Reviews tagging 'Vomit'

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

26 reviews

bookswithmybulldog's review

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Homophobia, Transphobia, Stalking, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Violence, Vomit, and Murder

pollyhall's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

2.0

There is a scene at the beginning of the book where Ike is taking his grief out on a punching bag. The rhythm mimics the style of writing short and to the point which I liked. However, I found the language used to describe women in this book offensive. 
The story could have been shorter and some characters felt unnecessary to move the story along.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Cancer, Car accident, Kidnapping, Medical content, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Classism, Confinement, Death, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Vomit, Abandonment, Bullying, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Murder, Racism, Torture, Transphobia, and Violence

albernikolauras's review

adventurous dark funny tense fast-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 book was a ride of a book following two fathers bent on avenging their murdered sons - the sons happening to be married to each other. It was an interesting mix of gratuitous violence and men reconciling their treatment of their sons as gay, and can never take it back. I think that it went on a bit too long and they were both a bit too eager to resort straight to violence - especially in the beginning. But this isn't a book full of wholesome characters and they don't act or do as they should. It wasn't realistic in terms of its action, but S. A. Cosby covered the issues he wanted to cover very well - entrained homophobia, the criminal justice system, and racism (systemic and not) - and weaved them very well into the plot.

In summary - read if you want a rip roaring good time that discusses some very prominent issues. Avoid if you like wholesome characters or realistic plots. Or just recommend it to your dad because it seems exactly like a 'Dad' kind of book (in a not negative way). Four stars but five dads.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Homophobia, Cursing, Alcoholism, Blood, Murder, Racism, Transphobia, and Alcohol

Moderate: Vomit, Racial slurs, Torture, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Grief, and Death

amanduhhhpls's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

Wow. I have not read a thriller this challenging in my whole life.

This is action-packed in the most brutal way, and there is a lot of violence depicted on page, both physical and against peoples identities. Check your trigger warnings, but if you can look past that there is an amazing story here.

While I can’t say I found any of these characters redeemable, I did find them realistic and this story of revenge forces the reader to focus on the parts of humanity that are uncomfortable and hard to swallow. These fathers have horrible opinions and have done horrible things, but they are attempting to move towards understanding for their sons in the wake of their grief, and that unfortunately is a common story.

This book did everything it set out to do, and I only knocked it a half star because it was incredibly hard to read with the violence, homophobia, and racism on page. Again, be sure to check trigger warnings for this one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Gun violence, Violence, Child death, Hate crime, Racism, Racial slurs, Death, Blood, Murder, and Torture

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Car accident, Cursing, Deadnaming, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, and Vomit

Minor: Cancer

alrauna's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Gun violence, and Homophobia

Moderate: Transphobia, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Vomit

lauboe's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Transphobia, Gun violence, Racism, Homophobia, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Death, and Alcoholism

chaosdemonmonster's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective 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

I loved the way intolerance and learning went hand in hand for this book. It was written in a way that made it really believable that people were able to change their views on people unlike themselves. I found it very uplifting to see that given the current political climate in the USA. This book managed to take on a number of themes but still made them feel cohesive and like they belonged together in the story. I definitely would recommend this book.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Transphobia, Alcoholism, Deadnaming, and Terminal illness

Minor: Alcoholism, Terminal illness, Cursing, Chronic illness, Excrement, Addiction, Infidelity, and Vomit

morganish's review

adventurous dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Murder, Alcoholism, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Cancer, Vomit, Kidnapping, Medical content, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Terminal illness, and Torture

This book is about two blue-collar homophobic ex-con dads, one black and one white, whose gay sons have been murdered so the fathers decide to go on a high-octane quest for revenge. It's very graphic in terms of racial and homophobic slurs, depictions of violence against queer people, and positioning a lot of racism as just sort of part of the Southern landscape that must be dealt with. My personal interpretation is that the author is writing from a place of experience when it comes to the racism, and perhaps a desire to change the minds of people in his own actual community when it comes to views on queer people and queer issues. However, that is a bit undermined by the lackluster and sometimes unnecessarily sexist depiction of female characters. All in all, while the book seems to be getting great reviews, my big warning would be that though Razorblade Tears features homophobia as a major theme, it does not feel like it is made with queer people in mind. Again, I don't always think every book that challenges conventions needs to aimed at and comfortable for the people in question affected, but it is certainly A Choice, and one that people should understand before running out and picking up this book.

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

tinytrashqueen's review

dark medium-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? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Hate crime, Murder, Gun violence, Violence, Gore, Transphobia, Torture, Sexism, Racism, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

Moderate: Vomit, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Alcoholism, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Deadnaming