Reviews

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

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franklyfrank's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.5

chachos's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

gylait's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

Two dads seek out to find revenge for the murders of their Queer sons.

First warning, I would not read this book if you are averse to any sort of gore or violence. I am usually not one for that kind of thing but I felt the main characters were so endearing that I would either read the gore quickly, or just skim over it to get the gist. I had a soft spot for Ike and for Buddy Lee but coming off of All the Sinners Bleed, I just don't feel that this one compared. Cosby really hit his stride in Sinners, both character-wise and plot-wise, whereas I felt this novel was strong character-wise, but not necessarily plot-wise. The way the story wrapped up felt a little too neatly tied in a bow and I wished it was a little grittier, which I felt was the way with his other story.

Overall, an intese read but one that I felt was accompanied by two raw and real main characters.

agnesreadsbooksuk's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

biblio_creep's review against another edition

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5.0

Book Review | RAZORBLADE TEARS by S.A. COSBY

5/5 ⭐’s | PUB DATE: 6 July 2021

Read if you're looking for:

- An emotional story of loss & atonement

- Older men having to reckon with their homophobia after their gay sons are killed

- Exploration of parent/child relationships, homophobia, & white supremacy

- A humorous and heart-warming friendship between the two main characters

- Vigilante justice

I love everything I’ve read from S.A. Cosby so far, and this is no exception. This book was big last year so I’m a little behind, but this is the story of two homophobic older men, one black and one white, who are forced to reassess their prejudices when their gay sons, who were married and had a young child, are murdered. Buddy Lee is kind of a white trash drug dealer type, and Ike is a former gang member, and both spent time in prison. They meet at their sons’ funeral and team up to find out who killed their sons and to exact revenge.

The characters are so well written, and Ike and Buddy Lee have some of the best banter I’ve read. The relationship between the two of them is even sweet at times. As one would expect, this book deals with very heavy topics, including homophobia, transphobia, hate crimes, white supremacy, and murder. The emotion felt by these fathers can be deeply felt by the reader, as they grapple with regret and grief after the loss of their children. One particularly memorable scene shows Ike & Buddy Lee going to a gay bar to try to collect some information, and Ike having almost a panic attack having to be in an environment that is so foreign to him, with his homophobia and insecurity getting the better of him. This book has many touching and emotional moments as well. It is extremely well written and really depicts some of the reality of the complex relationships between parents and their queer children. If are okay with the content, this book is a must read!

CW: Violence, Homophobia, Gun violence, Murder, Transphobia, Racism