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A review by naika
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.0
What resonated with me the most was the look into racism and injustice through a fantasy and horror lens. Charles Thomas Lester is a young, Black man in 1920s NYC finding a way out of no way. To survive he hustles, trying his best to draw as little attention to himself from police and his white neighbors. Of course, he can't escape or distance himself from the two. In fact, in the midst of one of his hustles, he finds himself unknowingly invited to a supernatural world by a peculiar, surly old white man. This "chance" encounter alters his world and identity, morphing him into Black Tom.
The Ballad of Black Tom is divided into two parts: the first part through the POV of Tom, and the second through the POV of Malone, a police officer. Personally, I found Tom's point of view strongest and most resonate. I think I understand the utility of Malone's character, but when the book transitioned to his POV, I felt a bit lost and it seemed as though so much of the integral pieces - particularly that of the transformation of Tom - occurred off screen.
There were aspects that were introduced that did not seem fully realized (e.g. the older woman who sought out Tom's services to retrieve a powerful book). Given all the moving pieces, I kept thinking how I would probably absorb the story better if it were adapted on screen. I have not read the source material this book was inspired by - and don't believe I ever will. I'm firmly comfortable getting a taste of Lovecraft's work through the perspective of Black authors, given his blatant racism.
The Ballad of Black Tom is divided into two parts: the first part through the POV of Tom, and the second through the POV of Malone, a police officer. Personally, I found Tom's point of view strongest and most resonate. I think I understand the utility of Malone's character, but when the book transitioned to his POV, I felt a bit lost and it seemed as though so much of the integral pieces - particularly that of the transformation of Tom - occurred off screen.
There were aspects that were introduced that did not seem fully realized (e.g. the older woman who sought out Tom's services to retrieve a powerful book). Given all the moving pieces, I kept thinking how I would probably absorb the story better if it were adapted on screen. I have not read the source material this book was inspired by - and don't believe I ever will. I'm firmly comfortable getting a taste of Lovecraft's work through the perspective of Black authors, given his blatant racism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Death and Police brutality