Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House and Heather Lloyd for the opportunity to read and review this book - loved it!
This book grabbed me from the beginning - a bright, "good" teenage girl confesses to shooting her stepfather although she won't talk about the reasons. She also blames her mom and won't speak to her. She's put into a juvenile detention center and then hears that her autistic younger brother, Leo, has gone missing. In a blink of an eye, Venus has no one. When she's released as a young adult, she finds her way to Seattle with a fake name and ID, a few Goodwill clothes to her name, and desperately trying to stay away from the media. She soon finds herself surrounded by a small circle of people she cares about, even while pushing them away.
This was a beautifully written book - most of it from the viewpoint of Venus and Leo, with the other characters' voices intermixed. I cared so deeply about all of these people and couldn't put this book down to see how it would end for them. When I read the last page, this is one of those books that made me sigh, and then made me want to start it again!
My Name is Venus Black is being published on Tuesday - you must read this book! This would be an amazing book club selection. There are so many things to discuss - just what makes up a family? How can we forgive each other and ourselves?
This is Heather Lloyd's first novel - amazing. I can't wait to read her next one!
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