Reviews with content warning for Classism - The Ballad of Black Tom

Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

9 reviews

eficca33's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book was a fairly short read but IMPACTFUL! It was sad and difficult to read at points (because of the sadness nothing) but necessary to read. This story is so nuanced in such a short amount of pages. Kudos to LaVelle. I will absolutely be looking forward to reading more of their work!

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minayana's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A really fun and quick read. I haven’t read the Lovecraft book this is based on, so I can’t say how it compares. The author does a great job creating a creepy atmospheric setting with some really beautiful writing. I really enjoyed Tom as a main character. I don’t think this needed to be a full length novel, but I think it definitely would’ve benefited with maybe 30-40 more pages. It was a bit disappointing not being to see Tom evolve, as it was done off screen, but it also made it more mysterious so it just depends on what you prefer. I also would’ve liked the immigrant characters to have an actual role. They were mentioned quite often, but none of them even had a line. There are also no female characters in this book, other than a supernatural entity. The book touches on racism, classism and police brutality in a really effective way. Overall, it’s a great novella that you can finish in one sitting. I recently purchased Lone Women by this author, and I can’t wait to read it!

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stephanielee's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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? It's complicated

5.0

This was my second Victor LaValle novel. This book is dark and magic filled. Tommy is our main character and he takes care of his disabled father by doing the only work he can- running errands. He finds things and delivers them to the right people. One day, he is approached by a rich white man to come to his house and play his newly purchased guitar for his guests. Which sets Tommy on a course of fantastical and horror filled adventures and he must figure out how to deal with all of this.

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laurareads87's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Well written, atmospheric, disturbing, and gripping. The Ballad of Black Tom features strong character development in not a lot of pages and articulates social commentary without the story feeling weighted down by it. This was my first Victor LaValle and I definitely look forward to reading more.

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wyabook234's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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pizzaisjesus98's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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grimdark_dad's review

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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enzoisprettycool's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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rrmonroe's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A fantastic retelling of Lovecraft's "Horror at Red Hook," The Ballad of Black Tom is a quick but satisfying story of cosmic horror in 1920s New York City with a focus on the racial tensions of the time. I'm definitely going to be looking into more books from LaValle.

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