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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Gaslighting
Moderate: Cursing, Racial slurs
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I’ll be reading Slocumb till I die! Such well crafted stories with rich perspectives and meanings. Solid 4.5/5 for this one. Get his books on your TBR list noooow!
Slocumb’s hope as you read Symphony of Secrets is that it encourages us to go out and LISTEN. Listen to the busker on the street; to the kindergartner unable to sit still; to the quiet woman tucked in a corner, doodling in her notebook. Listen to them. Really listen. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to hear a voice, a story, that would otherwise never have been heard. There are many brilliant works throughout time that have been destroyed, overlooked, or silenced. Our charge is to simply listen.
Slocumb’s hope as you read Symphony of Secrets is that it encourages us to go out and LISTEN. Listen to the busker on the street; to the kindergartner unable to sit still; to the quiet woman tucked in a corner, doodling in her notebook. Listen to them. Really listen. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to hear a voice, a story, that would otherwise never have been heard. There are many brilliant works throughout time that have been destroyed, overlooked, or silenced. Our charge is to simply listen.
I preferred the first by this author, but i enjoyed this too. Josephine Reed is an incredible character - we stan - and the way her synesthesia was written was WAY more interesting than the last book i read that made use of that character trait (Hester) (Hester?)
i have mixed feelings on Freddy's rapid character devolvement - on one hand, it was certainly very believable in the time period and a good example of how even an otherwise nice or well intentioned person can use racist tropes very comfortably in order to dehumanize people .... otoh, he was SO earnest and nice in the first chapters, it beggared belief a little bit. again, i think that was basically the point, but idk i think it needed a little more to flow smoothly.
then, it seemed totally unnecessary to have Eboni (ANOTHER QUEEN) & Bern hook up , i would have preferred them to stay platonic besties.
the overall idea and mystery of the music was great, although i think as the reader we had the pieces a lot earlier than Bern &co.
no notes on the white villain council at the Foundation - 10/10
7/10
i have mixed feelings on Freddy's rapid character devolvement - on one hand, it was certainly very believable in the time period and a good example of how even an otherwise nice or well intentioned person can use racist tropes very comfortably in order to dehumanize people .... otoh, he was SO earnest and nice in the first chapters, it beggared belief a little bit. again, i think that was basically the point, but idk i think it needed a little more to flow smoothly.
then, it seemed totally unnecessary to have Eboni (ANOTHER QUEEN) & Bern hook up , i would have preferred them to stay platonic besties.
the overall idea and mystery of the music was great, although i think as the reader we had the pieces a lot earlier than Bern &co.
no notes on the white villain council at the Foundation - 10/10
7/10
A masterpiece of a book. Brendan Slocumb is a genius who writes about geniuses. I loved everything about it: the writing, the story, the ideas, the window into the past, the emotions it stirred up, the silent music it inspired in my head, and the faint taste of pizza on the tip of my tongue (speaking of: what was that about Old Bay on tortilla chips?!?).
This was a book selected by my book club. Frankly, based on the teaser on the back, I never would have chosen to read this book. I am not particularly musically inclined, and while I know I should read more historical books with POC POVs, such books never draw my enthusiasm. But, just a few pages in, I could hardly put this book down.
Somehow, just by describing an office setup and the process of a task, Slocumb has me riveted. Having just met Professor Bern, I already thought the book was a win. But then the book jumps in time to the roaring 20s, and we meet the dynamic duo of Fred Delaney and Josephine Reed. Their characters are convincingly alive, full of desires and nuance and plausible character arcs. Josephine's synesthesia opens up music in a completely new way that is both clever and a joy to read. (Interesting that another 5-star book for me was about a woman with synesthesia: Hester.)
The book is not all happy melodies. Deception, conspiracy, and tragedy abound. At one point, my blood pressure shot through the roof as I felt the righteous indignation at disempowered helplessness and shame in the face of unwarranted oppression (). Later, a particularly unjust death scene is written in tender beauty, and I read with peaceful rapture.
I highly recommend this book, even if the description does nothing for you. The book is awesomely entertaining, impressively penned, and may give you new insight about music and social realities both past and present.
This was a book selected by my book club. Frankly, based on the teaser on the back, I never would have chosen to read this book. I am not particularly musically inclined, and while I know I should read more historical books with POC POVs, such books never draw my enthusiasm. But, just a few pages in, I could hardly put this book down.
Somehow, just by describing an office setup and the process of a task, Slocumb has me riveted. Having just met Professor Bern, I already thought the book was a win. But then the book jumps in time to the roaring 20s, and we meet the dynamic duo of Fred Delaney and Josephine Reed. Their characters are convincingly alive, full of desires and nuance and plausible character arcs. Josephine's synesthesia opens up music in a completely new way that is both clever and a joy to read. (Interesting that another 5-star book for me was about a woman with synesthesia: Hester.)
The book is not all happy melodies. Deception, conspiracy, and tragedy abound. At one point, my blood pressure shot through the roof as I felt the righteous indignation at disempowered helplessness and shame in the face of unwarranted oppression (
Spoiler
when Bern was arrestedI highly recommend this book, even if the description does nothing for you. The book is awesomely entertaining, impressively penned, and may give you new insight about music and social realities both past and present.
My favorite book by this author! The pace was great and had my attention all the way to the end.
I really enjoyed this book. How Bern discovered how his favorite composer stole a black woman’s music. It was very interesting the whole story- I loved how it jumped from Josephine/Freds timeline and the current time (Bern/Eboni).
I also really enjoyed the partnership between Eboni and Bern. They really seem like they connect. I love how they fought to get Josephine’s name out there in the current day, just to right wrongs. It’s so important for stories like this to be told, because it impacts everyone. Not everything is always what it seems-and if you lie about it-the truth will get out.
I also really enjoyed the partnership between Eboni and Bern. They really seem like they connect. I love how they fought to get Josephine’s name out there in the current day, just to right wrongs. It’s so important for stories like this to be told, because it impacts everyone. Not everything is always what it seems-and if you lie about it-the truth will get out.
medium-paced
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No