The Changeling

Rating: 5/5 Rare Books

Rare-bookseller Apollo Kagwa wanted to be the father he didn’t have. But a horrific act of violence against his son leads Apollo to discover a fantasy world hidden in New York City, full of the evil that feeds our nightmares. Victor LaValle’s The Changeling is a haunting, mesmerizing modern-day fairy tale that will stick with readers long after they’ve finished the book.

The Changeling follows Apollo’s journey into fatherhood. His own father disappeared when Apollo was young. Emma, Apollo’s wife, seems to have some signs of postpartum depression. Emma does something truly terrifying to the baby and vanishes. Much of the book focuses on Apollo’s journey to find his wife and baby and get some answers as to why Emma did what she did.

The Changeling is equal parts horror novel and fairy tale, with a dash of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Through Apollo’s quest, LaValle explores the complex themes of parenthood, racism, and love. It has a macabre backdrop, but The Changeling is fundamentally about how far parents will go out of love for their child.

LaValle expertly describes a fantasy world hiding in plain sight in New York City. His phenomenal, skilled world building is just one of the many reasons this book is perfection. Though the book takes place in modern-day New York City, something about it feels like a fairy tale that you, your parents, your grandparents, and their grandparents grew up hearing. It’s a universal and timeless tale that’s part of our DNA. LaValle is a skilled storyteller, and he writes The Changeling in a way that will make you feel like this is a familiar story from your childhood that you forgot, and reading it will feel like a lifelong itch has finally been scratched.

LaValle’s juxtaposition of fairy tale tropes with mundane daily things, like putting boxes in a car, makes The Changeling feel more realistic and, therefore, creepier. He has a way of writing vividly, and certain parts were so gross they’ll make your skin crawl. The way he described a warm room with all the radiators on made me feel toasty (despite being on a tundra-cool airplane).

The Changeling is a joy to read, and LaValle’s writing style makes it a page-turner. The dialog flows so naturally that reading it feels like overhearing a conversation. The writing seems effortless, and every single word has a purpose. LaValle shows readers what characters are like and what their motivations are; he never tells. It’s this masterful storytelling that makes The Changeling feel more like hearing a scary story from a relative than reading a book written by a stranger.

If you liked The Changeling, check out LaValle’s other work, including The Devil in Silver and The Ballad of Black Tom.