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A review by tatyanavogt
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
3.0
So, I think this story was cool. The ending was cool. But I didn't really connect early on. I didn't love the writing and the way information was given to us felt a little disjointed. I do enjoy the vagueness of some of the details but when it comes to the characters I want enough information to connect with them early on so that I'm more accepting of the ambiguity that follows later in the story.
I also felt like the perspective shift that happened later in the book felt a little odd. Like it came out of no where and took away focus. Added confusion. I'm assuming that was part of the point but I didn't like the way it was done. I would have preferred (I think) if we had heard from that perspective earlier on as well so it didn't feel so random when we shifted gears.
I didn't think the story was scary (but I haven't found any horror book that i've read actually scary, so take that with a grain of salt).
Spoiler Thoughts:
Okay so I'm assuming all of the characters are supposed to be unlikeable. I did really like Tom at the end when he regrets what he'd done but before that I didn't really care for him. I only cared that he was being miss-treated. Like I didn't think he deserved that, and it angered me (as a black woman especially) but it didn't make me like him specifically. Which is fine..
I think the thing that got under my skin the most was the unjust treatment of a black man (his money being stolen), and the murder of his father. That "explanation" boiled my blood. How he emptied TWO full rounds on his father because he was holding a guitar that "looked like an assault riffle" or some shit.
The stuff going on with the rich guy and all the thugs and moving building etc, I think it could have been explained just a little more. But I also didn't mind not knowing much so perhaps thats not an issue.
I did think the ending was pretty cool for the most part. I just wished I cared more in the beginning/throughout the book. I wasn't super compelled to finish it. If it hadn't been so short I probably would have DNF'd it.
I also felt like the perspective shift that happened later in the book felt a little odd. Like it came out of no where and took away focus. Added confusion. I'm assuming that was part of the point but I didn't like the way it was done. I would have preferred (I think) if we had heard from that perspective earlier on as well so it didn't feel so random when we shifted gears.
I didn't think the story was scary (but I haven't found any horror book that i've read actually scary, so take that with a grain of salt).
Spoiler Thoughts:
Spoiler
Okay so I'm assuming all of the characters are supposed to be unlikeable. I did really like Tom at the end when he regrets what he'd done but before that I didn't really care for him. I only cared that he was being miss-treated. Like I didn't think he deserved that, and it angered me (as a black woman especially) but it didn't make me like him specifically. Which is fine..
I think the thing that got under my skin the most was the unjust treatment of a black man (his money being stolen), and the murder of his father. That "explanation" boiled my blood. How he emptied TWO full rounds on his father because he was holding a guitar that "looked like an assault riffle" or some shit.
The stuff going on with the rich guy and all the thugs and moving building etc, I think it could have been explained just a little more. But I also didn't mind not knowing much so perhaps thats not an issue.
I did think the ending was pretty cool for the most part. I just wished I cared more in the beginning/throughout the book. I wasn't super compelled to finish it. If it hadn't been so short I probably would have DNF'd it.