Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - The Violin Conspiracy

Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

31 reviews

lisaarnsdorf's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Oh my goodness, I loved this book! In some ways, it's a simple story about a young Black man who pursues a career in classical music despite having no support. Slocumb is magical; I was lost in the experience of the music despite not being able to actually hear it! The unraveling of the mystery was a bit anti-climatic after such a big build-up. These characters are going to stay with me for a long time.

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rcvelasquez13's review

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4.0

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alexashabit's review

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fast-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

3.5

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mollyb13's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring mysterious 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

4.5

My favorite parts of the book were the beautiful descriptions of music. You can really tell that the author has been playing and around music his whole life because he captured so perfectly the feeling and imagery of a piece of music. I really enjoyed playing the pieces he mentioned in the background while I was reading and it only made the reading experience better!

I appreciate that the author put so many of his own experiences into this book. It really paints a picture of the horrific treatment he has gone through as a Black musician in the classical world, and the extra work he had to do to overcome the challenges. An important read for anyone, but especially those involved in concert bands/orchestra/etc...

You can tell the book is a debut - a few things seemed a little messy or too quickly resolved, and I feel like the last few chapters were a bit rushed, but it didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the story. Can't wait to read more from this author!

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shelbyl's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.5

Really great book. Excellent audiobook. Author note is perfect and poignant. This book is about racism, classical music, but most importantly being true to yourself and doing what you love.

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meganpbennett's review

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emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The Violin Conspiracy is a very tightly-paced, well-plotted thriller. You want to know what happens next, eagerly turning the pages until the very end, when it all comes together.

Ray is a young black man playing a rented school fiddle when his grandma remembers her grandfather's fiddle, hidden away in the attic for years, and he plays the violin at a few concerts and competitions, winning a scholarship to college. And then he learns that the violin is.... a Strad. A legit, $10 million dollar Italian-made Stradivarius violin. He's immediately famous - the black kid playing a priceless family heirloom that is actually a priceless violin - and plays around the world.

In the first few chapters - which are set after the violin is stolen from his New York City hotel room - we learn that there are numerous suspects, including his own family. Those chapters are difficult to follow, as Ray is our POV character, and Ray is totally distraught, which means the stream-of-consciousness writing is hard to follow. The first section is really one to power through. The book starts getting really good once the violin's provenance is established, and the Marks family walks into the picture.

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momsmagicreads's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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? No

4.5

I enjoyed this peek into the world of professional musicians, and I've never been so concerned about a violin! It is impossible to keep Ray's story from touching your heart: his gift, his persistence in spite of the racism he is subjected to (and you'll get angry about it, too), the inspiration he gets from the memory of his grandmother, and the opportunities that lead to his success. Although Ray generously provides support to his extended family, they continue to want more. Then the descendants of the family who had enslaved Ray's great-great-grandfather thought they were entitled to a (big) piece of the pie. And then twist - there's always a twist! I am eager to read Slocumb's next novel.

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