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A review by bibliophileiz
The Changeling by Victor LaValle
5.0
This book is a ride. It also may be my favorite book I've read this year.
A little bit American Gods, a little bit Babadook, a little bit Neverwhere except with the New York City boroughs instead of the London Underground, and a lot creepy fairy tale. Apollo Kagwa is a new father who sells rare and used books when a (seemingly) horrific crime sets him off on a quest to solve a mystery about what happened to his wife and child. The characters are strong, the references to mythology and fairy tales invigorating, and action non-stop.
The book has strong themes. One is the usefulness but also inherent danger of computer technology. I don't want to get into spoiler territory, but there are major moments where everything from seemingly innocuous Facebook comments to apps come into play. Stronger though is the storytelling theme, with characters telling each other stories passed down through the generations and the meaning of those stories, or whether they even have meanings or were just a way to get kids to go to bed already. But the strongest theme is parenting--parenting anxiety, parenting as a way to connect with your own parents, parenting as a partnership, parenting on your own--the struggle of raising a child is all over this book, and not always in a comforting way. It's very dark, but also very very readable.
Spoilers:
Yes, I did use Google to see whether Brian was actually dead. If he'd been dead, I wouldn't have finished this book. Trust the reviews! Trust the awards! This isn't The Cabin at the End of the World. I promise you the baby does not die.
A little bit American Gods, a little bit Babadook, a little bit Neverwhere except with the New York City boroughs instead of the London Underground, and a lot creepy fairy tale. Apollo Kagwa is a new father who sells rare and used books when a (seemingly) horrific crime sets him off on a quest to solve a mystery about what happened to his wife and child. The characters are strong, the references to mythology and fairy tales invigorating, and action non-stop.
The book has strong themes. One is the usefulness but also inherent danger of computer technology. I don't want to get into spoiler territory, but there are major moments where everything from seemingly innocuous Facebook comments to apps come into play. Stronger though is the storytelling theme, with characters telling each other stories passed down through the generations and the meaning of those stories, or whether they even have meanings or were just a way to get kids to go to bed already. But the strongest theme is parenting--parenting anxiety, parenting as a way to connect with your own parents, parenting as a partnership, parenting on your own--the struggle of raising a child is all over this book, and not always in a comforting way. It's very dark, but also very very readable.
Spoilers:
Yes, I did use Google to see whether Brian was actually dead. If he'd been dead, I wouldn't have finished this book. Trust the reviews! Trust the awards! This isn't The Cabin at the End of the World. I promise you the baby does not die.