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The Changeling
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
The wildly imaginative story of one man s thrilling odyssey through an enchanted world to find his wife, who has disappeared after having seemingly committed an unforgivable act of violence, from the award-winning author of The Devil in Silver and Big Machine"
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review
BookishBelle
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Bailedbailed

#LMPBC I mailed this book today. Sorry it‘s so late. I actually didn‘t finish reading it. It wasn‘t working for me right now and the reviews did not inspire me to continue. @suvata @Readergrrl @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks @Endowarrior21

Readergrrl No worries! I‘m looking forward to getting it! 🩷🩷🩷 (edited) 1mo
mrsmarch Hi! I was sending out my LMPBC this morning and I noticed you‘re in the group above mine for round 19, and your last name is the same as my name was before I married! I‘m a genealogist and it‘s rare to find that name anywhere! 1mo
BookishBelle @mrsmarch Neat! Yes, it‘s my married name. My husband‘s family is from around Raymond, Mississippi, USA. What about y‘all? 1mo
mrsmarch @BookishBelle Massachusetts! 1mo
24 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Endowarrior21
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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BookishBelle Alright! Excited to read it! 3mo
BookishBelle Hey, just checking in about February‘s #LMPBC book. I haven‘t received it. I think it was supposed to be The Boatman‘s Daughter. No pressure, I just wanted to know if you had sent it and I needed to check on my end. Thanks! 1mo
33 likes2 comments
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Endowarrior21
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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@BeckyWithTheGoodBooks The book arrived today I am going to try and start it tomorrow night if I can. @Readergrrl @BookishBelle #LMPBC #Round19 #GroupF @suvata

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Yuki_Onna
Changeling | Victor LaValle
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1. The Changeling. Soo good! 🧌🌃🗽

2. This Halloween I'm in a relaxed mood. Other than watching Halloween III - which is marketed as a part of the Halloween franchise, but really is not. It's trash - but fun trash! - something I try to do most Halloweens, I don't really have plans. Watching a few classic noir/horror series episodes as well, maybe.

#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView
Watcha planning for tonight, my sweet Bunny? 🐇🖤 @BeeMagical

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! Happy Halloween! 5mo
BookwormAHN Happy Halloween 🎃 5mo
BeeMagical Happy Halloween Bunny! 🐰 I am just planning to stay in and watch some spooky movies with my other half and my zoo of animals!😉🖤 5mo
RaeLovesToRead Ooh, I've got The Changeling! 5mo
21 likes5 comments
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Yuki_Onna
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Just finished The Changeling an hour ago and finished during a reading sprint (well, what counts for a reading sprint for me😉)
So good. Otherworldly/magical realism/horror set in New York City. A family drama in so many ways steeped in mythology. It examined motherhood/parenthood and the lengths we go to protect the ones we love.
I definitely recommend it! This is going to stick with me for a long time.
#SundayFunday @TheBookmarkTavern

5feet.of.fury Christine by Stephen King …probably not. Foxglove by Adalyn Grace …I just started but it‘s good so far! & Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman …probably not 😂 but that was to be somewhat expected, I watched the movie again recently (loved it as a kid) & I didn‘t think it holds up, I just want Midnight Margaritas. People like it… just slow for me. 6mo
BookwormAHN Black River Orchard, really good so far. Creepy little town and evil apples 😈 6mo
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BookmarkTavern Ooohhh! That‘s a LaValle I haven‘t read yet! I may have to bump it up my TBR! Thanks for sharing! (edited) 6mo
Yuki_Onna @BookmarkTavern It was my first LaValle and I'm most definitely in the mood for more now!👍 6mo
Yuki_Onna @BookwormAHN Evil apples? You just sold me on that one! 😉😇 6mo
LibrarianRyan I am reading the first book in a YA murder she wrote series. I like it so far. But we shall see. 6mo
19 likes7 comments
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KT1432
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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My #Scarathlon #watchlist so far! I‘m thinking a mix of cozy and horror classics and eerie contemporary adaptations. There‘s still time to sign up! #BatBrigade

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdnawYo1IDsBAr2s_LlqzBQlxM8KGwIqDxE1Dm4...

Catsandbooks Awesome! 🦇 6mo
22 likes1 comment
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ErikasMindfulShelf
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

Had to read this before watching the show on Apple TV. It was great!!
Has anyone started the show?

Chelsea.Poole I started the show today but I haven‘t read the book. The show is compelling so far! 7mo
EKonrad Almost done with the book so I‘m starting the show soon! 😊 7mo
batsy I had some mixed feelings about the book though I liked it. I'm curious about the show! Certain scenes seem like they might be hard to pull off. 7mo
TieDyeDude I don't have Apple, but I remember enjoying this book quite a bit! 7mo
37 likes4 comments
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ReadingOver50
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

This deals with the concept of a changeling, a human baby that is replaced by a nonhuman lookalike. After Emma and Apollo have their first child, Emma begins to believe that it is not really her baby.

This book is an epic journey into an alternate world where trolls and other creatures exist. I liked how we followed Apollo as he learned about another side of life. The ending left me with more questions that I want answered.

SamAnne Oh, I loved Lone Women and want to read this! 7mo
ErikasMindfulShelf I just bought this. Can‘t wait to read it and then watch the show. 7mo
ReadingOver50 @SamAnne I loved Lone Women too 7mo
68 likes3 comments
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cant_i'm_booked
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Panpan

I started this book excited, having heard good things about it: a book collector in New York City embarks upon a surreal trip into ancient folklore after his wife disappears following a horrendous event involving their newborn infant. It‘s an ambitious mix of fantasy, urban realism and the psychological trials of new parenthood, but a mix that didn‘t cohere well enough to make a truly good story.

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LaraS
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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#audiocrafting #scarathalon2022 #TeamMonsterMash @StayCurious #20in4
Welp this halloween wall quilt only took me 9 months to finish...😅

This book felt like a long walk for a short drink of water. You know how “From Dusk to Dawn“ starts as a pretty standard action flick and then suddenly takes a left turn into horrortown? Well that's kind of what happened in this book, but I'm not sure I really got what I wanted from either part of the story.

StayCurious wow amazing work! 1y
LaraS @StayCurious thanks! I've never made a quilt before. Not shown: the many panicked phone calls to my Mum on how to fix whatever sewing mess I found myself in that day heeheehee 😆 😅 1y
11 likes2 comments
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Yuki_Onna
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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1. Living in our world and finding yourself in a surreal dreamlike situation all of a sudden - with no idea how you slipped into it, whether what you experience is real or not or what may happen next.
Pure wonder. Or, as somebody once said about Haruki Murakami's books: 'It's like reading a dream'.
2. 🔼
3. Oh yes! I like the dreamlike sensation of strange occurrences & not knowing what's happening next...
🔽

Yuki_Onna ... Continued:
The tagged book has some magical realism as promised in the synopsis - I surely hope so as I'd like to put this one on my #October #Scarathlon2022 and #Bookspin lists of #spookyreads ...

#SundayFunday #Scarathlon2022 #TeamSlaughter #magicalrealism #HarukiMurakami #autumnreading
@ozma.of.oz @Clwojick @TheAromaofBooks

Tagging everyone who hasn't played and would like to!
2y
BookmarkTavern Oh Lavelle is a great choice! Thanks for posting! 2y
TheAromaofBooks Thank you for the tag!!! 2y
Yuki_Onna @ozma.of.oz Nice! Have you read anything by him? 2y
BookmarkTavern I read The Ballad of Black Tom years ago, but I haven‘t searched anything out by him since. I should do that. 😄 2y
15 likes5 comments
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DHill
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Sometimes I think I‘m as invested in peeling stickers off B&N books as I am reading them. #committed

Readergrrl I love this book! 2y
Leftcoastzen 👏😂stickers,stickers ,everywhere! 2y
66 likes3 comments
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BeeMagical
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

Book 68🎧 4⭐️

What an amazing and detailed story! It was a little slow paced for me but the story is beautiful and I enjoyed it being from the fathers point of view. A little spooky, a little wild, a little heartbreaking.👏🏻🧶

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faelinwolf
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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It is late, but here is my May #BookSpin & #BookSpinBingo list (& a crappy pic too!)! I did have it done by 5/2, I swear! I will soon post my almost bingo for April. 😂

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
9 likes1 comment
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BookBr
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

I wouldn‘t necessarily say “enchanting” as billed on the cover, but wow, what an intense, engrossing read. Following Apollo on his journey, trying to navigate the pitfalls of our world with the unknowns of a world right out of the darkest of fables…was a ride and a half. The visual impact of the writing were what really made it for me, although sometimes what also made it brutal. Somehow, it‘s ultimately a book about family, love & forgiveness.

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BookBr
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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This book has a serious creep factor that is somehow incredibly absorbing…and I don‘t go for horror. Somehow the dark fairy tale vibes make it less scare and more psychologically eerie? Loving it, regardless…

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abookishbutterfly
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
Pickpick

I was heavily immersed in The Changeling from the start. Although it‘s a slow build, it never fails to intrigue, and I love how Lavelle masterfully brings the reader from historical fiction to contemporary fiction, quietly pushing us toward the path of an unexpectedly dark fairytale. It‘s easy to forget that‘s why you picked up this book, as the story is captivating lyrical candy long before the horror ensues.

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abookishbutterfly
The Changeling | Victor LaValle

“If our relationships are made of many small lies, they become something larger, a prison of falsehoods.”

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KatieDid927
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

This has been on the TBR for aWHILE so I‘m glad I was able to use #ReadSpooky2022 as an excuse to finally sit down and read it. I did have some issues stylistically and with pacing, but overall it‘s a really heart-wrenching yet beautiful story. There are elements that I‘ll keep coming back to. @teebe

GondorGirl The cover is STUNNING! 2y
KatieDid927 @GondorGirl Right? I love it. 2y
BookBr On my pile too! 2y
55 likes3 comments
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katrrosee
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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2022 Read Harder Challenge
#19: Read a horror novel by a BIPOC author

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StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

I didn't really know what to expect from this book, but I had heard good things about Victor LaValle. Well, this book was a wild ride. Urban fantasy, horror, fairy tale. There are definitely still some unanswered questions, but I enjoyed it over all.

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HOTPock3tt
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

Buddy read with @sprainedbrain and @Chrissyreadit This was outside of my genre comfort zone, but there were lots of pleasant surprises. As previously noted in other reviews although it had lots of myths and legends there were lots of metaphors about racism etc. I feel like it was a compulsive read. And while there were some storylines not resolved I couldn‘t put it down and have already put another book by this author on hold. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

sprainedbrain Oooh. Which one? 2y
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review
sprainedbrain
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

Only my second LaValle, but I‘m officially a fan.

On the surface, this is a really good urban fantasy/horror novel and a clever take on the changeling fairytale, but deeper down it‘s a lot more. Social criticism, race, family and parenthood mixed in with legends and myths, humor and terror, all with LaValle‘s brilliant writing. He can really make you feel so much for a character, and my heart just hurt for Apollo.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

sprainedbrain Thanks to @Chrissyreadit and @HOTPock3tt for inspiring me to finally pick this up, and for reading along! ❤️ 2y
Chrissyreadit You write a great review! 2y
vivastory Great review. I've loved everything by him that I've read. 2y
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sprainedbrain @vivastory I will definitely be seeking out more. I‘ve only read this and The Ballad of Black Tom. What do you recommend next? 2y
vivastory I recommend Devil in Silver. It's interesting because it takes place on a psych unit but what is most frightening about the book is the institutional power over the residents & not the potentially malevolent spirit roaming around. My fave Lavalle changes day to day. I don't think you can go wrong with him. 2y
HOTPock3tt I agree there was a lot more just beneath the surface of this book @sprainedbrain @Chrissyreadit 2y
Chrissyreadit @vivastory thanks for the recommendation! 2y
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Chrissyreadit
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

This was NOTHING I expected! But thanks to @HOTPock3tt I picked it up and could not put it down! And it is my first book completed for my first #deweyreadathon ❤️ I started reading at 8:45, and have probably had an hour of breaks since then- so have read about 4 hours so far. This is a modern day fairy tale- but the horror kind, not the Disney kind. Very character driven and a very slow burn. It was also well written, and took place in Queens.

HOTPock3tt Soo glad you loved it!!!😃♥️ now I just have to catch up and post my review 🤣 @Chrissyreadit 2y
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Chrissyreadit
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Signed up for the first time ever! I have no genuine clue how this works- but I‘m home all day and have both audio and physical books to read while I cook and clean- so this can work right? #deweysreadathon #newbie #cluelessreader

xicanti It‘s super easy and fun—just read as much as you can over the next 24 hours! 2y
heelsnglitter Lots of my readathons have been spent listening to audiobooks and cleaning! Trust me - it's still fun! 😁 2y
77 likes2 comments
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BekahB
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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MAR ‘21 Wrap-up:

These are the books I completed last month. The 3 on top were read as physical books and the bottom 3 were audiobooks.

What Big Teeth (4⭐️) and A Dowry of Blood (5⭐️) were my favorites. The Changeling was a fantastic way to start out the month. I love Lavalle‘s writing and this one didn‘t disappoint. He also did an amazing job narrating it. Even though it was a low reading month for me, I enjoyed everything I finished.

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GreenGrl87
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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I frequently find myself recommending books by Victor LaValle, especially The Changeling and The Devil in Silver. I love his books for the way he captures the beauty and quiet dignity in the daily lives of people, especially working class and people of color. There‘s this way he has of telling their stories that makes the smallest details feel anything but ordinary. #Blackliteracyisrevolutionary

NikkiM5 I loved the Devil in Silver; I will check this one out too. 3y
GreenGrl87 @NikkiM5 The Devil in Silver is my favorite by him. The Big Machine was good too. I still need to read The Ballad of Black Tom though. 3y
18 likes2 comments
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Billypar
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

LaValle's take on the 'modern fairytale ' restores some of the original purposes of the traditional variety: reenvisioning a societal problem using a story that seamlessly blends reality, fantasy, and horror. Our hero is Apollo, a young parent who joins the ranks of modern, involved fathers, even as his personal history of fatherly abandonment and the U.S. history of racism and patriarchal dominance threaten his family's survival in varied ways 👇

Billypar Apollo criss-crosses remote corners of New York to confront the truth of what threatens his family, while beset by magic, witches, and trolls, all with elusive motives. Modern technology is equally ambiguous, serving as both an invasive villain and a hero's weapon. At times I found the balance between fantasy and social metaphor veering too much toward either pole, but overall it was a satisfying blend, full of rich imagery and propulsive action. 3y
Billypar Thanks @batsy for joining me on this strange journey - it was a fun and spooky trip! 😨 3y
Suet624 I love your review. 3y
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batsy Excellent review! Thank you for prompting me to go on this journey; I appreciated having someone to talk with through this wild ride 🙂 3y
Billypar @Suet624 Thank you! 🙂 3y
Billypar @batsy Thanks! And that is definitely true- no shortage of things to discuss for this one 😁 3y
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Billypar
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
This post contains spoilers
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@batsy
As I look back at the events, there's a lot packed into these final sections!
👹The graveyard scene was so creepy- probably one of my favorites in the novel. For all of the gross parts, there was something very moving about Apollo's coming to grips with not having truly known his own child. I was trying to think of how this fact and the blood feeding fits into the larger themes, but was struggling a little 👇

Billypar 👹 The Forest Park sequences are another great way of taking an actual local setting and making it magical - I love the adventure around New York that LaValle crafted. 👹 Jorgen kind of picks up the backstory where Cal left off. This part was...odd. The sheep's head and wall of child pictures made it more surreal and I was surprised by the sudden killing when it happened. 👹 There was some dark humor in the Kindergarten confrontation that I liked. 3y
Billypar 👹 I mentioned some of my response to the troll parts already and some of the symbolism. One part I did like during the final battle was the chapter that ended with the troll suddenly tossing Brian into his mouth and swallowing him. I'm pretty sure I was responding out loud to that part! 😮😮😮 3y
batsy Nice summary! Especially about the bits you liked, which I enjoyed too. I inadvertently left those out in my word vomit of questions in my review 😆 I found the sheep's head bit so weirdly menacing, & though it didn't really go anywhere it made me want to read LaValle's horror writing. The violence of the killing of Jorgen but also what Emma did to Apollo! Very unsettling & effective. I did indeed yelp when Brian ended up in the troll's mouth 😫 3y
Billypar @batsy Agreed - I'm curious to read more of LaValle: there was lots to appreciate but the horror portions usually ended up being my favorites. 3y
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batsy
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

This was an intensely wild ride. It's a blend of myth, magic, horror, & realism; there's plenty of issues & themes percolating underneath. LaValle's a captivating storyteller & uses genre tropes to interesting effect; it's a book I always wanted to return to when I put it down, & finding out where it was going to end up was part of the allure. Still, I would say I admired the scope & ambition of the novel more than I loved it. Lots to think about.

batsy @Billypar It sounds like I'm more ambivalent about the novel than I am, but while I did like it there were parts that left me wanting. The island of women & Emma being a witch, or kind of a witch. I wish we'd gotten to know Emma better & her background a bit more. It felt a bit clichéd, these segments. The "women/mothers are wise & scary & inscrutable" trope that I find a bit dull. Felt the troll was underwhelming for all the harm it caused ? 3y
batsy @Billypar I did like the bits where Apollo felt the troll's bellow signifying centuries of pent-up pain, & the bit where Brian let out a cry that sounded like the troll. That line about Apollo putting to rest the monster of his fatherlessness; that was a punch to the gut. I want LaValle to write full on speculative fic & give us a sentient troll. I would read a sequel about how the jötunn came to be. I wanted to know more about glamer+jötunn. 3y
batsy @Billypar & while at the end the fight against the troll seemed remarkably simple, I really appreciated what LaValle was trying to do. In the sense of the monster being brought in by the white settlers, & the way in which William's tirade was typical of alt-right white supremacists re: white men not having the same opportunities as they used to. So it seems really significant that a Black family defeats this monster & they get their happy ending. 3y
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Billypar @batsy Excellent review and analysis! I also felt like I always wanted to read more after putting it down. The pace of the storytelling and the bits of intriguing developments LaValle sprinkles in at critical points was what I liked most. I have a weird relationship with fantasy and speculative fiction: on the one hand, part of my brain always wants more information about how the magic works, and that was true here too...👇 3y
Billypar @batsy ... but when novels supply those answers, I also feel let down because it ruins some of the mystique. So overall I liked that he didn't get into too much explanation. But I think your criticism about the wise ones mythology is spot-on. The vague magic that Emma displays has almost no contextual information at all and feels trope-ish - he could have ditched that magical aspect and kept everything else the same without much being difference. 3y
Billypar @batsy I agree that the final troll battle was a little anticlimactic, even though the larger meaning of the family's triumph was well-done as you pointed out. I also liked what the troll's parenting attempts followed by violence signified: I interpreted it as the culturally exported value of patriarchal dominance followed by aggression in response to its goals being thwarted. You see that pattern repeated throughout the novel in different ways. 3y
JennyM Great review. It sounds really clever structurally. 3y
batsy @Billypar That's a good point about a detailed explanation ruining the mystique. I hear you on that. I tend to go along with the style; LaValle excels at the detailed narrative, kind of like Stephen King, the "old-fashioned" form of storytelling, so I find that gaps in those kinds of stories make me really sit up and take notice. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it might depend on the style, to me...I've not really thought about it before. 3y
batsy @Billypar That's a really nice point about the troll's parenting attempts and the relation to patriarchal dominance. The troll "fathers" that kind of violence, while also being kept in its subjugated state by fathers committing violence. That lends even more pathos to the troll origin story. 3y
batsy @JennyM Thank you! It is a clever book and also written with a lot of heart. Super fun to read it with someone or as a buddy read because there's lots to talk about :) 3y
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Billypar
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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@batsy
My pace slowed a little after a busy week, but here are some reactions to Parts 4 & 5:
-I was surprised at the events behind Apollo getting sent to Rikers. Given the strange circumstances of the loss, I was expecting more of a shocked/depressed reaction than vengeance. But as things unfold, seems like there may be a reason for this choice.
- I enjoyed watching the paranoid mystery build: lots of unexpected turns!
Part 5 spoilers below 👇

BarbaraBB I am surprised how much you two get out of this book and admit I had looked forward to it but was disappointed while reading it. Now I feel I missed out on a lot of things and should reread it! @batsy 3y
Billypar William Wheeler's transformation from a kind of goofy average guy to a crazed villain was fun to watch 💀The East River island excursion was a nice touch. I was afraid meeting The Wise Ones would lead to a ton of explanatory backstory but not really - still lots to uncover about the central mystery💀If Cal and her 'witches' are the heroes, I'm curious what they're combating and how phony infant deaths and a murderous giant are linked? 😨 3y
readordierachel I really enjoyed this book. Felt so fresh. I could never guess quite where it was going. 3y
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Billypar @BarbaraBB I'd like to reread books more often: it's rare enough that I do it with ones that I like, and I haven't given any second chances to the ones I don't! 3y
Billypar @readordierachel Yeah, I feel the same: I'm getting close to the end and I still have no idea what to expect. 3y
batsy So sorry for the late response. I just finished these parts tonight because things in my country lately have been not great, Covid & politics wise, & reading has gone off the rails. I found the mood & momentum of these sections to be up & down. But many things are intriguing & remain so: the nature of the monster(s), Patrice's role, & William's transformation. I'm a bit wary if all this plays out as a metaphor for a gender war. But I'm intrigued! 3y
Billypar @batsy I can only imagine: it sounds like such a scary situation to be in, especially on top of covid fears. I hope things get resolved without too much time going by. Hopefully the conclusion of this novel can provide some good escapism. It seems like there are a few social metaphors woven in, but I hope they remain as thematic layers and don't overwhelm the story. 3y
batsy @Billypar Thank you! I can only hope things improve for all of us 🤞🏽The book has the strange effect of both providing escapism/fantasy yet being incredibly real in terms of reminding you how scary the world can be. So I kind of have a push-pull relationship with it every time I pick it up. In that sense, I think, it speaks to LaValle's storytelling skills and craft. 3y
Billypar @batsy Agreed! He blends realism and fantasy very seamlessly - each mode seems to set up and enhance the other. 3y
Billypar @batsy Tonight I discovered in scrolling through my song list on Spotify that Part 4's title is taken from a D'Angelo song 😅 3y
batsy @Billypar Oh, that's interesting! 😆 I don't think I've listened to that one & I'm going to have to. I also wonder if LaValle has a playlist for the book. (I finished it yesterday ... Have been mulling it over since.) 3y
Billypar @batsy It's a good song too - I'm surprised I didn't remember it with a title like that. I would love to see that playlist! As for the book, I really enjoyed it overall - I'll be posting about the remaining parts and my review this weekend. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! 3y
25 likes12 comments
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Billypar
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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@batsy Here are a few reactions I had to parts 1-3:
- LaValle has that storyteller expertise of knowing how to hook his audience. Between the short chapters and mounting suspense, it was tough to put down.
-I liked the large time jumps in the opening chapters: most books would have started at Ch 6 and worked in the backstory, but this had more of an air of mystery.
-I never read Outside Over There but I may have to pick up a copy - so creepy! 👇

mklong Gah, you and @batsy are making me want to reread! 3y
Billypar I didn't read anything about this going in, I just knew it was supposed to be horror-ish. The family has plenty of financial challenges and racism to deal with on top of the parenting stress, so for now it seems intentionally ambiguous whether the mysterious events are stress-induced, or actually something supernatural. And with the wild end of Part 3, I like how we're in uncharted territory - there's no obvious signposts about where it's headed. 3y
Billypar @mklong (scarily whispers): Dooo it! 😱 3y
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batsy Great points! I agree with them all; I didn't know much of what it was about either, just knew it was vaguely speculative/horror & I find his storytelling has me along for the ride. I've never read Outside Over There either & now I want to! 3y
batsy Also I love how he manages to sketch a character so well that a third person POV makes us feel like we know them well, but when he pulls back to show characters interacting, even (or especially) in a relationship, he manages to evoke that sense of dread or alienation people can feel when they realise they might not exactly *know* the person they love. 3y
batsy @mklong *echoes the scary whisper* Definitely dooooo it! 3y
Billypar @batsy You're right about his skill with using POV. I was surprised with the switch to following Emma after the exclusive focus on Apollo. But this was an effective way of showing something else might be going on with her, along with giving the opportunity to learn more about her parents' death. And after those chapters I did feel like I knew her better, which made what followed more jarring. 3y
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Billypar
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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LaValle has a brilliant way of transforming an event as mundane as a phone registering a text into something deeply sinister.
@batsy

vivastory If you don't think I'm not following you & @batsy reactions to this.... you're wrong😂😂 I love Lavalle 3y
Billypar @vivastory Nice! This is my first LaValle novel and I'm hooked pretty early. 3y
batsy I loved this, as well! I got chills when I read it. It's interesting to me how he slips in both humour and menace very subtly. (Also, I've read the first third up until Part 4 and... *gulp* no idea what's in store next...) 3y
Billypar @batsy Yeah, I finished Part 3 with my mouth hanging open - not sure what I was expecting to happen at this stage, but it wasn't that! Very intrigued about where the story will go from here.. 3y
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batsy
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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"Unsupervised reading is a blessing for a certain kind of child." YES.

( @Billypar I didn't expect it but for some reason this seems like the right read to soothe my Piranesi book hangover. They're both totally different in style and tone, but somehow of the same spirit.)

Leftcoastzen 👏👏Yes , indeed. 3y
Cathythoughts Wow !!! I read tagged book a couple of years ago ... now I‘m trying to find the connection... thought provoking 👏🏻 3y
Billypar That's perfect - you don't post-book hangover reads to be too similar, but it's nice when they they connect a little. 3y
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Billypar I do have this memory when I was 12 or 13 of picking out a book to buy and my mom rejecting it after having flipped through it and apparently finding something unsavory 😅 3y
batsy @Leftcoastzen 🙌🏽 3y
batsy @Cathythoughts Oh, nice! What did you think of it? :) 3y
batsy @Billypar Yes, my mum used to try to keep me from reading certain things, as well 😅 A decision that which my dad would then quietly veto, and he'd buy me the books :) 3y
Laalaleighh 💙💙💙 3y
CarolynM So true! 3y
BiblioLitten Oh absolutely! 3y
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Billypar
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Starting my stroll into the woods...😨 @batsy

batsy Nice! I'm hoping to dive in tonight :) 3y
Liz_M 😱Don't go into the woods! (edited) 3y
Billypar @Liz_M But why, what could go wrong? 😅 3y
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KimM
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

Halloween season read ☠. Perfectly creepy. 4 ⭐ s

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Tanisha_A
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Aha! A lovely #bookmail from a lovely person. This one's been on my TBR for a while now, and i will make sure i pick it up soon. Thankee Rach! 🥰

@readordierachel

ju.ca.no Sound so good! I‘m looking foward to your review! 3y
readordierachel Yay! It got there fast. Glad this one made it to you. Hope you enjoy it! 😘 3y
Tanisha_A @readordierachel Yesss! ❤️ Oh Sula! 💔 3y
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Tanisha_A @ju.ca.no 😊 Will tag you when I read it 3y
ju.ca.no @Tanisha_A thanks😍 3y
paper.reveries I have had this on my TBR list for SO LONG, too! Happy reading. :) 3y
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Emilymdxn
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

This was a slow burn but I‘d very strongly urge you to stay with it! I spent several hours going ‘why was this on a horror books list? Why is it labelled fantasy?‘ but when it ramped up I knew and cared about the characters SO much and I truly loved all the places it went, the themes it considered but never in a heavy handed way.

#scarathlon2020 #teamharkness @StayCurious +16 pts

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readordierachel
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

This was a great read. A chilling fairytale, unlike anything I've read before. There is magical realism and horror but also moments so true they made me smile (he nails what it feels like to be a new parent). I will definitely be reading more Lavalle. 4⭐

BiblioLitten Sounds good! Stacked😊 4y
vivastory He's wonderful! 4y
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readordierachel @vivastory Stoked to read more of his work. I have Devil in Silver next on my list and requested Ballad of Black Tom from the library (but there's a long wait---I think it's being adapted?) 4y
readordierachel @vivastory And thank you for sending me this one! Glad I finally read it :) 4y
vivastory I don't think you can go wrong with his books. I've yet to be disappointed! 4y
Tanisha_A Soooo high on my list! Sounds pretty good 4y
readordierachel @Tanisha_A I really enjoyed it! Are you still at the same address? I feel so bad that Sula never made it to you! I'd be happy to send you this one, if you're interested. 4y
Tanisha_A @readordierachel I feel sad about Sula, too. 😢 Aw! That's so nice of you. Let me email you my current address. 🤗 3y
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CareBear
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Lazy, rainy Sunday working on my current reads 📚

kspenmoll Thinking of you in this power outage time- hope you & your husband are ok. 4y
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Deifio
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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@TheSpineView #TwoForTuesday

1) tagged, also the one I'm reading now "The Ghost Map" by Steve Johnson
2) yes, I ask specific people for specific genres(recently childrens books for a 5 year old)

@Buechersuechtling thanks for the tag

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 🌞📚😍 4y
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BarbaraBB
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Mehso-so

This book I postponed reading because I thought I‘d love it so much. And indeed it started off stunning. Beautiful insights into childhood, adulthood, and friendships. A love for NY spatting off the pages. And then parenthood‘s feverish early days end in an act of violence. Still so good and creepy and suddenly the anxieties of fatherhood, race, money are changed by otherworldly things like trolls and zombies. I lost interest and I feel so sorry.

BarbaraBB @nomadreader
#ATY2020 A book from the NYT ‘100 notable books‘ list
4y
JennyM Sorry you didn‘t enjoy it more. It‘s always disappointing when a book you expect to love doesn‘t work for you 4y
vivastory Now that I have some distance from this one, I'd have to agree. The ending is disappointing. 4y
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Ruthiella Oh, I hated this book! So much of it just left me scratching my head . I think urban fantasy/horror generally is not for me. My suspension of disbelief doesn‘t usually reach far enough. (edited) 4y
BarbaraBB @vivastory really! While the first 75% is so good. Have you read more by him that is not horror and you could recommend? 4y
BarbaraBB @Ruthiella For me neither but it started out really good don‘t you think? 4y
Ruthiella @BarbaraBB Totally! The premise was great. 4y
vivastory @BarbaraBB Yes! I greatly enjoyed the following & although the protagonist was compiling an encyclopedia of horror films, it was def not a horror novel 4y
BarbaraBB @vivastory Well thank you, I definitely will read another one by him! 4y
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Deifio
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Ha! And I've finished my reading challenge, look at that! I wasn't really sure I would this year.

hannah-leeloo Yay well done 4y
Deifio @hannah-leeloo Thank you! I'm happy, I had a phase at the beginning of the pandemic where I just couldn't concentrate on a book 4y
hannah-leeloo I was exactly the same. Put me in a huge slump. I'm glad I've got back into reading. Read some childhood favourites to cheer me me 4y
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sprainedbrain 🥳🥳🥳 4y
Buechersuechtling Congratulations‼️🥳 4y
Nute Way to go!🙌🏽 4y
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Deifio
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

That was a rollercoaster ride! Wow! I loved it!
@Mitch thank you! 😍

Mitch Oh my absolutely pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼 4y
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Deifio
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Indeed, the internet can be hell!

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Deifio
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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What the hell just happened?!!
I sure hope this ends well! 🤪

AkashaVampie Is that a name of a chapter??? If it is, its funny 4y
Booksnchill I really enjoyed this book!😅 4y
sudi I wonder what happens in the chapter 😂 4y
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Deifio @AkashaVampie yes, it's the the name of a chapter. And the chapter before that was like "wtf!" So chapter name is pretty much how I felt, yeah... 4y
Deifio @Booksnchill I'm liking it too! Can't wait to find out what happens next! 4y
Deifio @sudi yeah, me too! but unfortunately I have to study for my exams some more before I can find out! 4y
AkashaVampie I added it to my list just based on the chapter titles. Hopefully I can read it soon. 4y
Deifio @AkashaVampie 🤣🤣 4y
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Deifio
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Ha! So true! I can relate to that 100%! I also had that with my kids!

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Deifio
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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The kids are playing together nicely for a change so I'm taking a break with my book

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underthebelljar
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Pickpick

🌟5/5🌟

A dark adult fairytale mythologizing the fears surrounding becoming a parent in present day New York that also explores racism and features Norse mythology, witches, and book lovers.

I caught at least two Easter eggs referencing other gothic/horror novels.

(CW/TW for horror themes involving children)

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Deifio
The Changeling | Victor LaValle
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Only a couple of pages in, but already I'm sucked into this plot. Where to and why did his father vanish? Can't wait to find out!