Michael Finocchiaro's Reviews> Razorblade Tears

I really enjoyed Cosby'sBlacktop Wastelandand had high hopes for the followup. I found that he kept up a breathless pace in this book as in the previous one, a pressure to read on that didn't let up until the end. That being said, I hold back my 5* on this one for a couple of reasons. First off, it is rather predictable. Second, it is obvious that he is channeling Sons of Anarchy - he can't help but name check that legendary biker series towards the end - which just seemed as if he was begging for Netflix to option his book. Lastly, I do appreciate reading about the problems of racism and homophobia, and I agree with the truths about them that I posit throughout ("as King said: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."but in this book, he sort of hits us over the head with it and slaps us around. It was like a school in woke which is then contradicted by other situations where he takes a piss at some hippies, as if the writer realized that he needed to take a more neutral position before being shoved in the woke box forever. I dunno, I feel that - to take an example which I really appreciated - a show like the Expanse was able to pass these messages but without sounding as overbearing as Cosby sounded at times in the book.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book and felt that Ike and Bobby Lee were fun protagonists to follow around on their Old Geezer's Ebony and Ivory Vengeance Tour. Buddy Lee was hilarious with his quips ( "he would've banged the crack of dawn if it would've stood still long enough") and Ike evolves a bit even if he gives his Riot alter-ego free rein quite a lot. The secondary characters were fairly two-dimensional stereotypes - violent redneck, hateful white politician, helpless baby doll girl, - albeit with one surprise, but this is clearly not a book with Philip Roth in mind in terms of character portraits. There are some pure" please pick this up as a screenplay "moments, particularly at the climax and the denouement requires a lot of belief suspension by the reader. Nonetheless, it was entertaining.

So, Cosby will not earn a Pulitzer for this one, but he will probably get a film version of this action-packed novel.

2022 Pulitzer Possibilities List - come and vote!