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Kelly (and the Book Boar)'s Reviews > Razorblade Tears
Razorblade Tears
by
^^^^Actual footage of me coming here to write this review when my friends’ collective rating is at a freaking 4.86.
Razorblade Tears is the story of Ike and Buddy Lee – polar opposites in all ways aside from the fact that their sons were married to each other and got murdered. When the local yokels seem to wash their hands of the case based on lack of evidence Ike and Buddy Lee decide to take matters into their own hands.
Okay, so herein begins the problem. I have said it before and apparently I will be saying it again. Revenge stories aren’t really my jam. I’m all for a little vigilante justice, but I like it to be real quick and not drawn out as the entire storyline. I’m also not a fan of reading action/fight scenes. In all honesty I’m not a huge fan of watching them in movies either. It just seems like filler to me when it goes on too long. So there’s two things already not working for me when it comes to this book. The whodunit part was okay and there were times I was truly sucked in to the story . . . but then more drawn out fight scenes would burst my reading bubble or even worse . . . .
I’m all for informing the ignorant, but Cosby’s style was sooooooo condescending. And as always the people who really need information like the following examples spoonfed to them most likely wouldn’t ever read this book to begin with . . .
They don’t look gay, Ike thought. As soon as the idea entered his head it seemed like he could hear Isiah’s voice. How exactly did someone look gay? Did he expect them to have tattoos carved into their foreheads that declared their sexuality?
“Wait, so she’s a he?” Buddy Lee asked in a low tone. “No. She is a she who has not had gender-reassignment surgery yet,”
“You called her a she. But she still has a…” Ike said. He let the statement hang in the air. “She is presenting as a woman. She seems to be living as a woman. So she is a woman,”
“Thank you, S.A. Cosby for making me so woke!” said no bigot ever.
So as I said, this was off the charts for all my pals and then there’s me . . . .
The violence didn’t bother me. I simply could not get past the stereotypes with the extra helping of cheese. I own Blacktop Wasteland so eventually I’ll get around to reading that one. Hopefully it will work better for me.
by
Kelly (and the Book Boar)'s review
bookshelves: book-of-the-month-selection, dysfunction-junction, everyone-loved-it-but-me, i-read-it-wrong, liburrrrrry-book, i-suck-turtles, read-in-2021, the-great-white-hype
Aug 18, 2021
bookshelves: book-of-the-month-selection, dysfunction-junction, everyone-loved-it-but-me, i-read-it-wrong, liburrrrrry-book, i-suck-turtles, read-in-2021, the-great-white-hype
^^^^Actual footage of me coming here to write this review when my friends’ collective rating is at a freaking 4.86.
Razorblade Tears is the story of Ike and Buddy Lee – polar opposites in all ways aside from the fact that their sons were married to each other and got murdered. When the local yokels seem to wash their hands of the case based on lack of evidence Ike and Buddy Lee decide to take matters into their own hands.
Okay, so herein begins the problem. I have said it before and apparently I will be saying it again. Revenge stories aren’t really my jam. I’m all for a little vigilante justice, but I like it to be real quick and not drawn out as the entire storyline. I’m also not a fan of reading action/fight scenes. In all honesty I’m not a huge fan of watching them in movies either. It just seems like filler to me when it goes on too long. So there’s two things already not working for me when it comes to this book. The whodunit part was okay and there were times I was truly sucked in to the story . . . but then more drawn out fight scenes would burst my reading bubble or even worse . . . .
I’m all for informing the ignorant, but Cosby’s style was sooooooo condescending. And as always the people who really need information like the following examples spoonfed to them most likely wouldn’t ever read this book to begin with . . .
They don’t look gay, Ike thought. As soon as the idea entered his head it seemed like he could hear Isiah’s voice. How exactly did someone look gay? Did he expect them to have tattoos carved into their foreheads that declared their sexuality?
“Wait, so she’s a he?” Buddy Lee asked in a low tone. “No. She is a she who has not had gender-reassignment surgery yet,”
“You called her a she. But she still has a…” Ike said. He let the statement hang in the air. “She is presenting as a woman. She seems to be living as a woman. So she is a woman,”
“Thank you, S.A. Cosby for making me so woke!” said no bigot ever.
So as I said, this was off the charts for all my pals and then there’s me . . . .
The violence didn’t bother me. I simply could not get past the stereotypes with the extra helping of cheese. I own Blacktop Wasteland so eventually I’ll get around to reading that one. Hopefully it will work better for me.
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Reading Progress
August 15, 2021
–
Started Reading
August 15, 2021
– Shelved
August 18, 2021
– Shelved as:
book-of-the-month-selection
August 18, 2021
– Shelved as:
dysfunction-junction
August 18, 2021
– Shelved as:
everyone-loved-it-but-me
August 18, 2021
– Shelved as:
i-read-it-wrong
August 18, 2021
– Shelved as:
liburrrrrry-book
August 18, 2021
– Shelved as:
i-suck-turtles
August 18, 2021
– Shelved as:
read-in-2021
August 18, 2021
– Shelved as:
the-great-white-hype
August 18, 2021
–
Finished Reading
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AFrolicInTheTomesXx
(new)
Aug 18, 2021 08:11AM
I mean it’s a story with a subplot of two men overcoming their homophobia as well as solving a murder. I’m not sure what you expected? Coming to those realizations is just part of the process. I don’t think The target audience for this book is homophobes lol….. if it was I’d get your point.
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S.N. wrote: "I mean it’s a story with a subplot of two men overcoming their homophobia as well as solving a murder. I’m not sure what you expected? Coming to those realizations is just part of the process. I do..."One thing that is NOT going to happen is someone telling me I read this wrong. Especially a person who hasn't even read it yet. The story of two men overcoming raging cases of homophobia within a few days while murdering (view spoiler) is the cheesiest effing storyline I could imagine. I'm allowed to have that opinion. And if the target audience isn't supposed to be those who have bias like this then I REALLY didn't need the condescending dialogue explaining wokeness even more.
EDITED TO ADD SPOILER TAGS
Yep, the woke monologues/preaching to readers were ridiculous- literally NO ONE talks that way. It lowered my rating. Although as a whole I enjoyed the book, I won't be searching out more books by this author. In retrospect I was too generous.BTW, your response to S.N. was perfect and very restrained 💕
I’m 100 % with you on “action scenes”, definitely among the most boring to read.
JanB wrote: "Yep, the woke monologues/preaching to readers were ridiculous- literally NO ONE talks that way. It lowered my rating. Although as a whole I enjoyed the book, I won't be searching out more books by ..."It's the new and improved Kelly. Now with 100% less "F*&^ YOUS!!!!" hahahahaha. I put this one down a few times because I thought I wasn't in the right mood. I should have left it there and realized it wasn't for me. Eventually I'll get around to Blacktop Wasteland since it's already on the Kindle and cross my fingers it isn't full of cringey dialogue like this one was : (
Thomas wrote: "I’m 100 % with you on “action scenes”, definitely among the most boring to read."Ugh I HATE them. Like we get it, you're gonna make him bleed his own blood, now get on with the storytelling! And in movies/TV shows action scenes are always like 100 decibels higher than the speaking so it's almost like I can hear the gunshots/punches echoing in my head while reading haha.
Excellent points Kelly! PS How did I miss getting in on telling SN what an arrogant, ignorant Jerk she is, Sorry
😂😂😂 you were busy over on the Velvet Was the Night page 😂😂😂
Kelly (and the Book Boar) wrote: "😂😂😂 you were busy over on the Velvet Was the Night page 😂😂😂">Leaving to slap myself around
Don’t you dare! You’re my accountability coach who makes me post a review every once in awhile 😂
Kelly (and the Book Boar) wrote: "Don’t you dare! You’re my accountability coach who makes me post a review every once in awhile 😂"No, I are not a nag- I are an Accountability Coach! ;-))
That's right!
Hahaha--loved your hashtag of everyone loving it but you. I have seen some awesome reviews for this one but it didn't even sound that interesting to me. Glad to see a dissenting review.
Maybe in a different mood I would have overlooked the preachiness and been able to get lost in the story but I obviously wasn’t in that mood 😂
I'm almost finished this book and was trying to find reviews that may echo what I'm planning to write. Totally agree that the constant lectures and lessons on how not to be a racist and homophobe were ridiculously overdone. As a vociferous progressive, I didn't need to be hit over the head with it over and over again. And as you pointed out, those who do need a lesson or two (not two dozen) will not be reading this book. But I have a lot more objections than that. I take great issue with claims that it's well-written. Anyone who thinks literally hundreds of similes (sometimes four per page), mostly using the word "like" equals lyrical prose is mistaken. It's lazy and amateurish. There are also huge plot holes that I was hoping would be filled by the end, but with the predictable yet highly implausible "big reveal", it won't be happening. More kvetching later tonight when I finish this grossly-overrated cash grab.
Andrea you and I are of one mind. I don’t get the hype about the writing either. Grit lit is a favorite genre of mine and this is WAAAAAY at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to quality storytelling. I think a lot of readers found this via Book of the Month or because they are trying to diversify their author selections but aren’t really familiar at all with darker plot lines.
Agree, agree, agree! Blacktop Wasteland was soooo good. This one hurt.
Oh that makes me feel so much better (and also not as terrified that I will hate Blacktop Wasteland)!
I just started reading this one and I’m struggling! Maybe it’s just not the right book for me right now. 😩
Just know you’re not alone. There are a couple of us out there that didn’t love this one 😉
I put it down and am moving on for now.
I had to stop reading this book because I couldn’t take the sermonizing. Made my eyeballs roll into the back of my head
So glad I’m not the only one who was put off by the condescending preachiness!
I am about 1/4 through this book and came here to see if anyone else had similar feelings. All reviews were 4&5 stars until yours! So far we have unbelievable characters, condescending preachiness, and stereotypical characterization. DNF for me.
Heather wrote: "I am about 1/4 through this book and came here to see if anyone else had similar feelings. All reviews were 4&5 stars until yours! So far we have unbelievable characters, condescending preachiness,..."I envy everyone with the ability to not finish. One day I'll get smart and stop giving crummy books my time!
Yessss. I don’t need to be morally lectured by two homophobic failed fathers. Not for me.
Andy wrote: "Yessss. I don’t need to be morally lectured by two homophobic failed fathers. Not for me."Right? I don't know how people loved this one so much, but it makes me happy to know I'm not the only one who hated it hahahahaha.
Oh look look!We're together on this one, too!!!
I REALLY wanted to one star this but was skeered of all my friends 😂
You do have some skeery friends. I'd have been afeared, too.I gave it two stars because I was chortling with delight over the disposal of that first body at the landscaping shop.
...and that's about it.
