Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - Δάκρυα Ξυράφι

I couldn’t keep reading this. I am just not sympathetic to two fathers only caring about their gay sons after they’re dead. I hate this kind of thing, we have enough stories about LGBTQ+ people dying.

Content Warnings

nimeneth's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

Warning: do not read this book unless your stomach is iron-clad, or you're okay with skipping big chunks of pages. Seriously, pay attention to the tags.

I wanted to be kind to this book. I wanted to accept that this was going to be a difficult book club read that was gritty and uncomfortable and dark. The blurb was amazing, had a great hook, interesting title, the whole nine yards. Objectively the dialogue was a little flat and the characters felt a little wooden at the beginning, but it would get better, right? I would get through this even if I had to skim or skip scenes, it would be fine, right? Right??? I was optimistic. I was open-minded.

I did not like this book. I did not enjoy this book. The first 100ish pages were fine, mostly. I could accept the racism and homophobia as just part of what it's like in parts of Virginia. The middle is where it started to sour. I especially did not like the last 100 pages of it where it turned into full-on revenge porn. It's graphic, folks. There's no art, just blood. No redemption arc, just death. I think Cosby wanted the final scene to be profound or something, but by that point there's no tying it up into a near little package and calling it hunky-dory.

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gabepants's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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

4.5

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tastybooks916's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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bf9288's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

I was immersed in this book. It was the kind of book that kept me up all night and wake up early to finish the story. Two fathers work together to find out who killed their sons. I loved the character development and how each father had to come to terms with themselves. Ike had to look at who he was as a father, and so did Buddy Lee. It's heartbreaking that they had to lose their sons to realize how poorly they had treated them. It's so realistic though. We don't always get the chance to apologize and say sorry. We don't always get to mend the broken hearts that we've created. Ike and Bobbi Lee learned to be better than they were in the past.

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literaryintersections's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-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

This book is absolutely unreal good. Every SA book I read feels better than the last except they are all amazing. Razorblade Tears is unbelievably sad - I knew that going in - but it’s sad and witty and tense. It’s violent and gritty and I loved it.

The main point of this book isn’t the vengeance or death or violence. It’s the love and community. And realizing as a parent that we can mess up so bad but there is still time to change and grow, even if that time is physically taken from us. I will think about this book forever.

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