Literally Dead Book Club discussion
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Razorblade Tears
RAZORBLADE TEARS
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Razorblade Tears 1 / 3
100 pages in and loving it!
I don’t read a lot of suspense so it’s definitely out of my comfort zone but I’m liking it so far. I’m 50 pages in so far will do more later on.
I’m loving this book! It’s equal parts funny, suspenseful, and serious. The way Cosby discuses grief in this, especially when it’s older men experiencing it, is so spot on to me. I also love Ike and Buddy Lee as characters. They’re so different, but they share some similarities. I also like how fast paced this book is and I was excited that we got the bad guys POV.
I'm enjoying it far more than I expected to! First off, the audiobook narrator is WONDERFUL. I really like the dynamic between Ike and Buddy Lee, the story reads like an odd couple action movie. A few details have been a little unbelievable to me, but when I imagine the story like an action movie in my head it all fits surprisingly well. Very excited to see where it goes from here!
Woofta. This. Book. I had started reading Blacktop Wasteland by Cosby a couple weeks ago and set it down to focus on this one.The opening scenes of this book heart broke me. Buddy Lee and Ike as main characters are completely out of the norm for me in reading. I am not normally drawn to gritty old men as characters, but they are so flawed it’s endearing.
I feel their struggle and injustice. Their children are not top priority in the police’s mind and that is so relevant for today. I also like the dynamic of the character’s different social classes. The scene where Ike tells Buddy Lee that sure, he can have a nice car, but he’d have to switch places with him was so impactful.
I love that I’m reading this relevant story from the adept hand of a black man.
Vigilante Justice is such a grey area morally, but I’m into this story. Chapter 14 made me have to set the book down for a little bit. This is definitely so far one I am having to read slowly so I don’t overwhelm myself content and brutality wise. I want to know more though. I want to know what happened with Derek and Isiah and why they were killed so viciously.
I’m here for this book.
I'm really enjoying the plot and the morally grey characters. The tone reminds me a lot of Billy Summers but I hated that book and this one feels like the same tone done right. I'm really excited to keep reading.
What a great start! LOVED Blacktop Wasteland and I’m getting major BW vibes while reading this one. Ike’s dark past is coming back to haunt his present and future. I can feel it. And am really enjoying Buddy Lee’s character and raw personality. This books scenes play out so much like a movie. Gripping, intense, and violent. 🤌🏻Also loved the scene in the truck that Mandy mentioned about Ike telling Buddy what his life would be like if he actually switched places. ❤️
Can’t wait for what’s next!
Excellent start, as expected. I see others read Blacktop wasteland as well and it definitely has the same feel. The characters are spot on and brought to life wonderfully. “Morally grey” is a pretty good description of Ike and Buddy Lee. Let’s see what happens!
This book is definitely hard to read at times. I'm having to put it down and take breaks a LOT.That's not a bad thing! It's just such an honest portrayal of both homophobia and racism that it cuts straight to my heart. I love it a lot, but as a queer POC who grew up in the US South...oof yeah so much of it hits SO hard.
This book so far is amazing! I just want to keep reading and not put it down! The way S.A Cosby describes racism, homophobia and mental health/addiction is so eye-opening and jaw dropping. The scene in the truck where Ike is explaining to Buddy Lee how he can have the truck if he dealt with all the things Ike has to deal with is one of my favourite scenes.
Buddy Lee and Ike are amazing characters who I think will teach other things they weren’t expecting (and hopefully a little revenge happens in there)!
I love the characters! They both have two separate personalities but both are so powerful and I love how the author shows that they are both experiencing their grief
Loving it so far! I love both the characters but finding quite a fondness toward Buddy Lee. He has made me chuckle more than a few times at his remarks and comments. The pace is great too, moving right along keeping you engaged and interested.
I’ve taken a liking to Buddy Lee and his comments also! Cosby is so good with creating a connection with his characters and the reader!
I’m really enjoying it so far! This wasn’t a book I picked when it was a choice for BOTM but I got it free since it was one of their finalist for BOTY. I honestly didn’t think I would enjoy it but I’m finding it hard to put down. I think this could easily be a 5 star book for me, I can’t wait to see where it goes!
The writing is so good. Really enjoying this one so far. It's very heavy but not in a bad way.
I’m about 60 pages in and really enjoying it. My jaw dropped at the scene where Ike was telling Buddy Lee he could have his truck if he also acknowledged the rest of Ike’s lives experience as a Black man. Super powerful and impactful
Wow, not for the faint of heart! And it's also clear why Paramount has optioned it. I love the cinematic feel to the story. Everything is so vivid, and the "all outta f****" energy is intense.
I'm really enjoying it so far as well—the writing is punchy, and it has a very gritty, urban vibe. I also appreciate the social commentary being pretty organically woven in, instead of preachy and show-stopping. The 'banter' between Ike and Buddy Lee is also excellent. It's definitely reminiscent of those action/revenge movies (like Taken), so I'm not surprised movie studio has already optioned it (Maybe Idris Elba can play Ike?)
Leigh wrote: "This book so far is amazing! I just want to keep reading and not put it down! The way S.A Cosby describes racism, homophobia and mental health/addiction is so eye-opening and jaw dropping. The sc..."
Agree, I love that whole conversation about the truck!
I’m thinkin Matthew McConaughey with a mullet for Buddy Lee? 😜😁
Wow. Can we talk about how important the conversation is in this novel?! Not only is it discussing LGBTQ+ discrimination, but race as well? And classism? And addiction? S. A. Cosby, you have a heavy novel on your hands and I'm really hoping you are going to do it justice.
Dorian wrote: "I’m thinkin Matthew McConaughey with a mullet for Buddy Lee? 😜😁"Nice! Ethan Hawke could be another!
so far im really enjoying this book! im about 10 chapters in atm and am really liking how real it is. the author wasnt afraid to hold back
This is moving quickly for me. I love the banter between Buddy Lee and Ike. I also enjoy the sneak peek behind the scenes of the bad guys and can't wait till they get what's coming to them!! Such a great read so far.
So far this is just ok for me. Took me a while to get into it, but the story is starting to pick up and pique my interest.
Just finished chapter 15! Very good book. I’ve already recommended it to my roommate once I’m done. Love Ike and Buddy, very well written, fast paced and I don’t want to put it down. If I didn’t have responsibilities I would finish it tonight!
I won't spoil my thoughts because I already finish the book, but the first chapters are quite good
I'm really into it right now. It feels a little weird saying I'm enjoying it but I am! I've already had a few moments of "oooh that was good" during the banter between Buddy Lee and Ike. I like that we just get right into it, no holding back. I wasn't expecting the detailed descriptions but here we are. The topics that the author has already touched on are done seamlessly. I love the back and forth between these two men.
Read the entire book in 2 days and I love the book I gave it 4 stars it was an interesting ride of a book
Omg talk about a gripping first section! Finished the 15 chapters relatively fast. Love the writes style of writing and the storyline has got me hooked! Can’t wait to see what continues onward!
I’m enjoying this book so far! The two main characters seem like unlikely friends. I’m enjoying seeing the bad guys point of view. I haven’t read many books with violent scenes, so I’m taking my time through those scenes. The theme of grief is resonating.
I'm obsessed with the writing in this book so far! it portrays so many hard things in such a beautiful but also honest way, I definitely wasn't expecting it to impact me this much. as someone already mentioned, chapter 14 made me put the book down for a little bit because it was so graphic! highly recommend the audiobook for this one
Wow- I knew this book would be tough to read, but Cosby's writing just oozes of grief and regret. It's incredible difficult to read, especially the beginning- but I find the short chapters to be a great motivator! Enjoying it so far, and I'm excited to see the action and stakes increase from what we got in chapters 13-15 alone!
I'm really enjoying this so far. I love the developing relationship between the two dads. How they are different yet the same.
So far, I am enjoying the book. Chapter 9 pulled me out of the immersion for a bit because, at least for me, I can't imagine these young "activists" not calling 911 while Ike beat the shit out of one of their coworkers. You could argue they were all frozen in fear, but it just seemed a bit unrealistic to me. Besides that the story has been truly engaging and, as Madison & a few others mentioned, covers so many important & difficult topics (LGBTQ+ discrimination, racism, addiction, classism). At the moment, it seems like Cosby is handling all these subjects with great care & honesty.
As many people mentioned, I appreciate the way Cosby has made you empathize with these two men despite them committing terrible acts. I agree with what Mandy said "I am not normally drawn to gritty old men as characters, but they are so flawed it’s endearing."
People also have mentioned that they have enjoyed the perspective from the "bad guys". Am I the only one that has not committed that label to them? Obviously they are connected to Derek & Isaiah in someway, but as of this moment I just see them as another perspective in this story. Maybe I missed something, but as of right now they are just also looking for that girl "Tangerine", as far as I can tell.
Looking forward to seeing how this story unfolds.
This is told from characters I wouldn't usually gravitate towards and I'm struggling with having to read from Buddy and Ike's perspective (specifically the homophobia). The writing is exceptional though so going to keep going for now.
I am loving this book right now. I don't normally read books with characters like Ike and Buddy Lee, and I feel that it is a refreshing perspective. I can see why people may dislike the homophobic parts in the book, but I think it is important because some parents are still like this towards their children. I think light needs to be shed on these types of parents and it was done well in a majority of the passages.
I wasn't sure about this books at first, I haven't really read this genre much and wanted to branch out. It took me about 50 pages to really start to get into this book, but so far it's an interesting read.
Having a great time reading this book. Ike and Buddy Lee are perfect representations of a lot of older Southern men, both Black AND White. I can understand how the homophobia is hard to read for some, but if it wasn’t in there the characters would feel dishonest, and their journeys to earn their sons’s love wouldn’t be as impactful. The same goes for the racism. Racist biker gangs should say racist 💩. It’s hard for people to change their views about life (I mean IRL.) That’s why Ike and Buddy Lee are so endearing. Are they homophobic? Yes. Are they killers? Yes. Could they have been better to their sons? Yes. Are they acting like nothing is wrong with any of that? No. They are trying to do better, and it’s the trying that makes me root for them.
not quite sure how i’m feeling yet. i’m enjoying it enough to keep reading but i do really hope it picks up here soon
ugh I feel like I'm the only one not liking this so far. I do not see the appeal in the writing or characters. YET. I'm only on page 51 and imma keep going but oof it's been a struggle.
I got hold of Razorblade Tears unexpectedly and I was so excited! I started reading it but I must admit it‘s not easy to read for a non native English speaker. Therefore it‘s not a fast read. I‘m not a huge fan of slang language/words either. In any language.
I don‘t like the mood of the book. As a mother I have little sympathy for the homophobic behaviour of Buddy. I hope this will change in the next chapters.
I am liking this book so far. It did take me a while to get into but after about a fourth the story started to pick up and now I really want to keep reading and find out what happens next. I like the writing a lot but I'm still not very invested in the characters. Hopefully, I will start to like them more when I get further into the book.
The premise is intriguing. I'm interested in Ike, I feel like his character is layered. Buddy Lee a little less so. I can't wait to see how their relationship develops. I'm listening to the audio and I like the narrator. I get a little distracted though. I'm not sure if I'm completely vibing with the writing. Or it just might be that I don't read a lot of books with male protagonists.
So far I'm very intrigued. I'm curious about Buddy Lee's health situation and anxious to get the the bottom of the whole thing.I need to know more about Greyson(sp)
I'm enjoying the book so far.
Really enjoying it. A bit slow to start with but picking up pace fast! Loving how the subject of grief is approached. Kinda love the tense banter between Ike and Buddy Lee
In my edition, chapter 15 ends on page 90.
What are your initial impressions?
How are you feeling about the characters?
Any themes or topics you find interesting or impactful?