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amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Cancer and Mental illness
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, and Drug use
lcg527's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
no_more_shelf_control's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
I have found that S.A. Cosby is in a genre of his own. Is "Grit. Lit." a thing? If it is, Cosby is King. This goes beyond a gritty tale of sordid activity in a smaller town dealing with ghosts of racists past and present, but goes deep into areas of power, safety, and trust.
Titus is the first Black sheriff in Charon County and when a school shooting ends with his officers killing the shooter, it seems like the narrative should be easy. When it is discovered that the victim of the shooter was involved in heinous activities and bodies are found, a much deeper thread is pulled.
I felt like this story, while horrific and did have graphic details, could have been more graphic and I am glad it was not. I felt like this struck a perfect balance of enough but not over the top. I get a bit nervous with audiobooks knowing it will get gritty as I don't necessarily have the ability to skim over if I need to! I was prepared for this one and felt like the narration was superb. There was the audible disdain and horror presented, as well as the steely determination of Titus to solve this case and not cave to pressures of various sides. I did listen at 2x speed which was just right.
I really love the way Cosby takes a whole trove of interconnected issues, combines them all and with precision, crafts a highly entertaining narrative that makes me cringe, think, gasp, and applaud. The take-downs are obvious, calling out the charlatans in our society.
I clearly enjoyed this most recent offering of Cosby's. While my favorite is still probably Blacktop Wasteland, this one is a close contender for top.
Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for @flatiron_books for this ALC and having me share my thoughts. This will be a perfect, hot, summer read and it comes out June 6!
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, and Murder
mollysbooklist's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
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
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Police brutality