Reviews

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

jediknightjoey3's review

4.0

“Nobody ever thinks of himself as a villain, does he? Even monsters hold high opinions of themselves.”

I’ve had this book on my shelf for a while now. I was intrigued by its evident commentary and its Lovecraftain inspiration. This book did not disappoint! It was nothing short of clever, but it lacked the storytelling to make it spectacular. The theme of a good man doing bad things was easily the best part of the book. What makes you a monster? Are you born one? Genuinely an entertaining read from beginning to end. Short, yet sweet!

statefossil's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was a great novella. I came across it because I like the audiobook narrator and was looking at other books he narrated on Libby and this one sparked my interest. I loved the story and the world building as well as the commentary on racism, xenophobia, and police brutality in 1920s NYC. 

sswill2106's review

challenging dark fast-paced

4.5

wolpertings's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious sad fast-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? Yes

3.25

keeperkaylab's review

dark mysterious

3.0

cbrown4652's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

starsaligned's review against another edition

dark

4.0

amelia_horseman's review

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Short and goes unapologetically hard.  

kbiermann's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

4.0

pinkflyingelephant's review

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0