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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 Black father. A white father. Two murdered sons. A quest for vengeance."
An action packed, emotional, fast paced, page turner. Ike and Buddy Lee had me on the edge of my seat. S.A. Crosby's writing is engrossing. The suspense, the mystery, the way the plot came together at the end. Some themes: conversations on sexuality, race, racism, grief, vengeance, redemption, parental relationships, fatherhood, forgiveness and friendship. The audio was superb. This needs to be made into a movie!
An action packed, emotional, fast paced, page turner. Ike and Buddy Lee had me on the edge of my seat. S.A. Crosby's writing is engrossing. The suspense, the mystery, the way the plot came together at the end. Some themes: conversations on sexuality, race, racism, grief, vengeance, redemption, parental relationships, fatherhood, forgiveness and friendship. The audio was superb. This needs to be made into a movie!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Violence
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
Razorblade Tears was a fun, fast-paced book about two Southern fathers, Ike and Buddy Lee, avenging the death of their sons, Isiah and Derek. The fathers, one Black and one white, are not only dealing with grief, but also regret for the strained relationships they had with their gay sons. this regret is the driving force in their quest for vengeance: they feel that they failed as fathers so they’re finally doing right by their sons by embarking on this mission.
this novel was really absurd! like, these two middle aged mentook out a biker gang and two powerful political figures? lol. okay. sure! i enjoyed this though–i didn’t pick up this book to be confronted with reality, and this provided exactly what i needed from it. the writing was good enough, though there were some sentences that i felt were really cliche. relatedly, Ike’s constant lecturing of Buddy Lee about racism sometimes felt out of place and a little, like…would anyone really say this in this situation? be forrea;. speaking of Ike, between the two protagonists, i think he experienced the most character growth especially in terms of being able to be more accepting of LGBTQ+ people, but i think part of that was because Buddy Lee was already more accepting to begin with. he obviously made his mistakes with his son, some huge ones, but on the whole seemed less….disgusted by queerness than Ike did. he’s ignorant in a way that is harmful at times, but generally is more easy-going and chill than Ike. and funnier. honestly, if you asked me before i started the book, i never would have guessed that i’d find the white dad more likable. he was just more fun!
everything really pops off in the last 100 or so pages. the identity of the person behind it all felt somewhat contrived to me, but the benefit of a more plot-oriented novel is that sometimes you can sacrifice realism for the sake of a good story. and this book certainly delivered on that front! there were parts when i got real life heated about the characters’ actions. that’s how you know a story is good, when it can get a real rise out of you.
this novel was really absurd! like, these two middle aged men
everything really pops off in the last 100 or so pages. the identity of the person behind it all felt somewhat contrived to me, but the benefit of a more plot-oriented novel is that sometimes you can sacrifice realism for the sake of a good story. and this book certainly delivered on that front! there were parts when i got real life heated about the characters’ actions. that’s how you know a story is good, when it can get a real rise out of you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Classism
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Grab your tissues 😭
Content Warnings: Racism, homophobia, transphobia, violence, gun violence, blood/gore, murder, hate crimes, racial slurs, grief, loss of a child, alcoholism, deadnaming, classism,
This book was an emotional journey as two homophobic fathers attempt to find out exactly what happened to their sons and avenge them.
The journey of them learning from their hateful history and opening their minds to accepting people for who they are, not who they love...well I'm an emotional mess now.
Beautifully written I'll definitely be checking out more of this authors work.
Content Warnings: Racism, homophobia, transphobia, violence, gun violence, blood/gore, murder, hate crimes, racial slurs, grief, loss of a child, alcoholism, deadnaming, classism,
This book was an emotional journey as two homophobic fathers attempt to find out exactly what happened to their sons and avenge them.
The journey of them learning from their hateful history and opening their minds to accepting people for who they are, not who they love...well I'm an emotional mess now.
Beautifully written I'll definitely be checking out more of this authors work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Deadnaming, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Classism
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
This book was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!! S. A. COSBY is an outstanding author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder
adventurous
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
"Maybe he didn't deserve to grieve Isiah. It didn't seem fair for a man to mourn someone abundantly that he had loved so miserly."
The story follows Ike and Buddy Lee, both ex-cons and fathers of the murdered couple Isiah and Derek. Having neglected their sons when they came out gay, both are looking for justice and their own redemption in finding their sons killers.
This book is one hell of a thrilling ride. I loved Ike and Buddy Lee, and the story was so well-written that I really came to appreciate these two violent, prejudiced and hard-headed men.
If you're looking for a thrill, read this book!
The story follows Ike and Buddy Lee, both ex-cons and fathers of the murdered couple Isiah and Derek. Having neglected their sons when they came out gay, both are looking for justice and their own redemption in finding their sons killers.
This book is one hell of a thrilling ride. I loved Ike and Buddy Lee, and the story was so well-written that I really came to appreciate these two violent, prejudiced and hard-headed men.
If you're looking for a thrill, read this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Complicated
There is so much that I can say about this book. I knew, when I first read the premise, I was going to devour it, yet I kept putting it off because I was afraid it wouldn't live up to the hype. It Was So Good!! Two men with criminal pasts come together in grief when their sons, who were married to each other, are killed. Unsatisfied and frustrated by the investigative efforts of law enforcement, they decide to take matters into their own hands to find those responsible. This story is intense. Its traumatic. Its painful. And yet, it's so, so good!! Upon finishing it I immediately did a search to see if it is being made into a movie, and yes it is!!! Not only is this a thrilling, suspenseful murder-mystery, it's also a social commentary on who we are as people, as parents, and how we handle our own issues of identity, whether it be race, sexual orientation, or baggage from our past. This story had me in it's grip from start to epic finish and presented a story with a gray moral compass, because when it comes to your child, where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? Content warnings include homophobia, graphic violence, hate crime, death, and grief. The audiobook narrator was phenomenal!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity, Racism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
This is a book that DID live up to the hype. I tittered on the edge of giving 4 or 5 stars. I don't mind a gritty story - of which this is definitely one - and maybe my not reading straight through it and having a weeks gap midway through created part of my dilemma, but I finally settled on 4.25 stars. Better than most books, but not quite to that - for me - unreachable peak of a 5 star book.
Two fathers - one white and one black - who normally would not have even glanced at each other, become patriots in arms to tackle a problem that affected them both. They both had gay sons - who they did not support - until those boys, who married, were killed. With the police not working fast enough to solve the crime, the two fathers take it upon themselves to find the murderer.
As I stated, this book is gritty with harsh language and does not shy away from detailing bloody scenes. The characters are rough and the setting is often explosive. It tackles homophobia and racism, often not in a quiet or sanitized way.
Cosby's writing reminds me a lot of David Joy's writing - nothing sweet and saccharin - all angry bull ready to charge. However I am ready for Cosby's next novel - how about a 5 star, Cosby? Let me have it!!
Two fathers - one white and one black - who normally would not have even glanced at each other, become patriots in arms to tackle a problem that affected them both. They both had gay sons - who they did not support - until those boys, who married, were killed. With the police not working fast enough to solve the crime, the two fathers take it upon themselves to find the murderer.
As I stated, this book is gritty with harsh language and does not shy away from detailing bloody scenes. The characters are rough and the setting is often explosive. It tackles homophobia and racism, often not in a quiet or sanitized way.
Cosby's writing reminds me a lot of David Joy's writing - nothing sweet and saccharin - all angry bull ready to charge. However I am ready for Cosby's next novel - how about a 5 star, Cosby? Let me have it!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Child death, Violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Blood
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism
Moderate: Biphobia, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
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
I picked this up because of all the rave reviews recently--while this isn't the kind of thriller I really enjoy, I appreciate what this book did and I think it will be powerful for those not used to encountering these issues in a book like this. Also, keep in mind this is heavy on the graphic violence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent