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searobin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
On one hand, I loved it in a guilty-pleasure kinda way and couldn't put it down. On the other hand, a lot of the actual plot was rather weak, the twists were obvious a mile out, the similes were excessive, gross, and/or weird (e.g., "his chest was as tight as virgin pussy"), and the characters were two-dimensional at best. It was just really, really, really violent. I have aphantasia, so gore in books doesn't bother me in the same way as in movies/tv shows, but some of the descriptions were just unnecessary - like, way too much detail about someone's guts spilling out like taffy that had had merlot spilled on it or something, for example.
I am queer, but don't have a lot of queerphobic trauma, so that aspect of things wasn't triggering for me, just terribly sad and hard to read, but I can see how it would be really terrible for some.
Idk, it was a weird read. I was so hyped when I finished it; it felt like I had whiplash from the whole thing. However, the more it settles and the more time I have to process it, the more I realise that I think it was more an adrenaline high than a good book.
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Sexism, Body horror, Deadnaming, Gun violence, Racism, Car accident, Abandonment, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Outing, Torture, Homophobia, Murder, Racial slurs, Stalking, Violence, Transphobia, and Vomit
Minor: Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, and Cancer
cadence99's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Hate crime, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Racism, Murder, Cancer, Lesbophobia, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gun violence, Homophobia, Alcohol, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Gore, Racial slurs, Deadnaming, Death, Medical content, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Addiction, Body horror, Grief, and Kidnapping
laurenexploresbooks's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, Violence, Torture, Gore, Murder, Xenophobia, and Homophobia
brandilovesbooks's review against another edition
- 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
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
Graphic: Homophobia, Murder, Hate crime, Blood, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gore, Torture, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Transphobia, Violence, Classism, Grief, and Religious bigotry
josie2k's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Homophobia, Death, Toxic relationship, Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, Hate crime, Car accident, Body horror, Alcoholism, Blood, Classism, Cursing, Torture, and Violence
davinmotion's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Transphobia, Racism, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, and Homophobia
Minor: Alcoholism, Kidnapping, and Torture
takeaim's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, Racism, Homophobia, Classism, Alcohol, Gun violence, Violence, Murder, and Death
kendramekalle's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Gun violence, Violence, Torture, Physical abuse, Murder, Hate crime, Gore, and Death
Minor: Deadnaming
ktdakotareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Torture, Grief, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Homophobia, Murder, Hate crime, Violence, Blood, Racism, Gore, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Deadnaming, Infidelity, Medical content, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Medical trauma, and Transphobia
midnightgremlin's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Hate crime, Racism, Racial slurs, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Outing, Violence, Grief, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Torture, and Transphobia