A review by bookbelle5_17
The Changeling by Victor LaValle

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Review of The Changeling
By: Victor La Valle
            Apollo’s father abandoned by him when he was a child, and he was raised by his mother.  As an adult he marries Emma, builds a career as a book collector, and they have a baby.  Unfortunately, Emma starts experiencing postpartum depression and believes that their child isn’t their child.
            This novel defies genre with its crazy plot that starts as a story about a young black man’s life, but the plot gets crazier as it progresses eventually getting downright fantastical.  Both Apollo and Emma are complicated and relatable.  I like how Apollo appreciates reading books as well as selling rare books.  There’s even a discussion between him and another character how most collectors and sellers of rare books don’t care about reading them, but just making the money.  As for Emma, I imagine a lot of women experience postpartum depression that manifests in different ways.  I found myself siding with Apollo as we are in his head, but as the story progress I began to question things with Emma and her belief that baby Brian isn’t there.  It is one of those stories where you ask yourself is this a supernatural situation or is Emma crazy?  Who the antagonist was happened to be one of the twists in the story, so it was a surprise, though there are moments that hint that things aren’t right with a certain character.  I liked the exploration of fairytales and what they do for us, the lessons we learn from them, and how today they’ve been sugar coated.  There is a cult aspect exploring the idea of why someone might join one and how it can be cathartic for someone experiencing grief.   There is also discussion parenting and those parents who constantly post pictures about their children on social media.  The story talks about the consequences of that and how it make them targets. The writing is good and immersive, but the story is slow moving until it picks up a little more than half-way through.  
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