Scan barcode
healingtothemax's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Blood, Police brutality, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism
graff_fuller's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I love reading Thrillers...and this was outside my usual. This protagonist has done a LOT of shady sh*t, but deep down he's a man that just wants to do right for his family.
Beauregard "Bug" Montage is a hard working man that has been dealt a bad hand in life, but he doesn't make excuses. He just keeps doing his best. He also has a talent...he can build/race cars. This is both a blessing and a curse. The curse part, comes in the way of ... being "the driver" for any type of heist.
When we first meet him, he is presented with a stretch of bad luck in his business, but also his mother's being evicted from her Nursing Home...because of hidden income...which presents itself as a bill of a LOT of money...that Beauregard has to come up with...to keep his mother safe.
Then the bottom drops out. One mistake leads to another, and another, and another. Blood leaking through enemies, acquaintences, friends and even family. When will it stop?
Even his long lost/dead father is hanging around as a spector in his mind...taunting him down a specific path in life, while his wife is trying her hardest to keep her husband near...so that he can be BETTER than the representation of what fatherhood was for him...so their children will know better.
Loved this book. I look forward to reading whatever he comes up with next.
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol
d0505's review
- 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
Graphic: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
amcghig's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Torture, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content and Vomit
starrysteph's review
- 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
This is a story about inescapable poverty & racism. It's a story about family - about generational violence and struggling with identity and our MC's deep desire to be a good father. At its core, it's a story about one man yearning for freedom. Throw in a heist (where things rapidly funnel out of control) and a lot of action-packed getaway drives, and you've got me hooked.
We follow Beauregard ("Bug") as he attempts to create an honest life for himself and his family, leaving his exploits as a getaway driver in the past. But a lot of things go wrong all at once, and Bug is tempted by an old acquaintance to lean back into the Life he so desperately wanted to bury for one final heist. (Though is it ever one final heist?)
Bug is a deeply compelling protagonist - he makes some pretty nasty choices, but you still find yourself rooting for him. That's not easy to pull off.
The prose is overall strong, but at moments Cosby leans into the similes so much that it got a little distracting. There's also a lot of detailed car talk, but even as a reader with 0 expertise in this area I felt like I was able to follow along (it just took a little extra effort at times, and led to some descriptions that felt quite dry).
It's a gritty read with a lot of depth. It's intense. It's violent. It's heavy on the heart. But in my opinion? It's worth it.
CW: murder, violence, gore, body horror, gun violence, drug use, racial slurs, torture, fatphobia, cancer, sexual content, car accident, animal death, fire, vomit
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
jennneely82's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
horizonous's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Car accident, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Blood, and Excrement
Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Vomit
locdbooktician's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Overall, I like this book. I have many thoughts on how Kia, the MC wife felt about his dealings and the trauma he put on her family. It felt familiar and I felt anger because of it.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, and Murder