Review: My Name Is Venus Black

My Name Is Venus Black

by Heather Lloyd

Why did you choose this book? The synopsis intrigued me

When did you read this book? March 2018

Who should read this book? Readers who enjoy contemporary fiction of people making hard choices

Source: Library Thing Early Reviewers

My Rating: ★★★★  4½ Stars

Here is a synopsis of My Name Is Venus Black from Goodreads

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.

My Review

I chose this one because the synopsis intrigued me. A straitlaced A student teen has done something that lands her in prison for five years—but what did she do? And why does she blame her mother? And why won’t she try to explain what she has done? Those are the questions that I had to have answered!

This was a quick read that I finished in a weekend, and could have easily have finished in one day had I not had book club, theater tickets, and other commitments over the weekend! It was hard to be on time to these things because I did NOT want to stop reading!

I loved the characters in this book. Yes, Venus is a criminal, but she is also a good person. I loved her interactions with her autistic brother, Leo. I also loved Leo, and the way the author let us into his head. There are two other characters that I particularly enjoyed because they were so good-hearted; Tessa and Tony. I’m not going to spoil the story by telling you who they are though!

The story ended satisfactorily and yet there were a couple of storylines I felt were kind of left hanging; the Danny storyline and the Piper storyline. Read the book to find out what I am talking about!

This book is classified as Young Adult, however, I’m not sure I agree with that classification. Labeling the book as Young Adult cause many adults who typically avoid books labeled young adult to skip it, and.this is too good a book to be overlooked because of its label!

To learn more about the book and the author, visit the author’s website where you will also find a reader’s guide.

I won a copy of this book through the Library Thing Early Reviewers program.