The Changeling

A Novel

By: Victor LaValle

Narrated by: Victor LaValle

“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

When Papa was away at a book sale...

11.03.2017
I think I'm a 1/3 of the way through this book so far.
I love this book, even more so because I've just had the singular experience of stopping an audiobook and jotting down Patrice's slow cooker lemon chicken recipe and I'm now making it for dinner. I have never cooked from a novel. I'm excited.

11.10.2017
This book was incredible and listening to LaValle narrate it was incredible. The melding of myth and now was amazing and I wasn't even mentally tsk tsking over how the use of an iPhone or referencing Maurice Sendak will date the novel in the future because this story is timeless and it doesn't matter.
We had lemon chicken and olives again tonight.

AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

Interesting premise, but ultimately unsatisfying

I was intrigued by the premise of this novel; it was interesting, a fairy tale for adults. I wanted to like it but the plot ran for so long without much happening, and when the climax finally came it, like the resolution, was a rather disappointing. It’s as if the author spent so much time and effort crafting many plot events but then didn’t quite know how to finish it.

Magical Storytelling

This is a good book. It is a modern fairytale about trolls and monsters, love and horror, tradition and the new, and the past ryhming in the present. This is a book about books, about stories of books, the storytellers that tell them, and the stories that we tell ourselves. This is a story about nightmares being tame and reality being wild. If you are looking for an easy read, avoid this book. If you are looking for the familiar, avoid this book. If you are looking to escape reality, definitely avoid this book. This fantasy feels real. And that what makes it, a good book.

fantastic story

Awesome, it's a slow build but worth the wait. Also even though it's a modern fairy tale it's not a rehash gingerbread house with leather and gun oil pulp novel.

Loved It

This was a wonderful and unique story. I enjoyed the realistic dynamic between the couple. The narration was strong. And I loved how it wasn't magic overload, but enough magic to keep the story compelling.