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

adventurous 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

4.5

What a page-turner. I was engaged from cover to cover. I laughed, I cried, I got angry. This was an absolutely fantastic read and sold me on S.A. Cosby. I grew up very close to the Richmond area, where this story is set, and he captured the vibe of RVA and its surrounding rural areas. The transformation the MMCs underwent was beautiful and an important process to highlight; ridding yourself of ignorant perspectives that have been engrained by our echo chambers.
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The complaints I have about this book in no way hindered my reading experience. The plot was predictable but told in a captivating way. The focus of this story wasn’t the plot anyway, though. The character development was the focus, in my opinion at least. The focus was also on the fathers and their relationship with their sons, not Ike’s relationship with his wife. However, Cosby took some time to detail their relationship, so a clear resolution between them would have been nice. The writing also got repetitive with phrases like “sucked his teeth” or “slipped downstairs”. It was enough for me to notice, which says a lot with my ADHD 🤣. Again, it didn’t take away from the reading experience itself, but were things that if done slightly differently, it would’ve taken this to a 5 star read for me.
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I can’t wait to read more by Cosby. I just got a copy of Blacktop Wasteland delivered yesterday, which I’m sure I will inhale in a few days. Beautiful story, can’t wait for more! 
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