Scan barcode
turtletats's review against another edition
2.0
This shouldn't have been billed as a thriller.
The respectability politics were very dominant. The emphasis on always showing respect no matter how people treat you was really off.
I was going to give this 3 stars finding the novel lacking in subtlety and the characters pretty 2D, but still readable enough. The ending really ruined it for me though and bumped it down to 2 stars. Using the racist criminal "justice" system to get his own back and call for the thief to get maximal jail time?? The police abolitionist in me was horrified. It's harmful and unrealistic to expect that more heavy handed policing would do anything but further entrench racist police violence and white supremacy, so given the main themes of the book, this ending was politically inconsistent and just awful.
The respectability politics were very dominant. The emphasis on always showing respect no matter how people treat you was really off.
I was going to give this 3 stars finding the novel lacking in subtlety and the characters pretty 2D, but still readable enough. The ending really ruined it for me though and bumped it down to 2 stars. Using the racist criminal "justice" system to get his own back and call for the thief to get maximal jail time?? The police abolitionist in me was horrified. It's harmful and unrealistic to expect that more heavy handed policing would do anything but further entrench racist police violence and white supremacy, so given the main themes of the book, this ending was politically inconsistent and just awful.
catherinedemontreal's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
mallorieh's review against another edition
challenging
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
4.0
Seeing this black man rise to the top from absolutely nothing was insane!! He was different from any other peer in his field, and he had to try twice as hard and practice twice as much to even be noticed. All while trying to become a famous violinist, he was belittled by his entire family and they only showed him support so they could receive money. This book made me feel a lot of things. The way he spoke about music, the way he felt the music and could allow the crowd to feel the emotions was beautiful. Music is such a universal language, and it was conveyed in this book. Although Ray did not win the competition that he has practiced for his entire life, he learned a lot about himself, his friends along the way. He made a name for himself by simply applying himself immensely to his violin. He has sparked an inspiration in me. I love Ray and the way he carries himself despite the hardships he has endured on his journey to being a successful black violinist.
emileegarrett's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.25
blfitz's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
thriftybookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.0
mamakayb's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
accidental_jumpscare's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
bookph1le's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
The way the author wrote about music was entrancing, but the rest of the book didn’t work as well for me. The mystery felt kind of tacked on and I think the book might have been better had it simply stuck to telling the main character’s story. The flashbacks were good, but a lot of the present setting stuff amounted to a great deal of summarization.
The way the author wrote about music was entrancing, but the rest of the book didn’t work as well for me. The mystery felt kind of tacked on and I think the book might have been better had it simply stuck to telling the main character’s story. The flashbacks were good, but a lot of the present setting stuff amounted to a great deal of summarization.