Reviews tagging 'Gore'

All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

79 reviews

veronnie10's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Alcoholism, Blood, Car accident, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Mass/school shootings, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Child death, Cancer, Violence, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, and Murder

carriepond's review against another edition

dark tense medium-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

3.75

The main character in All the Sinners Bleed is Titus Crown, who left a career with the FBI to return home and become the first Black sheriff in his Virginia hometown. A year into his new gig, Titus and his deputies respond to a shooting at the local high school. The shooter, whom two of his deputies kill as he leaves the school, was the troubled older son of a high school friend of Titus. The ensuing investigation uncovers something much more sinister, and Titus soon finds himself tracking down a serial killer.

I will start this review with the disclaimer that I don't read a ton of thrillers. I usually find myself annoyed if the plot is too predictable, especially because thrillers are often so plot-driven. I enjoyed this one more than I usually like thrillers.

Things I liked: Cosby does an excellent job with Titus's character. Many of the other characters are a little one-dimensional, but Titus is the star and he is a star. This kept me engaged even when there were some things I was quibbling with while I was reading (see below). The story also drew me in-- some of it was so disturbing, but ultimately I had to know how things would play out. There were also multiple side plots that I thought Cosby did a good job tying in and tying up, and it was a nice breather from the more grotesque aspects of the main murder plotline. Cosby also does a good job integrating the larger social critique into the story itself. 

Things I didn't like as much: I felt like I never really had time to wonder what would happen, if that makes sense. Almost as soon as a clue would appear, Titus would instantly figure out its significance or spring into action to move to the next puzzle piece. I like when I read a mystery and I'm given time to chew on how pieces fit together and here I felt like the wind kept being taken out of my sails. Maybe that's what makes it a thriller versus a mystery?

Despite that issue, I read through this really fast and thought it was a great thriller experience. I think folks who read a lot of thrillers would love this one. Definitely be warned though-- there's a lot in here that isn't for the faint of heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gore, Animal death, Racism, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, and Torture

Moderate: Police brutality and Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism, Mass/school shootings, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

arejaytay's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Torture, Blood, Animal death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Pedophilia, and Racism

tofufun's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Murder, Child death, Violence, Hate crime, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Racism, Mass/school shootings, Torture, and Hate crime

Minor: Pedophilia and Racial slurs

dana_naylor's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

3.75

Book is well-written and I’ll probably try reading Cosby’s other books, but boy is this rough to read!
Serious trigger warnings and what I’m putting in spoiler text is within first quarter of book.

Snuff films of teens being tortured and murdered. Very disturbing.

I don’t know if I could have handled listening to audiobook. Needed to take pretty frequent breaks from book as I approached the end. I found it more horror than mystery.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Mass/school shootings

katyps78's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gore, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Medical content, Kidnapping, Gun violence, and Hate crime

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.0

This was a dark book to read and the stuff movies get made of, but it’s actually an important treatise on the state of the South even today where many Whites still yearn for the days of Jim Crow and Black oppression.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Murder, Sexual violence, Confinement, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Gaslighting, Mass/school shootings, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Blood, and Child death

megmccreery's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

This was so dark and twisted but so layered. Definitely not for the faint of heart. I loved it and was genuinely creeped out. I would love to see this turned into a movie.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Cursing, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Torture, Abandonment, Police brutality, Body horror, Slavery, Violence, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Blood, Pedophilia, Death, Racism, Racial slurs, Medical content, Murder, Gore, and Gun violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Classism, Chronic illness, and Stalking

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

amalas_bookstop's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

The setting of this book is a gritty southern town in Virginia. You have a newly elected sherif who is black. He was voted in from the black community and the new residents that are moving in. The other side of the county is white and they are apart of a group called the sons of the confederacy. As if the racial tension was not enough. You also have the backdrop of a serial killer running amuck in the town. 

Please read trigger warnings before diving into this one.

S. A. Cosby does a wonderful job describing the town and the tension that Titus (sheriff) has to navigate through. However, there were a few plot holes for me on this one. He introduces tons of characters some who do not have anything to do with the major crime that is being investigated. I also wanted to know more about the connection of the actual criminals once they were uncovered. He left too many loose ends for me. 

Regardless I felt this book was just ok.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Classism, Blood, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, Murder, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Torture, Child death, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Gore, Grief, and Death of parent

afriduss's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Classism, Grief, Stalking, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Gore, Blood, Cursing, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Child death