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craftyanty's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
A great book with a unique premise. The audiobook was beautifully narrated and produced. The author skillfully weaves together an engaging story and aspects of the Black experience. At times, the writing gave me goosebumps, especially when he describes musical pieces... just beautiful. Other times, the author (along with the narrator) gave me a feeling of palpable anxiety... heart racing, palms sweaty. The narrator voices multiple characters and accents really well. I was extremely impressed with the way he shifts from a young female voice to an older male voice, and back again, while reading a piece of writing one of the characters has written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Torture
Moderate: Slavery
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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? No
4.5
The Violin Conspiracy opens with Ray McMillian, a Black musician, discovering that his rare and irreplaceable Stradivarius violin, a family heirloom, has been stolen just weeks out from the prestigious Tchaikovsky Competition, the Olympics of the classical music world.
I loved this story for the insights it gave me into the world of classical music, especially the dedication required to prepare for an event like the Tchaikovsky Competition which I’ll admit I’d never heard of before this book. Some of the racism Ray faced as a Black classical musician was jaw dropping, all the more so when the Author’s Note (a must read) revealed they were based on events the author had really experienced. I thought the backstory of Ray, his family, the violin’s history and the links to slavery was well done. I found myself loving his grandmother which was easy to do - she really saw him and encouraged him - but criticising the attitudes of most of the rest of his family, particularly his mother. I had to check myself, to ask myself why his mother would press him to give up college and his dreams in favour of a low paying job, why most of his family might only see the violin in terms of the money that could be gained by selling it. The tension as to whether he would get his violin back and how it’s loss would affect his chances at the competition was also well done. The mystery as to who stole it and why probably interested me the least, and when the culprit and motive were revealed it was almost a letdown since both were obvious and unoriginal. I definitely enjoyed this book but believe it’s strength is as a contemporary story set in the world of classical music, with strong commentary on race rather than as a mystery or crime
I loved this story for the insights it gave me into the world of classical music, especially the dedication required to prepare for an event like the Tchaikovsky Competition which I’ll admit I’d never heard of before this book. Some of the racism Ray faced as a Black classical musician was jaw dropping, all the more so when the Author’s Note (a must read) revealed they were based on events the author had really experienced. I thought the backstory of Ray, his family, the violin’s history and the links to slavery was well done. I found myself loving his grandmother which was easy to do - she really saw him and encouraged him - but criticising the attitudes of most of the rest of his family, particularly his mother. I had to check myself, to ask myself why his mother would press him to give up college and his dreams in favour of a low paying job, why most of his family might only see the violin in terms of the money that could be gained by selling it. The tension as to whether he would get his violin back and how it’s loss would affect his chances at the competition was also well done. The mystery as to who stole it and why probably interested me the least, and when the culprit and motive were revealed it was almost a letdown since both were obvious and unoriginal. I definitely enjoyed this book but believe it’s strength is as a contemporary story set in the world of classical music, with strong commentary on race rather than as a mystery or crime
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, and Slavery
Moderate: Police brutality
mj1847's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Police brutality
Content warning: graphic description of racial violence in the context of American slavery. Not gratuitous, but descriptive of pain and suffering. Also, moderate experiences of police brutality and harassment. Moderate in that life is not lost but it is degraded and the character’s physical person is assaulted (not to mention their psyche).booknerdnative's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Slavery and Violence
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