the synopsis, but unfortunately it didn't deliver. I was expecting a fun combination of Sookie Stackhouse and Stephanie Plum - something quick paced with bits of snark and empowered women. The vampire storyline was slow and underdeveloped, and the sexism experienced by the women characters lacked nuance in its overt ridiculousness. For me, this was a failed attempt at a man trying to write how women experience the patriarchy.

This was a fun one, although I did get upset for the main character several times throughout the book. Patricia is a housewife living in Mt. Pleasant, SC in the late 1980s-1990s. The book spans over 10 years but starts with her joining a book club where they read true crime and horror novels. A new neighbor James moves in down the street and after several very strange events, Patricia becomes convinced he is a vampire. Unfortunately, no one will help her and her husband and his friends are just awful, blaming the books she reads for this crazy idea. That’s all I’ll say on the plot because I don’t want to spoil it too much. One of the reasons I enjoyed reading this is because I used to live in Mt. Pleasant and it was cool when the different street and neighborhood names that I remember were mentioned. This is not a book I would normally pick up but it is getting a lot of buzz right now so I decided to check it out, and I’m glad I did… It was a quick, stimulating read.

Okay, I love basically everything about this book. It's a fantastic balance between quirky fun and creepy. I'm pretty sure I found myself laughing and cringing in equal parts. I'm usually not squeamish but the part with the rats and the part with the cockroach both really got to me. Well done. I 100% appreciate the fact that the dog makes it through and gets a fairly happy ending though. I extra love the fact that even though a vampire is nominally the big bad, the thing that Patricia and the other women kept coming up against the most was society and how it's stacked in certain people's favor. The vampire really gets most of his power from how society is set up and social norms are enforced.

What happens when you "pit Dracula against a mom"? This book happens. And it is amazing. I absolutely loved it, couldn't put it down, and cherished the friendships represented within the pages. I can't wait to tell everybody I know about this book.

At first blush, I thought that this book was going to be Hendrix’s best yet. As I read further, however, I found myself looking down at the percentage marker on my Kindle and wondering where the vampires were. How had I gotten this far through the story without anything actually happening? That turned out to be most of the book. There are some genuinely funny bits of dialogue in this novel and I loved the interactions between the women. Whenever the husbands or the children barge in, the story starts to get muddled. I actually wonder if this narrative would have been better served by alternating perspectives between Patricia, her friend Slick, and James Harris. At any rate, as much as I enjoyed the characters, I wanted more actual story. At times, the insertion of lurking evil in a very sleepy setting reminded me of the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie. I wanted more of that.

Once I’m back in the library, I would seriously hesitate to recommend this book to fans of horror and of vampire novels. At least in our library, our readers of those genres can tend toward the more purist side of the spectrum. There is really not a lot of vampire stuff in this book. A lot of the times I laughed or felt really drawn into the story were the moments that dwelled more on the true crime books and how people thought Patricia’s imagination had just run away with her. There is some good stuff here about tropes on women as true crime consumers and on the tendency for women’s instincts to get brushed off as hysteria. There is not a lot of horror, despite someone’s earlobe getting bitten off in the first act.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED My Best Friend’s Exorcism, and I was a little worried that I wouldn’t enjoy this one as much, as I am not all that interested in books about vampires. To my happy surprise, though, I enjoyed this one nearly as much as Exorcism. Grady Hendrix could very easily be the next Stephen King if he just pumped those books out a little faster ;)

A group of housewives meet regularly to discuss true crime books. When a stranger appears in the neighborhood and strange and horrific things start happening, our main character Patricia suspects something paranormal might be going on and tries to figure it out to keep neighborhood children safe. The vampire-related stuff was scary and fun to read, not over the top and silly like I was worried about. Grady is especially great at writing gross-out scenes - that cockroach in the ear, blegh! - without it seeming gratuitous. I felt a little nauseous for a good twenty minutes after finishing this book (I read it all in one sitting), but it was worth it. I also thought he did a great job writing those awful, gaslighting men. I have met men like those husbands before, and his descriptions and dialogue were spot on. I admired Patricia’s determination in the face of such a condescending and manipulative husband. Ugh. Would recommend this to anyone who loves horror and isn’t too squeamish.

I must admit the idea that this book is a mix of Steel Magnolias meets Dracula made me wary to read it, but the horror pull was too great. Before I say what I think, I will just give a quick overview it's the American South, it's the 1990's and a group of mothers have been brought together by their love of books.....true crime books in particular, so much so that they set up a bookclub. However, when a stranger appears in town their friendship is tested when one of their group becomes convinced that this man is not who he says he is, in fact he's more of a monster.

The first few chapter of this book were far too twee for me, I contemplated giving up as I really wasn't enjoying reading about these women's lives, however when the pace lifts up with the first hint of horror I thought great here we go, and this is how the plot works for the rest of the book........twee.....horror.......twee..............horror. I don't know if it was because I didn't connect with the characters or if it was a bit too cliched so I found it a bit frustrating however when the horror hits it really works. I probably would give it a 3 and a half

If Desperate Housewives and True Blood were to give birth to a book, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires would be it. Atmospheric and creepy (a few truly gross out scenes) but with some sly humor thrown in the mix.

Thank you for the chance to read and review this title. I’ll be posting my review to my accounts on 4/24/20. I love cover of this book and the synopsis grabbed my attention right away. This book is like a pot luck...it brings a lot of different dishes to the table. There is nostalgia, humor, suspense, horror, domestic drama, social issues, and more. Unfortunately, it missed the mark for me. It was a slow burn and then it got weird.

I loved the first 20% of the book. It was unique, a little hokey, and made me chuckle. Then it started going downhill. There is a lot of Nancy-Drew-Southern-Housewife time and it started to feel like Hendrix was beating around the bush. I was ready to get to the point. Then it got worse. I felt like I was reading a housewife journal with horror elements just plopped here and there. It was random and weird and I was not a fan. I can do scary and gory, but this weird semi-sexual preying on children and rape is not my brand of horror. I was never scared or spooked; I just felt uncomfortable. The book will make you feel strong emotions, but I was not a fan.

I gave this book a lot of side eye. 10/10 on the HB side eye scale. I’d say read it at your own risk. 2/10 ⭐️

Grady Hendrix somehow manages to write in a new voice for each of his titles. Southern Book Club’s Guide gives a rare opportunity to see into the minds and lives of The Southern Housewife, garnering sympathy and appreciation for a perhaps otherwise looked down on type of woman and character. Through their strength and backbone and sheer willpower, these women forge a bond we can only hope to achieve in realize, albeit through cheerier circumstances than theirs.
A unique viewpoint, not just on housewives but vampires, motherhood, friendship and community, I couldn’t put this book down.

HOW IS THIS BOOK SO GOOD??! Horror with a twist and infinitely readable. I loved every page. Can’t wait to share!

Thank you NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: 3.5/5 stars.

Let me start this review off by saying...I absolutely love vampires. Especially when they're on the darker, more gruesome side. It's the classic portrayal, and I'm a sucker for it. Pun intended.

I have mixed feelings about this story, though.I think I may have held my expectations a little too high. While the premise is awesome, I wasn't fully engaged in the story. The first half was fast and entertaining build-up that held my attention. The second half of the book was a little lackluster for me, and I wasn't the biggest fan of the characters, although I felt bad for them at times. My rating definitely would've bumped up higher if I enjoyed them more, but that's a personal preference!

With that being said, this is a good horror novel to dip your toes into. It's gruesome, a little weird and sexy at times, sucks you in with suspense, and is an entertaining read. I definitely recommend this book if you love vampires as much as I do!

READ THIS BOOK. I’ve never literally felt my heart pounding in the middle of reading a novel. Seriously, this is a must read. Full of humor, horror, and a dash of sweet Southern charm, I couldn’t get enough. Finished it in less than 12 hours because I could not consume it fast enough!

I had never heard of this author until The Bloggess Jenny Lawson made it her book of the month for the Nowhere Book Store book club.
Oh.
My.
Gosh.

Grady's publisher and agent need to send Jenny a massive thank you because without her championing this book, I never would have given it a look.
On the surface, this book seems like such a contradiction on paper - pampered and wealthy Southern women, a book club, set in the '80's, a VAMPIRE???, but this magical mixture works so well!!
The characters were so well written that I swear I could hear their voices. The evolution of them made you want to stand up and cheer for them.
I will wholeheartedly recommend this to my discerning readers!

I had really high hopes for this book. I love vampires, I love book clubs, but this didn't really deliver. I enjoyed the writing, but I hated almost every character in this book, there were little to no redeeming qualities in any of them. I think I didn't catch on to the humor, and I prefer to read books where all of the characters don't treat each other like trash.

I know that a lot of people absolutely love this book, and I can see how this would appeal to people looking for a specific book this will be great - it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read it.

I enjoyed this book so much. Sure the comparison feels obvious, but I definitely got 'Salem's Lot vibes, only I liked this one better. The story was is obviously fantasy, but also so realistic in the shittiest of ways.

This is a book I picked up because it was recommended by several sources. Vampires aren’t my choice of book subject and I expected to put it down halfway through. Like many preconceived thoughts, it proved to be untrue. I thoroughly enjoyed this book of wacky Charleston housewives who have a true crime book club and a neighbor who is a vampire. Funny and scary, this book touches on issues like the socially elite and racism, while taking a group of women who play second fiddle to their husbands and turns them into an almost bad ass group who takes on a vampire to save their children.

What a great read! A mix of dark humor, southern charm, and horror combines to bring the story of Patricia and her friends in Charleston, SC in the 90s when they form a true crime book club. At the same time a stranger comes to town and mysterious things start happening.
I could not put this down. Normally not a fan of supernatural elements but this was just creepy enough. Highly recommend!

This book is a classic, but much more grown up Grady Hendrix. The writing flows so well it’s almost like there is more than one story being told. An ending that eludes to more makes me hope for a sequel.