Scan barcode
A review by amandasbookreview
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
5.0
“Tears ran from his eyes and stung his cheeks. Tears for his son. Tears for his wife. Tears for the little girl they had to raise. Tears for who they were and what they all had lost. Each drop felt like it was slicing his face open like a razorblade.”
RAZORBLADE TEARS
I don’t think I will ever recover from Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby. Ike Randolf has been to prison but has built a life for himself ever since. Nothing can prepare him when he gets the news that his son, Isiah and Isiah’s husband, Derek have been shot and killed. Now Ike and his wife are raising their young daughter. Ike and Isiah had a very strained relationship, especially when Isiah came out and told them his plans to marry Derek. Buddy Lee had a very similar relationship with his son Derek. Their guilt and grief are now a driving force to avenge the death of their sons.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: racism, prejudice, hate crimes, murder, rape, transphobia, homophobia, grief, kidnapping, deadnaming, violence
This book is not for the faint of heart. It is not just violent but extremely emotional. Isiah was Black. Derek was white. And they loved each other. They loved the life that they built with their little girl. Ike and Buddy both shared prejudices against their sons. They loved them (what they thought was love) but could not accept them. But we all know that you can’t truly love someone unless you can accept and celebrate their true selves. Throughout the book, Ike and Buddy have to face their prejudices head-on and deal with the guilt that they could not reconcile. Buddy has his own prejudices as well and even though he and Ike form a bond, Ike still challenges him to examine his racist tendencies.
This book really challenges the reader. After hearing some of the words that were said to Isiah and Derek by their fathers…it is hard to feel for them. It just goes to show the complexities of toxic masculinity. But as Ike and Buddy form an awkward friendship, I was ready for them to burn the city to the ground so they could get justice for their sons. That doesn’t excuse their behaviors but it does show that they know how they acted is wrong and that they need to live with the words and actions they inflicted on their children.
This is a fast-paced and violent read. I will never get the images of a body in a wood-chipper out of my mind. But I could not put it down. The narrator, Adam Lazarre-White is phenomenal. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: racism, prejudice, hate crimes, murder, rape, transphobia, homophobia, grief, kidnapping, deadnaming, violence
This book is not for the faint of heart. It is not just violent but extremely emotional. Isiah was Black. Derek was white. And they loved each other. They loved the life that they built with their little girl. Ike and Buddy both shared prejudices against their sons. They loved them (what they thought was love) but could not accept them. But we all know that you can’t truly love someone unless you can accept and celebrate their true selves. Throughout the book, Ike and Buddy have to face their prejudices head-on and deal with the guilt that they could not reconcile. Buddy has his own prejudices as well and even though he and Ike form a bond, Ike still challenges him to examine his racist tendencies.
This book really challenges the reader. After hearing some of the words that were said to Isiah and Derek by their fathers…it is hard to feel for them. It just goes to show the complexities of toxic masculinity. But as Ike and Buddy form an awkward friendship, I was ready for them to burn the city to the ground so they could get justice for their sons. That doesn’t excuse their behaviors but it does show that they know how they acted is wrong and that they need to live with the words and actions they inflicted on their children.
This is a fast-paced and violent read. I will never get the images of a body in a wood-chipper out of my mind. But I could not put it down. The narrator, Adam Lazarre-White is phenomenal. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Torture, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, and Transphobia