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The Changeling

by Victor LaValle

4.02 · Rating Details · 482 Ratings · 128 Reviews

One man’s thrilling journey through an enchanted world to find his wife, who has disappeared after seemingly committing an unforgiveable act of violence, from the award-winning author of the The Devil in Silver and Big Machine.

“If the literary gods mixed together Haruki Murakami and Ralph Ellison…the result would be Victor LaValle.”—Anthony Doerr

Apollo Kagwa has had strang ...more

Hardcover, 448 pages

Published June 13th 2017 by Spiegel & Grau

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Community Reviews

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Feb 23, 2017 Fran rated it liked it

Apollo Kagwa has abandonment issues. His mother Lillian, Ugandan by birth, has raised him alone since age four, when father Brian West vanished. For years, Apollo has had recurring dreams of a man knocking on the door and pushing his way into the apartment. He envisions being carried through a fog and wakes up screaming. Lillian is forced to leave Apollo alone for hours in order to keep the family afloat. Apollo, a self contained, bookish child is a voracious reader.

Childhood entrepreneurial exp ...more

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Jun 29, 2017 Char rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: dark-fantasy, net-galley, dark-fiction

4.5/5 stars!

Apollo Kagwa grew up without a dad and now that he's a brand new father himself, he is determined to be there for every second of his son's life. Every second, that is, until his wife suddenly, crazily, gets it into her head that their baby is not their baby at all, but something else entirely. Apollo thinks she's out of her mind with lack of sleep and overwhelming responsibility, but is she really? If so, who keeps sending her pictures of their baby on her cell phone? Then again, 4.5/5 stars!

Apollo Kagwa grew up without a dad and now that he's a brand new father himself, he is determined to be there for every second of his son's life. Every second, that is, until his wife suddenly, crazily, gets it into her head that their baby is not their baby at all, but something else entirely. Apollo thinks she's out of her mind with lack of sleep and overwhelming responsibility, but is she really? If so, who keeps sending her pictures of their baby on her cell phone? Then again, the pictures keep "disappearing" from her phone after she sees them, so maybe she's out of her mind after all? You'll have to read The Changeling to find out!

Victor LaValle is able to weave together myths and legends, make them believable, (for the most part), and then sets them down in the middle of New York City. It turns out the Big Apple does have some mystery and wilderness left in it, and Victor treats it all like his own personal playground. I felt like the city was a character in this story-with all of its history, hopes, dreams and death-the layers are all there. By the time the end of the story came around, I wished I could reach out and hug it-it had seen so much.

One other thing about the writing that I wanted to mention was the author's ability to reach over and squeeze the life out of the reader's heart. Apollo's grief was so palpable at times, that I had to set aside the book because my chest hurt-my heart hurt. I generally consider my horror loving heart to be quite cold, but The Changeling proved me wrong.

I'm sure at this point, just over halfway through 2017 that this book will be on my "BEST OF" list at the end of the year. If you find yourself looking for a satisfying story that combines myth and legend with the grit of real life in the modern world, I say pick up this book and let yourself fall under Victor LaValle's spell. You won't regret it!

Highly recommended!

You can get your copy here: The Changeling: A Novel

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
...more

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Jun 22, 2017 Paul rated it it was amazing

THE CHANGELING by Victor LaValle is so damn brilliant. Mash up of complex parental anxieties, life in Trumplandia, and dark fairy tales.

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Mar 12, 2017 Bandit rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Oh yes. That's what I'm talking about. This is the sort of book that reignites the passion for the genre. I've read LaValle's Devil in Silver, which I liked a lot, but this dark fairy tale for adults definitely takes the cake. And slaughters it. It starts off like many fairy tales do...nice and normal story of a man who realizes there's more to life than buying and selling books, proceeds to fall in love and start a family. Fatherhood agrees with him, all is dreamily well...until his perfect lif Oh yes. That's what I'm talking about. This is the sort of book that reignites the passion for the genre. I've read LaValle's Devil in Silver, which I liked a lot, but this dark fairy tale for adults definitely takes the cake. And slaughters it. It starts off like many fairy tales do...nice and normal story of a man who realizes there's more to life than buying and selling books, proceeds to fall in love and start a family. Fatherhood agrees with him, all is dreamily well...until his perfect life comes to a violent crash. Now his baby's gone, his wife's gone, his world has been turned upside down and he's about to find out the wizardry behind the curtain of normalcy. Bring on witches, bring on trolls, bring on...well, changelings. Fairy tales were meant to be scary, before Disney and Co. got to them. Fairy tales were meant to be something along these lines. LaValle gets it right, though he throws is his innate race observations and there's the ubiquitous use of modern technology, it's otherwise something straight out of Brothers Grimm, though with a Scandinavian twist. There's a great dramatic story too, about fatherhood, marriage, responsibilities, love, trust and so much more. Awesome backstory, mixed in with the quintessential NY immigrant saga, because this is very much a NY tale. It would have probably worked without the supernatural aspect as just a suspense story, but evils lurking in a dark, dark forest are the proverbial cherry on top. Terrifically entertaining ride. Most enthusiastically recommended. For more troll fun see Trollhunter, for more changeling fun read Keith Donohue's Stolen Child. And do yourself a favor, put some electric tape on your computer's camera, because you never know. And maybe ease off on social media. Fairy tales, after all must have a moral, and a moral here is when you make yourself a visible entity, you can't control who sees you and what sort of attention you'll invite. Paranoid, sure. But what if they're really after you? This is a perfectly apt fairy tale for a digital age. Food for thoughts. Thanks Netgalley. ...more

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Apr 18, 2017 switterbug (Betsey) rated it really liked it

I’m compelled to compare LaValle to Stephen King, especially the domestic novels. Like King, Victor LaValle ably mines the struggles of ordinary families, and intertwines extraordinary circumstances, via supernatural horror and gristle. He does this to emphasize bitter realities—a palimpsest of fractured Maurice Sendak fables, with strained domestic life that ironically underscores rather than distracts from everyday family problems. What I like better about LaValle is that he does it without pl I’m compelled to compare LaValle to Stephen King, especially the domestic novels. Like King, Victor LaValle ably mines the struggles of ordinary families, and intertwines extraordinary circumstances, via supernatural horror and gristle. He does this to emphasize bitter realities—a palimpsest of fractured Maurice Sendak fables, with strained domestic life that ironically underscores rather than distracts from everyday family problems. What I like better about LaValle is that he does it without platitudes, but still executes a fantastical morality tale. Or is it a cautionary tale? I don’t want to reveal what the reader will discover inside these pages.

It starts with the love of a Ugandan immigrant, Lillian Kagwa, a statuesque beauty, and a white parole officer, Brian West. They meet in NYC, marry, and have a son, Apollo. But, unfortunately, Brian leaves—vanishes—when Apollo is just a child. Lillian’s love and formidable endurance carry on, raising Apollo with commitment and strength, albeit with a few mistakes. But it was difficult being a single mother in New York in the 70s and 80s.

After Brian vanishes, Apollo has a specific and recurring nightmare about his father, which introduces the dreamlike, supernatural elements of the book. Complete with steamy clouds and vapor, his father both frightens and promises him with his presence and absence. There was also the day that Brian leaves a gift—a box of memories—at the door, which just ratchets up the immediacy of the subsequent dreams.

Tucked in the box among the various memorabilia is a children’s book by Maurice Sendak. Outside Over There, which Brian nightly read to Apollo when Apollo was a wee child. If you are familiar with this tale (not as well known as Where the Wild Things Are), then you have a jump start on the narrative’s parable—or a parable of a parable. I was not familiar with it, so the gradual reveal was another nugget of surprise for me.

Apollo becomes the main protagonist of the story. He become an antiquarian book dealer, naming his business Improbabilia, and traverses all the NYC boroughs and sometimes beyond in order to seek out great finds. He meets, falls in love, and marries the lovely Emma Valentine, and they have a son. The birth scene alone has cinematic optics.

As the tale settles on Apollo and Emma’s life with baby Brian, the suspense escalates with the creepy chill of things that go bump in the night—or broad daylight. LaValle keeps the narrative propulsive with a superb plot and rich characterizations. The 400+ pages and large-sized pages never feel cumbersome, because you’ll be too busy turning the pages with relish. The climax is both classic and contemporary, with ancient myths and modern technology fused into immaculate myth. But LaValle has utter control of his themes—of courage in devotion to family, and the lengths we will take to protect the people we love. I felt fatly satisfied when I finished this extravagant tale.

Random fact: Interesting that Maurice Sendak features in another book being published this year, Julia Glass’s A House Among the Trees, a very different kind of book than LaValle’s. But it is intriguing to me, this fact of Sendak in both novels. ...more

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Jul 04, 2017 Obsidian rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, tbr-2017, booklikes-opoly

Don't even know what to say about this book.

It took my breath away and the ending was just fantastic.

I saw that some of my friends on Goodreads were reading this and I already had plans to read this because I loved LaValle's last book "The Ballad of Black Tom". I didn't think that this book would even hit what I loved from the previous book but it did. This book was just the best of the horror genre. I think I heard someone once say the way to best judge a story is if it sounds true. And this b Don't even know what to say about this book.

It took my breath away and the ending was just fantastic.

I saw that some of my friends on Goodreads were reading this and I already had plans to read this because I loved LaValle's last book "The Ballad of Black Tom". I didn't think that this book would even hit what I loved from the previous book but it did. This book was just the best of the horror genre. I think I heard someone once say the way to best judge a story is if it sounds true. And this book felt true to me to the point I maybe turned some lights on cause I started getting a creepy feeling someone was watching me.

I also really loved that Lavelle takes his own observations about African Americans, about America, about where we are in the state of the world, about the internet, about mythology and just turns it into this book.

I delayed reading this for a couple of days just because I wanted to savor it and of course I just rushed right through this whole thing so that's just my initial thoughts on this book.

"The Changeling" follows Apollo Kagwa who is given the name of the good of the sun, but feels often out of step with the world around him. Raised by his mother after his father left them, he still feels the mark the absence of his father had on him as he grows up. Turning to books, because at least he can understand the worlds they open to him, he eventually becomes invested in the world of being a book dealer. When he comes across Emma Valentine, he thinks that his life has changed. And when they marry and have a son, he finally thinks that he has reached what has eluded him his whole life, a happy family.

I don't want to spoil, but I have to say this book has so many twists and turns, that I had no idea where the book would go next. Which is a great feeling. Sometimes while reading a book, I often feel like I can tell where the authors going because they use so much foreshadowing or just cliches in the writing that nothing's a surprise. So it's a wonderful feeling again to read a book like this and be surprised.

I thought that all of the characters in this book were so well-rounded and I really did think that Apollo, Emma, Emma sister, Apollo's best friend Patrice, I could feel like I was in the room with them when certain scenes were happening. I definitely have a lot of questions about Apollo's mother and to thought that LaValle left a hanging thread. Or maybe I just didn't read closely enough.

I thought the writing was very good and I just love the initial setup. I mean I definitely think a word for the wise is that when you start to read this book it might read as a typical fairy tale with a bit of horror, but everything just worked. The flow was great too.

The setting was New York, but a New York I haven't read about in years. Most days if New York is the setting, the main character is either living in a great place with a roommate and a lot of room, and or someone working at a job that makes six figures, so New York is super exciting. Heck, even when the plot is contemporary it seems like authors are reluctant to say hey, if you like bed bugs, come to New York.

The ending was a surprise. After reading "The Ballad of Black Tom" I know LaValle can go dark. Very good!

...more

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Apr 21, 2017 Margaret rated it really liked it

Shelves: fairytale-myth-inspired, netgalley, contemporary-fantasy

It's difficult to review this book, because the action that propels the 'horror' in this novel occurs well into the plot. But you know changeling folklore, right? If you don't, essentially, goblins steal a newborn child and leave a look-alike in the baby's place. The parents then have to trick the baby-goblin into revealing itself.

It's a dark fairy tale. You can't help but wonder how many infants were forced to undergo the changeling tests when this tale was told orally. Maybe they had colic. Ma It's difficult to review this book, because the action that propels the 'horror' in this novel occurs well into the plot. But you know changeling folklore, right? If you don't, essentially, goblins steal a newborn child and leave a look-alike in the baby's place. The parents then have to trick the baby-goblin into revealing itself.

It's a dark fairy tale. You can't help but wonder how many infants were forced to undergo the changeling tests when this tale was told orally. Maybe they had colic. Maybe jaundice. Maybe a disability.

Apollo knows this folklore from a book his absent father gave him before he disappeared, Outside Over There by Maurice Sendak. This is my favorite Maurice Sendak children's book, and I highly recommend reading it. The illustrations are weird and lovely.

Apollo lives in New York City, and works as a book dealer. Since I'm a book buyer at a used bookstore where tons of book dealers show up daily, I enjoyed reading about a world I was already semi-familiar with. He falls in love with Emma at a library. She's a librarian. Lots of bookish references to enjoy.

While marketed as a horror novel, it's a light one. The tone is easy, Apollo funny and relatable, and while there's a supernatural creature and bloody scenes, I never felt scared. Or alarmed. However, if you have issues with violence against children, you may want to skip this one. It's kind of weird that I did not have any issues with that. I start my second trimester today, with my first baby. It was kind of amusing to read (view spoiler)

Oddly, I enjoyed reading the first half of this more than the second, even though the main action doesn't start until well into the novel. I enjoyed Apollo's voice and reading about his life and his relationship with Emma, and his experience being a 'new father,' or dads who actually spend time with their kids. Maybe I enjoyed reading the first half since those are things I'm looking forward to experiencing!

I recommend this to anyone who likes folklore mixed into modern settings, and who doesn't mind a little bit of horror. Again, it's not scary horror.

Thanks to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
...more

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Mar 04, 2017 Andre rated it liked it

Changeling. The title alone should give readers some insight into the story. A changeling is defined as a child believed to have been secretly substituted by fairies for the parents’ real child in infancy. The center of the story is young Brian, the only child of Apollo and Emma. Apollo carries into his adult life, the pain of his father having abandoned the family when he was just four. He has recurring nightmares, or are they repressed memories, from that abandonment and vows to never put his Changeling. The title alone should give readers some insight into the story. A changeling is defined as a child believed to have been secretly substituted by fairies for the parents’ real child in infancy. The center of the story is young Brian, the only child of Apollo and Emma. Apollo carries into his adult life, the pain of his father having abandoned the family when he was just four. He has recurring nightmares, or are they repressed memories, from that abandonment and vows to never put his son Brian in that same predicament. Apollo is determined to be a great and present father.

So when his wife Emma begins to experience signs of a serious case of what seems to be post-partum depression Apollo becomes protective of little Brian and ignores and dismisses Emma’s claims of strange pictures and text messages being sent to her phone. Is Emma having delusions? "But the answer is simple. You’re what’s wrong with our family, Emma. You. Are. The. Problem. Go take another pill.” Can Apollo afford to leave her concerns uninvestigated?

The book is paced well even though it clocks in at 448 pages, the prose is engaging and as the story moves from reality into the fantastical it doesn’t lose its grip, maintaining the allure established at the outset. The transition is jarring and the challenge for readers will be how comfortable can one be with this shift into monstrosity and does the novel retain the plausibility that is established early on. There are elements of the story that will give new parents pause, especially in regards to sharing information about your child via social media. Some of these elements are funny, others downright instructive.

Ultimately the pull of this novel rests in family relations, love and secrets that should be shared between parent and child. How far will one go to save their child, spouse? Is the withholding of information from your children always the best route even when the parent is doing so in service to the child? These are pertinent questions the novel raises. An interesting journey through the real world with side trips through phantasy. Safe travels. 3.5 stars. This advanced eBook was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for a review. The book is scheduled for publication June 13, 2017 ...more

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Jun 16, 2017 Oreoandlucy rated it it was amazing

A more complete review is available on my blog:
http://reviewsofbooksonmynightstand.b...

This book floored me! It was so exciting and kept me up until late at night as I tried to cover more ground in the story. I was simply too excited to sleep while reading this. This book is horror and fantasy and fairy tale all rolled into one. I really enjoyed reading about the origins of old fairy tales like Rapunzel and trolls. The ending was a complete shock for me. The characters were so interesting and fe ...more

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Mar 07, 2017 Andrew Barnes rated it it was amazing

A slow burn of a surreal modern day fairy tale, Victor LaValle's The Changeling takes it sweet time revealing just what sort of book it truly is. Guy-meets girl-have-a-baby-father-bails-leaving-son-with-abandonment-issues-when-he-finds-himself-faced-with fatherhood is a common enough theme. But then the book slowly keeps spiraling in unexpected ways which I will not spoil. Cleverly looking at internet trolls, "happily ever after," and the unparalleled joys of parenting despite the no-win expecta ...more

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Feb 06, 2017 ☘Tara Sheehan☘ rated it it was amazing

The Changeling is an enchanting book where Victor LaValle draws out every detail to slowly bring you along on an emotional journey about the artistry of family. It has moments of beauty, pain, and just enough mystery to keep you curious as to what he will spring out of the hat next.

Apollo is the kind of man many women wish for but always seem to overlook. The guy who deserves a second look because he’s the one who will make you feel like a princess; LaValle has written a truly interesting charac The Changeling is an enchanting book where Victor LaValle draws out every detail to slowly bring you along on an emotional journey about the artistry of family. It has moments of beauty, pain, and just enough mystery to keep you curious as to what he will spring out of the hat next.

Apollo is the kind of man many women wish for but always seem to overlook. The guy who deserves a second look because he’s the one who will make you feel like a princess; LaValle has written a truly interesting character in him. Reading about Emma’s birthing experience made me glad I had a C-section. When the author starts describing how Apollo & Emma have their baby living on social media I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or groan. I’m pretty sure we’ve all known these kinds of parents who practically have their kid set up with a marketing team considering all the photos that post across every platform tech has created.

Eventually you get through the parts where this seems like any ‘normal’ book about a woman who was suffering extreme post-partum depression and it shifts into a magical side of the world where everything you know blinds you from seeing the truth. LaValle used early American history and tales from other cultures to create a rich world layered over the one we see every day. Characters out of our imaginations, or nightmares depending on your point of view, come alive to push you through a journey of self-discovery and adventure. The mysticism and old world religious beliefs made for an additional sense of wonder and intrigue.

Then you get to the root of the story, the dangers of social media, but even that is a benign description for the horror we have created. Technology has created online windows into our homes and families where we invite monsters from a Wes Craven movie to come tear up our lives then have the audacity to act outraged when we become victims of our own making.

The true magic of the story isn’t the trolls, witches, ancient pacts or anything else like that, it’s the love that the author was able to bring out of tragedy. It was showing what a parent is willing to do for their kid; that in the end love really does conquer all.

By the way, thanks Mr. LaValle for the advice – there is electrical tape over my computer’s camera to keep out the monsters.
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Jun 13, 2017 Read In Colour rated it it was amazing

Wow! Just wow! Even if this isn't a genre you'd normally read and you don't think you'll enjoy it, you're going to be blown away. Amazing story line and characters.

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May 15, 2017 Jessica Woodbury rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, authors-of-color, horror

If you are a reader who struggles with books that involve small children in peril or mothers dealing with mental illness, you may want to give this a pass. This is a horror novel that takes those fraught topics head on. Even though it is often wrapped in the trappings of a fairy tale, it is still brutal and there were moments where I worried about the experience of a woman who's experienced PPD or something similar reading it, so consider yourself forewarned.

With all that said, I never forgot fo ...more

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Mar 31, 2017 Chris Eder rated it liked it

starts like love actually, then becomes rosemary's baby, then becomes jurassic park.

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Jul 08, 2017 Linda rated it really liked it

What a read! This is a look at the dark underside of modern parenthood. Emma and Apollo are New Yorkers, young, in love and expecting their first child. Little Brian is the perfect baby, but not all is as it seems. Apollo is constantly posting baby pics to Facebook. Then Emma begins to receive strange 3rd person photos of Brian appearing on her phone... So cute, until she wonders, "who took the pictures?" Your skin will crawl when Emma says to a distraught Apollo , "it's not a baby..." If you lo ...more

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Jul 11, 2017 Lisa rated it really liked it

Wow! LaValle crafted an incredibly haunting novel. It was great to go into it without knowing anything.

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Jul 12, 2017 Brian Gutierrez rated it it was amazing

Honestly, this was excellent. I'm terrible at putting into words what I like about literature or what about a book really strikes a chord with me and this is no exception. I had no idea where the story would lead half of the time and was never disappointed with where it ended up. Planning to pick up some of his other work due to how much I enjoyed this.

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Mar 19, 2017 Allison rated it it was amazing

REVIEW TO COME

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Apr 17, 2017 Kathleen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mess-with-your-head, urban-fantasy, supernatural, love-story, psychothriller, cool-accidental-find, magical, messed-up-family, horror, no-fucking-way, made-me-think, freakishly-scary-writer, dark-dark-dark, got-an-arc, whoa-what-a-twist, vine, treeware, did-not-see-that-coming, emotional-experience, more-twists-than-your-intestines, standalone, mystical

Never having read anything by Victor Lavalle, I wasn’t at all sure what to expect. Other reviewers refer to his latest book, The Changeling, as a horror story, a modern day fairy tale. The beginning reads nothing like horror as it tells the story of how the parents of the main character, Apollo Kagwa, met and fell in love during the New York garbage strike of 1968. It’s sweet and lovely and makes for the perfect “Once upon a time.” Apollo is also sweet and lovely with a great sense of humour. He Never having read anything by Victor Lavalle, I wasn’t at all sure what to expect. Other reviewers refer to his latest book, The Changeling, as a horror story, a modern day fairy tale. The beginning reads nothing like horror as it tells the story of how the parents of the main character, Apollo Kagwa, met and fell in love during the New York garbage strike of 1968. It’s sweet and lovely and makes for the perfect “Once upon a time.” Apollo is also sweet and lovely with a great sense of humour. He stole my heart when he was able, at age twelve, to turn his love for books into a business of buying and selling them to the neighbors.

The story then moves to Apollo as an adult and how he meets his future wife, Emma, the librarian. They have a loving relationship that grows with the birth of their son, Brian. The scene of Brian’s birth is memorable and humorous. Then things get weird, really weird. And at about page 125, like a baseball bat to the gut or a hammer to the face, things go wildly horrific. Absolutely out of the blue horrific. I almost had to put down the book and walk away.

I’m glad I didn’t. Without going into too much detail that would spoil it for other readers, Apollo finds himself alone and at a loss. This is when the book gets really creepy as it turns into a modern-day fairy tale that is more like the ancient narratives told around the fire and in no way resembles the cleansed and prettified Disney tales with a moral and the straight forward happily ever after. The Changeling is violent and angry and scary and reminds me of the German tales of “Black Peter”. You want demented? Read the fairy tales of Black Peter.

The Changeling drew me in and kept me glued to the book. When I finished, I was wiped out and the story and its characters stuck with me for days. There are elements throughout that make The Changeling a true modern-day horror story. There are more than just evil creatures or ghosts or witches that haunt and threaten us; our age has created a monster so powerful and broad it can easily destroy and wipe us out. That is a horror story.

While I loved the book, I felt there were some aspects that were never truly fleshed out or explained. I wanted to know more about Emma; she has a certain faculty that is not clarified (again, no spoiler). The scenes on the island were creepy but I wanted to know more about its inhabitants. Definitely a great story there.

So, to sum up, The Changeling is a fantastic mix of horror, humour, heartbreak, secrets and grit. The characters are amazing. There are some incredibly creepy parts that made me cringe. It’s well written and unforgettable And Apollo; I loved him for his strength, unconditional love for his family, and big heart. Memorable.

Highly recommended. ...more

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Apr 28, 2017 Snap rated it really liked it

Shelves: goodreads-first-read, urban-fantasy, read-in-2017, horror

I won a copy of THE CHANGELING by Victor LaValle on Goodreads. Thank you Goodreads and Random House. This is the first book I've read by LaValle. I like the give-a-ways on Goodreads. They give me a chance to read a book I might normally not choose to read. It has been awhile since I've read an urban-fantasy.

Apollo Kagwa's father left when Apollo was very young. He used to read Maurice Sendak's OUTSIDE OVER THERE to Apollo every night. Apollo can recite the book from memory. It is this book that ...more

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Mar 26, 2017 Terri rated it it was amazing

Wow this book really surprised me. First of all it grabbed me from the first paragraph. I started reading about Apollo and his father abandonment issues and ended up with a totally different story than I thought I started with. Brilliant , enchanting , scary , thrilling this book slays the dark fairytale genre

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May 31, 2017 Jill rated it it was ok

This received a Kirkus star and many good reviews, but for me the attempt at merging the magical realism/fairy-tale atmosphere with modern day technologies and parental anxieties missed the mark. I felt like there were many good ideas here, but possibly too many all thrown in together.

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Jul 12, 2017 Elizabeth rated it liked it

Points added for imagination and insight. Points deducted for flaw in the finale and some clunky dialogue (just some, though). Points deducted against reviewers for describing the middle as the beginning and setting up readers' pacing expectations to fail. Overall: do recommend.

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Mar 01, 2017 Sheilah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I seem to be on a roll with my Netgalley picks lately. The past three I have been granted have been thoroughly enjoyable, this strange trollish tale included.

Lavalle was new to me, but I like the concept of the story. For many children, a common story they may have heard growing up was Outside Over There by Maurice Sendak, first published 1981. This tale tells the story of a baby that gets snatched by goblins and is replaced with an imposter. I remember this story from my own childhood. It alway ...more

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Jun 25, 2017 Kim rated it it was amazing

This story had me hooked from the start. In fact I was so entranced that I found myself unable to put the book down and just kept reading until I fell asleep from exhaustion. Woke up and finished the book immediately.

A powerful fable interlaced with modern day technology. As someone who does not have kids I often find it a struggle to read about those who do, finding such stories inherently unrelatable. The Changeling was an exception.

Furthermore I usually find stories that center on fatherhoo ...more

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May 25, 2017 CopyGram14 rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-reads

“This fairy tale begins in 1968 during a garbage strike.” (Loc 102)

Recently married couple, Apollo Kagwa and Emma Valentine, lives in New York. Emma is a librarian and Apollo a used bookseller. After the birth of their son, Brian, life seems good as they both enjoy adapting to parenthood. LaValle takes his time setting the scene of this young couple’s life, revealing their characters in the tiny details: Emma’s difficulties with breastfeeding, and Apollo’s penchant for uploading blurry baby-pics ...more

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Jun 08, 2017 Andrea rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, fiction-general, poc-authors-and-or-characters, read-2017

LaValle introduces us to Apollo Kagwa, from the meeting of his parents through to his marriage to Emma and the birth of their child. A moment of extreme violence rips Apollo's family apart and he must set out on a quest through a mythological New York City to find his family.

This novel had beautifully drawn characters and, perhaps even more importantly, beautifully drawn relationships between characters: between Apollo's parents, Apollo and Emma, Apollo and his friend Patrice, even between secon ...more

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May 06, 2017 Rani rated it really liked it

I discovered this book, as an advanced readers copy, at a used bookshop in Brooklyn. It feels fitting, especially after learning about Apollo’s career choice, and seeing how very “New York” the book is. The book is the story of Apollo and Emma, a young couple in NYC. They experience the birth of their first child, but shortly after, Emma begins acting very strangely and then disappears. After meeting a stranger who seems to know where Emma is, Apollo takes a journey to find her and uncovers secr ...more

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Jun 27, 2017 Wyatt rated it it was amazing

An extraordinary combination of fairy tale and contemporary realism. Lavalle delights in the violent collision of the old tales with the present, telling a story about fatherhood and family, the traumas of childhood, and the courage and perseverance it takes to defeat monsters. Amazed, too, at how skillfully he weaves so much of our contemporary world of racism and misogyny, the surveillance state, the police, the internet's effects on privacy, etc., without it seeming forced or didactic. (And h ...more

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Jun 23, 2017 Craig rated it really liked it

Shelves: supernatural

I love how LaValle infuses Queens, NY with all of the magic and horror of the best folk/ fairy tales, and THE CHANGELING is no exception. I was immediately welcomed into this world, such a strength of the author's. The first 150ish pages are unstoppable, but then...it felt like the story became a different story altogether. I found myself struggling with a few things here, mostly that I'm not a parent. That is such an all-consuming focus here that I felt alienated by the book at times. The strug ...more

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Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Genres

Fantasy

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Fiction

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Horror

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Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

17 users

Mystery

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Adult

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About Victor LaValle

Victor LaValle is the author of the short story collection Slapboxing with Jesus, four novels, The Ecstatic, Big Machine, The Devil in Silver, and The Changeling and two novellas, Lucretia and the Kroons and The Ballad of Black Tom. He is also the creator and writer of a comic book Victor LaValle's DESTROYER.

He has been the recipient of numerous awards including a Whiting Writers' Award, a United ...more

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Quotes from The Changeling

“To believe in only the practical, the rational, the realistic was a kind of glamour as well. But he couldn't enjoy the illusion of order anymore. Monsters aren't real until you meet one.” — 1 likes

“A bad fairy tale has some simple goddamn moral. A great fairy tale tells the truth.” — 1 likes

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