Bookshots: "The Changeling" by Victor LaValle
Bookshots: Pumping new life into the corpse of the book review
Title:
The Changeling
Who wrote it?
Victor Lavalle, author of the spectacular The Ballad of Black Tom.
Plot in a box:
A father searches through surreal New York for his wife after she commits an unspeakable act against their child.
Invent a new title:
Improbabilia
Read this if you like:
Dark fairy tales.
Meet the book’s lead:
Apollo Kagwa, a nerdy bookseller, father, and husband.
Said lead would be portrayed in a movie by:
I want Donald Glover to play Apollo. Not Goofy Community Donald Glover. Think more Atlanta Donald Glover. It could work.
Setting: Would you want to live there?
New York. Secret New York. Magical New York.
I would give it a try, sure.
What was your favorite sentence?
Two favorites:
A thought, an idea, a shared dream; parenthood is a story two people start telling together.
Monsters aren't real until you meet one.
The Verdict:
It’s rare for a book to surprise me. It’s even rarer for me to read something and think, “Wow. This is really fucked up.” Yet, that’s exactly where I found myself around page 120 in Victor LaValle’s The Changeling. After 100-plus pages of a very slow burn, I honestly can say I was not expecting the direction the book would take, and I am grateful for not reading much about it ahead of time. Victor LaValle is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. He’s able to beautifully mix reality and the surreal. He’s also my favorite writer when it comes to the word “fuck”. Profanities read like poetry when LaValle writes them. If there isn’t already an award for that alone, then someone needs to make one pronto and send it to LaValle every single year, even on the years he hasn’t published a new book.
If you’re a fan of dark fairy tales, then this thing has your name written all over it, especially if your name happens to be Victor LaValle, since his name is on almost every other page.
This book definitely benefits from knowing as little as possible, so I’ll just say this: read it. Read the book. Don’t be a jerk. Stop reading this review and go read the damn book.
Read. The. Book.
You won’t be disappointed.
Well, you might be disappointed if you hate good books, I guess.
Review by Max Booth III
Max Booth III is the CEO of Ghoulish Books, the host of the GHOULISH and Dog Ears podcasts, the co-founder of the Ghoulish Book Festival, and the author of several spooky books, including Abnormal Statistics, Maggots Screaming!, Touch the Night, and others. He wrote both the novella and film versions of We Need to Do Something, which was released by IFC Midnight in 2021 and can currently be streamed on Hulu. He was raised in Northwest Indiana and now lives in San Antonio.
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Comments
"The Changeling" by Victor LaValle is a gripping and haunting tale that seamlessly blends elements of horror, fantasy, and contemporary fiction. LaValle masterfully crafts a story that explores the depths of parenthood, loss, and the fragility of human sanity. The protagonist, Apollo Kagwa, embarks on a relentless search for his missing wife and uncovers a dark and ancient secret that lies beneath the surface of his seemingly ordinary world. LaValle's prose is both evocative and poetic, drawing readers into a chilling narrative that challenges traditional notions of family and identity documents. The story unfolds with a sense of mounting dread as Apollo's desperation intensifies, leading him down a twisted path filled with supernatural forces and unimaginable revelations. Through his vivid descriptions and deft characterization, LaValle infuses each page with an eerie atmosphere that lingers long after the final word. "The Changeling" is a remarkable exploration of the depths of human emotion, a modern-day fairy tale that leaves readers questioning the nature of reality and the true power of love. As an example of literary excellence, this novel is a testament to LaValle's storytelling prowess and his ability to captivate readers with a tale that is equal parts chilling and profound.