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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed a lot of this book - it takes place in the 1920s and today, and beautifully describes music and New York City. It was a challenging read in that some of characters are racist and their language and actions reflect that. I haven't read many books that discuss musical notation, classical music, the blues, and other genres as part of the storyline, so it was refreshing on that "score"! The audiobook was done really well.
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Absolutely one of the best books I’ve ever read. I physically could not put it down. I wanted to fling my book across the room with rage and sorrow for the characters. I loved this so deeply.
When professor Bern Hendricks gets an opportunity to study lost music by the famous American composer Frederick Delaney, he jumps at the chance, even though it means moving to New York and dedicating all of hiss time to the project. Soon after he begins, though, Bern notices that something in the recently found piece of music makes him ask questions - question that are like a tug on a string. And soon, that string is going to unravel a mystery that begins all the way back in the 1920s, when a young man meets an unusual woman who is going to change everything for him.
While I'm not usually that into mysteries, this book really captured my attention quickly. I liked the back and forth in time between the roaring 20s with young musician Frederick Delaney and this mystery woman and the modern day. I liked Bern's partner Eboni who helps him dig deeper, she's a smart and sassy character. I appreciated the neurodivergence of one of our main characters as well as the way that both overt and covert racism are splayed out in all their ugliness, the way those kinds of bigotry have really meant a loss for both individuals and the world community.
This really is an interesting story. It gets 4 instead of 5 stars because it just wasn't BEAUTIFUL the way that I like my five star books to be. It didn't really make me FEEL all the feelings but it super entertained me and I would recommend it to both music and mystery lovers.
While I'm not usually that into mysteries, this book really captured my attention quickly. I liked the back and forth in time between the roaring 20s with young musician Frederick Delaney and this mystery woman and the modern day. I liked Bern's partner Eboni who helps him dig deeper, she's a smart and sassy character. I appreciated the neurodivergence of one of our main characters as well as the way that both overt and covert racism are splayed out in all their ugliness, the way those kinds of bigotry have really meant a loss for both individuals and the world community.
This really is an interesting story. It gets 4 instead of 5 stars because it just wasn't BEAUTIFUL the way that I like my five star books to be. It didn't really make me FEEL all the feelings but it super entertained me and I would recommend it to both music and mystery lovers.
I had to put this book down a few times to get myself in check. I absolutely loved reading Symphony of Secrets. I think I would have appreciated it more had I been able to recall music notes better to imagine the sounds being described.
adventurous
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
A fantastic book that I had to finish as soon as possible. I loved the evolution of the characters as well as the switching POVs.
See full review on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution website:
“Symphony of Secrets” is North Carolina author Brendan Slocumb’s second novel that blends an inventive combination of historical fiction, suspense and a neurodiverse perspective to spotlight a marginalized demographic in America’s musical past. Seeking to represent the underrepresented, Slocumb uses tenderness and humanity to navigate the twisty topics of appropriation, the toppling of heroes in the Information Age and the complex reality of correcting suppressed history.
Slocumb centers his narrative around the legacy of Frederick Delaney, a fictional 20th century American composer who is considered the greatest to have lived. Unfurling intricate details worthy of a Google search to verify if Delaney did indeed exist, Slocumb constructs a world where Delaney is famous for creating a five-part opera, the “Rings Quintet of Olympia,” inspired by the design on the Olympic flag. Each production focuses on a different continent as a runner sprints across five land masses searching for the lost torch. The success of the first four operas...
https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/inventive-literary-thriller-explores-suppressed-history-in-the-world-of-opera/NBLKLXN53FATXJDLWWKWFJPBYM/
“Symphony of Secrets” is North Carolina author Brendan Slocumb’s second novel that blends an inventive combination of historical fiction, suspense and a neurodiverse perspective to spotlight a marginalized demographic in America’s musical past. Seeking to represent the underrepresented, Slocumb uses tenderness and humanity to navigate the twisty topics of appropriation, the toppling of heroes in the Information Age and the complex reality of correcting suppressed history.
Slocumb centers his narrative around the legacy of Frederick Delaney, a fictional 20th century American composer who is considered the greatest to have lived. Unfurling intricate details worthy of a Google search to verify if Delaney did indeed exist, Slocumb constructs a world where Delaney is famous for creating a five-part opera, the “Rings Quintet of Olympia,” inspired by the design on the Olympic flag. Each production focuses on a different continent as a runner sprints across five land masses searching for the lost torch. The success of the first four operas...
https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/inventive-literary-thriller-explores-suppressed-history-in-the-world-of-opera/NBLKLXN53FATXJDLWWKWFJPBYM/
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A fun mystery told across two timelines. The 1920s timeline felt more organic and interesting, while the present timeline felt a bit more forced towards the end. Slocumb deftly explores the patterns of racism in buried and untold histories, and I really appreciated his handling of the topic.
I was given this book by a friend so I had no clue what I was getting into. I hated the MC at first but then I came to appreciate his personality as it contributes to the plot and message. Amazing story writing. All the main characters felt like real people in their complexity of being both good and bad. Typically books feel boring to me in the middle as the pace slows, but I didn't feel that fatigue in this book. The author jumps around between past and present while creating separate storylines that come together to create a cohesive story. Past and present jumping can be confusing but I think the author made it very clear. It wasn't confusing to me.