Thursday, November 9, 2017

Have U read the Ballad of Black Tom, yet? You should. You really should. I gave it 5 stars for this powerful emotional read.


                         The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
Synopsis:
People move to New York looking for magic and nothing will convince them it isn't there.

Charles Thomas Tester hustles to put food on the table, keep the roof over his father's head, from Harlem to Flushing Meadows to Red Hook. He knows what magic a suit can cast, the invisibility a guitar case can provide, and the curse written on his skin that attracts the eye of wealthy white folks and their cops. But when he delivers an occult tome to a reclusive sorceress in the heart of Queens, Tom opens a door to a deeper realm of magic, and earns the attention of things best left sleeping.

A storm that might swallow the world is building in Brooklyn. Will Black Tom live to see it break?
 

Specifications:

Paperback149 pages
Published February 16th 2016 by Tor.com
Literary Awards
Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novella (2016)Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Horror (2016)                                                         






My Book Review: 5 Out of 5 Stars:

I'm not familiar at all with the writings of H.P. Lovecraft or his bigotry. However, even though I'm not familiar with Lovecraft's characters, ancient peoples or the ctulu, I truly enjoyed this book. No spoilers here. Fortunately, one doesn't need to know anything about them to follow this book. I think, however it would deepen your enjoyment. This book is a powerful, emotional read. It's a fast read, too. If I had time and energy, and didn't have to work full time outside for a living, I would have read it in all of one night. As it was, I had to force myself by limiting to read just a chapter a night, which with this book, it was difficult to do at best. 
Racism abounded in the USA in 1924 and was no place for a young black man. By the end of this book, the USA, the world is no place to be for any human at all. Author LaValle did an excellent job at bringing this book to life. Love this book or hate it, one thing is for certain, the reader will never forget this story or the characters. I know I won't. I take off my hat to LaVelle for master storytelling and look forward to reading his other works. I highly recommend reading The Ballad of Black Tom.

                             

Until next review, stay safe. Smile! Show compassion to others. Be nice to one another. Read a book and pass it on. Review it. Be a voice for the voiceless! Cheers!
Regards,

S.J. Francis
In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family."  Released from Black Opal Books Oct. 24th, 2015 and available at all on-line retailers and indie booksellers. 
My Official web page: http://www.sjfranciswriter.com

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And now for some legal stuff: Copyright 2017 by S.J. Francis. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, S. J. Francis and are meant to entertain, inform and enlighten, and intend to offend no one.