The Changeling
By Victor LaValle
- Release Date: 2017-06-13
- Genre: Horror
Description
“Mesmerizing . . . a dark fairy tale of New York, full of magic and loss, myth and mystery, love and madness.”—Marlon James, author of the Dark Star trilogy
NOW AN APPLE TV+ SERIES STARRING LAKEITH STANFIELD • ONE OF TIME’S 100 BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF ALL TIME
Winner of an American Book Award, a Locus Award for Best Horror Novel, a British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel, a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel • Nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award, an International Dublin Literary Award, a Mythopoeic Award for Literature
When Apollo Kagwa’s father disappeared, he left his son a box of books and strange recurring dreams. Now Apollo is a father himself—and as he and his wife, Emma, settle into their new lives as parents, exhaustion and anxiety start to take their toll. Apollo’s old dreams return and Emma begins acting odd. At first Emma seems to be exhibiting signs of postpartum depression. But before Apollo can do anything to help, Emma commits a horrific act and vanishes. Thus begins Apollo’s quest to find a wife and child who are nothing like he’d imagined. His odyssey 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.
NAMED ONE OF PASTE’S BEST HORROR BOOKS OF THE DECADE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times • USA Today • The New York Public Library • NPR • BuzzFeed • Kirkus Reviews • Book Riot
“The thriller you won’t be able to put down.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
“Intense, riveting . . . The story is a long, slow burn with a lingering sizzle.”—Los Angeles Review of Books
“A modern-day tale of terror rooted in ancient myth and folklore, brimming with magical revelation and emotional truth.”—San Francisco Chronicle
Reviews
Modern Horror Story with Ancient Roots
4By Prairie_Dog“The Changeling” is a 2017 horror novel by Victor LaValle and now is the basis for a series of the same name on AppleTV+. The novel follows the life of Apollo who is a book dealer living in New York City. Apollo meets and eventually marries a librarian named Emma. Soon they become parents to their first child, Brian. This is where things begin to go seriously and horribly wrong. As the title would suggest, the focus of this darkness revolves around the baby Brian. The supernatural aspects of this story are a combination of those of several cultures, strangely different yet similar. Interestingly, these are set in the very modern world, and in an intensely urban environment. This all seems to add up to more than the sum of its parts. As the plot builds, it carries the reader on to the stunning conclusion.Changeling
4By Jdlg12I read the book after watching the first couple episodes of the TV show. The book is good not great. While it is an easy read it just wasn’t quite what I was expecting. A good book but I can’t say it’s something I would read twice.Wild Ride
4By N!kname$R2HardIf first 48 and Tales from the Crypt had a baby, it’d be the Changeling. This book was really well written but left a bit for me in terms of tying threads together. The pace was great up until the end where it just seems like there was more yet to be be explained. If you’re OK with that, I think you’d like this book. There were a few transitions that were rocky for me and the end just seemed rushed by comparison but overall a great read.Wonderful
5By my balls itch337This was a beautiful book and I enjoyed every moment reading this work of fiction!Exceptional
5By SDWillTruly Exceptional!The Cgangleing
2By Peg1gyThis is a very strange book. I liked the characters but the story rambled too much. I got lost several times but finished it. There are a lot of threads to draw out into interesting tales but it was a little confusing altogether.
