The Changeling by Victor LaValle

A Novel Review

A stunning mindwarp that leaves the reader wondering just how long the shadows have been following them. The Changeling by Victor LaValle is nothing short of the modern-day horror novel masterpiece. Thrown into a character-led narrative like a match raging in a wildfire, LaValle tempts us with the desire to learn the mysteries he unveils, though we are stood, shocked in the disposition to let the mysteries unravel upon the heat of the third act, as we are confronted with the notion that the child may not be the true child. The main character, Apollo, is nothing short of a man who lives beside the darkness without the knowledge of the darkness and its deepening manifolds. Well-researched and all around well-rounded, this story’s climax is one that strikes the heart again and again and again.

Shiniest moment: “It felt as if the whole house was giving off [his] death rattle.”

Rating: 9.2/10