Reviews tagging 'Torture'

All The Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

118 reviews

rwilhoyte's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

Minor: Abandonment and Alcohol

nahret's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

3.5

 A difficult read, ngl. Not only are the murders absolutely, horrifyingly gruesome, the atmosphere in fictional Charon County is nothing short of oppressive. There's the racism that the US, and the South especially, is built on; the author makes it clear at every point, that there is no escaping the legacy of slavery. And not just because we never actually arrived in a post-racial America, but specifically because the White Supremacists in Charon hold on to their questionable heritage with incredible dedication and an all-consuming hatred for everyone who is not a straight white cis man.

And then there's religion. Charon has an abundance of churches (which, again, I hear is normal in the South), and religion might as well be the protagonist of this novel. It permeates every aspect of life in this town, from intimate familial relationships all the way up to politics and administration. Consider this, if you will, a content warning in case of religious trauma; this book will probably cause a reaction.

This story hits all the important notes of a crime novel:
- the sense of danger is constant
- the resolution of the case proceeds at a steady pace
- the characters behave in a consistent manner
- all ends are tied up in a satisfying conclusion

My only quibble with the book was the sheriff's inner monologue. I mostly liked the prose, but sometimes the bible quotes, idioms, similes, and metaphors became a bit much. They certainly helped with the whole Southern vibe, but they don't need to pop up every other sentence.

However, solid read, with as happy an ending as possible under the circumstances. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Moderate: Slavery, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

fabacious's review against another edition

dark tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Colonisation

jill_holly's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

A dark and slower burn crime thriller set in the deep South. I loved the character of Titus who was complex and interesting. I particularly liked the moments with his dad and brother. I found the random love triangle to feel forced though and it didn't add much to the plot, so I could have done without that. 

The plot was harrowing. The crimes Titus is investigating are brutal, especially against the backdrop of racial tensions in a fictional small county in Virginia. The story had lots of tension with bursts of action. And, the narration was absolute perfection by Adam Lazarre-White. I felt like I was watching a movie!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Murder

cammyvee's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

DO NOT read this book before looking at the content warning. S.A. Crosby is an incredible writer- that’s not contested. 
But you won’t sleep well after reading this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Antisemitism, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, and Murder

kathywadolowski's review against another edition

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

4.0

"All the Sinners Bleed" was even darker than I expected, and I am no thriller neophyte. This is some "Criminal Minds"-level villainy, so be prepared if you're about to dive in.

That said, I did find the mystery quite captivating and the characters—especially our protagonist Titus—engaging and well-drawn. This is of course a book about solving murders in a small town, but it is much more a book about deeply rooted racism and the way that it poisons generations. It's tough material to grapple with for a lot of reasons, but it's also worth the read for those reasons as well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racism, Rape, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Pedophilia and Mass/school shootings

sapphic_in_the_stacks's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Pedophilia, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Torture, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

smilagros's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

When I first started this book, I honestly thought it was getting a 5✨. But I think that this needed a couple of more edits to make the story flow better because some of the descriptions were just not necessary. But the bad guy…. He was CREEPY. The lead up to finding him was giving me goosebumps. I was checking behind my shower curtain because of the descriptions of him and what he did. I do not love this one as much as razorblade tears but I think I will read all of his works.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abandonment

condls27's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

A gripping, dark mystery that will keep you engaged to the very last sentence. Take care and check trigger warnings before reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and Murder

mlweih's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail