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A review by nadia
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book is a retelling of H.P. Lovecraft's "The Horror at Red Hook" and I wonder if I would have gotten more out of this book if I'd been familiar with that story.
Don't get me wrong — I really enjoyed it. On the whole, I was a big fan of the narrative style, the descriptions, especially of the horror elements, and the atmosphere. I did feel transported elsewhere, you can feel the tension building, and some scenes were very gripping. LaValle is skilled in describing the supernatural in a way that you can see the bizarre happenings so vividly in your mind's eye.
However, while I think I got the overall gist of the story, I was left at a loss at the why of key parts of it. I'd be thinking: wait, what just happened? Why did that just happen? Am I meant to understand why at this point?
Maybe I was meant to go with the flow a little more. Maybe if I'd been familiar with Lovecraft's work I would have had fewer questions. Then again, maybe not!
Either way, 4 stars if I'd been just a little bit less unsure.
Don't get me wrong — I really enjoyed it. On the whole, I was a big fan of the narrative style, the descriptions, especially of the horror elements, and the atmosphere. I did feel transported elsewhere, you can feel the tension building, and some scenes were very gripping. LaValle is skilled in describing the supernatural in a way that you can see the bizarre happenings so vividly in your mind's eye.
However, while I think I got the overall gist of the story, I was left at a loss at the why of key parts of it. I'd be thinking: wait, what just happened? Why did that just happen? Am I meant to understand why at this point?
Maybe I was meant to go with the flow a little more. Maybe if I'd been familiar with Lovecraft's work I would have had fewer questions. Then again, maybe not!
Either way, 4 stars if I'd been just a little bit less unsure.