The Ballad Of Black Tom by Victor LaValle – A Book Review

In The Ballad of Black Tom, Victor LaValle delivers a novella for those readers who crave brevity and the exploration of important societal issues intertwined with the arcane.

The brilliance of this novella lies in its multifaceted approach to tackling important social matters. LaValle combines the supernatural with the very real horrors of systemic racism and discrimination. As we follow the enigmatic protagonist, Charles Thomas Tester, through the streets of 1920s New York City, we witness an unsettling mirror which forces us to reflect upon our own modern society and its progress, or lack thereof, over the last several decades. Keep in mind that this is all very subtle, however. LaValle is simply delivering events as they unfold; he is not preaching to the audience nor is he telling you how you should feel. The indignities Tester experiences are a matter of established practice, not embellishment.

But, in my opinion, story trumps all for LaValle as he powers the plot forward while building both intrigue and suspense. His dialogue is always just enough, never too much, as are his descriptions. Charles “Tommy” Tester undergoes real change throughout the novella, and the supporting characters, while not nearly as dynamic, are nonetheless well-rounded and absolutely necessary to the story and Tester’s … evolution?

As previously stated, The Ballad of Black Tom unapologetically embraces the horror genre. It shatters the boundaries between the mundane and the mysterious, interweaving cosmic terror with social commentary. Prepare to be mesmerized as ancient forces stir beneath the surface of a seemingly ordinary world, a world LaValle renders quite realistically with his efficiency of words.