Hello everyone! Welcome to the Book Nook. Today we are going to be doing a review on Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby. I’ve heard about this book from a fellow Booktuber and it sounded like a very interesting concept. I finally read it and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Before we get started, I encourage you all to comment down below and tell me your thoughts. Also, make sure you are following the Book Nook on WordPress, Instagram and YouTube; that way you don’t miss any of my reviews in the future. So, without further ado, lets get into it.
Ike and Buddy Lee are two fathers who have criminal backgrounds but are on the straight and narrow. Both of them also have sons that are married to each other. Unfortunately, neither of the fathers approved of their kids’ lifestyle which caused a rift in their relationships. But when their children are murdered Ike and Buddy Lee are devastated. After two months and no leads into the case, Ike and Buddy Lee decide to take matters into their own hands to find out who was responsible for their sons’ demise.
This is going to be a pretty short review because I have nothing negative to say about this book. As I was reading I kept thinking if this was turned into a movie I would want Robert Patrick to play Buddy Lee and Michael Kenneth Williams as Ike. Unfortunately, Williams passed away in 2021 so next in line would be Wood Harris (maybe). What I found interesting was even after the death of his son, Isaiah, Ike could not for the life of him say the word “gay.” Every time that word would come up he would pause and say “different” or he would refer to Buddy Lee’s son, Derek, as Isaiah’s friend and not his husband. Eventually, Ike does come to terms with his son’s sexuality and does correct himself but it was very frustrating to see him struggle like that. I also found it interesting how Buddy Lee was sort of a Redneck but he was more “open” to his son being gay than Ike was. Don’t get me wrong, Buddy Lee was horrible to Derek when Derek came out but the more time Ike and Buddy Lee spend together the more vulnerable you can see Buddy Lee become.
There were also some pretty funny moments between the two fathers. They had good chemistry and even though they didn’t become the best of friends they eventually came to respect each other.
I will say, the POVs went back and forth between multiple characters multiple times and it was hard to keep track of who was talking and who wasn’t. The book was in third person which I don’t have a problem with but I’m so used to chapters alternating between characters and this book didn’t really do that; again it was hard to keep track of the POVs.
As I said before, I have nothing bad to say about this read. The pacing was great, I liked Ike and Buddy Lee, their humor and their interactions. I also like how Cosby took a sensitive topic and didn’t make it heavy or triggering. Razorblade Tears is now on my list of favorite books of the year.
Overall, I give it a 5/5.
Until next time!
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