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kristicuse's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
4.25
orangesandberries's review against another edition
5.0
this book was so good. i wanted to dip my feet into thrillers/mystery and this book was perfect. i already had an idea of who stole ray's violin and the story was about ray's experience as a young black man in the classical music scene, struggling with impostor syndrome, and dealing with 2 separate legal cases between his family and the people who owned his great grandfather all while preparing for the biggest classical music competition in the world. i have not read a novel in so long and i went through this book so fast.
whysomoody's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
theantisocialslibrary's review against another edition
2.75
liked the story but this is definitely not a mystery. but the story and learning about Ray was interesting enough- but i did find myself bored throughout a lot of middle.
lisaw17's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
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
2.5
chan_bean's review against another edition
4.0
I liked it!
This book is well written, and I'm super impressed that this is Slocumb's debut work. I loved how real Ray seemed, even his (at times cartoonishly) cruel family and the antagonizing Marks family all felt like they could be real people, and the fact that this book is grounded in reality and real life events that Slocumb has experienced really shines through. This novel feels like it's something that maybe happened last year, and I just missed the headlines about it because I wasn't in the classical music circles.
I'm giving it a 4/5 though, because I think that this book is very different from what I expected it to be/how it's advertised. The title of the book and the blurb really make you think that you're going into a mystery, a whodunnit that is also a race against time as the characters try to find the Strad before this huge, international competition. But instead, the meat of this book takes place in the past before the violin is stolen. The entire mid-section of the story is spent detailing Ray's upbringing, and his struggles to become the classical musician that he is by the time his violin goes missing. It exposes the inequalities and biases of the classical music world, and it's still very interesting and, at times, heartbreaking to read - but I didn't ever feel like I was reading a mystery.
I'm still giving 4 stars though, because the book is still really good. I think that if it had been marketed as what it was - a story about a Black boy from a poor, rural family struggling to become a prolific violinist against all odds - I would have still picked it up and read it! Ultimately, though, I'm not mad at it. Ray is a great main character, and I enjoyed every moment of watching him grow into himself and his craft, all while learning more about an industry that I don't know much about. I'll definitely pick up what ever Slocumb publishes next!
This book is well written, and I'm super impressed that this is Slocumb's debut work. I loved how real Ray seemed, even his (at times cartoonishly) cruel family and the antagonizing Marks family all felt like they could be real people, and the fact that this book is grounded in reality and real life events that Slocumb has experienced really shines through. This novel feels like it's something that maybe happened last year, and I just missed the headlines about it because I wasn't in the classical music circles.
I'm giving it a 4/5 though, because I think that this book is very different from what I expected it to be/how it's advertised. The title of the book and the blurb really make you think that you're going into a mystery, a whodunnit that is also a race against time as the characters try to find the Strad before this huge, international competition. But instead, the meat of this book takes place in the past before the violin is stolen. The entire mid-section of the story is spent detailing Ray's upbringing, and his struggles to become the classical musician that he is by the time his violin goes missing. It exposes the inequalities and biases of the classical music world, and it's still very interesting and, at times, heartbreaking to read - but I didn't ever feel like I was reading a mystery.
I'm still giving 4 stars though, because the book is still really good. I think that if it had been marketed as what it was - a story about a Black boy from a poor, rural family struggling to become a prolific violinist against all odds - I would have still picked it up and read it! Ultimately, though, I'm not mad at it. Ray is a great main character, and I enjoyed every moment of watching him grow into himself and his craft, all while learning more about an industry that I don't know much about. I'll definitely pick up what ever Slocumb publishes next!
todayitsthis's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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
4.0
jennthumphries's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.25
wyatt1004's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0