A review by haileybones
The Changeling by Victor LaValle

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

3.0

I feel conflicted about The Changeling. I like to read stories about changelings, so I went in blind aside from the title and cover art. The parts I liked were just as present as the parts I didn't.

I was pleasantly surprised by the majority Black cast.
I liked the use of New York City as a setting, but landmarks were frequently named and not described, so I wasn't as immersed as I'd liked to be.
The first act could be tighter, but I couldn't put the book down after I muscled through it.
Characterization is limited, but it kind of flows into the fairy tale theme.
I liked the writing style, but still noticed several repetitive turns of phrase.
I liked the way the plot and fantasy elements developed, but I wish more groundwork had been laid in the first act. There's a lot that could have been streamlined in the third act to heighten tension.
The villains are exposition-heavy with convoluted motives that don't quite connect, but people do bad things for stupid reasons all the time.

Despite the flaws, I enjoyed my experience and appreciated the book as a whole. It's not very scary (save one early scene), so I would caution horror fans. I'd recommend it to people interested in urban fantasy, Scandinavian beasts of myth, or supernatural mystery. 
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