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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Oh, man, did I like this book. I read a description elsewhere and thought, yes, this is exactly my cup of tea. And then the description didn't match what I was reading at all. Which was great, because I did not see what was coming (and the Goodreads description is more explicit).
In the book, a character explains that fairy tales were originally for adults. "A bad fairy tale has some simple goddamn moral," she says. "A great fairy tale tells the truth." I love it when an author sets out their purpose and then delivers. The Changeling is a great fairy tale. It is dark and bloody, but filled with redemption. You could delve into issues of internet culture, police brutality, parental neglect, the role of men and women, race inequality, and so much more. Yet, on the surface, it's about none of these things. LaValle lays his tools out as he tells the story, and then each one is used perfectly in its place.
The description of new parent life, both the capricious joy and the less-talked-about horror, is visceral, having just crossed those waters. LaValle spends time developing that world before moving on, which makes the atmosphere all the more emotionally exhausting going into the main plot.
Now, can someone please read this so we can discuss?
In the book, a character explains that fairy tales were originally for adults. "A bad fairy tale has some simple goddamn moral," she says. "A great fairy tale tells the truth." I love it when an author sets out their purpose and then delivers. The Changeling is a great fairy tale. It is dark and bloody, but filled with redemption. You could delve into issues of internet culture, police brutality, parental neglect, the role of men and women, race inequality, and so much more. Yet, on the surface, it's about none of these things. LaValle lays his tools out as he tells the story, and then each one is used perfectly in its place.
The description of new parent life, both the capricious joy and the less-talked-about horror, is visceral, having just crossed those waters. LaValle spends time developing that world before moving on, which makes the atmosphere all the more emotionally exhausting going into the main plot.
Now, can someone please read this so we can discuss?
I really enjoyed this modern day fairy tale set in New York City. As a parent to a toddler, I felt that Victor LaValle accurately captured the feeling of new parenthood and how most parents would go to any lengths to save their kids. I love fairy tales and this hit the spot for me. Overall I was entertained.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Started out really good but turned into less horror, more high fantasy at the end. Not awful, but not really what I wanted out of it.
This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. LaValle somehow found the perfect balance between a surreal fairy tale and a relatable, real-world drama. I think fellow parents will get the most out of this novel (there were aspects young-me probably would have scoffed at that left father-me nodding and/or tearing up), but anyone who enjoys a great story with a paranormal bent should definitely check it out.
I watched the show first and was absolutely amazed at how well it followed the book! I was also super pleased that some of the parts I didn't love about the show weren't actually in the book.
If you are a parent, this book is for you. It will scare you and make you question 1: the safety of your family and 2: how far will you for your family.
It was an eye-opening book wrapped in fairytale, folklore, and a cautionary tale of the internet. Witches, beasts and bad dreams this book is magic in New York.
If you are a parent, this book is for you. It will scare you and make you question 1: the safety of your family and 2: how far will you for your family.
It was an eye-opening book wrapped in fairytale, folklore, and a cautionary tale of the internet. Witches, beasts and bad dreams this book is magic in New York.
Honestly, very solid read overall. I really enjoyed his tone and voice. I really adore the fairy tale style. I'm such a sucker for speculative fiction.
My brain has a tendency to want but to puzzle out themes and motifs, and he gave such a plethora for me to discover.
It does get a little draggy towards the last quarter of the book. And I do get a little disillusioned about his backstory.
I loved that despite the speculative fictional tone, it didn't shy away from the realities of real world problem like racism, marital strife, and mental health. He does such a great balance of the two, and for the most part, blends them seamlessly.
My brain has a tendency to want but to puzzle out themes and motifs, and he gave such a plethora for me to discover.
It does get a little draggy towards the last quarter of the book. And I do get a little disillusioned about his backstory.
I loved that despite the speculative fictional tone, it didn't shy away from the realities of real world problem like racism, marital strife, and mental health. He does such a great balance of the two, and for the most part, blends them seamlessly.
Yeah… I’m just not a huge fan of this one.
Maybe the themes just didn’t connect with me, but I’d be lying if I said I thought it was just that. It was just so boring? I don’t know how such a (potentially) interesting premise makes for such a dull story, but it happened? While this is still a two star book for me, I was often tempted to DNF, not because anything aggressively bad, but just because I found my interest so lacking.
More so, the book itself seems to be split into three or four disjointed parts with little connection or explanation. Every time I was slightly immersed in one part (because nothing in this captivated me completely), there’s be a total tonal shift to the next segment of plot points, and I’d be completely torn out of the book again. I feel like this book had a lot of good, loose, base ideas, but they were never expounded upon or explained. The island, for example, was a plot point that was shoved in and then squandered.
I also didn’t connect or care about all of the characters. Due to the disjointed structure of the book, I was apathetic about the stakes, and about what happened to them. Some of them… I don’t know. Let’s just say I was rolling my eyes. There was a lot of irrational characters in this one.
I was looking forward to a dark fairytale, which I feel this book had the potential to provide, but it didn’t. I feel like it was in desperate need for some more revision to tie the many unraveled ends together and to streamline the plot. Right now, like I said, it meanders all over the place…which instead of interest, led to my exasperation.
All of this put together, “The Changeling” feels like a first draft that was polished and published. It feels undone and unrefined in structure, which was a disappointment.
Maybe the themes just didn’t connect with me, but I’d be lying if I said I thought it was just that. It was just so boring? I don’t know how such a (potentially) interesting premise makes for such a dull story, but it happened? While this is still a two star book for me, I was often tempted to DNF, not because anything aggressively bad, but just because I found my interest so lacking.
More so, the book itself seems to be split into three or four disjointed parts with little connection or explanation. Every time I was slightly immersed in one part (because nothing in this captivated me completely), there’s be a total tonal shift to the next segment of plot points, and I’d be completely torn out of the book again. I feel like this book had a lot of good, loose, base ideas, but they were never expounded upon or explained. The island, for example, was a plot point that was shoved in and then squandered.
I also didn’t connect or care about all of the characters. Due to the disjointed structure of the book, I was apathetic about the stakes, and about what happened to them. Some of them… I don’t know. Let’s just say I was rolling my eyes. There was a lot of irrational characters in this one.
I was looking forward to a dark fairytale, which I feel this book had the potential to provide, but it didn’t. I feel like it was in desperate need for some more revision to tie the many unraveled ends together and to streamline the plot. Right now, like I said, it meanders all over the place…which instead of interest, led to my exasperation.
All of this put together, “The Changeling” feels like a first draft that was polished and published. It feels undone and unrefined in structure, which was a disappointment.