YA Reads Similar to ‘The Violin Conspiracy’ by Brendan Slocumb

 

Solo by Kwame Alexander 

Blade never asked for a life of the rich and famous. In fact, he’d give anything not to be Rutherford Morrison’s son. Songwriting is all Blade has left after Rutherford, while drunk, crashes his high school graduation speech. But when a long-held family secret comes to light, the music disappears.

 

Barely Missing Everything by Matt Mendez

Juan is going to get out of El Paso, Texas, on a basketball scholarship and make something of himself--or at least find something better than his mom Fabi's cruddy apartment and a dead dad. Basketball is going to be his ticket out, his ticket up. He just needs to make it happen. Soon Juan and JD are embarking on a Thelma and Louise­-like road trip. Juan will finally meet his dad, JD has a perfect subject for his documentary. But, there are some things you just can't plan for...

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Ink and Ashes by Valynne E. Maetani

Claire Takata has never known much about her father, who passed away when she was a little girl. But on the anniversary of his death she finds a mysterious letter from her deceased father, addressed to her stepfather. Claire never even knew that they had met. In search of answers, Claire combs through anything that will give her information about her father…until she discovers he was a member of the yakuza, the Japanese mafia. The discovery opens a door that should have been left closed.

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Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

The breathtaking story of five brothers who bring each other up in a world run by their own rules. As the Dunbar boys love and fight and learn to reckon with the adult world, they discover the moving secret behind their father’s disappearance. At the center of the Dunbar family is Clay, a boy who will build a bridge—for his family, for his past, for greatness, for his sins, for a miracle. The question is, how far is Clay willing to go? And how much can he overcome?

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The Rosewood Hunt by Mackenzie Reed

Lily Rosewood has lived with her grandmother since her dad’s death a year ago. She and Gram have always been close—Gram’s role as chair of their family’s luxury coat business has inspired Lily’s love of fashion, and Lily hopes to follow in Gram’s footsteps one day. Then Gram dies suddenly, and Lily’s world is upended. Gram’s quarter of a billion dollar fortune is missing, and Lily has been banned from the manor she and Gram shared. But Gram has always loved games, and even in death, she still has a few tricks up her couture sleeve. When Lily and three other seemingly random teens get letters from Gram sending them on a treasure hunt around Rosetown, they hope the fortune will be the reward. But they’re not the only ones hunting for Gram’s treasure, and soon the hunt becomes more dangerous than they ever could have imagined.

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The Cousins by Karen McManus

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised . . . and curious. Their parents are all clear on one point--not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious--and dark--their family's past is. The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over--and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.