The TLDR version of my review of The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb is “I loved it.”
All the things I pack into the word love is astounding. I quite honestly don’t know where to begin. I had to sit with this book and these feelings for a long time before I felt I could even begin to translate what was happening in my head and in my heart into words. The long and the short of it really is that I felt seen by this book. Fish out of water, the only one in the room…absolutely, I felt every single bit of the same discomfort, heard the same questions about my right or fitness to occupy space, heard the same back-handed compliments. That’s what it really comes down to for me. Yes, there some truths about the book:
- the story barrels relentlessly toward a resolution
- the plot is structured well
- the jumps in time keep you guessing as the plot unfolds
- high level of craftsmanship all around
However, seeing Ray’s struggles in the spaces he deserves to be in, seeing his tumultuous and fractured relationship with his family, seeing the juxtapositions of courage (Ray) and cowardice (Ray’s mother) clearly illuminated a struggle I’ve seen play out time and again. I love this book because Ray doesn’t shrink away from the light, and he let’s the talent and passion he has burn for the world to see.
Things I Liked:
- Fast paced, riveting story
- Nuanced narrative without unnecessary wordiness
- This was an authentically Black story – not a story with a black face on it
- The story explores the complications and consequences of diminished economic opportunity and racism, but the narrative doesn’t bog down and wallow in trauma
Trigger Warning:
- A scene describes the treatment of enslaved people.
You can find The Violin Conspiracy Brendan Slocumb here on our bookshop page. Symphony of Secrets is his second novel and is the perfect companion novel. If you’ve already read and enjoyed this novel, perhaps take a look at the completed duology, Black Girl Unlimited and The Chosen One by the late Echo Brown. The series explores a lot of the same themes as in Slocumb’s work but through the lens of magical realism. We now (as of 9/4) have this novel in our store.