The Changeling

by Victor LaValle

When Apollo Kagwa’s father disappeared, all he left his son were strange recurring dreams and a box of books stamped with the word IMPROBABILIA. Now Apollo is a father himself–and as he and his wife, Emma, are settling into their new lives as parents, exhaustion and anxiety start to take their toll. Apollo’s old dreams return and Emma begins acting odd. Irritable and disconnected from their new baby boy, at first Emma seems to be exhibiting signs of postpartum depression, but it quickly becomes clear that her troubles go even deeper. Before Apollo can do anything to help, Emma commits a horrific act–beyond any parent’s comprehension–and vanishes, seemingly into thin air.

Thus begins Apollo’s odyssey through a world he only thought he understood, to find a wife and child who are nothing like he’d imagined. His quest, which begins when he meets a mysterious stranger who claims to have information about Emma’s whereabouts, takes him to a forgotten island, a graveyard full of secrets, a forest where immigrant legends still live, and finally back to a place he thought he had lost forever.

This captivating retelling of a classic fairy tale imaginatively explores parental obsession, spousal love, and the secrets that make strangers out of the people we love the most. It’s a thrilling and emotionally devastating journey through the gruesome legacies that threaten to devour us and the homely, messy magic that saves us, if we’re lucky.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery, Audiobook, Urban Fantasy

431 pages, Hardcover

First published June 13, 2017

About the author

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 States Artists Ford Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Shirley Jackson Award, an American Book Award, and the key to Southeast Queens.

He was raised in Queens, New York. He now lives in Washington Heights with his wife and kids. He teaches at Columbia University.

He can be kind of hard to reach, but he still loves you.

Reviews

[Chris Eder · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 creepiness and nightmares lurking in the background, but for the most part things are just enjoyable, floating along. Then BOOM. Out of nowhere we get a boiling pot of water poured over our heads to wake us up. That early instance may be the most disturbing, but there's plenty of freaky, unsettling stuff throughout the rest of the novel.

I especially enjoyed the dialogue of the characters and for the most part I liked LaValle's prose as well. He does a great job blending real-life horrors, trends, conflicts, tensions and status quos with the horrific monsters of fantasy and fairy tales, although I found the real-life horrors to be much more frightening and engaging.

After reading I realize there are a lot of questions left unanswered, but not in a way that seems intentional. Perhaps “plot hole” is too strong a word? It's kind of bugged me and affected my overall experience with the book. I feel like it’s the kind of book that requires a second read to pick up on a few of those. Maybe eventually I'll read it again and shed some light, but who has time to re-read books when there’s a mountainous TBR pile lurking menacingly in the background? :)

Posted in Mr. Philip's Library

[♑︎♑︎♑︎ ♑︎♑︎♑︎]

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.

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.*

[Mike Bevel · Rating 1 out of 5]

there's literally a bad guy who is named Kinder Garten and he's also an internet troll as well as the handler of an actual troll and I just don't understand novels any more

[[Name Redacted] · Rating 1 out of 5]

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 a Columbia professor.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular! A modern fairy tale, but not the sweet kind, more of the sort the Brothers Grimm told, a fairy tale with all the gruesome bits left in. Apollo Kagwa is not your typical New Yorker; he's a self-made bookseller, with a love for and and a good nose for sniffing out rare books. His father abandoning him as a baby has made him determined to be a good father, so when he meets a wonderful, strong woman, Emma, an adventurous, strong-willed librarian and falls in love and they have a baby, he believes all his fantasies have come true. His nightmare is only beginning.

This is a well-told story by a master at his craft. I can't wait to read more by Victor LaValle.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Fran · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 experiences selling magazines has led Apollo to a career as a book man. He learns to value books, attending estate sales in search of rare and valuable books. Along with friend Army vet, Patrice Green, they search for preserved First Editions. The importance of turning a profit cannot be understated since Apollo's wife, librarian Emma, is due to give birth to their first child.

After son Brian's birth, the family's financial and emotional health changes. Emma experiences severe postpartum depression. But wait...Apollo uncovers a First Edition of "To Kill A Mockingbird" that he has appraised and authenticated. A buyer, William Wheeler, agrees to pay $70,000 for the tome. Apollo and Patrice are asked to bring the book to a location of William's choosing. This is when Scottish glamour, an old kind of magic, weaves its way into the midst. Illusions and altered reality make a baby no longer a baby. This clouded reality comes replete with internet predators watching the principals every move and documenting these moves for nefarious purposes.

"The Changeling" by Victor LaValle is a many layered novel. It is additionally a cautionary tale about the dangers of posting family photos and personal information technologically. Thank you Mr. LaValle for the suggestion of vigilance as a safeguard.

Thank you Random House and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Changeling".

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 along with life, and this feeling never lets up even after the really funky stuff starts messing with the MC. I felt warm and wrapped snugly in the story in a way that I rarely do, or at least, not this deeply. Maybe it's because of the new parenthood threads or maybe it's because of the geeky book-nerd outlook or maybe it's because the deepest thread in the novel happens to be one of the darkest myths handed down through the ages, but anyway that I looked at it, I was invested.

From high hopes to deep stress to tragedy, horror, and a long, wrought quest full of very emotional reveals, this novel manages to put us through the ringer. I loved all of these characters. And I mean love, love. I'm still thinking of them in the same way that I keep thinking of Black Tom. It's the realization, amazing ability that all these characters come right to life and stay with us.

And of course, it's the story, too, and what a mindf*** that was. :)

[P. Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0 Stars
Video Review: https://youtu.be/lTgOU-xuB1Y

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.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 journey to find his wife, and to discover the truth about her actions, leads him to an extraordinary turn of events that alters his understanding of the world he lives in.
It is difficult to talk about The Changeling without spoiling its twists and secrets, so abstraction will have to do. Appreciating the novel hinges on whether one can accept that our assumptions about everything from race to class to gender is an impediment to true understanding. It also hinges on whether one can digest LaValle’s marriage of literary realism and the fantastic, which his seemingly effortless skills and imagination are uniquely suited to express. You can count me in.

[Adrienne L · Rating 3 out of 5]

"When you have to save the one you love, you will become someone else, something else. You will transform. The only real magic is the things we'll do for the ones we love."

Apollo Kagwa has it all: a job he’s passionate about that enables him to sustain a comfortable (although not wealthy) life in New York City, a wife he’s crazy about, and a healthy infant son that he absolutely adores. Then one day, with a horrific act of violence, Apollo’s world comes crashing down, and his subsequent quest to find answers propels him into a fantastical world he never imagined lurking below the surface of reality. Apollo’s journey may end up answering his questions about the appalling act his vanished wife committed, as well as provide an answer to the disappearance of his own father decades before.

Victor LaValle is an amazingly good writer, and that talent is on display in The Changeling as much as it is in the other novels I’ve read by the author. But I found my enjoyment of this one waxed and waned. The pacing is off and often drags. There’s a long time spent establishing Apollo’s early life and the development of his relationship with his wife Emma leading up to the birth of their son, so that a good chunk of the beginning reads like a drama/romance. Then, rather suddenly, the book jumps from a date night shared by the new parents to Emma's horrific act with very little build-up to illustrate the (apparent) deterioration of Emma’s mental health and the relationship between the couple. The act itself was like having a cup of ice water thrown in my face, I wasn't expecting it to be so horrific. And maybe that was the point. But all of the lead-up to it is given briefly and in retrospect. I even flipped backward in the book, to make sure I didn’t accidently skip any pages.

I also struggled with the characters in The Changeling. I didn't warm up to Apollo at all and feel like I never really got to know him or Emma, despite the hundreds of pages spent with them before the action of the book picks up. This is a big contrast from how I’ve felt about characters in LaValle’s other books who I really liked and sympathized with, particularly Adelaide in Lone Women and Pepper in The Devil in Silver. I even felt more of a connection to Tom in The Ballad of Black Tom, although that book is significantly shorter than this one. I felt like we see Apollo only from the outside, reacting to things, but not really the workings of his mind, and therefore felt detached from the character and less invested in what happened to him.

I also didn’t love the ending or the explanation of the multiple mysteries. My search for the perfect horror book dealing with the myth of changelings continues. Incidentally, I wouldn't personally classify this book as horror.

LaValle’s writing makes it impossible for me to rate this book anything lower than a three. There were some really excellent passages and times when I was fully invested, despite the problems I noted above.

[Richard Derus · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 and why I loved it without spoilering anything.

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 social commentary on race and society, social media, family and parenting, and the tangled mess all of these make when combined.

The result is a disturbing but unique voyage of modern fantasy fiction. Highly recommended.

[Wren · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 connect with them and at this point I was considering DNFing the book.

However, things got a little more interesting after Brian was born. They need the money, so Emma is forced to go back to work soon after, and baby Brian spends the days with his dad. Mum is sent photos of the two of them out together - but who is taking the photos and why are they always gone when she tries to show the photos to Apollo later? Is something mystical going on? Is Emma just going crazy? Apollo seems to think so as Emma becomes convinced that Brian is not their son - that it's not a baby.

But no sooner has my interest been piqued than it loses me again. There are a lot of things going on, but I'm still distant from them because of my disconnect from the characters. Is Patrice still a friend? Why is the book buyer so eager to help? Why did the woman at support group share Emma's worrying sentiment that her baby is not a baby? There is an island community of lost women in the middle of nowhere that didn't really seem to have any relevance to the plot.

I have seen other reviews that thought the characters were very strong, so it's entirely possible that it is just me or that I just wasn't in the right frame of mind when I read it. It addresses parental love and grief, our increasing dependence on technology, and still manages to weave in a bit of folklore. It seems like a book I should have really enjoyed. But somehow, I didn't. Sorry.

[Samuel Goff · Rating 1 out of 5]

Attention. Lots of spoilers ahead. Proceed with caution.......
My wonderful partner Daynee is a creative writing major at UNLV. I am a musician. One day we had an interesting discussion about editing. I asked her how she would feel about her first novel going through an intense editing process that seems inevitable. Would she allow invasive editing in order to get published? I told her my thoughts about how I felt about editing the actual music I make in order to get a release. This worried me about her future writing, that she would have to make some hard decisions as I pictured editors as if they were evil minions in a dark room grinning mischievously with knives out ready to cut. With the last couple of books I have read “The Changeling” included, Daynee you have nothing to worry about. To this casual reader the finished product appears to need some HEAVY EDITING. And that editing is just not happening.
This book was an absolute hot mess. Did no editor think to tell Mr. Lavalle that the whole “Witch Island” segment of the book could just be excised? It felt like a small novella just thrown in the middle of the book. I’m still trying to figure out what sense it had to the whole plot. Why did William Wheeler need to get Apollo out to Witch Island? It just doesn't make any sense in the end. It moves the plot along in no way whatsoever. And the bombs? What was that about? It appears with today's contemporary writers to explain an event that stretches believability, well that is just an option. And what was the whole point with the first major shocking action of the book? Okay we learn about the "not a baby" part. But why exactly does Emma have to break Apollo's face and knock his eye out with a hammer while he is chained to pipes in his apartment? No explanation. And is Emma a witch or not? No explanation. And there are several references to characters to seemingly need to be in a place that is extremely hot. Emma during the creepy, "chain Apollo up and knock him out" scene, the house in Little Norway. Again, no explanation. And seriously the middle "witch island" part is so weird and so out of place. What happens to Cal? Why is she even there? Who are these people? Characters actions also are questionable. Like when Apollo is on witch island and at this point in the book he believes that Emma has killed their six month old son and left him for dead and then vanished. And he meets William Wheeler (who yes, later on turns out to be villainous) who does nothing up to this point but try and help him (again it seems to ultimately help him get to witch island, but to what point. It seemingly is in no one in the book's interest to get Apollo to witch island, it's SOOOO frustrating why this part is even in the book) and all Cal, the No. 1 witch of witch island (whose minions just beat Apollo to within an inch of his life) has to say is "Ooooh, this is a bad guy, come with me Apollo" and Apollo is all of a sudden buddy buddy with Cal helping with the fucking chores and playing with the damned witch babies. I mean his whole viewpoint on life shifted in about .3 seconds.
I read a review on the back cover that compared this author favorably with Haruki Murakami and Ralph Ellison. The Murakami comparison is very apt since that is another author that feels no need to explain anything ever. A more appropriate comparison would be the combination of Stephen King's worst book and Murakami's worst book. And there you have it! "The Changeling by Victor Lavalle!!!!!!!! I read so many great reviews of this hot garbage on goodreads and was feeling good about this. When I realized around the halfway point of the book that certain ideas and details were just not going to be explained (and I was right) I started searching goodreads for BAD reviews to see if I was crazy and way off. They were few and far between but luckily I found a few. There is solace in knowing I am not the only one with MAJOR problems with this book. The first 40 or so pages were very promising. I was liking the style, tone and prose. And then things started to get a little boring until the Emma and hammer part. And that's where everything just fell apart. I mean the rest of the book was details that never get explained. I am so TIRED of lazy authors testing my patience. DO YOUR JOB. I get it, this is magic realism? Not everything is going to be explained. Okay. Sure, I understand and even think it is a good technique at times to have an open ending. I get that and support that. Some great books end that way. But 67 important details of your plot and story? No. I don't want to do that. I am the reader. And I bought YOUR book. And I have to do YOUR job for you and figure out how all this happens? No. Do better Victor LaValle. And Haruki Murakami. And other contemporary authors. Do better.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 book, specifically, it's one that I'm going to think about for a long time. It's an exploration of parenthood--in particular, black fatherhood--and it's absolutely phenomenal. Don't let the docked half-star fool you. I tend to hold literary fiction to a much higher standard than the genre fiction that I read, so 4.5 stars is an incredibly strong rating for me.

A few reasons that half star was docked: I think the first two thirds had some TEENSY pacing problems. The final third, however, is a serious page turner. I also wanted more from Emma's character. In mythologizing her, LaValle also distances her, and I think he could have done some interesting things if he'd limited that distance a bit. At times LaValle is a bit too heavy handed with his metaphors, but this was a minor issue for me.

One aspect I loved, in particular, was the way LaValle builds the fantastical elements. This starts out a story very rooted in reality, and slowly but surely LaValle introduces bits and pieces of fantasy, until the book turns into a full-blown fairy tale. That build up serves as a great device to build tension throughout the story.

I also love just how much LaValle embraced the fact that this is a modern fairy tale. Technology plays a huge aspect in his story, and I really appreciated that.

I can't wait to read more LaValle (The Ballad of Black Tom is on its way in the mail!).

I think I'm going to film a full review of this--I have so many thoughts!

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[switterbug (Betsey) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Michael Ferro · Rating 3 out of 5]

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, I found my interest waning, but only because of my own tastes. The fantasy elements were melded into the realistic world quite well, though.

Overall, the heartwarming message of this modern fairy tale is what takes precedence. Certainly a very enjoyable read but not likely to have me picking up any other fantasy or magical realism books anytime soon.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Allison Hurd · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a strange book. It started off slow and lyrical and it meandered through tragedy and then became an action-fueled urban fantasy. I think I wish it had gelled a little more to itself.

CONTENT WARNING: (possible spoilers if you're unfamiliar with the namesake of this book) spousal abuse, body horror, murder, suicide, child abuse, death of a child

Things to love:

-The writing. LaValle is very poetic with his word choices, even his raunchier paragraphs.

-The new dad feeling. It all felt very honest, all of the rituals and worries a dad who wanted to really be there for their kid would have, the fears and pride of someone who has no idea what they're doing, but is determined to do it the best they can.

-The mythology. An interesting blend of fairytale and modern magic realism, with the legends of families and the exploration of why we tell each other these stories.

-Exploration of injustice. Black or white? Man or woman? Immigrant or born here? Your perception or theirs? All of these change so many small things that can set off a chain reaction of consequences you couldn't foresee, but you can't escape. I loved this part of the book.

Things that fell apart a little:

-The pacing. Very inconsistent. It really felt like 2 or 3 books, the sections were all so separate.

-The build up. I didn't feel the parts of the story changing, they sort of just moved on when I wasn't looking, which, I suppose, is thematically appropriate. I didn't get the growing dread of the new parents. The revelations in fact still seem stilted and deus ex to me, because they were quite spontaneous. Even I, quantum leaper extraordinaire, couldn't keep up with their conclusions.

-The reunion. Ummm yeah, hi, Apollo, do you not remember that your wife broke your face and burned you to destroy the thing you thought was your son?? . Are we just not going to address that? And what about his wish? And how about all that shit that just happened??

It's possible, I suppose, that the telling is all very unreliable and shouldn't be taken at face value, in which case maybe that's fine. But taking it as presented is a bit of a tough pill to swallow, even assuming the fantastical parts are real. And if I'm supposed to have assumed the narrator unreliable, I'm afraid I don't have a lot of context clues to make that connection. It's sort of just an assumption based on what I think makes sense, which would be a bold thing for the author to rely on.

I'm not even sure if I liked it? I liked parts a lot. I think it could have been about 100 pages shorter and maybe one messed up relationship fewer, and felt more successful. As it stands, I, like Apollo, am wondering "why did he tell me this story?" and the answer just feels like the author needed to work through some stuff and had a mildly interesting "what if" as a launchpad. I'll give it an extra star for pretty words and a strong exploration of prejudice.

[Susan Atherly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way back in 2017, I won my first Goodreads Giveaway. This book. I entered the giveaway because I thought this was a fairy tale based story. I love stories that are like old fairy tales. Then the reviews started rolling in and said it was a horror story. I do not like horror stories in most cases so I put off reading this book.

My New Year's resolution for 2023 was to work my way through my Goodreads Giveaway books after dealing with a reading slump for the past 3 years...which meant I needed to face this book.

I feel like an idiot for putting it off so long. It was indeed an urban fairy tale AND a horror story, like all good old timey fairy tales are. It was emotionally harrowing but I loved it.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 literary tastes than his writing. Norwegian fairytales are not my thing. Though the book did drag in parts and felt overly long; I think LaValle is a talented author and I will be reading more by him.

3.5 Stars rounding up for unintelligible reasons…mostly because I want to.

Listened to the audiobook. Narrated by the author. I thought he did a respectable job, but a skilled voice talent would have probably improved on his rendition.

[Zain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating!

What type of book genre is The Changeling? Is it horror? A thriller? A fairytale?
Maybe all three? Maybe none at all?

The more I think about this, the more I realize that I don’t have to know the difference to know that I truly love this book.

Apollo is the show stopper who is the main character of this book. Emma is his wife. He is constantly looking for Emma. He is chasing after her throughout this book.

I forget, there is also a troll. And he is a huge troll! Apollo searches for him cause he thinks that the troll kidnapped his son Brian. He is looking for so many people throughout this entire book.

I think this is a five star book that I have been reading. So look out for the five stars.

Five stars. 💫💫💫💫💫

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘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, Brian. Apollo describes himself as a ‘New Dad.’ He straps his son onto his chest and takes him with him to work, to the park, all the while documenting his life with photos uploaded to Facebook. Numerous photos. Because Apollo’s Dad disappeared when he was a child and he grew up fatherless, Apollo is determined to ‘be there’ for his son. The theme of fatherlessness as opposed to the ever present ‘New Dad’ who’s always available is prominent throughout the novel. LaValle depicts Apollo and Emma as both very weak and very strong. He shows them as being extremely flawed and then again, as almost godlike. This would be a great book to use as a touchstone for discussing modern parenting. Hasn’t there always and forever been the fear that something out there ‘in the world’ is going to gobble up the children. And if not out there, perhaps something in the home, or even, god forbid, in the parent, might gobble up the child. These parental fears have been with us for eons and hand in hand with the fear comes the guilt of realizing that it’s an imperfect role. At one point, Victor says, how does anyone survive childhood and being the parent of two sons and grandmother to six, I know from whence he speaks. I enjoyed this book very much!