Blacktop Wasteland Book Review | S.A. Cosby

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Suspense
Hours: 11 hours 7 mins
Format: Audiobook
Rating:

Initial Thoughts

It was a cold winter day. I had a lot of chores to do, and I thought to myself, “I think I want to listen to an audiobook while I do my chores today.” But what book to choose? I find listening to fantasy books a bit more challenging to keep up with than reading them physically.

I decided on an S.A. Cosby book because the two I’ve read by him were five deer-stars, so I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. His writing is one of my favorites, and I was sad I wouldn’t be able to highlight some of my favorite lines. But this book is on KU, and I did take notes, so I will definitely be going back to make those highlights.

Cosby has set the bar high, so my expectations were up there for this one.

The Plot (Spoiler-Free!)

Beauregard “Bug” Montage is a car enthusiast living with the memory of his disappeared father. Determined to be a better man and lead by example, Bug cannot help but get pulled back into the world that took his father from him.

He loves cars, and no one knows how to drive them like he does. But when Bug runs into serious financial problems, he feels like he has no choice but to delve back into the life he swore he would stay away from. The company isn’t ideal, but he needs the money.

Just one more job. Just one more ride.

What I Liked (Spoilers)

Even though I listened to this as an audiobook, I was still able to see the story like a movie in my head. I am constantly amazed at how knowledgeable Cosby is. If it’s not religion, crime, finance, gangs, and crematories, it’s cars and generational trauma.

I think another reason I liked this book so much is because I have a slight personal connection to it. I come from a family who also loves cars. It’s truly their passion. So in a way, I was able to relate to and understand Bug’s love for cars and racing. Especially the part where he gets very angry that someone accused him of cheating in a race. His astonishment and anger seeped through the page, or in this case my headphones, and I completely understood how much of an insult that accusation was.

All of S.A. Cosby’s characters are complex and morally gray, and I like that. It makes the story feel realistic and like something that could actually happen. Bug is a good guy, but sometimes he does bad or illegal things for what he believes is for the greater good. I’m also coming to learn that no one is safe in an S.A. Cosby book. Anyone can get killed off.

Family is always a theme in Cosby’s books, but to me, this book had the most family woven directly into the plot. Bug is married with kids. He owns a mechanic shop with his cousin. His uncle is like a second father to him. Through this family dynamic, we see generational trauma unfold in real time.

Bug’s father left at a young age to pursue his true passion of racing and being a driver for heist or similar activities. Bug memorializes his father’s sports car, keeping up with its maintenance and using it for his own racing endeavors. Even when times are financially tough, he will not even consider selling the car, even though it is worth a significant amount of money.

Bug gets into street racing just like his father. Even though it’s dangerous. Even though there’s a chance he may never come home again. Even though his wife doesn’t like it, similar to how his mother didn’t like it when his father put cars first.

Bug has the opportunity to be a better parent, to be more present. But when his eldest son burns down a competing mechanic shop’s building, you have to ask where that behavior was learned. It had to come from somewhere.

Cosby weaves so much into this story, and I am sure there is more that I didn’t even pick up on. Normally, I would not like that the ending is somewhat open, but in this case I didn’t mind it, which is rare for me. Does Bug break the cycle of generational trauma and stay with his family? Or does he leave just like his father?

In most cases, I find open endings to be lazy. But here, I think it makes sense because throughout the book we’ve seen Bug put his family first, and we’ve seen him put cars first.

Favorite Quotes

As always, Cosby has such a way with words. Here are some of my favorite lines:

“When he started the car, the engine sounded like a pride of angry lions. Vibrations traveled up from the motor through the steering wheel. He tapped the gas a few times. The lions became dragons.”

“A mistake is a lesson, unless you make the same mistake twice.”

“Explanations were like assholes. Everyone has one and they are all full of shit.”

“He was built like a fire hydrant and had a hairline that was retreating like Lee at Gettysburg.”

“The AC had finally died a horrible death. Spitting out water and Freon like it had mechanical tuberculosis.”

“It sat there like a sleeping scorpion. Deadly and inert all at the same time.”

What Didn’t Work for Me

Initially, I thought this was a four deer-star book. I really enjoyed it, but not on the same level as All the Sinners Bleed or King of Ashes. But as I reflect and write this review, I think I’m bumping my rating up to 4.5 deer-stars. As Always, the plot, characters, and writing was top-notch.

Final Thoughts

Absolutely read this book. Read all of S.A. Cosby’s books. He truly does not miss. If you love thrillers, diverse characters, books that deal with generational trauma, a fast-paced plot, then this book is for you.

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