Reviews with content warning for Slavery - The Violin Conspiracy

I must not have read much about this book prior to reading (listening to) it. I wasn't prepared for the gut-wrenching stories of racism the main character faces. I found myself outraged and angry that these things still happen in our world. I found myself wondering if at least some of the occurrences in the book were based on real-life experience. The Author's Note at the end answered that question for me.

As a white woman, raised in the American south, I know I can't fully understand what non-white people must endure due to people's ignorance, stupidity, hatred, idiocy, etc. I am thankful that authors like Brendan Slocumb write novels like The Violin Conspiracy to help me understand, so I can do better and help others do better.

P.S. JD Jackson can narrate any audiobook ever. Love his voice and narration skills!

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le3713'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

What I liked: as someone who played the violin in school, I absolutely loved the setting in the classical music world. You can tell the author knows and loves what he's talking about in this regard. I really enjoyed the treatment of diversity and racism in classical music and the strong mentorship relationship with Janice.

What I didn't like: the plot of the stolen violin, and its resolution, fell flat for me. Though I didn't mind this, most of the book was was about Ray's life prior to his violin being stolen, which slowed down the pace.

All told, this book was very memorable for me, despite its plot weaknesses. Highly recommended for anyone who loves classical music, less so for someone looking for a true thriller.

The audio book has brief musical interludes between sections, which was a bonus!

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narbine's review against another edition

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adventurous informative mysterious 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? No

3.75

in the audiobook they would have an orchestra play a bit in between sections which was cool

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evawondergem's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

5.0

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scrummyb's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This one is a hard one to rate. First off, this book is not about a missing violin. That is just a mechanism, that in my opinion, the author most likely used so he could write a book that wasn't just a semi auto biography, and would propel the story along. He himself is a black man & a classical musician and without looking anything else up about him, I'm sure these events were inspired by his real life experience. So for the "mystery" of the missing violin, only 2.5-3 stars. It was pretty obvious from the beginning. But as I said, that's not really what the book is about. This book is about a black man's experience in the classical music world. About systemic racism, generational trauma, & about his identity and his relationship with his family. And its a fantastic read when that's what you're rating. I know nothing about the classical music world and it was fascinating to read about it and have that as the back drop for the story. I grew attached to the main character and his grandmother and I felt the emotions along with him. So while I entered into this book thinking it was predominantly a mystery about a violin, it still gets 4.25 stars because it's a beautiful read that invokes powerful feelings as well as is an interesting look into the world of classical music.

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tome's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-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

4.75

It is truly rare that one finds a book that floors the reader. In spite of that, this review is being written lying on my apartment floor. Riveting from start to finish, what was meant to be a light hour of afternoon reading became the whole afternoon to finish the novel. Slocumb masterfully weaves the plot together, easily transitioning between past struggles, current anguish, and the ever looming worries of the Tchaikovsky competition. Even between the deeply emotional aspects of Ray's journey, details about the mystery are well interspersed throughout the novel, though the ending reveal still shocked me. This was truly an amazing read that I cannot recommend enough.

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impalalove's review against another edition

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dark inspiring mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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