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readingnormal's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The author does a wonderful job of balancing a young protege narrative with an interesting who-done-it. I enjoyed the lovely descriptions of music that overlapped with a vibrant world of family history and personal trials. I enjoyed that there were small twists and turns, but that they amplified the story, instead of detracting from it.
The pacing was great, I felt as if it was consistent throughout the story and I was able to read it without feeling an urge to skip to the end, while also not feel bored.
Most of the cast are brilliantly written. I love how there’s many hate-able characters , but each are written with intricacies that make them uniquely unpleasant.
The pacing was great, I felt as if it was consistent throughout the story and I was able to read it without feeling an urge to skip to the end, while also not feel bored.
Most of the cast are brilliantly written. I love how there’s many hate-able characters , but each are written with intricacies that make them uniquely unpleasant.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, and Racial slurs
scarroll178's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This.. is a really hard book for me to rate.
I loved the MC. He has great character development from the time he’s a kid to the time he's an adult at the end of the book. The relationship he had with his grandma was so beautiful. Hearing his grandma’s writing at the end of the story and everything Ray’s great great grandfather went through was heartrending.
I wish the book had started at the beginning of Ray’s life as opposed to when the violin was stolen because it really took the momentum away from the first half of the story. A little taken aback that every evil/bad character was described as ugly and/or fat. Also, I wish the title had been something else because “Violin Conspiracy” makes the book sound a lot more action packed than it is. The first two thirds of the story focus on Ray’s family and his experience in the classical world. The action comes much later. Also, I wish his girlfriend’s betrayal had been hinted at more before it was revealed at the end. And I’m surprised Ray pushed for the maximum sentence for her. Confused on how her betrayal is supposed to fit in with the themes presented in the rest of the book. Is the message just that you can’t trust anybody?
Also, Ray listing “dating a supermodel” as one of his accomplishments at the end of the book was cheesy and kinda gross tbh.
TW for the G slur for Romani people. It’s used several times in the book.
So, yeah. I loved Ray as a character. And I appreciated all I learned in this book about classical music and the prejudices toward Black classical musicians. But I didn’t like the ending, and I wish the book had been structured differently. And there were some parts that rubbed me the wrong way. Very mixed bag.
I loved the MC. He has great character development from the time he’s a kid to the time he's an adult at the end of the book. The relationship he had with his grandma was so beautiful. Hearing his grandma’s writing at the end of the story and everything Ray’s great great grandfather went through was heartrending.
I wish the book had started at the beginning of Ray’s life as opposed to when the violin was stolen because it really took the momentum away from the first half of the story. A little taken aback that every evil/bad character was described as ugly and/or fat. Also, I wish the title had been something else because “Violin Conspiracy” makes the book sound a lot more action packed than it is. The first two thirds of the story focus on Ray’s family and his experience in the classical world. The action comes much later.
Also, Ray listing “dating a supermodel” as one of his accomplishments at the end of the book was cheesy and kinda gross tbh.
TW for the G slur for Romani people. It’s used several times in the book.
So, yeah. I loved Ray as a character. And I appreciated all I learned in this book about classical music and the prejudices toward Black classical musicians. But I didn’t like the ending, and I wish the book had been structured differently. And there were some parts that rubbed me the wrong way. Very mixed bag.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Slavery, Death, Police brutality, Murder, Racism, and Violence
kelsea's review against another edition
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Police brutality
krisrivard18's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The lowest rating I've ever given for a book; but sadly I had to do it for this one. There were some good moments; but a lot of the content was sad, repetitive and not enjoyable and the motivational messages that the author was trying to express weren't done so effectively.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Slavery
mavemarie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
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
4.25
The journey of this story's structure mimics both what we expect, and what we fail to see in the world around us. It highlights the flaws in doing so.
It sets out to unravel a traditionally coded crime mystery, simply from a black perspective on the surface, but instead, the story lulls and expands to showcase a background with ranging intricacies and a more prominent, and more worthy, story instead. It is tense and uncomfortable. Heartwarming and soothing. Prideful, encouraging and sometimes disappointing as well. And it is a love note to music in every single page. I wish I had more of a musical background to appreciate it more.
As a contemporary piece, it makes the encounters within the story that much more jarring. We have all gone to school with Ray. We have sat next to him on the plane. Listened to him play at our aunts wedding. We have all seen him on the side of the road next to some flashing lights. Hearing the authors life experiences as they inform the story and these moments... is beyond heartbreaking.
The time spent diverging from its genre makes rating it as a simple thriller/mystery... almost lackluster. But this is not just a story about a missing violin. It is about connection, trust, perseverance, family, and friendship. It is about race, culture, heritage and hardship. It is about love.
It sets out to unravel a traditionally coded crime mystery, simply from a black perspective on the surface, but instead, the story lulls and expands to showcase a background with ranging intricacies and a more prominent, and more worthy, story instead. It is tense and uncomfortable. Heartwarming and soothing. Prideful, encouraging and sometimes disappointing as well. And it is a love note to music in every single page. I wish I had more of a musical background to appreciate it more.
As a contemporary piece, it makes the encounters within the story that much more jarring. We have all gone to school with Ray. We have sat next to him on the plane. Listened to him play at our aunts wedding. We have all seen him on the side of the road next to some flashing lights. Hearing the authors life experiences as they inform the story and these moments... is beyond heartbreaking.
The time spent diverging from its genre makes rating it as a simple thriller/mystery... almost lackluster. But this is not just a story about a missing violin. It is about connection, trust, perseverance, family, and friendship. It is about race, culture, heritage and hardship. It is about love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Body horror, Torture, Classism, and Bullying
Moderate: Cancer and Terminal illness
thisbookrox's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
4.0
moving descriptions of music, and a good twist. a little repetitive but i’ll chalk that up to debut writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, and Slavery
Moderate: Police brutality and Death
amandadelbrocco's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
3.5
For being marketed as a mystery/thriller, that sure was lacking in this book. Overall I thought the social commentary made the book worth reading but I think this would be better marketed as literary fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Stalking, and Slavery
laurenleigh's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
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
4.0
I had an idea that this would be more thrilling, more ‘whodunnit,’ but I let that expectation go pretty early on and enjoyed the book much more. It’s a story of growing up as an American Black man in an exclusionary (and extremely white) field: classical music. The writing was approachable and well paced, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Though the overt racism and the unsupportive mother character were so infuriating! And even if the whodunnit plot was kind of a side note attention grab, it did keep me engaged throughout.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Racial slurs, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Police brutality
auntieerrica's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Minor: Body shaming
agemme10's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Slavery