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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
I thought the mystery was solid. Written well enough by a music teacher. I loved how the main character described the pictures he was seeing while he played certain passages. Explores racism in America, especially in the classical music world. Some of the scenes of racism I thought, "isn't this a little heavy handed?" But then I realized I sometimes think that when racists racist in the real world too. Read for my genre book club.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Ever leave something behind in a taxi or a hotel room? Something important, like your wallet or your passport? (My team leader did that once in Hong Kong... it's an adventure.) Ever swear up and down you packed something and it actually wasn't in your bag? It's one thing if it's your toothpaste, but what if it's a priceless Stradivarius violin? Who really owns something if it's a family gift without documentation... or is it a loan? And who just might be insistent enough (or needy enough) to take it for themself? I'm a singer and am constantly amazed at the musicians hauling around their livelihoods and then just leaving the cases, and sometimes the instruments, in an empty hallway or practice room or classroom. Anything could happen.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great story, my only complaint was some of the long detailed passages about certain types of music made my eyes glaze over a little. But the characters and portrayal of a black musician in a white world were very eye-opening. I correctly guessed who stole the violin from the get-go.
If you were ever able to get past all the disturbing details of the dysfunctional family and the series of unfortunate events that occur in the book Angela's Ashes, you will be able to withstand the brutal honesty of this story, clustering around the almost insurmountable odds stacked against a young black prodigy violinist, trying to make it in the classical music world. For me, the stolen Stradivarius violin narrative (and its ties to an Italian plantation owner's family in the Antebellum South--is that even a thing?) was completely secondary. 3.5 rounded up.
adventurous
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
inspiring
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
