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raira's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
a_chickletz's review against another edition
4.0
Razorblade Tears was a book that was sitting on my shelf for a bit because of one of my Night Worms subscription boxes. I had finished Blacktop Wasteland and I dove into this one as soon as I did. A lot of people seem to have a hit and miss with it due to the themes and the violence expressed in it.
This is a tough book but one that I personally enjoyed. I think what I enjoyed about it is how raw it is. Two fathers both lost sons who were gay and are settling with the grief and the shame that they did not support their sons better. They also have criminal backgrounds. Using the strength of their criminal backgrounds, they go digging into the deaths of their sons. They end up finding out their deaths were a covered-up murder. But for who and why? That's what you read to find out.
I will say that if you're not one for violence, characters that are not morally good, adult themes, swearing, ... then this book is probably not one for you or one that you will not be able to finish. If you are able to stomach it and are not bothered by it, then, it will be a pretty good read.
I enjoyed the author's narrative voice and like his past book this one would make a great film. I look forward to his next book.
This is a tough book but one that I personally enjoyed. I think what I enjoyed about it is how raw it is. Two fathers both lost sons who were gay and are settling with the grief and the shame that they did not support their sons better. They also have criminal backgrounds. Using the strength of their criminal backgrounds, they go digging into the deaths of their sons. They end up finding out their deaths were a covered-up murder. But for who and why? That's what you read to find out.
I will say that if you're not one for violence, characters that are not morally good, adult themes, swearing, ... then this book is probably not one for you or one that you will not be able to finish. If you are able to stomach it and are not bothered by it, then, it will be a pretty good read.
I enjoyed the author's narrative voice and like his past book this one would make a great film. I look forward to his next book.
millennialbookjunkie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Best book of the year so far, an absolute must-read if you like thrillers.
lispi's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! Loved every bit of this story. Definitely need to clear your calendar when you start this because you won't want to stop reading until the last word.
smilesgiggle's review against another edition
5.0
I read somewhere years ago - it takes a massive event to make a person change. And that's exactly what happens to Isiah and Derek's fathers. They begin a journey after the violent murders of their sons.
Buddy Lee wants something done - his son's killer is living his life; that needs to end. With some not so gentle persuasion, he convinces Isiah's father, Ike, to join in the quest for justice.
This is not just a story about vigilante justice for two gay men, two married men who are Arianna's fathers, two men who proudly lived their life. This is a story about change. About altering the language we are raised by, the hatred and fear, the stereotypes and the pain. This is about letting go of the need to understand - to just accept. To love our people for who their simply are.
This book just yanked all my strings - the humor, desperate search for any answer.
And the unleashing of a man's inner monster, who has been sleeping for over 20 years, to awake Riot and just be brutal.
Highly recommend.
Buddy Lee wants something done - his son's killer is living his life; that needs to end. With some not so gentle persuasion, he convinces Isiah's father, Ike, to join in the quest for justice.
This is not just a story about vigilante justice for two gay men, two married men who are Arianna's fathers, two men who proudly lived their life. This is a story about change. About altering the language we are raised by, the hatred and fear, the stereotypes and the pain. This is about letting go of the need to understand - to just accept. To love our people for who their simply are.
This book just yanked all my strings - the humor, desperate search for any answer.
And the unleashing of a man's inner monster, who has been sleeping for over 20 years, to awake Riot and just be brutal.
Highly recommend.
cadie_birks's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-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
3.0
jenndub34's review against another edition
5.0
Not what I expected but in a great way! Didn’t have to wait for this one to pick up, action-packed from start to finish. Loved his writing style, some great lines.
jenpaul13's review against another edition
5.0
After their sons are killed, two fathers embark on a journey to exact vengeance in S. A. Cosby’s Razorblade Tears.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Fifteen years out of prison, Ike Randolph has kept his life on the up-and-up, but despite this, as a Black man he knows to be afraid of police arriving at your door; his fear is justified when he’s notified that his son Isiah and Isiah’s white husband Derek have been brutally murdered. Though Ike has not really come to accept Isiah’s sexuality he’s still devastated by the loss of his life as it cuts short his chance to embrace his son for who he is. Derek’s father, Buddy Lee, seemed to have been ashamed of Derek’s being gay but, though he may have outdated and ingrained prejudices that directed his thinking, he loves his son and is still connected to a networked underworld from his criminal past and is determined to find the person behind his son’s death. The two fathers have little in common apart from their respective criminal pasts and (complicated) love for their sons; after the police investigation stalls, the unlikely duo work together to find the truth and shot-caller behind their sons’ deaths. The pair begin to more clearly see and address the prejudices that prevented them from being fully there for their sons while they were alive as they seek and exact some bloody vengeance.
A thought-provoking and quickly-paced narrative, this story depicts gritty and violent acts of retaliation, tender and sometimes painful remembrances, a rigged and manipulated system, and efforts to make meaningful change. Much of the dialogue is provided in dialect, which provides an aspect of characterization and greatly benefits from being read aloud to prevent editor-brain from taking over. There is a concerted effort by Ike and Buddy Lee to shift their perspectives about various matters relating to their sons lives and the attitudes they exhibited toward them while alive, and throughout this rather rapid exploration there is change made and mental resistance from long-held habits that cause minor backsliding, which makes their growth feel more organic, if still a bit too quick. The writing as a whole is quite cinematic in the balance of external and internal development as it explores the events taking place as well as memories that offer more comprehensive context for Ike and Buddy Lee’s characters; the story is kaleidoscopic in narrative focus as it shifts between characters in the seemingly complex, yet shockingly simple, reason behind the inciting action.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Fifteen years out of prison, Ike Randolph has kept his life on the up-and-up, but despite this, as a Black man he knows to be afraid of police arriving at your door; his fear is justified when he’s notified that his son Isiah and Isiah’s white husband Derek have been brutally murdered. Though Ike has not really come to accept Isiah’s sexuality he’s still devastated by the loss of his life as it cuts short his chance to embrace his son for who he is. Derek’s father, Buddy Lee, seemed to have been ashamed of Derek’s being gay but, though he may have outdated and ingrained prejudices that directed his thinking, he loves his son and is still connected to a networked underworld from his criminal past and is determined to find the person behind his son’s death. The two fathers have little in common apart from their respective criminal pasts and (complicated) love for their sons; after the police investigation stalls, the unlikely duo work together to find the truth and shot-caller behind their sons’ deaths. The pair begin to more clearly see and address the prejudices that prevented them from being fully there for their sons while they were alive as they seek and exact some bloody vengeance.
A thought-provoking and quickly-paced narrative, this story depicts gritty and violent acts of retaliation, tender and sometimes painful remembrances, a rigged and manipulated system, and efforts to make meaningful change. Much of the dialogue is provided in dialect, which provides an aspect of characterization and greatly benefits from being read aloud to prevent editor-brain from taking over. There is a concerted effort by Ike and Buddy Lee to shift their perspectives about various matters relating to their sons lives and the attitudes they exhibited toward them while alive, and throughout this rather rapid exploration there is change made and mental resistance from long-held habits that cause minor backsliding, which makes their growth feel more organic, if still a bit too quick. The writing as a whole is quite cinematic in the balance of external and internal development as it explores the events taking place as well as memories that offer more comprehensive context for Ike and Buddy Lee’s characters; the story is kaleidoscopic in narrative focus as it shifts between characters in the seemingly complex, yet shockingly simple, reason behind the inciting action.