Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

Δάκρυα Ξυράφι by S.A. Cosby

50 reviews

soobooksalot's review against another edition

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

5.0

"We're done letting them down."
 Razorblade Tears, as suggested by the title, is a story of contrasts. Harsh realities on every page.
 I knew early on this would be a five-star read for me.
 Ike and Buddy Lee have no reason to travel in the same circles, other than for their sons. Isiah and Derek - a biracial and happily married gay couple, fathers to a young daughter - were both murdered in cold blood for reasons unknown. 
 Their fathers spent time on the inside and aren't taking kindly to the world without their boys, despite their complicated relationships and lack of acceptance. 
 Buddy Lee and Ike are going to do what the police haven't, and find out who is responsible for their deaths. 
 Family isn't always blood related.
 Razorblade Tears is all at once beautiful and heartbreaking; violent and touching.
 The entire book is strengths - the pacing and plot, compelling and flawed characters, twists, and some absolutely amazing prose. 
 "Southern noir" author S.A. Cosby has an instant fan in me.
 Recommended, so many times over!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Grief, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Hate crime, Blood, Cancer, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Alcohol, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

leahrosiee's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

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

ldruckreier's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Car accident, Child death, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Mass/school shootings, Outing, Murder, Racism, Transphobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Tough read but captivating

toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

5.0

There is so much for me to say. What an original work of art this book is. I was immediately intrigued by the premise and was excited at the prospect of reading main characters who in any other story would more than likely be characterized as villains. 

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!!

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Content Warnings

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

greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Gore

Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Hate crime, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, Transphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Torture

Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, Car accident, and Deadnaming

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

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

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: 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.

sydneybedell's review against another edition

dark 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Deadnaming, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Transphobia, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Cancer

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, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Cursing, Deadnaming, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and 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, Blood, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence