Razorblade Tears

Great book that covers a wide range of topics in such an expertly crafted way: race, prison, lgbtqia+, love, family, and even political nuances. I was deeply invested in both Ike's and Buddy Lee's stories and their ability to learn from each other. I was so hooked that I was up until 3am to finish the last 10 chapters. S. A. Cosby has a new fan in me - I can't wait to read his other novels.

And cue the movie. This one has Hollywood written all over it. Vivid characters, powerful emotions that had me teary a few times. Having gone to college in Richmond, I loved the setting. I found the plot to be complex but easy to comprehend and the characters' ex-con street cred and criminal capabilities were frankly fascinating and like nothing I had read before. They consistently outflanked their enemy with their street smarts and I loved every bit of it. Great read. Highly entertaining. And such a satisfying ending. Now I need to go pick up Blacktop Wasteland. I'm a fan.

This book was so good! I loved the subtle discussion of classism and racism, and how that affects western society. Also, the realness in this book is what makes it so good. It would be naïve to ignore some people's view of the LGBTQ+ community, and so to expand on this and show two men who have to confront their homophobia is a concept that I love. The fact that they aren't immediately perfect only adds to the realness of this book. This book is about ex-criminals with a vengeance, so if you have a problem with violence or profanity, it's not for you. But love love.

im like legitimately baffled how this has such a high rating and how many people who's opinion i trust(ed) enjoyed this i genuinely don't understand... im not even talking about the premise because that's an entirely different mess (two old men who beat and or tossed out their kids for being gay come around to “repent” for their abuse and neglect only after said gay sons have been killed) i think this story could have been told and been interesting and thought provoking but this book did not tell that interesting and thought provoking story. the writing here is fucking abysmal. this feels like the author picked up writing on a whim because he wanted to produce an action packed b-movie revenge flick but couldn't write a screenplay. it's written out like it's meant to be a movie. things just happen and there's no depth behind the characters or their words or their actions and none of it means anything because none of it feels real. no one talks like this in real life, no one acts like this in real life, not even those goddarn rednecks who are all white trash alcoholic racist deadbeats (lmao). this whole book screams Man manly manly masculine man. this is a book for Real men.

i didn't finish this book and i don't care to, nothing that could happen in the last 60% would change my mind and i really highly doubt the writing suddenly becomes better so im shelving this shit. i did start marking things i really really hated in this so here are some of those lines:

- The powerlifter had sweat stains spreading down from his armpits that vaguely resembled maps of England and Ireland respectively.

- His chest was as tight as virgin pussy.

- The wound on his cheek was weeping like a broken-hearted bride.

- Dom was five seconds away from busting a nut in the mouth of the brunette that had been crashing at the clubhouse since Saturday when he heard the sound of metal smashing against metal. Reflexively he grabbed his .44 off the nightstand and popped his nut all in one movement.

I liked but didn't love this but that probably has more to do not reading a ton of adult mystery/thrillers. While it was pretty brutal in some parts, I really struggled with Buddy Lee's constant slang. I know it was a character choice but it just didn't really gel with me. The emotions the fathers felt about their two murdered sons and their regrets of not accepting them in live was so hard and affecting, though.

Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby is a book of crime fiction that reads like a thriller with social commentary. The book description from the publisher describes it best: “Ike Randolph has been out of jail for fifteen years, with not so much as a speeding ticket in all that time. The last thing he expects to hear is that his son Isiah has been murdered, along with Isiah's white husband, Derek. Ike had never fully accepted his son but is devastated by his loss. Derek's father Buddy Lee was almost as ashamed of Derek for being gay as Derek was ashamed of his father's criminal record. Ike and Buddy Lee, two ex-cons with little else in common other than a criminal past and a love for their dead sons, band together in their desperate desire for revenge. In their quest to do better for their sons in death than they did in life, hardened men Ike and Buddy Lee will confront their own prejudices about their sons and each other, as they rain down vengeance upon those who hurt their boys. Provocative and fast-paced, S. A. Cosby's Razorblade Tears is a story of bloody retribution, heartfelt change - and maybe even redemption.”

Razorblade Tears was released in July 2021 and it had been on my TBR list for quite some time. I'm glad I finally got around to reading this blisteringly emotional crime thriller. As the book description states, Ike and Buddy Lee are fathers whose sons were married to each other, yet Ike and Buddy Lee were estranged from their boys. Ike and Buddy Lee didn't meet each other until their sons' funerals, after being ruthlessly murdered for unknown reasons. The fathers were reluctant to speak to each other at first. But when Buddy Lee spots a tattoo on Ike's arm, he realizes they both have a shared past of incarceration. Buddy Lee finds Ike around town and suggest they look for their sons' killer. Ike hesitates at first, but when the police seemingly do nothing as far as investigating, both fathers come together with the common goal of bringing their sons justice.

Cosby excels at pushing the crime narrative along, the chapters are short and packed with action, bristling with clever metaphors and similes. But where Cosby really shines is his ability to mine the deep emotional trauma and regret from both fathers who realize their shortcomings as parents and husbands and men. Both Ike and Buddy Lee were easily lured into a life of crime when they were young men, both regretting choices they made and the absence in their sons' lives while being incarcerated. They both also regret not taking the time to understand their sons and their sexuality, knowing that it's too late to reconcile this with their deceased sons.

Cosby also weaves in discussions about race and class between Ike and Buddy Lee and as they become closer from their shared mission of justice, they begin to understand each other better, realizing they have a lot more in common than they initially thought. But ultimately, this is a crime thriller and this emotional tapestry that Cosby weaves makes their desire to find justice for their sons all the more palpable and provocative, even justifiable. The conclusion is deeply satisfying. I will definitely be reading more of Cosby's books in the near future.

I really enjoyed this novel and I highly recommend it. I would give this book six stars if I could, but will stick with the usual max of five stars.

This book was rough in a good way. I was initially put off by the characters,  thinking I wouldn't be able to get into them. I was wrong. It was well done - even the violence.

Folks like to talk about revenge like it's a righteous thing, but it's just hate in a nicer suit.

A good father, a good man, loved the people that love his children.

I enjoyed Razorblade Tears. This book is revenge porn at its best. It does contain some graphic descriptions of violence, so reader beware. SA Cosby manages to weave discussions of race, gender, lgbtq and minorities beautifully with the story without ever feeling forced. I specially enjoyed the conversations between Ike and Buddy Lee.

The narrator Adam Lazarre-White did an excellent job bringing unique voices to the different characters. I think he elevated the book even more. I also enjoyed his narration of All the Sinners Bleed, so he’s 2/2!