Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

21 reviews

javafenn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book needs a SERIOUS trigger warning for child murder, child sexual assault, and violence. I read this because it was on Obama’s list of books from 2023. The story was excellent! Don’t get me wrong. Titus is a likable character who just wants to be a good sheriff and he is! The topics in this story are just so serious. I don’t think I would have read it if I had known. Reading through it though it was good and i loved figuring out who the killer was! Definitely a good story just very heavy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Grief, Sexual violence, Torture, Bullying, Violence, Abandonment, Cursing, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Mental illness, Animal death, Body horror, Classism, Gore, Confinement, Drug use, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Car accident, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Infidelity, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, and Stalking

silkyyy's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Mass/school shootings, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Racism, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Racial slurs, Drug use, Animal cruelty, and Drug abuse

Minor: Vomit

kshertz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Thrilling, mysterious and I couldn’t see any of it coming. I really enjoyed the ride. This author is someone who can weave in social commentary so beautifully with real life, gore, and small town life. He never misses. Highly recommend. The ending and whodunnit lost .25 for me because it felt not connected. But still, read this book!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Kidnapping, Murder, Stalking, Torture, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Classism, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Violence, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Gore, Grief, Racism, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault

jhbandcats's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I love SA Cosby - I would probably read a phone book if I knew he’d written it. That said, I have some quibbles with this book. 

I’m tired of the crazed serial killer story. If there were as many serial killers as serial killer novels, there would be a huge dip in our population. The weakest part of the story was about the fanaticism and insanity, the abuse to the victims, and the descriptions of the torture chamber. 

A minor complaint: when the sheriff finds the old woman who knew of the young boy, she doesn’t say his name and he’s referred to as “the boy” thereafter. Why no name? It wouldn’t have given anything away. 

Also, it felt like the killer was a rabbit pulled out a hat. I don’t think anyone would have figured out his identity by the end.

The strongest parts deal with the racism embedded in the South (and indeed the whole US) and the way Black people are confronted with it every day. The topical issues of white supremacy and rabid Confederacy adherents show that the worst bits of the story are all too real, not fiction at all. 

It’s a shame that Cosby is likely preaching to the choir - I can’t imagine any racist deciding to read to the end of this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Gun violence, Hate crime, Animal death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Torture, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Pedophilia, Vomit, Racial slurs, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Chronic illness, Murder, Gore, Blood, and Mental illness

tsundokukarla's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Racism, Trafficking, Torture, Pedophilia, Child death, Religious bigotry, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use

misspennreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Excellent writing. Thoughtful and nuanced portrayal of police role in violence. Pretty tight plot that doesn't get bogged down in the procedurals of police work, but does follow Titus (the Sheriff) in his own deliberations. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Drug abuse, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Police brutality, and Mental illness

Minor: Suicide

tysbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was my most anticipated book of the year and it did not disappoint!!  This is the darkest book I have read from S.A. Cosby but everything in this story just worked so well together. I enjoyed how this story followed the sheriff, Titus, and we watched while he worked to solve these horrific crimes and put all the pieces together. The pacing in the book was fantastic because something was always going on, a new piece of the puzzle was also being provided and the ending was non-stop. Recently I have read many books that have started out great but when it got to the end they dragged on. This book knew what it came to do and by the time we got to the end it was wrapped up nicely and without anything being dragged out. This brought up so many topics from religion, black people being killed by white cops, black people not being prioritized in the media the same way a white person would be when they go missing and a few others. I liked the small town feel of this one and how these people are connected or have interacted in one way or another throughout the story. I liked following Titus and seeing the struggles he has of being a black sheriff in a racist town and how the crimes he was trying to solve brought up old demons from his past that he was struggling with. This book has a ton of triggers including the mention of drug use, torture, pedophilia, graphic violence and shooting at a school. I thought Razorbalde Tears was my favorite book by this author but I think this one has made it to the top and I for sure will read more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Torture

Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, Mass/school shootings, and Racism

jamie_rich's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Gore, Excrement, Drug abuse, Cursing, Child abuse, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Mass/school shootings, Domestic abuse, Murder, Death of parent, Death, Child death, Alcoholism, Animal death, Violence, Racism, Drug use, and Blood

feralbookwife's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

S.A. Cosby can take tropes of thrillers and make them deeper, darker, and more compelling. A tangled web of morality, Christianity, identity, secrets, and the many forms of violence in a society. This was the first thriller to make me cry. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Animal death, Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Addiction, Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Ableism, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Sexism, Slavery, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Torture, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Blood, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Stalking, Chronic illness, and Classism

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Mass/school shootings, Cursing, Gore, Murder, Religious bigotry, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Torture, Car accident, Child death, Classism, Grief, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racism, Alcohol, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer and Mental illness

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, and Drug abuse