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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
Not based on a true story BUT included many personal details that did take place in author, Brendan Slocumb's, life made this a five star read even before I finished it. The family dynamics were extremely relatable to some people I know who milk and use each other as lucrative pawns. I desperately wanted this story to be based on history due to the profound racism, idealisms, misinformed law persons and so much more. However, reference to Venmo, Uber, cell phones, and other technology woven into the storyline keep the reader's frame of reference in the here and now. This book hits many, many of my 2022 reading tasks: 2022 debut author, by or about a musician, referenced in Book Bites With Maggie.
I read this book for my book club at my employer. I like to read book club books blindly, meaning not reading the synopsis or the reviews. I just dive in.
I give the book 4 stars because it was indeed a good read and a good story. As I read the book, I was trying to determine the genre. I determined it was a coming-of-age/Black Lit/Mystery.
I was trying to figure out the conspiracy. I will not include spoilers, but I will give you topics explored in the book:
Black In America
Difficult Family relationships
Destiny
Perseverance
Mentor
2 Faced(for lack of a better term)
It'll always work out in the end - if it doesn't work out, it's not the end.
I give the book 4 stars because it was indeed a good read and a good story. As I read the book, I was trying to determine the genre. I determined it was a coming-of-age/Black Lit/Mystery.
I was trying to figure out the conspiracy. I will not include spoilers, but I will give you topics explored in the book:
Black In America
Difficult Family relationships
Destiny
Perseverance
Mentor
2 Faced(for lack of a better term)
It'll always work out in the end - if it doesn't work out, it's not the end.
“We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.”
The positive side of enjoying the first day of summer at home with a head cold is that I sat all day, curled up with this book, a blanket and a box of tissues, basking in the sunshine…through my bedroom window!
This will be one of those books that I don’t forget easily and recommend to everyone who innocently asks me if I’ve read any good books lately!
Like the four strings of a violin, the author explores the power of music, the concept of destiny, the destructive power of jealousy, and the trail of devastation that racism creates. His debut offering is a spectacular mystery - The Violin Conspiracy.
The main character, Ray McMillian, was an exceptional musician. His life changed “because someone reached across the gulf and touched him.” There’s a lesson in that for all of us.
Had I known that this was such a fantastic book, I might not have endured the months-long wait in the Libby/OverDrive queue. It would have been worth every penny to go buy it at publication.
The positive side of enjoying the first day of summer at home with a head cold is that I sat all day, curled up with this book, a blanket and a box of tissues, basking in the sunshine…through my bedroom window!
This will be one of those books that I don’t forget easily and recommend to everyone who innocently asks me if I’ve read any good books lately!
Like the four strings of a violin, the author explores the power of music, the concept of destiny, the destructive power of jealousy, and the trail of devastation that racism creates. His debut offering is a spectacular mystery - The Violin Conspiracy.
The main character, Ray McMillian, was an exceptional musician. His life changed “because someone reached across the gulf and touched him.” There’s a lesson in that for all of us.
Had I known that this was such a fantastic book, I might not have endured the months-long wait in the Libby/OverDrive queue. It would have been worth every penny to go buy it at publication.
Although the basis of the book, a missing violin owned by a talented black man and two families fighting for ownership of it, is interesting, I could not get past the language used in this book. It has a lot of fat-phobic talk and in general, if someone is described as “fat,” “pudgy,” “gut hung over,” or description of “scraped face,” and “acne marked,” then you know that the person is going to be an unlikeable character. Meanwhile, women’s bodies are described creepily with a focus on their “athletic form.” The author also uses some anti-deaf descriptions and there is a joke made around someone’s non-Americanized name. Overall, the characters are not very creative or dimensional. I had trouble ignoring the discriminatory writing in order finish the book and take in the important parts about discrimination against black people.
The book is also very repetitive. Chapters 24 and 25 are almost entirely repetitions of earlier chapters.
Ray’s grandmother teaches him to be a kind person no matter what, no matter who is treating you poorly. Ray encounters many racist people he chooses to be kind to. Yet, the end of the book he is hateful (for good reason), but it seems like the author missed a theme in his own book.
The book is also very repetitive. Chapters 24 and 25 are almost entirely repetitions of earlier chapters.
Ray’s grandmother teaches him to be a kind person no matter what, no matter who is treating you poorly. Ray encounters many racist people he chooses to be kind to. Yet, the end of the book he is hateful (for good reason), but it seems like the author missed a theme in his own book.
fresh and crisp fiction, both mystery and coming of age, really enjoyed!!!!
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I could not put this down. The mystery thriller premise of this book is in the background and is kind of used as a plotline. What makes this book amazing is that this is a reminder that us, black people always have to be twice as good, work twice as hard.
This book resonated so much with my experience as a first generation immigrant.
I really loved this book, it reduced me to staring silently at the wall after finishing it.
This book resonated so much with my experience as a first generation immigrant.
I really loved this book, it reduced me to staring silently at the wall after finishing it.