OH MY GOD THIS WAS SO GOOD. It was a heartbreaking and intense story of love and regret. S.A Cosby packs so much into this book and it flows together seamlessly. Both fathers have failed their sons while they were alive and stop at nothing to avenge them after they are brutally murdered. It was interesting to see how these two men learn so much during their journeys, about one another, about their sons, about the world around them. Each of the villains are foils to Ike and Buddy Lee, both men could easily have been the perpetrator of violence in another story. You can see them make real attempts to reckon with the homophobia that they bought into and just how destructive it can be in how the police refuse to take the case seriously and other aspects of the story.

There are conversations about race are also very interesting. We see how Ike defied the odds after his incarceration by making a stable facade for himself and his wife, while Buddy Lee, who is white, squandered the opportunities he was given following his incarceration. The two learn about race and become more nuanced in their world view. I cannot determine if these two redeemed themselves, but they certainly are motivated out of love. (tw: everything)