I’m not usually a huge fan of vampire fiction, unless it is something like this. Grady really nails down the whole suburban housewife thing. I love the eighties vibe, but it felt a bit more like the fifties because of how dedicated these housewives were to their husbands. I think I would’ve told mine to go kick rocks long before the climax of this book.
That being said, I absolutely LOVED this book. Even though it is a bit slow on the action at times, it kept me turning pages. Maybe it’s because I am a woman, or a feminist, or maybe it’s the fact that I grew up in the eighties and nineties. I identified with these women in so many ways. Other than wanting to clean all the time.
These wives lived to please their husbands and as a former people-pleaser, this hit a note. They cook and clean and care for the kids only to have their husbands abandon them during their biggest time of need. I’m not going to lie, this brought about some mom rage.
Regardless, they are able to use their homemaking skills and wit to battle one of the most horrific creatures in monster history. And every time you think that these witty women have been beat, they come right back for more. This story really does show the true strength of women. It celebrates the bonds that tie them and the hurdles they must overcome not just in fiction but in real life as well.
Hendrix really did give a huge nod to feminist struggles, misogyny, and the Patriarchy with this one. Excellent job. I think this blood-sucking symbol of misogyny is well used. I’m not sure if Hendrix meant to use his vampire as such but it sure could be interpreted that way. Think of how life-sucking male misogyny is. How oppressive. Then, to top it off, how Hendrix used his vampire to gather all the women and pit them against their wives. Brilliant. Because how often do we, as women, have to face off against men who’ve flocked together in collective groups just to bash women? As I am sure all of my female friends can tell you, it’s far more than we’d like.
Another thing that Grady was able to capture so well is the lengths that a mother will go through to protect her children, especially their daughters from male predators. Which his main character had no problem doing once the big bad was caught doing some pretty awful things. Momma bear jumped right into action and came up with a plan. Because that is what we women do. Mess with our kids and we will take you down! I love it.
Fiction really doesn’t get much better than this. This story was fun, intense, and hit on major social issues withing our society and that, my friends, is what literature really should be about. Reading is political, whether or not some people want it to be. It has always been and should always be. What may seem like a normal, everyday story can mean so much more. So, it is important that we read more books like these. I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next.
Happy Reading.
Comment below with some of your favorite anti-Patriarchy themed books.
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