library binding, 538 pages
Published Dec. 8, 2021 by Thorndike Press Large Print.
Nogal over the top gewelddadig, en de hoofdpersonen van ook wel heel makkelijk over van homofobe slechte vaders naar love is love en iedereen moet zichzelf kunnen zijn, met nog wat preken over white privilege gratis erbij. Maar goed, het leest wel als een trein.
Some books feel like they're one step away from being a movie: this is one. In part, it's an unlikely buddy action film – two grieving fathers (one black, one white, both ex-convicts) unite to seek justice for their slain sons. It's also a tale of awakening and redemption as these men wrestle with deeply held beliefs and confront their own ignorance. The thing that makes this book work on all levels: the dialogue. Cosby seamlessly shifts between narrative and dialogue in such a way that your mental image is uninterrupted, maintaining the feel that you're taking in a film, rather than reading a book. (This magic trick is enhanced if you listen to the book (as I did), because the writing really comes to life in the talented hands of the performer, Adam Lazarre-White.)
A riveting, heart wrenching story of vengeance, justice, INjustice, and redemption. This book was everything I was hoping for and more. I am generally very critical of the 'bury your gays' trope, but I absolutely don't think this book falls into that category. Rather than using queer people as a device that pushes the story forward, the queer experience is central to the plot and is handled with both realism and graceful compassion. In addition, this book explored themes of racism, classism, corruption, and police brutality. Each of these were explored fully and expertly. In addition to the flawless structure of the book, the emotions this book put me through.... white hot rage, grief, compassion, love... the author was fantastic at eliciting these feelings from cover to cover. If you like books, read this.
