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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
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
First 5 star read of 2025!
And honestly what a great one to start off with. I was intimidated by this book because I've been having trouble taking in lots of adversity in fiction just because real life feels like so much right now. Even when I'm reading about another marginalized group I'm not part of.
But while this book illustrates many hard truths and horrible aspects of our world, the core message is so deeply hopeful.
I never stopped rooting for Ray and my heart broke for him and I wished I could hear him play despite not much caring for classical music myself. But Ray made me want to love it. Dr. Steven's made me want to love it. Grandma Nora made me want to love it.
The mystery has just the right amount of twists, but that's not what us special about the story. It's the passion for the music and the beautiful relationships between people.
And honestly what a great one to start off with. I was intimidated by this book because I've been having trouble taking in lots of adversity in fiction just because real life feels like so much right now. Even when I'm reading about another marginalized group I'm not part of.
But while this book illustrates many hard truths and horrible aspects of our world, the core message is so deeply hopeful.
I never stopped rooting for Ray and my heart broke for him and I wished I could hear him play despite not much caring for classical music myself. But Ray made me want to love it. Dr. Steven's made me want to love it. Grandma Nora made me want to love it.
The mystery has just the right amount of twists, but that's not what us special about the story. It's the passion for the music and the beautiful relationships between people.
“Who you are goes far beyond what you look like. My hope is that Ray’s story will inspire all of you—white or Black, Asian or Native American, straight or gay, transgender or cisgender, blond or dark haired, tall or short, big feet or small—to do what you love. Inspire those around you to do what they love, too. It might just pay off. Alone, we are a solitary violin, a lonely flute, a trumpet singing in the dark. Together, we are a symphony.”
“He would tell you that music is truly a universal language, and that we the listeners will always impose our own fears and biases, our own hopes and hungers on whatever we hear. He would tell you that the rhythm that spurred on Tchaikovsky is the same rhythm that a kid in a redneck North Carolina town would beat with a stick against a fallen tree. It is a rhythm in all of us. Music is about communication, a way of touching your fellow man, beyond and above and below language. It is a language all its own.”
“Precision and technique can be learned,” she told him. “That’s just practice. A lot of practice, but it’s still just practice. What we can’t teach is how to make a musician actually connect—emotionally connect—with the pieces he’s playing. To really care about the music, and let the music tell its story.”
“He would tell you that music is truly a universal language, and that we the listeners will always impose our own fears and biases, our own hopes and hungers on whatever we hear. He would tell you that the rhythm that spurred on Tchaikovsky is the same rhythm that a kid in a redneck North Carolina town would beat with a stick against a fallen tree. It is a rhythm in all of us. Music is about communication, a way of touching your fellow man, beyond and above and below language. It is a language all its own.”
“Precision and technique can be learned,” she told him. “That’s just practice. A lot of practice, but it’s still just practice. What we can’t teach is how to make a musician actually connect—emotionally connect—with the pieces he’s playing. To really care about the music, and let the music tell its story.”
“Who you are goes far beyond what you look like. My hope is that Ray’s story will inspire all of you—white or Black, Asian or Native American, straight or gay, transgender or cisgender, blond or dark haired, tall or short, big feet or small—to do what you love. Inspire those around you to do what they love, too. It might just pay off. Alone, we are a solitary violin, a lonely flute, a trumpet singing in the dark. Together, we are a symphony.”
“He would tell you that music is truly a universal language, and that we the listeners will always impose our own fears and biases, our own hopes and hungers on whatever we hear. He would tell you that the rhythm that spurred on Tchaikovsky is the same rhythm that a kid in a redneck North Carolina town would beat with a stick against a fallen tree. It is a rhythm in all of us. Music is about communication, a way of touching your fellow man, beyond and above and below language. It is a language all its own.”
“Precision and technique can be learned,” she told him. “That’s just practice. A lot of practice, but it’s still just practice. What we can’t teach is how to make a musician actually connect—emotionally connect—with the pieces he’s playing. To really care about the music, and let the music tell its story.”
“He would tell you that music is truly a universal language, and that we the listeners will always impose our own fears and biases, our own hopes and hungers on whatever we hear. He would tell you that the rhythm that spurred on Tchaikovsky is the same rhythm that a kid in a redneck North Carolina town would beat with a stick against a fallen tree. It is a rhythm in all of us. Music is about communication, a way of touching your fellow man, beyond and above and below language. It is a language all its own.”
“Precision and technique can be learned,” she told him. “That’s just practice. A lot of practice, but it’s still just practice. What we can’t teach is how to make a musician actually connect—emotionally connect—with the pieces he’s playing. To really care about the music, and let the music tell its story.”
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Man, this was so good. I'm not even that much of a music person, but this was such a great story and mystery. I'd heard this recommended on the What Should I Read Next podcast, and I'm glad I picked it up!
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Underdog story of a Black teenager/music prodigy who is gifted a world class violin. Ray has to deal with racism in the world of classical music as well as a family that doesn’t value his passion for music and would rather have the cash from selling the violin. Violin gets stolen right before the Tchaikovsky competition so there is a bit of a mystery as well. For fans of The Queens Gambit
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I wanted to love this book. In actuality, I only appreciated it. I am so glad this book was written and the author is the real deal and seemingly a wonderful human. His mission is to write mysteries around people of color in the classical music scene and their hidden accomplishments and bring light to the struggles they continue to endure. I hate to say but the plot felt a little flat to me, almost more YA or something that could be taught but a little slow in its delivery. The flashbacks lasted a little too long for me and I wish more of the story took place in real time but ultimately this book is still worth a spin through. I listened to some parts on audio and liked mixing it up.
Mixed feelings. I thought the story in general was plausible, but the characterization of the protagonist changed in ways I didn't always understand. It was hard to believe that that character had never met with any real racism until he was in high school, and only then did he start to ask questions. His mother's meanness seemed exaggerated and unnecessary. Plot is interesting because it shows racism as intertwining in a black man's life, but some of it seemed formulaic and over-explained.
Black writers must face a terrible dilemma: just write a story without mentioning racism because the main plot is about something else, or weave it in (as this author did) showing what must be the real experience of any black person in the U.S. (Or write a story where racism is the main plot).
I am a hard rater. I limit myself to a total of 10 five-star reviews, so where I grade something a two-star, most people would call it three.
Black writers must face a terrible dilemma: just write a story without mentioning racism because the main plot is about something else, or weave it in (as this author did) showing what must be the real experience of any black person in the U.S. (Or write a story where racism is the main plot).
I am a hard rater. I limit myself to a total of 10 five-star reviews, so where I grade something a two-star, most people would call it three.
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated