You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby

91 reviews

jhbandcats's review

5.0
adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

SA Cosby is an extraordinary writer. I can be sitting in my living room reading a book with my body but my mind is completely in the story with the characters, feeling the adrenaline and the tension and the terror. Nothing in my life is remotely like the plots of his books but he makes me feel like I’m there. 

The first couple of chapters ease the reader in slowly. You learn about the main character, his problems, his love for family, his violent history. By a third of the way in, you’re trapped - there’s no way you’re getting out of this book without reading it to the end. The first action sequence is mind-bogglingly good and it just gets better and better. 

Cosby writes action that doesn’t let up. Everything is clear not just in terms of plot but in logistics. I fear I’m not articulating how bowled over I was by this book. 

If you strip away the action and mystery, what’s left is an aching diatribe on the state of the Black man in white America. It’s a scathing rebuke. 

Truly fabulous book. I hope Cosby keeps writing and writing and writing. He’s a literary treasure. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Second book of S.A. Cosby's that I've read. He has knocked it out of the park again. Lots of violence so not for the faint of heart. Loved Bug's character and his relationship with his wife, Kia. One man's path to find himself, get ahead and ultimately get revenge. Loved it. Great audio book, the narrator was fabulous.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Intense and gripping. I really felt for Bug and was rooting for him the entire time. That’s what I really like about Cosby’s writing and characters. These are people who commit intense crimes and are flawed, but they’re complex and Cosby deals with them in all these intricate and interesting ways.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I absolutely loved this book. It's been on my list for a while and it just sucked me in. It's a perfect thriller, but be aware that there is significant racism, anti-fatness, and misogyny. 

Beauregard is tough and rough, but also a loving family man. His complexities were super realistic and also made it hard to like him. He is such a badass and I want to see him live on a screen. The car scenes and robbery scenes were so interesting and also heartbreaking. This book is so damn sad but also funny and wild and unique. I can't wait to read the rest of his books. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was pretty good. Some parts were anticlimactic but at other times, I felt like I was in Grand Theft Auto racing for my life. It was definitely a crime novel unlike any I’ve read before. Can a criminal ever really change his ways? One thing’s for sure: he will always drive it like he fucking stole it. I think I would have liked this book even better if I were a boy—a lot of the car stuff went over my head. 🤣

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark emotional tense medium-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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
ooohgoshtara's profile picture

ooohgoshtara's review

5.0
adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

"A husband, a father, a son, a business owner…And the best getaway driver east of the Mississippi.
Beauregard “Bug” Montage is an honest mechanic, a loving husband, and a hard-working dad."
My first noir crime thriller. Blacktop Wasteland is a fast paced crime novel. It tells the story of "Bug"a man pushed to his limits by childhood trauma, fatherhood, race, and poverty. He's haunted by his fathers legacy and how he walked out of his and his mother's life. He's trying to be a better man. A better husband, father, provider, friend but circumstances and his past keep getting in the way. As things begin to snowball he takes a risk that can change the trajectory of his life one way or another. The writing is engrossing and puts you right into the environment. It feels exciting you want to know what's going to happen next. There's mystery, action, suspense. This novel is an absolute page turner that keeps you on edge. The characters were well developed. I especially liked his wife Kia. Although I would have liked the ending to be more conclusive I appreciated that it was open ended and hope that Bug is finally able to push through and be that better man than his father was. I enjoyed this genre and will read more by this author.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings