Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

104 reviews

jmboff's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

albernikolauras's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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

This book was a ride of a book following two fathers bent on avenging their murdered sons - the sons happening to be married to each other. It was an interesting mix of gratuitous violence and men reconciling their treatment of their sons as gay, and can never take it back. I think that it went on a bit too long and they were both a bit too eager to resort straight to violence - especially in the beginning. But this isn't a book full of wholesome characters and they don't act or do as they should. It wasn't realistic in terms of its action, but S. A. Cosby covered the issues he wanted to cover very well - entrained homophobia, the criminal justice system, and racism (systemic and not) - and weaved them very well into the plot.

In summary - read if you want a rip roaring good time that discusses some very prominent issues. Avoid if you like wholesome characters or realistic plots. Or just recommend it to your dad because it seems exactly like a 'Dad' kind of book (in a not negative way). Four stars but five dads.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Sexism, Torture, Vomit, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

amanduhhhpls's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

Wow. I have not read a thriller this challenging in my whole life.

This is action-packed in the most brutal way, and there is a lot of violence depicted on page, both physical and against peoples identities. Check your trigger warnings, but if you can look past that there is an amazing story here.

While I can’t say I found any of these characters redeemable, I did find them realistic and this story of revenge forces the reader to focus on the parts of humanity that are uncomfortable and hard to swallow. These fathers have horrible opinions and have done horrible things, but they are attempting to move towards understanding for their sons in the wake of their grief, and that unfortunately is a common story.

This book did everything it set out to do, and I only knocked it a half star because it was incredibly hard to read with the violence, homophobia, and racism on page. Again, be sure to check trigger warnings for this one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Deadnaming, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer

emilyisawip's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Alcohol

Minor: Transphobia

planreadrepeat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Transphobia and Death of parent

Minor: Deadnaming

jessiebertram's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

angherr2009's review against another edition

dark tense medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol

soobooksalot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

"We're done letting them down."
 Razorblade Tears, as suggested by the title, is a story of contrasts. Harsh realities on every page.
 I knew early on this would be a five-star read for me.
 Ike and Buddy Lee have no reason to travel in the same circles, other than for their sons. Isiah and Derek - a biracial and happily married gay couple, fathers to a young daughter - were both murdered in cold blood for reasons unknown. 
 Their fathers spent time on the inside and aren't taking kindly to the world without their boys, despite their complicated relationships and lack of acceptance. 
 Buddy Lee and Ike are going to do what the police haven't, and find out who is responsible for their deaths. 
 Family isn't always blood related.
 Razorblade Tears is all at once beautiful and heartbreaking; violent and touching.
 The entire book is strengths - the pacing and plot, compelling and flawed characters, twists, and some absolutely amazing prose. 
 "Southern noir" author S.A. Cosby has an instant fan in me.
 Recommended, so many times over!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

leahrosiee's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Transphobia, Medical content, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Cancer

doomluz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

 Brutal and action packed. I wish it had more about the sons, but it was still interesting reading about the fathers grappling with their homophobia and realizing that they should’ve been better to their sons and listened to them while they were still alive. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol