This book is a retelling of H.P. Lovecraft's "The Horror at Red Hook" and I wonder if I would have gotten more out of this book if I'd been familiar with that story.

Don't get me wrong — I really enjoyed it. On the whole, I was a big fan of the narrative style, the descriptions, especially of the horror elements, and the atmosphere. I did feel transported elsewhere, you can feel the tension building, and some scenes were very gripping. LaValle is skilled in describing the supernatural in a way that you can see the bizarre happenings so vividly in your mind's eye.

However, while I think I got the overall gist of the story, I was left at a loss at the why of key parts of it. I'd be thinking: wait, what just happened? Why did that just happen? Am I meant to understand why at this point? 

Maybe I was meant to go with the flow a little more. Maybe if I'd been familiar with Lovecraft's work I would have had fewer questions. Then again, maybe not!

Either way, 4 stars if I'd been just a little bit less unsure.