A review by pagingdrmudkip
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.0

LaValle’s interpretation of the Horror at Red Hook not only improves upon the original source material, it drastically overshadows it. The altered character perspective provides a unique narrative deeply missing from most cosmic/Lovecraftian stories. It didn’t take very long to really understand and sympathize with the characters, particularly Tom, something that Lovecraft himself struggled to do in most of his writing.

My only real criticism is that you can tell that LaValle really hasn’t found his full potential in this earlier work, and I wish this work would have been created later in his career so it could’ve been even better. There are several moments that have repetitive phrases and bizarre wording. Some of the character development was also teased, but not really expanded upon.

At the end of the day, if you are a fan of cosmic/Lovecraftian horror, this is a must read.
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