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.

I've been wanting to read more by Victor Lavalle ever since reading Lone Women. In fact, as soon as I finished that I bought several more of his books. However, this one did not quite meet my expectations.

I didn't mind that it started off as a love story that turned into a mystery. I didn't mind that it took a long time for the child produced by the first love story to grow up and begin his own love story, although quite frankly I am not into love stories. 

What I did mind was how long it took for anything remotely spooky to happen, and that once it did, it just turned into a mystery again. I was expecting something scarier from the way I have heard others talk about this book. I was not prepared for a long drawn out fairy tale/fantasy type read, which is just not my thing. Also, the constant referring to their new baby as "the kid" grated on my nerves after a while.

By the middle of the book I was skimming the pages hoping for something exciting to happen. I was mostly bored with this story and glad when it was over. You may enjoy it more than I did, others certainly have. It's even been made into a TV show so there must be something to love about it. Some books are just too crazy even for me.

2.25 out of 5 stars

About the author