Review: MY NAME IS VENUS BLACK by Heather Lloyd
/12 Comments/by SuzannePublished by Dial Press on February 27th 2018
Genres: Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 368
Source: Netgalley
Amazon
Goodreads
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
MY REVIEW:
Set in the 1980s, Heather Lloyd’s moving debut My Name is Venus Black follows the story of Venus Black, a thirteen year-old straight A student who dreams of becoming the first female astronaut in space. When the story opens, Venus is being placed into the backseat of a police car and taken away from her home and subsequently charged with a horrific crime. Venus refuses to talk to anyone about what happened or why it happened, but she is adamant that her mother is to blame and refuses to speak to her as well. Ultimately Venus is convicted and sentenced to a juvenile detention facility for more than five years. As if Venus’s crime and imprisonment wasn’t enough to tear apart the Black family, Venus’ seven year old brother Leo, who is developmentally disabled, also goes missing. One minute he’s playing in the neighbor’s sandbox, the next he vanishes without a trace. During one of their infrequent meetings, Venus’ mother Inez blurts out that she holds Venus responsible for the fact that Leo has gone missing. Thus an already strained relationship becomes even more strained.
When Venus is finally released, she chooses not to go back home. Instead, she decides she needs to make a fresh start so she obtains a fake id and thus tries to escape from her past and start over. At first Venus is completely alone and refuses to trust anyone around her, but as she finally starts to meet new people, she finds herself opening up and letting more people in. She makes a friend at the local coffee shop where she lands her first job, becomes like a big sister to the young daughter of a man she rents a room from, and even begins a bit of a flirtation with one of the regular customers at the coffee shop. What Venus eventually realizes, however, is that she can’t have these new relationships while living a lie and constantly looking over her shoulder wondering if someone has figured out who she really is. This realization causes old wounds to reopen and Venus realizes that she has to face her past head on, including her estranged relationship with her mother as well as the disappearance of her brother (who is still missing), if she ever hopes to move past it.
Can Venus come to terms with the actions from her past and go after the second chance she deserves? Can she forgive her mother for looking the other way when Venus needed her the most? And most importantly, can Venus learn to forgive herself?
My Name is Venus Black is a moving coming of age story about second chances, forgiveness, facing up to one’s past, and most importantly, about family.
The focus on family was one of the themes that really resonated with me. Whether it’s the family you’re born with or a family that you’ve made because you all happen to be living under one roof, this book is all about the connections we make with those around us. Even though she is alone and has every intention of remaining so when she is first released, Venus slowly but surely finds herself forming an almost sisterly bond with a young girl named Piper that she lives with for a while. Venus is also constantly reminded of the family she has lost and left behind. She misses Leo and is always thinking about him and wondering if he is okay. This story also strongly focuses on the idea that no matter how badly you think you’ve messed up, your family is always there for you and it’s never too late to start over if you’re willing to try.
What really got to me about My Name is Venus Black is that it was told mostly from the perspective of the two children, Venus and Leo. Because some of the events of the story are so dark, it’s just all the more poignant to see them unfold through the eyes of a child. All of the emotions, the fears and the uncertainty just got to me even more than they probably would have if the story had been presented to me differently.
I also loved both Venus and Leo. Venus is such a strong voice in this story and her character development is incredible. I felt bad for her in the beginning because she just wouldn’t talk about what happened and in some ways probably made things harder for herself by refusing to tell her story. Venus’ story is all about growth though and what she goes through in this story takes her from being basically a terrified little girl in the beginning to a fierce young woman ready to take on the world by the end.
And even though this is mainly Venus’ story, Leo also plays a huge role. He isn’t given a diagnosis in this book but based on the way he needs structure and the way he panics when his routine is disrupted, I think he is quite possibly autistic. Leo is such a vulnerable character that I immediately felt protective of him because he’s caught up in the middle of something he can’t even begin to comprehend. Leo is important to the story primarily because of how his disappearance impacts Venus and Inez. No matter how many years have passed, neither of them give up on the idea that he is still out there so he remains a connection between them no matter how estranged they are from one another.
I only had one real issue with My Name is Venus Black and that had to do with the way it would sometimes switch from one character’s perspective to another without warning right in the middle of a chapter. Hopefully this is just an ARC formatting issue that will not be in the finished copy, but in the review copy I read, occasionally it would just randomly switch from Venus’ perspective to Leo’s from one paragraph to the next. I found that a little odd, especially since the chapters themselves were told from different perspectives. Why add further switches within the chapters instead of just making more chapters? Anyway, it didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for the book but it did slow me down a few times while reading since it was a little jarring each time it happened.
My Name is Venus Black is an incredibly moving story about family and forgiveness. It’s about learning that your actions have consequences and that you have to accept responsibility for them, but it’s also about second chances and how we’re all entitled to them. If you’re looking for a poignant story filled with memorable characters, I’d highly recommend My Name is Venus Black.
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:
Venus Black is a straitlaced A student fascinated by the study of astronomy—until the night she commits a shocking crime that tears her family apart and ignites a media firestorm. Venus refuses to talk about what happened or why, except to blame her mother. Adding to the mystery, Venus’s developmentally challenged younger brother, Leo, goes missing.
More than five years later, Venus is released from prison with a suitcase of used clothes, a fake identity, and a determination to escape her painful past. Estranged from her mother, and with her beloved brother still missing, she sets out to make a fresh start in Seattle, skittish and alone. But as new people enter her orbit—including a romantic interest and a young girl who seems like a mirror image of her former lost self—old wounds resurface, and Venus realizes that she can’t find a future while she’s running from her past.
Review: THE HUSH by John Hart
/10 Comments/by SuzannePublished by St. Martin's Press on February 27th 2018
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 432
Source: Netgalley
Amazon
Goodreads
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
MY REVIEW:
I’ve been a fan of John Hart’s novels for years, ever since I read his gripping thriller The Last Child so I was beyond excited to get approved for an ARC of his latest novel, The Hush. My excitement grew even more once I started reading and realized that The Hush actually revisits the characters and landscape that I fell in love with in The Last Child.
The Hush takes place ten years after the horrifying events that rocked the lives of both thirteen-year-old Johnny Merrimon and the rest of the folks who lived in Johnny’s hometown. Over the years, even though he has shied away from the spotlight, people have written books and tried to exploit Johnny’s story, so whether he wants the attention or not, he has become somewhat of a local celebrity and is both feared and revered by those around him. When the novel opens, Johnny is now 23 years old and, desperate to retain some element of privacy in his life, is living as a recluse in the middle of 6,000 once-sacred, wooded acres known as The Hush.
Johnny’s only real connection to his former way of life is his childhood friend, Jack Cross, who has just finished law school and landed his first job as an attorney. I don’t want to spoil anything from The Last Child so I’ll just say that what these two boys went through in that novel has made their bond of friendship stronger than ever. Jack would literally do anything and give up everything for Johnny, and I think Johnny feels the same way about Jack. Even though I’d classify this book as a mystery/thriller, it is a moving story about friendship as well.
There is something strange and ominous about the place Johnny now calls home, however, and Jack senses its hidden dangers. He tries to talk to Johnny about it but Johnny doesn’t want to hear anyone speak ill of his beloved Hush. It becomes more and more clear that what happens in The Hush is not normal. Most people cannot navigate the wooded, swampy land. Landmarks seems to disappear or flat out move about, strange mists appear and lead to people getting disoriented. In fact, many who attempt to travel into The Hush don’t come out alive. Because he lives there, Johnny of course is immediately considered a suspect every time something happens. Jack knows his friend is innocent and makes it his mission to prove Johnny’s innocence, but big questions remain: What the heck is really going on in The Hush? Who else is interested in it and why are they willing to pay so much money for it?
One element of the story I liked right away is that, without completely rehashing the plot of The Last Child, Hart provides his readers with just enough background information to remind us why Johnny would choose such a secluded way of life. In that sense, The Hush works quite well as a standalone novel. You don’t need to have read The Last Child to follow along with this story. (I definitely recommend reading it though, just because it’s a fabulous read.)
I loved The Last Child so much, so it was also just a thrill for me to revisit this story, and especially the characters, Johnny Merrimon and Jack Cross, who were both just such compelling characters. It was wonderful to meet these boys again and see what kind of young men they have grown up to become and that Johnny has attained an almost mythic quality in the years since we left him. The mysterious events that are taking place in The Hush also have Johnny pitted against local law enforcement, who seem eager to pin something on him, so legendary as he is, Johnny is also cast in the role of underdog in this story, and I’m always one to root for the underdog.
Hart drew me into this story, not just by revisiting some of my favorite characters, but also with the mystery of The Hush. Johnny loves this place so much that even though he is on the verge of losing it if he can’t come up with the money to pay his taxes, he still won’t part with a single acre of it, not even when someone offers to pay him 10 times what it is worth. The connection between Johnny and The Hush is almost surreal – Johnny is literally one with the land, and the land is one with him. This intense connection captivated me immediately and had me zooming through the pages because I wanted to know how and why Johnny could have such a connection to the land, especially since it seemed to literally chew up and spit out anyone else who tried to venture onto it.
I’m also a huge fan of Hart’s writing style. It’s a given that it’s filled with exciting twists and turns by virtue of the fact that it’s a mystery, but what I love about Hart’s writing is his gorgeous prose. His descriptions, in particular of the landscape, are so lush and vivid that it’s easy to feel that you are right there with the characters. What I love most is that he achieves this without making it feel forced or flowery; the descriptions are fluid and effortless. I know he’s a writer so duh, but John Hart just really has a way with words. His descriptions of The Hush were especially well done and just so atmospheric, especially when someone besides Johnny ventured in. It was so beautiful and yet so creepy and ominous; I literally had goosebumps on my arms and felt like I was looking over my own shoulder for signs of danger.
Lastly, because I really don’t want to give anything away, I just want to say that I also love that Hart is willing to challenge himself by trying something different. Whereas most of Hart’s novels are straight mystery/thrillers, The Hush actually ventures over into magical realism territory and is infused with a bit of the supernatural. This was new and unexpected since that’s not what I’m used to with a John Hart novel, but I thought he did a fantastic job with it overall. It kind of felt like a mashup of a typical John Hart novel and Toni Morrison’s Beloved, and since Beloved is a favorite of mine, it was a great fit for me.
There was only one time when I had any kind of an issue with The Hush and that was towards the end. I can’t really go into any detail without spoiling the plot, so I’m just going to say that it revolved around the supernatural aspect of the story. It’s hard to even explain what my issue really was except that it’s along the lines of me being willing to suspend disbelief and see where the author wants to take the whole supernatural thing, but then reaching a point where I’m like “Nope, too far. Reel it back in.” If you read The Hush, you’ll probably know the exact scene that I’m referring to as soon as you get to it. Aside from that one moment, I thought it was a fantastic read.
With his memorable characters and gorgeous prose, John Hart continues his streak of well-crafted stories with The Hush. If you’re looking for a mystery that will keep you guessing until the end and can open your mind to supernatural possibilities, The Hush should be right up your alley.
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:
The only writer in history to win consecutive Edgar Awards for Best Novel, New York Times bestselling author John Hart returns to the world of his most beloved novel, The Last Child.
Building on the world first seen in The Last Child (“A magnificent creation” —The Washington Post), John Hart delivers a stunning vision of a secret world, rarely seen.
It’s been ten years since the events that changed Johnny Merrimon’s life and rocked his hometown to the core. Since then, Johnny has fought to maintain his privacy, but books have been written of his exploits; the fascination remains. Living alone on six thousand acres of once-sacred land, Johnny’s only connection to normal life is his old friend, Jack. They’re not boys anymore, but the bonds remain. What they shared. What they lost.
But Jack sees danger in the wild places Johnny calls home; he senses darkness and hunger, an intractable intent. Johnny will discuss none of it, but there are the things he knows, the things he can do. A lesser friend might accept such abilities as a gift, but Jack has felt what moves in the swamp: the cold of it, the unspeakable fear.
More than an exploration of friendship, persistence, and forgotten power, The Hush leaves all categories behind, and cements Hart’s status as a writer of unique power.
About John Hart
John Hart is the author of five New York Times bestsellers, THE KING OF LIES, DOWN RIVER, THE LAST CHILD, IRON HOUSE and REDEMPTION ROAD. The only author in history to win the best novel Edgar Award for consecutive novels, John has also won the Barry Award, the Southern Independent Bookseller’s Award for Fiction, the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award, the Southern Book Prize and the North Carolina Award for Literature. His novels have been translated into thirty languages and can be found in over seventy countries. A former defense attorney and stockbroker, John spends his time in North Carolina and Virginia, where he writes full-time.
Can’t Wait Wednesday – Spotlight on OLIVIA TWIST by Lorie Langdon
/36 Comments/by Suzanne
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about. It is a meme that I have loved participating in for over a year now, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll just be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.
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My selection for this week is Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon. I read and loved most of Charles Dickens’ novels when I was in high school and college, and Oliver Twist has always stood out as a sentimental favorite. I’m intrigued by the idea of a re-imagining of this classic tale with a female in the starring role. I also catch a hint of a possible hate-to-love trope, which as those who read my post yesterday know, I’m a huge fan of.
OLIVIA TWIST by Lorie Langdon
Publication Date: March 6, 2018
From Goodreads:
Olivia Brownlow is no damsel in distress. Born in a workhouse and raised as a boy among thieving London street gangs, she is as tough and cunning as they come. When she is taken in by her uncle after a caper gone wrong, her life goes from fighting and stealing on the streets to lavish dinners and soirees as a debutante in high society. But she can’t seem to escape her past … or forget the teeming slums where children just like her still scrabble to survive.
Jack MacCarron rose from his place in London’s East End to become the adopted “nephew” of a society matron. Little does society know that MacCarron is a false name for a boy once known among London gangs as the Artful Dodger, and that he and his “aunt” are robbing them blind every chance they get. When Jack encounters Olivia Brownlow in places he least expects, his curiosity is piqued. Why is a society girl helping a bunch of homeless orphan thieves? Even more intriguing, why does she remind him so much of someone he once knew? Jack finds himself wondering if going legit and risking it all might be worth it for love.
Olivia Twist is an innovative reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic tale Oliver Twist, in which Olivia was forced to live as a boy for her own safety until she was rescued from the streets. Now eighteen, Olivia finds herself at a crossroads: revealed secrets threaten to destroy the “proper” life she has built for her herself, while newfound feelings for an arrogant young man she shouldn’t like could derail her carefully laid plans for the future.
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I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂