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

dark emotional 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

4.5

A story about two grieving fathers trying to get answers about the deaths of their sons is not a story I knew I needed until I had it. (Despite it still taking me days to finish this novel) I couldn't put the book down. This is the kind of novel you read when you want to read about grief and how one person's personal beliefs can ruin relationships. I loved that the fathers, Ike and Buddy Lee, were constantly working through their homophobic ideology and it wasn't like "oh, all of a sudden our sons are dead and I no longer have a homophobic bone in my body." Their views about their sons and their son's lifestyle were constantly changing and getting better until the last page. I'm also glad that other minor characters in the book (friends/associates of the sons) frequently called both fathers out on their bullshit when the fathers tried to pretend they weren't the reason they didn't have a relationship with their sons. It was nice to see these friends still have Derek and Isiah (the sons) back even after their death. This was a great book and the only reason it didn't get five stars is because I had to read through all the racists and homophobic slurs. Also, Billy Lee repeatedly calling Mya (Isiah's mother) and some other women sis made me cringe and I wanted Mya to cuss him out so badly. Lastly, I knew he was going to die anyway (not the sons but another character) but he could've got one more future chapter first. 
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