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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
There's an unfortunate section just over halfway through where things get a bit too fable-y, but other than that it's a great read. Think of it as 'American Gods' but singular. And with a monster.
Decided to pick this up right as the series came out on Apple TV, as I wanted to see what the hype was about. In summary? Holy shit I understand why this was such a big hit when it came out in 2017, and six years down the road it still holds true. LaValle manages to balance the edge of the modern world (mostly limiting it to Facebook and dark web streaming/video sites) with the edges of the fantasy (witches, trolls, children being devoured, searching for a lost wife and child) and the realities of being black in an interracial marriage, and now I'm tempted to go and mainline the whole tv series to see how it went as an adaptation. Picked this up from the library, and it's definitely worth your time.
Audiobook. A modern day fairytale (but the kind filled with horror and magic that adults would tell around a fire, not the kind meant for children). Folklore and wildness set in bustling NYC, I never knew what was coming next.
Every once in a while I pick up a book that’s gotten a lot of praise from various quarters and I read and read and, even when I finish the book, I can’t fathom why. This is one of those books.
I really enjoyed the first half/two-thirds of this book & then it just went downhill for me when it totally departed from reality. It's my own fault; with a name like The Changeling, I should have expected what was to come. I'm afraid, however, I soon became bored and wanted the book to end.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
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
How to describe this book? A boy who's family was abandoned by his father grows up to become a bookseller, finds love, and resolves to be a better father to his child than his was. All this is threaded through with weirdness, that expands into out and out horror. But like all the LaValle books I've read, this one sets up what seem like familiar narratives, only to subvert them in unexpected ways. In the end, a book about generational trauma, and a good one.
Read as an audiobook. I almost quit this book about a 1/3 of the way through, but I am glad I didn't. While parts were difficult to get through (I teared up just seeing a father and a baby once while reading this), it was suspenseful and fascinating. Most days, I couldn't wait for my commute while I was reading this.
I am still thinking about the interweaving of magic and technology, and of myth and humanity, in this book. It's creepy and, most of the time, pretty convincing.
As another reviewer mentioned, I wish we had more of Emma's point of view. I found everything about her--her history, her perspective, her power--to be a little under-served by this story.
Overall, I think this book will stay with me, though, and that it is really cleverly put together.
I am still thinking about the interweaving of magic and technology, and of myth and humanity, in this book. It's creepy and, most of the time, pretty convincing.
As another reviewer mentioned, I wish we had more of Emma's point of view. I found everything about her--her history, her perspective, her power--to be a little under-served by this story.
Overall, I think this book will stay with me, though, and that it is really cleverly put together.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Probably 3.5. I liked the beginning and the end, but I was really disengaged from the middle chunk.
This book is absolutely heart-wrenchingly beautiful. LaValle's writing gripped me from the first sentence and never let go. I skipped hanging out with friends at a convention to finish it, it's so good. If you can't read about children in peril, then I don't recommend The Changeling, but if the concept doesn't bother you, you must must must read this novel. It's a masterpiece of language and storytelling, a moving treatise on the dangers of modern parenthood, and a love letter to magical realism and modern fairy tales. It's hard to read in some places but so beautiful you won't be able to look away. This might be the best book I've read so far this year.