A review by zoebusenberg
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

This moved me in ways I really did not expect and sorely needed, especially after two meh books. I tried to read this a while back but I wasn’t prioritizing reading for leisure the way I am now, so only got like 30 pages in and for one reason or another didn’t pick it back up. Jesus Christ I am so glad I did. I have a general distaste for violence (I know, super radical, I’m such a pacifist), so was slightly wary that I’d be put off by the crime part of this crime novel. But I was not - yay! Cosby made a novel studded with violence sing - none of it felt repetitive because his prose is just THAT good. The novel is largely about learning and unlearning: two fathers grieving the deaths of their sons who were married, and coming to reconcile the grief with the tension over sexuality that underpinned both father-son relationships. Neither accepted their sons while they were alive, but had a really beautiful arc of awakening and interrogation of their own beliefs. Cosby also did not shy away from nuance: I loved the way that he made Buddy and Ike confront the dynamics of race in their relationship, and the way that he called homophobia in the Black community. That barbershop scene, especially. Just so you all know I did predict the twist (it wasn’t super predictable- I’m just that good!) It had so much heart and emotion and mystery and depth, I loved it dearly. If you’re not adding this to your TBR, you’re weird!!!