Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

76 reviews

jill24's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.5

The violence and language were a bit much for my taste. The story is well structured continually adding more information.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Transphobia, Alcoholism, Cursing, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, and Torture

Minor: Gaslighting and Infidelity

jhbandcats's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I’d give this more than five stars if I could. It was so good, so riveting, so compelling, in every sentence, from beginning to end.  

The story is about two guilty homophobic men struggling to atone for their meanness and neglect in the way they raised their sons. The sons were married to each other, the parents refused to attend the wedding, and within a few months the sons had been murdered, leaving behind more grief than you can imagine. The fathers, both being violent but reformed ex-cons, and realizing the error of their homophobic ways, take on the task of finding the killers and exacting vengeance. 

It’s a violent, vibrant thriller of grief and love, beautifully written, taut, emotional, and meaningful. I can’t recommend it highly enough. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Hate crime, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Racial slurs, Violence, Torture, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Gun violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Cursing, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Transphobia

crystal689's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

0.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Grief, Homophobia, Gore, Terminal illness, Blood, Cancer, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Transphobia, and Violence

podanotherjessi's review

tense slow-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

3.5

I can't help but feel like I'm just not the right audience for this book. I liked the themes, but the author makes sure to spell each one of them out for you, so there's no thought really required from the reader. It was also just so violent, and I at no point thought the actions of the main characters were justified or appropriate.
That said, the characters were really well written. They started out feeling to me a little bit like like caricatures, but they really gain nuance as the book goes on. And I was crying at the end, so I guess I was more attached than I thought.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Torture and Racial slurs

bscarlin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

This was a compelling book I couldn’t put down but the level of violence is not for the faint of heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Homophobia, Grief, Torture, Violence, Gun violence, Murder, Racial slurs, and Racism

hunterp's review

dark

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Death, Grief, Medical content, Racism, Alcoholism, Blood, Gore, Cursing, Violence, Racial slurs, Torture, and Homophobia

fossilizedtreesaps's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Violence, Kidnapping, Vomit, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Torture, and Racism

naviajack's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

The beginning of this book was frustrating. I strongly disliked the characters. I was going to give this book 2 starts but the second half redeemed it. The characters are selfish, thick headed, and cocky. The trauma they put everyone through around them is unnecessary only because of their hyper toxic masculinity. They cause so much more trouble than they are worth.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Murder, Abandonment, Grief, Gun violence, and Racism

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Alcoholism, and Racial slurs

taylor13's review

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Cancer, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Infidelity, Gore, Racism, Transphobia, Blood, Addiction, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Violence, Gun violence, Alcohol, Car accident, Death, Torture, Cursing, Murder, and Racial slurs

graff_fuller's review

challenging dark sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

This is a reluctant revenge story.Like a buddy cop story...without being cops. Like 48 Hours as civilians...ex-cons.

Also, the reluctanat part was because of the lifestyle of their sons.

It really isn't for the faint at heart. What would your father do for you...even IF he didn't agree with it...he will make it right at the end.

These two guys, Ike Randolph and Buddy Lee play off each other really great. The bad guys were REALLY bad guys.

It was a satisfying end. I'll be picking up Blacktop Wasteland (2020), his first book...I think.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Homophobia, Murder, Bullying, Racial slurs, Torture, Car accident, and Death