Sadie Hartmann's Reviews > The Ballad of Black Tom

This was the first book I downloaded to my Kindle. What a way to break into the world of digital reading! At this point, it needs to be said that I've only read Lovecraftian-inspired literature but never any actual Lovecraft. Does this bother me? Not in the slightest.
You don't need any prior knowledge of Lovecraft's work other than a slight brush against some of the more identifiable attributes of his mythos: An overarching cosmic ambiguity that is so massive or foreign to our understanding, it threatens the fragility of our finite minds. Oh! And anything with tentacles is an automatic nod to Lovecraft. *wink* *ahem* also, I guess it's important to note that H. P. Lovecraft was a racist.
That being said, THE BALLAD OF BLACK TOM is Lovecraftian but it definitely has it's own style going on. LaValle layers in some appropriate social commentary so that while readers can easily identify the story's inspiration, we can also recognize it as breaking down some Lovecraftian walls.
Set in 1920's Harlem (can all future books be set in the Roaring 20s pleeeease??) Tommy Tester is trying to live his best life. Amidst all his hustling and swindling he finds himself embroiled with this guy that is clearly bent on some kind of "otherworldly business".
Later, the POV changes and the momentum of the story takes a swift dive into darkness. I absolutely had no idea what to expect with this novella! I didn't even read the synopsis. I only knew that everyone I know in the horror-loving community sings this book's praises, so I was determined to get into it at some point.
This is a modern classic. When we go to compile our all-time favorite horror lists, you can bet THE BALLAD OF BLACK TOM will make the rounds. Thrilling, clever, terrifying--I loved this read and will be picking up more from LaValle in 2020.

Book Blurb: "A modern classic, this book deserves to be on everyone's shelves as the gold standard for Lovecraftian fiction. LaValle deals with Lovecraft's racist, antiquated, xenophobic undertones by allowing a new generation of readers to see the imaginative mythos through the eyes of Tommy Tester. Genius."