Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Changeling” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The Changeling

Victor LaValle

3.78 · Rating details · 16,195 ratings · 2,726 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.

Apollo Kagwa has had strange dreams that have haunted him since childhood. An antiquarian book dealer with a business called Improbabilia, he is jus ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 431 pages

Published June 13th 2017 by Spiegel & Grau

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Changeling, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Picks: Adult Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Novels of 2017

226 books — 688 voters

Goodreads Picks for Tournament of Books 2018

177 books — 394 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.78 ·

Rating details

· 16,195 ratings · 2,726 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of The Changeling

May 10, 2017 Philip rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017-releases, author-of-color, contemporary, fairy-tales, fantasy, horror, author-man

4ish stars.

I was hesitant to read this because I didn't love the author's most recently written novella, The Ballad of Black Tom, but after a few key recommendations, I decided to pick it up. And I'm glad I did. I loved the characters and enjoyed LaValle's creepy, atmospheric, magical NYC.

The first quarter of the book or so is really chill. We meet the characters, particularly married couple Apollo and Emma, who are cool and relatable, and who we grow to enjoy spending time with. There's some c ...more

flag 151 likes · Like · see review

Mar 31, 2017 Chris Eder rated it liked it

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

flag 132 likes · Like · see review

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

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

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

flag 109 likes · Like · see review

Oct 07, 2017 lark benobi rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2017, amazingly-popular-1-star-reads

Reading this book felt exactly like turning the crank on one of those souvenir flatten-your-penny machines--you turn it over and over and over and over, with very little resistance, imagining all the time that it's what you wanted to be doing, and it feels like you're making no progress whatsoever, but you keep doing it anyway for what seems like forever and then, clunk, you're done--you just paid 26c and got back a penny that is no longer worth anything at all. ...more

flag 92 likes · Like · see review

Dec 23, 2018 Beverly rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

flag 91 likes · Like · see review

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

flag 85 likes · Like · see review

Jan 09, 2018 Mike Bevel rated it did not like it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

flag 76 likes · Like · see review

Jun 13, 2018 Hannah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, horror, arc

I think this book went over my head. I cannot be quite sure but I do think so. I had the overwhelming feeling of just missing something here – and I cannot quite put my finger on what that was. Bear that in mind while I try to figure out my thoughts while writing.

In this book we follow Apollo and his wife both before they meet and after they have had their son. For about a third of the book, there is some menace lurking but mostly the story is whimsical and quite lovely, until suddenly it shifts I think this book went over my head. I cannot be quite sure but I do think so. I had the overwhelming feeling of just missing something here – and I cannot quite put my finger on what that was. Bear that in mind while I try to figure out my thoughts while writing.

In this book we follow Apollo and his wife both before they meet and after they have had their son. For about a third of the book, there is some menace lurking but mostly the story is whimsical and quite lovely, until suddenly it shifts gears in the most traumatic way possible and Apollo’s life spin out of control.

This book is genre defying in a way I usually absolutely adore – it is fairy-talesque in its whimsy and its frequent re-telling of familiar stories, it is horrifying beyond measure in a way that makes It seem quaint, it is a social commentary cleverly disguised as a page turner, it is a book about family and love and trust and the lengths we can go. And writing this down makes me want to change my rating but ultimately there were long stretches here where the book lost me. I found Apollo a difficult character to root for in the single-mindedness of his approach. He reacts more than he acts (and I like how this mirrors the way Germanic fairy-tales are structured) and flip-flops in his understanding of what is going on in a way that made being so close to him frustrating.

The tonal shift I spoke about earlier first works brilliantly – the silent horror of the earlier scenes are full of foreboding and impressively rendered (I shudder to think of the first scene of Emma receiving a message that then disappears – so simple and so effective) and build the perfect crescendo to that scene (if you read the book you know which one I mean). After that the book seems to lose a bit of steam, important scenes are told in flashbacks, some strands of the story never go anywhere, and the reader is expected to go along for the ride – which sometimes worked better than other times.

I think ultimately my enjoyment or maybe sometimes lack thereof comes down to genre preference. The whole book felt so unfair. And I do not deal well with unfair. It makes me feel anxious and stressed and doesn’t compel me to pick a book up. But nevertheless, this is in parts a brilliant book, with many many clever things I will be mulling over for some time to come.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Canongate in exchange for an honest review.

You can find this review and other thoughts on books on my blog. ...more

flag 69 likes · Like · see review

Oct 14, 2017 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, 2017-shelf, horror

This is my second Victor LaValle and after the Ballad of Black Tom having washed through me and left me wanting so much more, I was very, very happy to be reading this.

It has a very different feel in one way, but in another, it's exactly like coming home. Being in the story you always want to be in. What do I mean?

The devil is in the details. It's very homey, feeling like delightful snapshots of family and home, full of the sweet and the bitter and the genuinely odd stuff that always comes alon ...more

flag 63 likes · Like · see review

Dec 20, 2017 Gary rated it really liked it

The difference between understanding what one sees and seeing what one’s understanding permits is central to psychological realism in fiction. For Victor LaValle, this difference can also be explained when our understanding is asked to cross the boundary between the real and the uncanny. His dark fable, The Changeling, is the story of Apollo Kagwa, a book dealer whose storybook romance with librarian Emma Valentine is devastated when Emma disappears after committing an unimaginable crime. His jo ...more

flag 60 likes · Like · see review

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.

flag 60 likes · Like · see review

Jan 15, 2018 [Name Redacted] rated it did not like it

Shelves: jan-mew-ary2018, tripe, metafictional, society, anachronisms, dumb, misery-porn, tedium, cliched, hateful

The millennialest Millennial that ever millennially millennialed. LaValle manged to trick the world into buying three rough drafts of three unrelated stories that he couldn't be bothered to finish by pretending they were a single story. But hey, 75% of the way through, the third unrelated story SUDDENLY involves a heretofore-unmentioned supernatural element. Neither deep nor original nor complex, this is a shallow mess which feels more like the product of a first-year Creative Writing major than ...more

flag 50 likes · Like · see review

Nov 26, 2021 P. Clark rated it it was amazing

I decided to sit down and re-read this book a few months ago. So I made it a slow nightly process. And it's just as good as when I first picked it up a few years back. The author manages to tell a story so engrossing, you might forget that there's going to be magic, or the supernatural. And when it shows up, it's so powerful that you're left holding your breath. And where the story ends up going...beyond what you can even imagine. ...more

flag 52 likes · Like · see review

Oct 24, 2017 Marie rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror, witches, trolls, netgalley, new-york-city, race, fantasy

This intelligent, intriguing modern day fairy tale starts out in what seems to be a normal world. It begins with the birth of the protagonist, Apollo, a child of mixed race to Lillian Kagwa (a Ugandan immigrant) and Brian West (a white parole officer.) His father had held him as a baby telling him he was Apollo, the God. This becomes a mantra for Apollo later in life. Brian West disappears by the time Apollo is four years old, but Apollo continues to have dreams, or maybe nightmares, about his f This intelligent, intriguing modern day fairy tale starts out in what seems to be a normal world. It begins with the birth of the protagonist, Apollo, a child of mixed race to Lillian Kagwa (a Ugandan immigrant) and Brian West (a white parole officer.) His father had held him as a baby telling him he was Apollo, the God. This becomes a mantra for Apollo later in life. Brian West disappears by the time Apollo is four years old, but Apollo continues to have dreams, or maybe nightmares, about his father returning. In a box of items left behind by Brian is a well-read copy of Maurice Sendak’s Outside Over There. The Changeling becomes a retelling of this award winning children’s book. Apollo is an avid reader and at a young age becomes a buyer and seller of used books.

Even before the witches and trolls appear in this novel, there are hints of the monsters in the ordinary. In childhood, “Apollo would find himself wondering if he actually was frightening, a monster, the kind that would drive his own father away.” Then later, Emma’s friend, Nichelle, explains to Apollo, about the nude photo of Emma hanging in Amsterdam. Nichelle says of Emma, “She looks like a fucking sorceress, Apollo. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”

Race and casual racism is discussed throughout this book. When Apollo is young and trying to sell his books in the higher end spots in Manhattan, the author writes “Every kid with excess melanin becomes a super predator, even a black boy with glasses and a backpack full of books. He might be standing at the entrance for fifteen minutes while the clerks pretended not to notice him.” Later in the novel, Apollo is stopped by a cop in a white section in Queens and says, “that was fast.”

This book also speaks to the new age of parenthood, of more involved dads, and of social media. Apollo Kagwa is one of these new age dads who is very much involved in the parenting of his child. He enjoys taking him to the playground and bragging with the other dads about new milestones. He posts countless photographs of his son, Brian, on Facebook. Apollo’s wife, Emma, meanwhile, begins showing signs of postpartum depression. She tells Apollo that she has received strange texts of pictures of the baby that have disappeared shortly after receiving them, which Apollo dismisses. “You’re what’s wrong with our family, Emma. You. Are. The. Problem. Go take another pill.” The horror in this novel is the experience of parenthood itself, the no-win situation regarding the expectations facing parents, the feeling of needing to protect your child, and ultimately the loss of a child.

Apollo finds a signed first edition of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird with the inscription to Truman Capote, “Here’s to the Daddy of our dreams.” He knows that this book could have a great payday, however, it does not pay in the way he expects. After barely surviving the wrath and rage of his wife, he realizes that perhaps his wife was right. He ends up on a journey with many twists and turns through mystical realms of witches, trolls and even some human monsters.

This novel warns of the dangers of social media and putting your life out there for all to see, judge, and possibly take advantage of. William tells Apollo, “Vampires can’t come into your house unless you invite them. Posting online is like leaving your front door open and telling any creature of the night it can come right in.” It seems that Emma Valentine and Brian Kagwa were the perfect target for trolls with the publicized birth of their son, followed by continuous Facebook posts by Brian.

This book speaks to deeper truths about the monsters within each of us. The glamer we are able to superimpose over our own misbehaviors to make us feel better about ourselves. It warns of trolls lurking in everyday places and people. This book is not simply a retelling or a fairy tale, there are many layers and depths to it. The social commentary is sharp, but easily consumed within the context of this fantastical setting. It is about the stories we tell ourselves as well as our children and the effect these stories have on us. There is some pretty graphic violence though, so consider yourself forewarned.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For discussion questions, please see: http://www.book-chatter.com/?p=1770. ...more

flag 43 likes · Like · see review

Oct 25, 2017 Emily rated it it was amazing

Check out my video review!

4.5 stars

Okay. Wow. So. This was my first Victor LaValle book, and I feel like he's going to be on the same level as Neil Gaiman for me. I loved his writing style--DAMN LaValle knows his way around a sentence... Seriously. I think sometimes people conflate great prose with flowery prose, but that's not really the case. LaValle knows when to be flowery, when to be curt, when to be formal, when to throw in a curse word. He's a master, and a delight to read.

As for this boo ...more

flag 42 likes · Like · see review

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

flag 40 likes · Like · see review

Apr 15, 2018 Jon Grice rated it liked it

Shelves: dark-fantasy

With THE CHANGELING, Victor Lavalle has given us a modern day urban fairy tale, complete with witches, Norse legends, and mayhem. But really at its heart, this novel is about families, and how our children are nurtured or neglected. It's about our memories of childhood, and what we believe or choose to believe is real. Sometimes the veil is very thin between the worlds of truth and illusion. There is also a strong current in this story of violation, which manifests itself in the potential loss o ...more

flag 43 likes · Like · see review

Aug 14, 2021 Richard Derus rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindled

DEADLINE reports a series order at AppleTV+ for this project!

My Burgoine Review: I think this is a book you'll either love or hate within seconds. I loved it. If you're an urban-fantasy fancier, and are an admirer of Lovecraft Country or Ring Shout, this novel will give you another excellent experience. Much as I'd like to tell you a lot more, it's best experienced without prior knowledge.

Look at these quotes pulled from the book. I think they're going to give you a great idea of what it's about ...more

flag 38 likes · Like · see review

Sep 07, 2017 Wren rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This is a story about the bad things that happen to parents who spam too much of their kids' lives on Facebook.

I first discovered The Changeling on a list of "Dark fairytale books", a list which included several books I had already read and loved - but unfortunately this one just wasn't my cup of tea.

Started out slowly introducing the characters and their backgrounds and relationships and I should be caring about them, shouldn't I? Yet they felt somehow dispassionate, hollow. I couldn't seem to ...more

flag 36 likes · Like · see review

Oct 08, 2017 Justine rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017-read

4.5 stars

An excellent book that deftly melds the monsters of the old world with those of the new. LaValle's voice feels firmly a product of his time and place and it provides a rich multi-dimensional aspect to the characters and their story.

The story itself is contemporary realism that slides into fantasy that slides into horror and circles back again. Real and fantasy horror combine in both subtle and sharp ways to create a violent and at times gory tale. Running throughout is an unavoidable s ...more

flag 36 likes · Like · see review

Jun 24, 2020 Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: horror, audiobooks

5.0 Stars
This was such a powerful novel that blends together elements of dark fantasy and horror. The story was told as a modern fairy tale, which was such an effective framing device. Like so many fairy tales, this narrative started off deceptively sweet, yet eventually revealed it's dark underbelly. Within the larger story, the author wove in various fairy tales, which made the narrative feel so fantastical.

This book started out fairly slow paced, with a lot of time spent on character developm 5.0 Stars
This was such a powerful novel that blends together elements of dark fantasy and horror. The story was told as a modern fairy tale, which was such an effective framing device. Like so many fairy tales, this narrative started off deceptively sweet, yet eventually revealed it's dark underbelly. Within the larger story, the author wove in various fairy tales, which made the narrative feel so fantastical.

This book started out fairly slow paced, with a lot of time spent on character development. Yet it managed to keep me enthralled the entire time. The writing was literary, yet completely accessible. There were so many amazing quotes sprinkled throughout the pages.

The character development in this novel was fantastic. The author made me care deeply for all the characters, particularly Apollo who was such a likeable relatable protagonist. Like so many stories, this novel depicted the lengths that parents will go for their children. Yet, this narrative felt refreshing because it showed the father figure, not the mother, as the hero of the story.

I loved the fact that this novel incorporated so much modern technology. Within the story, Facebook, cell phones and other internet resources played key roles in the plot. Usually fantasy stories avoid these devices in order to make the time period feel less current, but this novel did the exact opposite and I loved that. The use of social media was skillfully woven throughout the narrative in ways that felt smart and creative.

While this book was fantastical in nature, it was also definitely horror. The section in the graveyard scene was particularly chilling and there was an earlier scene that genuinely scared me.

Finally, I appreciate that the author brought in some fantastic commentary on the socio-political reality of being a black person in the United States. From dealing with the police to facing prejudice, this book was incredibly timely to read during the current Black Lives Matter movement of 2020.

Needless to say, I highly recommend this novel to a wide audience. Filled with universal themes of redemption and parental love, this story can easily be appreciated by just about anyone, including those who normally don't read traditional horror stories.

Note, I personally recommend the audiobook version which is narrated by the author and really brought the story to life. ...more

flag 33 likes · Like · see review

Jan 16, 2019 Edward Lorn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A heartfelt modern-day fairytale

Victor LaValle is one of my new favorite authors. THE DEVIL IN SILVER is my favorite of his books, but this is a close second. I enjoyed reading about a father who'd do anything to save his kid. All too often these stories make the mother the savior while the father is left as the bumbling sidekick, or as is the case a lot of the time, the father is the villain. It was awesome to finally read a story where the dad wasn't worthless.

Some of the dialogue was clunky, ...more

flag 34 likes · Like · see review

Jan 22, 2018 Michael Ferro rated it liked it

3.5 stars. I'm not a fan of fantasy or magical realism books, but LaValle's modern urban fantasy was very well-written and certainly kept me reading until the end. The first half of the book, which was well-grounded in realism, was the most interesting and exciting portion for me, as LaValle truly provided an insightful look into the mind of a modern new parent and the struggles of raising an infant in the social media age. As the story progressed, and the elements of magical realism slipped in, ...more

flag 34 likes · Like · see review

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+ jumbo-sized pages never feel cumbersome, because you’ll be too busy turning them with relish. The climax is both classic and contemporary, with ancient myths and modern technology fused together. 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

flag 31 likes · Like · see review

Aug 14, 2018 Monica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: pub_2010s, kindle_scifi_fan, fantasy, aoc, horror, aoc-male, audio

A very strange, very adult fantasy intermixing current social media and technology with ancient Norwegian folklore. A sort of hip hop horror meets Grimm Fairytales. Ostensibly a very twisted tale of fatherhood, marriage and parenting. This was a novel geared towards a younger generation but was distinctively not YA. I think this was very clever writing and it was also suitably creepy. Not my favorite read of the year but to LaValle's credit, I think that has more to do with my generation and lit ...more

flag 35 likes · Like · see review

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.

flag 27 likes · Like · see review

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

Shelves: tbr-2017, booklikes-opoly, favorites

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 god 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

flag 28 likes · Like · see review

Oct 04, 2017 Libby - On gardening hiatus rated it really liked it

‘The Changeling’ by Victor LaValle is a surprising page turner. Surprising because I could never have guessed the plot twists that LaValle threw into the mix. The old folklore and mythology was interesting and vital to the storyline’s credibility. I suppose the genre could be considered horror as there is certainly some blood and mayhem. Within all of it is a huge commentary on parenting, it’s fears, joys, and the impact it brings to the husband wife relationship. Apollo and Emma have a baby boy ...more

flag 26 likes · Like · see review

Oct 07, 2017 Rosh rated it liked it

3.5

THE CHANGELING is a fairy tale for the modern day. A real fairy tale, the kind where people die and the words 'happily ever aftet' are never uttered.

It’s horror, urban fantasy, and ‘regular’ fantasy all put together. It portrays the dangers of internet oversharing, trolls, and being a person of color on the streets at night. But the heart of the story is how love will make a parent go to any lengths to save their child.

It isn't flawless, there are a few plot elements that don't make sense ...more

flag 26 likes · Like · see review

Oct 16, 2017 Marianna Neal rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, mystery-thriller-horror, audiobooks

This book is the equivalent of going to an amusement park and getting on a carousel, then realizing it's actually bumper cars, but somehow ending up in Haunted Mansion.

Some people will see this as a good thing, others will be frustrated by it. Personally, I ended up really enjoying the novel, especially since it did bring most of the elements together towards the end. Victor LaValle certainly has a lot to say about parenting, the dangers of oversharing online, the stories we repeatedly tell ...more

flag 24 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Play Book Tag: The Changeling by Victor LaValle / 3 stars	1	6	May 02, 2022 09:25AM
West Polk Adult S...: The Changeling	1	5	May 30, 2020 12:14PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Modern fiction, about a rare book collector/seller and his wife who have a baby born on the subway, and later there's a tragedy involving this baby. The woman runs away and joins a group of women. [s]	4	29	May 21, 2019 09:50PM
Fantastična čitao...: Čitaonica - april 2019: V. Lavalle	11	17	Apr 15, 2019 11:45PM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Fantasy

1,091 users

Horror

1,055 users

Fiction

541 users

Magical Realism

164 users

Mystery

163 users

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

107 users

Audiobook

84 users

Adult

70 users

Thriller

48 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

44 users

See top shelves…

About Victor LaValle

Victor LaValle

1,983 followers

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