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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Audiobook - Wow, what a ride. This book starts out as a regular family narrative, but quickly begins to warp into a magical fantasy/modern myth-making of scope with Neil Gaiman. I loved it, and looked for excuses to sit quietly with my phone, listening to the author unfold the story of Apollo, Emma, and Brian. Creepy, fascinating, and engaging.
5/5
5/5
Mostly enjoyed this book until the end when I realized entire sections made no sense. Just thinking about the plot holes give me a headache. What is the deal with the island women? How is Emma a witch? Does everyone get a changeling baby and do these babies grow or what happens? What is the deal with the lady at the meeting saying she didn’t have a real baby- did she have another changeling because she knew Cal? Who is Cal? How do people review this book so highly????? I felt like my book was missing chapters and this could have been so much better.
Fantasy with horror elements, but I didn't find it particularly scary. Definitely heart-breaking in so many places. This was a book I really wanted to devour, but life kept getting in the way. The story really kept my interest, and made me want to see what came next.
I appreciated the world building that the author did, but it took too long for the plot to really take off and had a rushed/nonsensical plot.
Certainly unique. Dark and definitely brutal at moments. I am glad I didn’t DNF at the infant murder like I considered, but there were things that just didn’t work for me even after that’s reconciled.
I’m going to sit on my thoughts with this one. It was compelling, but I’m not sure it’s a best book type accolade that it seems to get.
I much prefer the story of Lone Women to this.
I’m going to sit on my thoughts with this one. It was compelling, but I’m not sure it’s a best book type accolade that it seems to get.
I much prefer the story of Lone Women to this.
Absolutely haunting. I avoided this book for a while because someone described it as “scary” and I really wasn’t sure it would be for me. Honestly, it was pretty scary at times. But also incredibly powerful and captivating and imaginative and as horrified as I was at some points in the story, I couldn’t put the book down. Truly a remarkable piece of work.
I really liked the writing style - very conversational. This was pretty spooky, with some vivid, horrifying images, and an interesting premise.
Based on reviews that used words like "enchanting" (and the fact that it's been made into a film on Apple TV+), I kept going, assuming that eventually this tale would prove itself to be so. Instead I found myself interested in characters that just faded out of the picture, while losing interest in the ones that stayed. And perhaps, given the topic, the sense of dull grayness I felt throughout was intentional, but it wasn't necessarily enjoyable.
I found myself on the edge of my seat anticipating the next twist in this book, filled with mystery, betrayal and surprisingly references of mythology. I was not expecting this book to be filled with so many themes, but Lavalle incorporated many in a succinct way that added to the story and reading experience. The racism that the main character Apollo experiences further cemented the sense of loneliness and outlandish ostracism from society's reaction towards his tragedy. Even if you do not have much experience with horror or mystery, this is definitely a good place to start.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Victor LaValle is extraordinary