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blissfulthinking 's review for:
The Violin Conspiracy
by Brendan Slocumb
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.