Thoughts on the Changeling (So Far)

THIS BOOK! 🤩💫🔮✨🖤 My #moodreaderproblems paid off, because this was exactly what I needed.

Last night’s plans were: read for an hour or so, then spend the rest of the night catching up on my massive backlog of reviews, which are in various stages of completion, and just need to be finished already. Yeah, that didn’t happen. 

From the very first quirky, play-on-the-fairytale chapter, I was hooked.

One of the blurbs on the cover calls the book mesmerizing. This is true.

I regularly stay up late to get reading done, but this is this first time in ages when I legit couldn’t go to sleep because I ✨needed✨ to turn the page.

Like when I was a little kid & snuck reading books by my nightlight when I was supposed to be asleep.

I don’t think I was really cognizant that this was something I was missing. I’ve enjoyed most of the books I’ve been reading lately, but not like this. I’m already sad that the book is going to end.

The Changeling is not at all what I was expecting in terms of tone. I suppose from the description I was anticipating a formal, ominous, detached narrator, but what I got was something I can only describe as Junot Diaz-y.

If you’ve read any of his stuff you know what I mean. If not, I’ll try—straight-forward, vernacular (slangy in an un-forced way), ironic, funny. So refreshing, and again something I didn’t realize I missed in writing.

Apollo is such a good-natured, relatable character, that when things really start to go awry, you feel it to the core right along with him. The world Lavalle builds too, and all of the characters, feel so real. 

Then there is this really subtle, creeping dread at the core, a nuanced build-up of unease, and the supernatural elements trickle in so lightly that you wonder, along with the characters, if they’re real.

I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that things take a dark turn, but how and when they do feel unexpected. I’m almost halfway through the book, and I know there will be so many more twists, and I have no idea what they will be, but I am dying to find out. I’m a little scared, but so excited.

Anyway, so happy to have picked up this book last night and I cannot wait to get home & (most likely) finish!