Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

25 reviews

phippsmr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Homophobia

Moderate: Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Biphobia, Cancer, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Transphobia, Classism, Domestic abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, and Outing

sarah984's review

dark sad tense slow-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

2.0

I really wanted to like this novel about two ex-cons who team up to avenge their sons' murder but I just found it silly and kind of cheesy. Aside from the leads all of the characters felt like caricatures (the "anarchists" were genuinely embarrassing to read, I can't believe that made it to print) and the dialogue could get as preachy and didactic as the worst YA novels. Felt like a long unironic version of the "I love my dead gay son" monologue from Heathers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Gore, Racial slurs, Kidnapping, Violence, Death, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Torture

Moderate: Classism, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Medical content, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Infidelity, Murder, Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Car accident, Excrement, Terminal illness, and Transphobia

Minor: Outing, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, and Deadnaming

toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

There is so much for me to say. What an original work of art this book is. I was immediately intrigued by the premise and was excited at the prospect of reading main characters who in any other story would more than likely be characterized as villains. 

It was complicated for me at times, reading about how much hate these fathers held for their sons' queerness. Complicated and painful to watch them grieve and reflect on the ways that they failed. It was also rewarding to read as the two fathers learned to accept what they didn't understand and also accept each other. I think the way that the learning came about seemed realistic to me, and of course they weren't perfect at any point throughout the whole book, but I don't think that was the goal. The characters are morally grey, and everyone is going to have a different stance on them, but I thought that they were interesting and often painful to read. This book took me longer than most books do, I feel, in part because of the brutality within the pages. This book is SO violent, y'all. I knew that it would be going in - after all, it is a story about revenge, but that didn't stop me from having to put it down and take care of myself once in awhile. I recommend that if you decide to pick this up, that you do the same! 

BTW I found it so validating that I was picturing Buddy Lee as Sam Elliot and he is described as a Sam Elliot type more than once in the book!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Blood, Medical content, Violence, Homophobia, Murder, Grief, Death of parent, Child abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Kidnapping, and Car accident

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Police brutality

cryeager's review

dark sad fast-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Child abuse, Violence, Transphobia, Homophobia, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Racial slurs, Alcohol, Murder, Racism, and Alcoholism

raynaaskiverr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Murder, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Racism, and Violence

christyjoreads's review

This book was a few kung-fu moves short of a 70s B- movie. Violent, but interesting in some parts, just not enough to keep me engaged. I quit 100 pages from the end.  These dads are awful people set on revenge for their dead gay sons.  Just not for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, and Homophobia

ashleysbookthoughts's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

This is not my typical type of book, but damn it was compelling! It felt a lot like watching Sons of Anarchy, but with nuances of race and sexuality woven in. I enjoyed being along for the ride with these two fathers on their journey of vengeance and acceptance of their gay sons. 

I figured out who the big bad was fairly early on, but I was still invested, because no one ever felt safe. Heads up, it is VIOLENT. But it’s also touching. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t tear up at the end. Definitely worth the hype. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Gun violence, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, and Transphobia

booknerdbetty's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Torture, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Transphobia

ukponge's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, Child abuse, and Abandonment

alybark's review

2.75

It started off great and with an interesting premise, but I wanted to quit about 3/5 of the way.  The writing is repetitive and preachy. No one is reading this and changing their mind about homophobia or racism, so the morals of the story don’t need to be explained every chapter. It was also kind of cringey and cheesy at times. If the book had been shorter or had a less predictable villain/ending, I might give it a better rating, but it could have been condensed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Transphobia

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Deadnaming