God this was just SO good. I really liked Blacktop Wasteland but I LOVED Razorblade Tears. Ike and Buddy Lee become an unlikely "ebony & ivory" duo when their married sons are murdered. Hoping to avenge their deaths, spurred by the guilt of their unacceptance of their lifestyle, they hit the road like the two badasses that time in prison has made them. Razorblade Tears is a smart, tender, and gritty story of family, friendship, love, loss, regret, and redemption. S.A. Cosby eloquently handles important topics of race, sexuality and gender identity with a thoughtfulness that is both real and raw. I laughed and cried with Ike and Buddy Lee and felt like I was on the vigilante journey with them. Luckily, I still have all my finger joints in tact.
Five stars all the way!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback.

I know that good writers do extensive research when writing a book. Even so, it is usually not so difficult to tell that what the author elucidates is knowledge gained by research. Then there are the authors who seem to write from experience. Cosby knows what he is writing about. How he knows it is not easy to determine, but is ultimately irrelevant.

“Razorblade Tears” is a buddy story. It is also a story about hate crimes, gangs, and racism. Author Cosby explores the intersection of growing up Black in the South and the prejudice faced by people who identify as LGBTQ+. He blends those issues within the experience of people who have returned home from incarceration. There is a lot to absorb within these pages.

Cosby helps the reader to see things in a richer light. He doesn’t preach, but does make clear what his views are on these subjects. The book is a study on the convergence of minority status.

“Razorblade Tears” was a four star read. While I was surprised by one plot twist, one major mystery was easy to guess fairly early in the book. Some of the secondary characters were one dimensional, and at least one brief scene was unnecessary as it added nothing to the story. The main characters were fun to follow, and their prison and reentry experiences rang true to life.

My thanks to Flatiron Books and S. A. Cosby for this ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Exceptional audiobook! The narrator was excellent and the sound quality perfect. Ike and Buddy, father’s of interracial married couple Derek and Isiah are unlikely partners looking at who viciously murderer their sons. They are both grieving their relationships that they had with them and are soon battling to find out some answers! This is a fast paced, relevant to today’s headlines, often sad and pensive but heartwarming as they struggle with their emotions! I really liked the characters and this authors writing!!!
#RazorBladeTears#NetGalley

Thank You to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me with an audio ARC of Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

What a wonderful book to read over Father’s Day Weekend. A story of fathers and sons, missed opportunities, regret, guilt, prejudices and stubborn stereotypes. Ike Randolph and Buddy Lee Jenkins don’t seem to have much in common, except that they are both ex-cons whose sons have been brutally murdered. Their sons, Isiah and Derek, were married to each other, raising their young daughter without any involvement from their own fathers, who couldn’t get over the shame of having gay sons.

When the families learn that the police are not actively pursuing justice for their murdered sons, Ike and Buddy Lee decide to seek answers on their own. Together these two unlikely allies quickly learn they are more alike then they thought and a genuine bond and friendship develops. Told with humor, heart and furious passion this book is unputdownable. Its nonstop action with strong character development and fabulous prose. Audio narration was AMAZING.

This book was even better than Cosby’s previous megahit, Blacktop Wasteland. I will read and listen to anything S.A. Cosby writes. Guaranteed, this book will be playing on a screen near you in the very near future!!!

I’m so torn about how to share my thoughts on this book. I loved the writing, and the story of redemption was such a great one. But it was SO violent and there were a lot of words I don’t ever want to hear . I understand why they were used in the context of this book, but I didn’t like hearing them.
The narrator did an incredible job with this book and I loved that I got to listen to it.
Great novel, important subject matter, but I wouldn’t recommend to most people.

After reading Blacktop Wasteland, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy of this! If there is one thing Cosby knows how to do - it's CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. None of the characters (in either story) feel flat or lackluster. Everyone serves a real and raw purpose and furthers the story in wonderful ways. Razorblade Tears continues to prove his prowess. I was fully engrossed in this story from the absolute start. Stunning.

This was unlike anything I usually read (not a big vigilante justice crime fic type of person, shockingly), but the story line, characters, and pacing of this book was nearly perfect. I felt connected to the story, the writing was sharp and powerful, and it read like a movie, which I always love.

I don’t have any negative criticism of the book, just that this book dealt with very tough subjects and it made me a bit anxious at times.

For fans of Breaking Bad and and Winter Counts, make this your next read!

I loved Blacktop Wasteland so much, I immediately added this book to my wishlist as soon as I found out it was on the way. And I couldn't have been more excited to see it available on Netgalley to read early. Wasteland wasn't this author's first book, but it will probably be remembered as the one that started the conversation about him as one of the best new writers out there. A lot of time,s authors will try to duplicate the success of a previous book by just doing the same thing again with new names and slightly changing the details. Cosby managed to duplicate the feel and tone of Blacktop Wasteland while still creating a wholly new story. I don't know if this is a whole new genre or if these two books are just their own kind of animal. Either way, SA Cosby has cemented his place on my must-buy list.