Reviews

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

hauntedyam's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

4.5

makaylax143's review against another edition

4.0

I now see why this was one of Obama’s books of the summer. This was such a dope story, and it gave me hope that people who were taught to hate can change. I gave it 4⭐️, because it was very violent. Overall, great read

missbrookss's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

asmrbookishnesserin's review

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

jrabz's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

mushimushi's review

dark tense fast-paced

3.0

I appreciate how this might appeal to people who might otherwise not be exposed to some of the topics this novel handles but I found I could not get past the overdone tropes, the author telegraphs the ending very early in the book -

Spoiler

there is a very clear checkhov’s gun and a dead man walking trope

I found particularly the very end scene of the last fight didn’t make sense at all -

Spoiler

why would Grayson hold the child hostage instead of just getting the jump on Ike and Buddy Lee? There was nothing left to bargain once the breed were all gone, he might as well have just finished off the main characters.

overall a fun read as long as I don’t think too hard about it.

clairedeloon's review

adventurous dark hopeful sad tense medium-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

doingmoreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

4.5

britt_thebookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

mollyq18's review against another edition

5.0

I finished Razorblade Tears yesterday! I really enjoyed this book. I recommend reading Roxane Gay’s review on this book because she is such an honest reviewer, and I couldn’t agree more with her words.

This is definitely a violent, exciting, heart wrenching, grief stricken page turner full of important questions, advocacy, and education. I ESPECIALLY agree with Gay that “there were parts that were overly didactic about accepting (or not) LGBTQIA people” and her bit about wanting more from the women characters. There was a certain 1 dimensional feeling from the women which struck me as odd because the women seemed so phenomenal.

Really enjoyed this book nonetheless!! Wouldn’t recommend if you don’t like action and/or gore, it was pretty descriptively violent. But reading action is very different than watching an action movie, so you might enjoy if you don’t typically enjoy action movies!