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linda48's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Racism, Murder, Kidnapping, Grief, and Violence
jdhauk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Murder, and Child abuse
Moderate: Racism and Grief
Minor: Stalking
grandpas_farts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The novel is broken into eight parts. Each part building more than the last. First we are met with Apollo's parents Brian and Lillian. I enjoyed reading their love story and finding out his foundation of life through his parents' story. Later we see Apollo as a young kid where he becomes an entrepreneur. Then we get into the meat of the story.
Apollo's fatherhood is immediately broken into chaotic adventure when his child is born. Despite all of this he takes everything in stride, until he can't. That's when Apollo sets out for what he feels he needs to do.
Emma's friend tells the story of the photograph Emma took of herself naked implying it was connected to the third wish. In the last wish we learn Emma wanted a life of adventure. How is taking a nude picture an adventure? I thought Emma wanted the photo to be removed from the Earth or something with how I read it.
What the hell happpened when they went back to their normal life? Was the womanhunt for Emma called off? Black children do not get the same news coverage as others, so maybe people forgot she even "killed" her child. How are they going to explain Brain's reappearance to people? I guess "and they lived happily ever after" sums up other questions.
I've never watched the Apple TV show, but I'd be curious to see what's it about.
Graphic: Death, Grief, Child death, Blood, and Gore
Minor: Suicide
lancemama's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, Racism, Abandonment, Child abuse, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Misogyny, Child death, and Colonisation
Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt
cassandrareadsbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This story is so many things: the lengths a mother and father would go to protect their child, the secrets we keep to protect the ones we love (and ourselves), generational curses/trauma, and a critique of internet social norms/voyeurism.
LaValle weaves Norse mythology into modern day NYC. So much so, that I’d like to drive up to Forest Hills to see what the trees are hiding. I’d like to take a boat out to the ocean just to see if I can stand where Apollo stood.
There is a nod to Shirley Jackson’s “We Have Always Lived in The Castle,” so small that you might not even catch it.
I’m looking forward to watching the TV show and to reading more books written by LaValle.
P.S. This is my favorite book now.
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Gaslighting, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment and Fire/Fire injury
jennshelfishlife's review
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, and Child death
Moderate: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, and Domestic abuse
jaqxun's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Child death, Child abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Cursing, Blood, Death, Torture, Gun violence, and Murder
alienexpert's review
4.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Grief, and Violence
saltedsnail's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Changeling manages to do so many things at once - it’s a thriller, it’s a masterful piece of magical realism, it’s a modern fairytale, it’s a who-dun-it, it’s the hero’s journey, it’s the most beautiful love story ever told.
The only fault I could find is that I wish it were even longer. The patience LaValle committed to getting to the “plot” of the book felt so earned. The last half felt somewhat rushed in comparison, especially the climactic ending. I really appreciated the commitment to not explaining away things - fairytales do not have to explain themselves - so I don’t wish LaValle had spent more time flushing out the lore of north brother island or kinder garten or anything like that, but rather that we’d spent as much time with the emotional realities of Apollo and Emma in the last few chapters as we had the first. Regardless, I’ll be thinking about this story and the way that it was told for a very long time.
Graphic: Stalking, Murder, Child death, Mental illness, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Suicide, and Grief
jess4276's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Violence
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Domestic abuse, Racism, Cursing, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting