Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

3 reviews

marioosa517's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Slavery, Cursing, Death of parent, Racism, Police brutality, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Torture, Bullying, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, Medical content, Terminal illness, Dementia, Rape, Sexual content, Physical abuse, and Drug use

language_loving_amateur's review against another edition

tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

 The tension was higher than I expected, but very good and the book kept me on my toes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Torture, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Slavery

Moderate: Emotional abuse

writingcaia's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Probably one of the most candid, yet entertaining, books which the main theme is racism. It’s also exceptionally well written, engaging, and overall a gem! I’m being picky dropping that 0.25⭐️ just because I wanted a more romantic conclusion. 
Being a classic violinist with aspirations of stardom seems impossible to our young MC, everything seems to be against him, he has no money for private lessons like his colleagues, his mother is selfish and just wants him to quit and start working to give her money, and one thing he soon realises, he is Black. Of course, he knew he was but it’s only when he fills in for a colleague in quartet at a wedding does so many things make sense to him, and he sees everything with open eyes, the prejudice that stood in his way all his life.
But, this is also a mystery, as he soon finds out the fiddle his grandmother gave him before she passed, that belonged to her grandfather, and with which he has practiced for 4 years is actually a 10 million dollar worth Stradivarius, and it has now been stolen. The culprits seem to be either his family who want the money of the violin for themselves, or the slave masters descendants who claim the violin is theirs and his grandmothers’ PopPop stole it, as both have sued him for it.
This book was absolute perfection, from the narrative, the writing, the plot and resolution - although I did guess the robber - to the tragic and real underbelly of the story which revolves around a supremely talented violinist descendant of a freed slave who earned and saved his own life with the same fiddle.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Violence, Slavery, and Racism

Minor: Murder