Tommy Tester is a small time hustler, trying to make ends meet for himself and his father. When his businesses lead him first to Ma Att and then Robert Suydam, it slowly becomes clear that he's dealing with forces beyond human comprehension.

Victor LaValle sets to retell a story of H.P. Lovecraft's [b:Horror at Red Hook|2582189|The Horror at Red Hook|H.P. Lovecraft|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1266939978s/2582189.jpg|2598040]. It's definitely his own take on the issue - starting from the fact that Tommy Tester doesn't appear in Lovecraft's original. Even if Malone is the second main character in The Ballad of Black Tom and the main character of Lovecraft's story, LaValle makes him more of an active participant in the events than Lovecraft ever did.

I have to admit, even though I thought The Ballad of Black Tom was competently written, I wasn't too keen on it. I'm not a fan of Lovecraft, and I don't quite get the enthusiasm of authors willing to rewrite his stories - or in some way, reclaiming his mythos from the racist abyss where people have slowly realized it probably belongs.

However, after reading The Ballad of Black Tom, I decided I need to read the original as well, and that made me see it anew. I still would probably enjoy more reading something different from LaValle, but I have to hand it to him. Taking Lovecraft's blatantly racist story, rewriting it from black perspective and adding social commentary, all the while managing to maintain the creeping atmosphere Lovecraft stories undeniably have is a commendable feat.