Reviews with content warning for Torture - Razorblade Tears

Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

76 reviews

laurenexploresbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional relaxing 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

4.5

This work was such a powerful and visceral experience. So much truama, grief, violence and vengeance. This book highlighted injustice and racism and homophobia.

Content Warnings

brandilovesbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

Razorblade Tears is the story of two polar opposites with two things in common- they are both ex-cons and they both lost their sons to a hate crime. The men set out to discover who killed their sons.

I almost quit about a third of the way into the book. I found the book to be very violent. I am not the targeted audience. I continued reading because it was a book club book. I am glad I did.

The characters are very well developed. Even if you didn't agree with their choices, you found yourself caring for Ike and Buddy Lee. I cried at the end.

S.A. Crosby has a beautiful way with words. He is able to create vivid images to go with his words. The name of the book comes from a description of Ike's tears after his son's funeral.

The genius of this book is that it has a very specific, very important, message that is probably uncomfortable for the targeted audience. There are many guys just like Buddy Lee and Ike who are going to pick up this book for the vigilante justice and the war with a biker gang. They are going to read it and they are going to hear that message over and over, starting out subtly but getting more direct by the end.

I wasn't a fan of the almost omnipotent point of view that happened during fight scenes. Although there were multiple points of view throughout the book, they were separated by scenes. During the fight scenes I was overwhelmed by knowing what too many characters were thinking and feeling. (Could be that I'm not the targeted audience.)

I recommend this book to people who like to read about vigilante justice and biker gangs. Sons of Anarchy fans should pick this up.

My content warnings-
Violence
Murder
Kidnapping
Torture
Racial slurs
LGBTQ slurs
Dead naming

Content Warnings

josie2k's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

5.0

Content Warnings

davinmotion's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

I read this for my mystery book club and I picked it up a bit begrudgingly at first. The back cover didn’t reel me in. As I started reading though the characters slowly began to pull me in and I quickly became invested in the story. I appreciate the thoughtfulness of this book and how it handles the LGBTQIA+ community and the hardships they face daily. At times it’s hard to read because it makes you uncomfortable and in my case, upset because you want to call characters out for their actions. However many of the characters are written so well that you can empathize with them even if you don’t agree with them, often leading to them developing into someone you can really respect. The only characters that don’t really receive this treatment are the villains, who remain mostly one note, so it’s very easy to dislike and condemn them. I can think of only one villain character that had a speck of morality, so I wish that was explored more, showing that not everyone “bad” has to stay that way. Overall, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would and I’ll happily check out the author’s other work!

Content Warnings

takeaim's review

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challenging dark emotional funny 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

5.0

Raw.

That's "Razorblade Tears." This thriller mystery easily could be written off as a violent revenge story, but do not underestimate S.A. Cosby.

The premise is compelling: A married couple are murdered, and the men's fathers want to find the killers. But that's not the only thing Ike Randolph, who is Black, and Buddy Lee, who is white, have in common. Both have criminal pasts. Neither would have won the Best Dad award. Both refused to accept that their sons were gay. And both are drowning in grief and regret.

The two also combat racism, classism, and homophobia, within themselves and the outer world of rural Virginia. They clash and butt heads, but perhaps there's nothing like getting to know one another by getting into fights and exchanging gunfire with the bad guys.

Yes, this novel is action-packed and violent. But Ike and Buddy Lee's emotional self-torture is an all-too familiar mantra to anyone who has ever lost a loved one. Should've. Could've. Would've. And this is the strength of Cosby's writing. He exposes the gentleness of two troubled men who loved their only sons, but did not know how to love them.

According to Wikipedia, the novel has been optioned for a possible film. Fingers crossed that Hollywood does this novel justice.

Content Warnings

kendramekalle's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

2.5

Razorblade Tears is a fast-paced, grab you by the throat story of grief and vengeance that doesn't let go... at first.

Two fathers, Ike and Buddy Lee, ex-cons who have very little in common, but the love they have for their married sons who were brutally murdered. As Buddy Lee starts to feel that the police are doing lttle to find the his son's killers, he enlists the help of Ike. Together, they set out to find justice for their sons and learn to accept who their sons were.

I am so thankful to have read 'All the Sinners Bleed' before reading this one, because this was a bit a disappointment. This was vulgar, violent, and predictable. I'm giving this a 2.5.

Content Warnings