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A review by esmayrosalyne
The Changeling by Victor LaValle
3.0
3.5 stars
So I have always said that I love weird genre-blendy books, but I don't think I was quite ready for what Victor LaValle had in store in The Changeling.
I went into this book completely blind, and I honestly think that is the best way to experience this beautiful trainwreck of a story. For me, the start was extremely strong and things only continued to get better and better for a long while. I absolutely adored the horror fairytale vibes that are lurking in the dark corners of this seemingly mundane narrative, and LaValle's uncannily entrancing prose just had me inexplicably spellbound from the very first page.
However, somewhere along the way, things just got a bit too wild for me. As a big fantasy lover, it's not often that you'll hear me say that I preferred a story without the fantastical elements, but I can't deny that this was the case here. While I adore how LaValle explored themes of parenthood, family, (childhood) trauma, race, security, and the power of story through a magical realism lens, there were some twists and turns in this increasingly dark and disturbing journey that just lost me personally.
And yet, the beautifully touching final pages still hit home for me, and I think LaValle absolutely accomplished what he set out to do with this story. Ultimately, I think The Changeling is one of those books that I appreciate more than I enjoy it, and I would honestly highly recommend it if you are looking for a diverse genre-blending story that is both vulnerably human and wonderfully fantastical.
So I have always said that I love weird genre-blendy books, but I don't think I was quite ready for what Victor LaValle had in store in The Changeling.
I went into this book completely blind, and I honestly think that is the best way to experience this beautiful trainwreck of a story. For me, the start was extremely strong and things only continued to get better and better for a long while. I absolutely adored the horror fairytale vibes that are lurking in the dark corners of this seemingly mundane narrative, and LaValle's uncannily entrancing prose just had me inexplicably spellbound from the very first page.
However, somewhere along the way, things just got a bit too wild for me. As a big fantasy lover, it's not often that you'll hear me say that I preferred a story without the fantastical elements, but I can't deny that this was the case here. While I adore how LaValle explored themes of parenthood, family, (childhood) trauma, race, security, and the power of story through a magical realism lens, there were some twists and turns in this increasingly dark and disturbing journey that just lost me personally.
And yet, the beautifully touching final pages still hit home for me, and I think LaValle absolutely accomplished what he set out to do with this story. Ultimately, I think The Changeling is one of those books that I appreciate more than I enjoy it, and I would honestly highly recommend it if you are looking for a diverse genre-blending story that is both vulnerably human and wonderfully fantastical.