Razorblade Tears

 Title: Razorblade Tears

Author: S.A. Cosby

What’s it about?

When a beloved young couple gets brutally murdered their fathers decide to take matters into their own hands and hunt down the people responsible for the murder of their sons. 

Did I like it?

I enjoyed Razorblade Tears. I figured out the “mystery” pretty early on but there was enough to the story to still enjoy the characters figuring it out. The revenge plot is second to the character growth the two fathers go through, in my opinion. Ike and Buddy Lee are two ex-cons that struggle to deal with the fact that their sons were gay. Ike and Buddy Lee aren’t just rough around the edges, both men did some pretty nasty things. The one thing that saves the dads, for me, is that I could see they did love their sons and they realized how they acted towards them was terrible. Cosby didn’t shy away from the fact that Ike and Buddy Lee were wrong in how they treated their sons. Instead, Cosby embraces it and forces his characters to see their actions and realize how much they must have hurt their sons. 

Who would I recommend it to?

I think this book would be an excellent choice for a book group. However, there are a few things a reader should know before picking this up. There is lots of violence and strong language. If this were a movie it would sit solidly in the R rating. It deals with LGBTQ issues and racism and doesn’t shy away from how nasty people can get. 

Did I purchase it?

I purchased this through Book of the Month

Rating

4/5

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

 Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

What’s it about?

A low-level writer gets told by her boss her next assignment is to do an interview with Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo. Confused as to why her, but excited because she sees this as her big chance Monique heads off to Evelyn’s Manhattan apartment. Once there Evelyn surprises Monique by telling her she doesn’t want to do the interview for the magazine, instead, she wants Monique to write her life story. Seeing this as the opportunity of a lifetime Monique accepts the offer. Over the course of the book Evelyn, someone that prized her privacy, tells Monique everything. 

Did I like it?

This is the second book from Reid, the first being Malibu Rising. While Malibu Rising was a fun story that I enjoyed, I loved this book. Evelyn’s life made for an interesting tale but what took this book from enjoyed to loved was the characters. I loved the characters, even the people that were terrible and there was no short supply of those. Evelyn is a character who would do whatever it took to get what she wanted. Was she selfish? Yes, unquestionably, but it was presented in such a human way that I found myself cheering her on. I wanted Evelyn to come out on top and win. The character of Harry nearly stole the show for me. If Reid ever decides to write a book about Harry’s life I would be there at midnight to pick it up. 

All that said, there were a few things I didn’t enjoy. Monique herself was fine and I liked seeing the growth she made over the course of the story, but every time there was a part in her perspective I found myself rushing through it to get back to Evelyn. She wasn’t a bad character but she couldn’t hold a candle to the larger-than-life Evelyn. 

While I thought the capital M mystery surrounding why Monique was picked had a good resolution I found the execution to be somewhat clunky. It seemed like Monique’s parts were just to remind the reader there was more to the story than just hearing about Evelyn’s fantastical life. There was a mystery too. I would have rather Monique and her boss wonder why she was picked but then once Monique got to Evelyn’s place that was dropped until the reveal. It took me out of the story every time I was reminded that there was more to the story of Evelyn Hugo than what she was telling Monique. 

Honestly, this is the very thing that holds this book back from being a 5-star for me. Keeping the entire thing in either Monique’s POV or third person would have made the story flow smoother, in my opinion. I think this would have also justified having Monique’s POV in the first place. As it is, while I do like the character of Monique, I feel like she didn’t get the story she deserved. Maybe Reid will go back to that character in a future book, but I doubt it. 

Who would I recommend it to?

I would recommend this book in a heartbeat. I think a person that enjoys old-school Hollywood would have a great time reading this. There is also a wonderfully heartbreaking LGBT+ love story. There is plenty for a book group to discuss as well. 

Did I purchase it?

Yes, this was an add-on with my Book of the Month subscription.

Rating 4/5