The pacing is perfect and keeps the reader engaged. The mystery aspect and reveals make it a page turner and you want to see what’s going to happen to Patricia and the book club next. This can also be accredited to the tension as well. In addition to the funnier or darker moments, the tension build ups are perfectly presented. There are some twists throughout the story and I enjoyed every single one. They are all built up to and executed perfectly and recontextualize a lot of what you may already know or predict which keeps things fresh. 

The book club’s group dynamic stands out throughout the book and is the heart of the story. Notably, they reminded me a lot of the group of the dynamic of the older women in Yellowjackets, however there is indeed an actual book club in this story. 

One of my favorite parts of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires was the climax. The plot is set up well, but quite slow. There is a very well done payoff once everything starts to unravel. 

The ending was a little bit sad, but I liked it and it served the overall message. This is a solid vampire book. Patricia is a very layered and complex character. Her story is extremely relatable and the choices and actions she and the book club take and make are understandable. I liked the focus on life as a woman, especially the expectations on a married mother. The female friendship is written to feel so real and a beacon of positivity when they are in sync working together.

Overall, this was a great Grady Hendrix vampire book. I laughed, I cringed, I got sad. If you’re looking for a relatable book about vampires, being a woman, friendship, or a snapshot of the south in the 90’s, look no further.