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queergoth_reads's review against another edition
- 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
I really loved S. A. Cosby's writing. The imagery and the phrases used to evoke it often had me laughing so much.
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Transphobia, Medical content, Racial slurs, Alcohol, and Car accident
Minor: Cancer, Confinement, and Deadnaming
katrinarose's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Kidnapping, Homophobia, Murder, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Misogyny, Transphobia, Car accident, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Cancer, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Deadnaming, Sexism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Domestic abuse, Lesbophobia, and Outing
anastasia_raf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I also think that people give Buddy Lee too much gredit when he rarely stops himself from being an asshole.
Ike, I think you need to start appreciating your wife more.
There was one of many sentences that rubbed me the wrong way... But this one? Not a fan. ''Buddy Lee leaned against the sink. His chest was as tight as virgin pussy." Huh.
I want to believe that this book is supposed to be a punch in toxic masculinity's throat since all this happened because Cis-het (especially white,) man are insecure in their own sexuality and very existence,
BUT, I felt like queer people were just there to serve the plot. I felt their presence was "over-exploited." I get how and why they were important to the plot but they were also used as an excuse for "character growth." This book goes out of its way to show how these fathers were educated on these topics by their gay sons and queer people in general and yet does nothing to educate its audience and to lift up queer voices. Another perspective on the plot is that these two homophobic fathers used revenge as a way of absolving themselves of the guilt (about the awful treatment towards their sons and their ignorant ass towards queerness.) And yet, was it intentional? Or just...there? I think that's where the book lacked in a way. It's not clear on where it stands.
"Still, some of Cosby's other choices render this novel something short of a triumph. Queer people are central to the investigation and the story, but not a one has a particularly strong, fully realized voice of their own..." "Cosby also has straight people talking about LGBTQIA+ marginalization in conversations that sometimes sound preachy rather than organic. It's a jarring juxtaposition — having straight characters gain this growing awareness of and sensitivity to discrimination when the queer characters are marginalized in the narrative." By Carole V. Bell, a cultural critic and communication scholar focusing on media, politics and identity.
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, Medical content, Physical abuse, Death, Homophobia, Murder, Racism, Torture, Violence, Car accident, Cursing, Grief, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Transphobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Death of parent, Car accident, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, and Sexism
rachelsbookishlife'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
3.5
Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Alcoholism, Blood, Gore, Racism, Death, Homophobia, Murder, Racial slurs, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Deadnaming, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Sexual content
pollyhall's review against another edition
- 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
The story could have been shorter and some characters felt unnecessary to move the story along.
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
julesandjude'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
5.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Medical content, Blood, Alcoholism, Violence, Transphobia, Torture, Racism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Homophobia, and Death
narbine's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Excrement, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Racial slurs, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Violence, Alcohol, Cursing, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Death of parent and Alcoholism
Minor: Outing, Hate crime, Infidelity, Deadnaming, Terminal illness, and Xenophobia
sarah984's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Gore, Racial slurs, Kidnapping, Violence, Death, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Torture
Moderate: Classism, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Medical content, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Infidelity, Murder, Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Car accident, Excrement, Terminal illness, and Transphobia
Minor: Outing, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, and Deadnaming
leahrosiee'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
4.25
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, and Violence
Moderate: Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, and Transphobia
Minor: Cancer
toofondofbooks_'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
5.0
It was complicated for me at times, reading about how much hate these fathers held for their sons' queerness. Complicated and painful to watch them grieve and reflect on the ways that they failed. It was also rewarding to read as the two fathers learned to accept what they didn't understand and also accept each other. I think the way that the learning came about seemed realistic to me, and of course they weren't perfect at any point throughout the whole book, but I don't think that was the goal. The characters are morally grey, and everyone is going to have a different stance on them, but I thought that they were interesting and often painful to read. This book took me longer than most books do, I feel, in part because of the brutality within the pages. This book is SO violent, y'all. I knew that it would be going in - after all, it is a story about revenge, but that didn't stop me from having to put it down and take care of myself once in awhile. I recommend that if you decide to pick this up, that you do the same!
BTW I found it so validating that I was picturing Buddy Lee as Sam Elliot and he is described as a Sam Elliot type more than once in the book!!
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Blood, Medical content, Violence, Homophobia, Murder, Grief, Death of parent, Child abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Kidnapping, and Car accident
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Police brutality