The Ballad of Black Tom: Book review






Book review

Title: The Ballad of Black Tom
Author: Victor Lavalle
Genre: Horror/Fantasy

The Ballad of Black Tom is the retelling of the story "The Horror at Red Hook" from the viewpoint of a black man. 

Set in Harlem, we have our protagonist Tommy Tester who is a small time musician and comes in contact with Robert Suydam- a millionaire. The latter wants Tommy to participate in his scheme of things which eventually results in a bizarre and a creepy transformation of Tommy. 

The first part of the book is narrated from the point of view of Tommy and then shifts to the point of view of the detective Malone. There isn’t much of world building in terms of the fantastical elements. However the author brings to light the issues of racism, brutal behavior of the police and prejudices against a certain community. This is one of the strongest points in the book as it deals with the horrors of treatment towards to the Black which is sadly still relevant today. Some of instances make you cringe and there are times when your heart goes out to Tommy. 

The second part of the book is dark and comprises of a lot of gory details. It brings about the transformation of Tommy. There is a lot more conflict and tension revolving around the evil forces. 

This book is fast paced, gripping and can be read in one setting. It leaves you with a queer sort of a feeling- a feeling that you experience when you are oscillating between the real and an imaginary world.

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