Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - All the Sinners Bleed

PSA: don’t sleep on S.A. Cosby and All the Sinners Bleed. Cuz this book (frankly all his books) are solid gold.

I picked up Blacktop Wasteland earlier this year - I had it on my shelf for a minute and was in a book slump. Lord. Lord. Lord. I finished it in 2 days, reeling with visions of car chases, people catching on fire, and small southern towns complexly created with racism, community, poverty, booze, and car grease.

The second I saw ATSB I preordered it. Then waited too many days for B&N to deliver it (lol). And was once again blown away. Cosby’s use of language is unmatched: descriptive and clear, vividly crafting a story that is lush and inventive. The characters jump off the page and feel like real life - Titus especially felt 3D. Racism and misogyny, homophobia and poverty, the bastardization of religion, all intertwined with love and family, Black man vulnerability and community. The violence is horrible but you can’t look away, turning page after page to try to get a glimpse of the antagonist - to understand what would make a person do such horrible things.

No one comes out unscathed in this book. And it left me thinking about these complexities far longer after I closed the cover. Do yourself a favor. Read ATSB. Then read Blacktop Wasteland. And join me on this journey as an absolute fan of Cosby’s work.

Content Warnings

tlaynejones's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.25

I enjoy SA Cosby’s books, they are fast paced and compelling reads which include some interesting social commentary. Having said that they have more of a profoundly masculine feel than most books I would consider reading. This is not necessarily good or bad, but is noteworthy for its consistency and thoroughness. This is a world of straight cis men relating to other straight cis men. There are a few peripheral women, but they aren’t fleshed out, and mostly just provide a reflection for the male character to bounce off of. There were no identified or implied queer characters in this book. Considering Cosby’s last book was an examination of homophobic toxic masculinity in Black southern men, I found this interesting.
I plan on continuing to read Cosby, as a queer woman I do understand the desire to immerse yourself in and explore the subculture to which you belong. Especially when that culture is largely erased and oppressed by the dominant images. But a part of me does wonder if Cosby’s love of, and questioning of, his culture will include more feminism in the future?
CW for ALL the violence in this book. Including towards children.

Content Warnings

shoshpursley's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

lcg527's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.5

Titus is the first elected black Sheriff in a rural town in Virginia. On the one-year anniversary of his term as Sheriff, a high-school shooting in town occurs killing the town’s most revered teacher. A gruesome backstory unfolds in the investigation of this teacher, the shooter, and a serial killing lone wolf on the run. This rural community is divided due to race, addiction, and religion. These themes are part of this story. SA Cosby is a talented writer and this book is as gritty and propulsive as his other works. This is not for sensitive readers - there are a lot of grisly details of deaths and perverse violence. The narrator of the audiobook is terrific! Thank you to NetGalley for the audio ARC.

Content Warnings

nevertheless_she_reads's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this advanced read, All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby.

This book begins with a high school shooting and through the investigation of the killer, unravels to reveal secrets of the victim, a beloved teacher in Charon County. At the head of the investigations, is Titus Crowne, the county's first ever Black sheriff.
This is a heavy book, as S.A. Cosby's books are, that comes with a multitude of content and trigger warnings, including racism, murder, child pornography, molestation and sexual assault of minors, and body mutilation.
While I struggled at times with the content, I pushed through because S.A. Cosby's work is powerful, and he always writes a good story.
This one is not for everyone. But I am grateful for the opportunity I had to listen.

Content Warnings

mollysbooklist's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This book is very good but very heavy. If you love thrillers you definitely should read it.

My thoughts:
1. The audiobook narrator was perfect for the characters. He did a great job.
2. I feel like there is something left unsatisfied with this book, but I think it’s supposed to feel like that though. It’s got a sense of melancholy to the ending.
3. This isn’t a book where you’ll guess who did it. You find out along with the MC which I kind of liked.
4. The commentary on race and religion is excellent.

**Please check the content warnings for this book if you have any triggers**

CW/TW:

Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury / injury detail, Kidnapping, Mass school shootings, Murder, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, alcohol abuse, and illegal adoption

Content Warnings

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