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scmiller's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Sexism, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, and Classism
evanmcomer's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Let’s start with the good. For me, the strongest parts of Slocumb’s book were the chapters set in the 1920s. The author clearly did a lot of research and had a good feel for setting. The characters in that part of the book were richer and more fully drawn. And Josephine, who is neurodivergent, was written with significant care and depth. The book shines brightest when it’s in historical-fiction mode.
As for the bad, this book’s plot felt stagnant. It really only felt like a “thriller” in the last third. The rest seemed like set-up. The portions of the book written in modern times were slow, and Bern and Eboni were both less interesting than Josephine and Fred. Bern’s character arc, where he tries to navigate the internal politics of and comes to terms with the realities of the philanthropic organization for which he works, felt boring. The interesting parts of Eboni’s storyline all seem to happen off page. This meant that, for me, some of the big reveals that happened at the end of the book felt unearned.
The Delaney Foundation, which Slocumb paints as a corrupt philanthropy project, was so exaggerated that it took me out of the story. If Kurt Delaney started twisting his mustache at some point in the book, I would not have been surprised. This really boils down to a problem of stakes. The basic conceit of the plot—a musical historian discovers that a famous composer stole his most famous works from a black woman–was strong enough. Giving the philanthropy trying to cover up that discovery the kind of reach that they could buy off the NYPD, pay criminals to hunt down the main character, and manufacture criminal charges against him ratcheted things up to a high enough level that I was no longer able to suspend my disbelief. While things like police corruption and the racism inherent in white philanthropy are real, a book about intellectual property theft doesn’t seem like the proper forum to address them. My brain just could not make sense of the idea that a nonprofit foundation would go to such extremes to protect a piece of classical sheet music—one that it intended to release to the public anyway!
Many of my negative feelings about the ending stem from Slocumb’s treatment of Josephine. While I think Slocumb wrote Josephine well by-and-large, he does give savant-like properties to her neurodivergence, which is a stereotype that is harmful to people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other conditions. And to make matters worse, he uses the richness of her character to set up her death. He wanted us to love Josephine and to see her complexities, only so he could make her a victim. Josephine really doesn’t get to tell her own story; she’s there so that Fred, Bern, and Eboni can tell it.
3.25⭐️
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism
mezzythedragon's review against another edition
4.0
I will say it starts kind of slow, but picks up halfway, especially when Bern runs afoul of the Delaney Foundation.
Overall, another hit from Brendan Slocumb. Do read the author’s note at the end.
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Ableism, Violence, and Police brutality
lisas_bookshelf's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
Minor: Violence and Murder
brunonadamas's review
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use and Physical abuse
caseythereader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content and Outing
vixen13's review
5.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Violence