Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Δάκρυα Ξυράφι by S.A. Cosby

34 reviews

sarah984's review against another edition

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

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

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

cryeager's review against another edition

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

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

meliroo's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

morganish's review against another edition

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

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

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.

courtneycanread's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Murder

karachapp's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Cursing, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

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

Moderate: Transphobia

mdinkle1's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

curatedsymposium's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

thespinystacks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

This story is absolutely heartbreaking but deeply moving. A story about Fathers who are faced with the mortality of their sons, and their sexuality.

It was quite hard to read with how confronting the words were, but I think it was imperative to tell this story to its best.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Transphobia, Vomit, Medical content, and Alcohol