Reviews with content warning for Slavery - The Violin Conspiracy

Ray is the absolute heart of this book. His genuine love for music and his soul level goodness made me love him from page one. He approaches everything and everyone from a place of genuine kindness, and his love for his grandmother was truly touching. The story is fantastic and keeps you engaged until the end. I am so thankful for the opportunity to know Ray and to know the pieces of Brendan Slocumb himself that were woven into this sorry. Also, on behalf of Baton Rouge, I am truly sorry for the way our people treated you. It was wrong, and we will do better.

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jpitts's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

3.5

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andloveistoolong's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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lisaarnsdorf's review against another edition

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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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mjenae's review against another edition

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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

4.75

Ooh, the crime element. I hadn't thought I'd missed it. I'm always surprised by how well it captures my attention. The pressure slowly rose with every page, and by the last fourth, I couldn't read fast enough. Muscles tensed, breath shallow. Gracious.

And when he finally found the violin, I smiled and smiled.

Some other things I loved about the book:
The theme of music. The way Ray described playing, especially with the Strad, the way he connected with it and spilled out through it.
Ray's dry, sardonic humor. It made me giggle more than once.
The slice of history. Even if it nearly sickened me. It was brutal and honest and it added a different aspect to the story.

One thing that I didn't like so well:
Sometimes, Ray's voice came across as forceful and defiant. He knew how to be respectful when he wanted to be, but there was a little too much anger for me to be comfortable with. I think one of the underlying themes of this book is resistance, and while I realize that's what the author intended and I think other people could connect with it, it didn't work for me.

But oh, it was a fantastic ride to be on.

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