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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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:
Complicated
"When you have to save the one you love, you will become someone else, something else. You will transform. The only real magic is the things we'll do for the ones we love."
Apollo Kagwa has it all: a job he’s passionate about that enables him to sustain a comfortable (although not wealthy) life in New York City, a wife he’s crazy about, and a healthy infant son that he absolutely adores. Then one day, with a horrific act of violence, Apollo’s world comes crashing down, and his subsequent quest to find answers propels him into a fantastical world he never imagined lurking below the surface of reality. Apollo’s journey may end up answering his questions about the appalling act his vanished wife committed, as well as provide an answer to the disappearance of his own father decades before.
Victor LaValle is an amazingly good writer, and that talent is on display in The Changeling as much as it is in the other novels I’ve read by the author. But I found my enjoyment of this one waxed and waned. The pacing is a off and often drags. There’s a long time spent establishing Apollo’s early life and the development of his relationship with his wife Emma leading up to the birth of their son, so that a good chunk of the beginning reads like a drama/romance. Then, rather suddenly, the book jumps from a date night shared by the new parents to Emma's horrific act with very little build-up to illustrate the (apparent) deterioration of Emma’s mental health and the relationship between the couple. The act itself was like having a cup of ice water thrown in my face, I wasn't expecting it to be so horrific. And maybe that was the point. But all of the lead-up to it is given briefly and in retrospect. I even flipped backward in the book, to make sure I didn’t accidently skip any pages.
I also struggled with the characters in The Changeling. I didn't warm up to Apollo at all and feel like I never really got to know him or Emma, despite the hundreds of pages spent with them before the action of the book picks up. This is a big contrast from how I’ve felt about characters in LaValle’s other books who I really liked and sympathized with, particularly Adelaide in Lone Women and Pepper in The Devil in Silver. I even felt more of a connection to Tom in The Ballad of Black Tom, although that book is significantly shorter than this one. I felt like we see Apollo only from the outside, reacting to things, but not really the workings of his mind, and therefore felt detached from the character and less invested in what happened to him.
I also didn’t love the ending or the explanation of the multiple mysteries. My search for the perfect horror book dealing with the myth of changelings continues. Incidentally, I wouldn't personally classify this book as horror.
LaValle’s writing makes it impossible for me to rate this book anything lower than a three. There were some really excellent passages and times when I was fully invested, despite the problems I noted above.
Apollo Kagwa has it all: a job he’s passionate about that enables him to sustain a comfortable (although not wealthy) life in New York City, a wife he’s crazy about, and a healthy infant son that he absolutely adores. Then one day, with a horrific act of violence, Apollo’s world comes crashing down, and his subsequent quest to find answers propels him into a fantastical world he never imagined lurking below the surface of reality. Apollo’s journey may end up answering his questions about the appalling act his vanished wife committed, as well as provide an answer to the disappearance of his own father decades before.
Victor LaValle is an amazingly good writer, and that talent is on display in The Changeling as much as it is in the other novels I’ve read by the author. But I found my enjoyment of this one waxed and waned. The pacing is a off and often drags. There’s a long time spent establishing Apollo’s early life and the development of his relationship with his wife Emma leading up to the birth of their son, so that a good chunk of the beginning reads like a drama/romance. Then, rather suddenly, the book jumps from a date night shared by the new parents to Emma's horrific act with very little build-up to illustrate the (apparent) deterioration of Emma’s mental health and the relationship between the couple. The act itself was like having a cup of ice water thrown in my face, I wasn't expecting it to be so horrific. And maybe that was the point. But all of the lead-up to it is given briefly and in retrospect. I even flipped backward in the book, to make sure I didn’t accidently skip any pages.
I also struggled with the characters in The Changeling. I didn't warm up to Apollo at all and feel like I never really got to know him or Emma, despite the hundreds of pages spent with them before the action of the book picks up. This is a big contrast from how I’ve felt about characters in LaValle’s other books who I really liked and sympathized with, particularly Adelaide in Lone Women and Pepper in The Devil in Silver. I even felt more of a connection to Tom in The Ballad of Black Tom, although that book is significantly shorter than this one. I felt like we see Apollo only from the outside, reacting to things, but not really the workings of his mind, and therefore felt detached from the character and less invested in what happened to him.
I also didn’t love the ending or the explanation of the multiple mysteries. My search for the perfect horror book dealing with the myth of changelings continues. Incidentally, I wouldn't personally classify this book as horror.
LaValle’s writing makes it impossible for me to rate this book anything lower than a three. There were some really excellent passages and times when I was fully invested, despite the problems I noted above.
challenging
dark
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
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is such a beautifully written book! The story was compelling and the characters very well fleshed out. I found some aspects a bit on the nose but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Gradually realized 1) I didn't like Apollo very much and b, I do not give a shit what happens next. Onward!
Review
I wasn't sure if I was going to like this at first (a lot of "technology is bad blah, blah, blah" in the book), but this was a great thriller/mystical book. A lot of twists I couldn't see coming and then when I figured out the pattern, was still happy to see come through.
I wasn't sure if I was going to like this at first (a lot of "technology is bad blah, blah, blah" in the book), but this was a great thriller/mystical book. A lot of twists I couldn't see coming and then when I figured out the pattern, was still happy to see come through.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I loved this creepy fairy tale like story! Read it in one day. A fairy tale taking on social issues and current problems of today- set as horror, magic, realism, and fantasy with themes of fatherhood, parenting, immigration, racism, and loss.
Listened to the audio and read the book… made the experience even better. Just so good!
Listened to the audio and read the book… made the experience even better. Just so good!
dark