A review by joreadsbooks
Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby

adventurous challenging emotional tense fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 Listened to the audiobook
Content warning: gun violence, gore, drug abuse, arson, domestic abuse (mentioned, child neglect (mentioned) 

Beauregard "Bug" Montage is a family man who has fallen on dire financial straits. A diamond heist comes his way and it seems like the answer to most of this problems. But it goes horribly wrong, and Cosby leads us on a fast-paced journey with complex characters and an earnest depiction of one life in a southern American town. 

This book had so many layers, I am definitely down for a reread to see what I missed. Not only is this work a deep character study, but there is so much context. Cosby covers gentrification, generational violence, the poverty cycle, and so much more. Each piece fit together and added onto the other one with careful intricacy. The world of that small town seems so lived in, and with a rich history that did not distract from the intensity of the heist. 

The edition of the audiobook which I had featured a an interview with the author. Cosby mentions having in-depth backstories for each character. And wow, does it show. Every member of the cast is multi-dimensional in ways that I haven't really seen in crime fiction. Even Ronnie, who's a secondary antagonist, had a depth to him that worked really way in context and in contrast with the other characters. 

Fast-paced, exhilarating, and so deeply human in this thriller about a former getaway driver going back for one more job to set himself straight. 
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