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theythemsam's review
4.25
“Revenge is a confession of pain”. This is my third novel by S.A. Cosby and I love to see how his writing and character development has gotten better from this first novel of his. I wish he delved more into Nate and Lisa’s relationship and we saw more of Skunk. I also wish there was more of Sam in the beginning so I could’ve understood his motive and personality more. “That’s the tragedy of this thing we call life, isn’t it? Either none of our prayers are heard or all of them are. Even the darkest ones.”
owensda91's review against another edition
Some of the reviews I read before mentioned the amount of sex scenes mentioned in this book kind of spoiled it. I should say I’m not opposed to sex scenes in books as long as they’re tasteful and relevant. This was not that. While I will admit that I read at least the first 55 pages-I also skim read several others in the interim and now I agree 100% with the reviews I read beforehand. A bit too much sex and it seems they were just for the sake of them being sex scenes-a bit of a disappointment considering how much I loved his book Razorblade Tears!!
melicampos50's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bikes_books_yarn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
bananauyu23's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
tiff_bb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
mlorenzen38's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
jhbandcats's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
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
5.0
SA Cosby is such a good writer that I hope he keeps writing books for many, many years. I’m not phrasing this well because I don’t want to sound histrionic but damn, he is *so* good. Everything of his that I’ve read has knocked the breath out of me. This book is no different.
When I read one of Cosby’s books, I think about it for weeks afterward. The main characters, even some of the dirty ones, are sympathetic and wind up in some really awful sh1t while the villains are despicably vile. The plots are compelling page-turners - I read this all in one go. I’m sitting here trying to write this, feeling gobsmacked by the wild trip Cosby took me on. It’s impossible for me to describe how magnificent his writing is.
I have no idea how Cosby comes up with his complex plots, his mix of struggling good guys and evil bad guys. How many synonyms for compelling are there? He writes with a depth of emotion; it’s clear he really loves his characters.
As someone with a phobia of religion, I hesitated to read this. I needn’t have worried. Cosby shows how seemingly altruistic people manipulate religion and its adherents to get what they want. There are a handful of devout believers here but the rest are either pretending and / or milking it for all they can get.
I can’t wait for Cosby’s next book. He is beyond talented.
When I read one of Cosby’s books, I think about it for weeks afterward. The main characters, even some of the dirty ones, are sympathetic and wind up in some really awful sh1t while the villains are despicably vile. The plots are compelling page-turners - I read this all in one go. I’m sitting here trying to write this, feeling gobsmacked by the wild trip Cosby took me on. It’s impossible for me to describe how magnificent his writing is.
I have no idea how Cosby comes up with his complex plots, his mix of struggling good guys and evil bad guys. How many synonyms for compelling are there? He writes with a depth of emotion; it’s clear he really loves his characters.
As someone with a phobia of religion, I hesitated to read this. I needn’t have worried. Cosby shows how seemingly altruistic people manipulate religion and its adherents to get what they want. There are a handful of devout believers here but the rest are either pretending and / or milking it for all they can get.
I can’t wait for Cosby’s next book. He is beyond talented.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Police brutality, Racism, Cursing, Murder, Alcohol, Death of parent, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Violence, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Blood, and Car accident