The plot was captivating and I was interested to see how the different threads came together, and not revealing why Venus did what she did until the end of the book added a touch of mystery. However, I found the tone (especially that of Venus' present-day storyline) incongruous with the heavy subject matter of the story - it seemed like at times this book wanted to be a light-hearted comedy, and at other times a tragic tale, and it was a bit confusing.

We are introduced to Venus Black at the police station after she is arrested for committing a crime that she refuses to speak about, except blaming her mother. She is an intelligent young woman who loves all things astronomy and her brother, Leo. In an instant, Venus's life changes as she is sent to a juvenile facility where she will spend the next five years of her life. While in the facility, her brother goes missing.

Upon her release from prison, Venus is armed with a fake name and the resolve to start over, leaving the past behind. She finds a place to stay and a job to help her pay her way. There are many new people in her life, including an interested customer, though Venus will not allow herself to flirt with this man who is a police officer. A run in with an old neighbor causes Venus's mother to find her and visit. Despite the years, Leo is still missing, but a strange interaction with a stranger strikes an idea on how to find him.

This was a great book and I wish I had read it sooner.

4 out of 5 stars.

This book sucks you in immediately with a perfect blend of action and emotion. Every perspective we get is very close, like being inside the character's head. Not only did I want to know what happened, I wanted to know how everyone felt about it.

Venus Black is a thirteen year old girl when we first meet her and she commits an awful crime and is then sent to a juvenile detention center. Shortly there after, her mentally handicapped younger brother goes missing.

Told from multiple viewpoints, this book tells the story of the family, blood and extended, through the years. It is a story about growth, maturity, forgiveness and moving on. The author did a great job with the different viewpoints and changing the characters’ voices through the years as they get older.

A solid family drama with lots of unexpected twists.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an opportunity to review this book! Bravo Heather Lloyd on a fantastic read about family, love and loss. Go in to the book with zero expectations and you will be blown away!

4 STARS

Venus Black is straight-A, straight arrow middle school student in Everett, Washington in the late 1970s. But one night, she commits a serious crime and is sent to juvenile detention for several years. During this same time, her developmentally-challenged (probably autistic?) little brother, Leo, goes missing. When Venus is released from jail at age 19, she tries to start a new life with a new identity in Seattle. She befriends a little girl who lives at her rental house, tries not to flirt with a regular customer at the doughnut shop where she works, and tries to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Despite her anger at her mother, they work together to try to track down her little brother.

This book was hard to put down! I just wanted to know what happened to Venus, why she did what she did, what happened to Leo, and how everyone’s stories would resolve. I liked having the different points of view, especially when you saw the same scene through two people’s eyes. It also had some good messages about anger and forgiveness, acceptance and love, and the love of a parent or parent figure. However, it also had a fair amount of strong language including many f words. I’d give it a 3 1/2, but I bumped it down to a 3 for the language. Thanks to NetGalley for the free ebook.

Whoa, this was a drama bomb, there was a LOT happening in this book, if you like the twists and turns of a dark soap opera this one is for you.

A tough thing to pull off - writing from a child's point of view - Heather Lloyd does it well. A coming of age story that is emotional, difficult, and dark at times. One of those characters who stays with you - in your heart - long after the last page.

The premise of the book is great and the author really delivers. Great read. Highly recommended. .

I apologize but this title did not work for me. I apologize but this title did not work for me. I apologize but this title did not work for me.

Heather Lloyd's My Name is Venus Black follows the titular character Venus through a most difficult and traumatic experience. Accused of a cold-blooded crime at the extraordinarily tender age of thirteen, Venus is separated from her autistic younger brother Leo and sent to a juvenile detention center far away. When Leo goes missing a few days later, Venus is frantic to get out and look for him. Abandoned by her mother who has put all the blame for everything on her daughter's shoulders, Venus has to put her head down and serve her time. When she is finally released, all she can think of doing is starting over with a new name to escape the media attention, and searching for Leo.

This book deals with some heavy topics, but it a very gentle way. The crime is described only enough to make the point, the circumstances leading up to the crime are also awful, but handled in such a way as to communicate the fact without dwelling on it. Even Leo's "mental disability" (this book is set in the early 1980s before common use of the term autism) is observed with love and understanding, even when the characters don't fully understand. I'm not sure I would give this book to a very young teen, but an older one should have no problem with the topics. The characters are wonderfully written and those who are meant to be likable are very likable. I found myself invested in them. Venus is strong and stubborn and a little hardened from her life, but we also see her soften when the time is right.

I really liked this book and I think you will, too.

After serving 5 years in a Juvenile Detention Center, teen Venus finds herself while searching for missing, mentally disabled, younger brother, Leo).

Set in the mid 1980s, I was very interested to discover why Venus was sentenced to 5 years in a Juvenile Detention Center. What horrible crime did the straight A student commit, and what drove her to the edge?

Adding to the family's heartbreaks, soon after Venus was arrested, her 5 year old, mentally handicapped—a specific diagnosis was never mentioned, but it seemed obvious he was autistic—brother, Leo, went missing from a neighbor's home. Did he run away because of the extreme chaos at his home days before, or was he the victim of kidnapping?

A fabulous debut, My Name Is Venus Black was fast-paced and held my interest throughout. In addition, I really liked the characters, especially Leo and Tessa. Venus herself took a little while to grow on me, but I think the story was written that way on purpose to allow the reader to grow, mature, and forgive alongside Venus.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

Rivoting, engaging until the last page, delightful substories. I heavily fell for Venus, the perfect student, who's who amongst her school, then fallen from glory. The multi-stories fell into place maybe a little too easily... The last Third didn't seem entirely realistic. However, I enjoyed none the less.

Even the perfect teen can fall to the bottomless pit of humanity or so we could think with a description of this book. The strength to defend yourself, the strength to tell the truth when know one else believes you and the strength to serve your time then try to rebuild your life is something many people whom are imprisoned in either Juvenile Detention or Prison. Is it easy to fall to thinking life can never be better? Absolutely! Venus does struggle, she does have a hard time readjusting “to the outside” and she does this with the help of Piper a girl just like Venus’s younger self.
Then we have Leo, Venus’s little brother who is taken while Venus is in JD. Leo’s story in my opinion is the best writing and storyline of this whole book and the whole book was strong And enjoyable! The characters are full of depth, (even the hated ones) and felt like someone you live near but their life is lived behind doors and you don’t see what they are going through.

This is a must read book. It’s a mix of mystery, the complexity of family relationships, trying to forgive to move on and understanding other people’s foibles.
Not a quick read but so worth it and on the end you will be glad you walked along with My Name Is Venus Black’s characters.
5 stars.
Thanks, Netgalley, Heather Lloyd, and Random House for the opportunity to read this book in lieu of my honest review.

Interesting YA debut novel. Some difficulties with multiple POV changes. I found Venus allowed the reader to feel all sorts of emotions, This book would make for great discussions!

3.5

Amazing story about family, forgiveness, and making choices. Exceptional book! Very well written and easy to follow. Amazing this is Heather Lloyd's first novel. Will definitely be on the look out for her future work.

A story that you won't soon forget. It's so easy to want Venus to succeed and do well, and so frustrating at every roadblock or challenge. Venus is a relatable and unlikely heroine, true to herself. I highly recommend this book.

I choose books to read very carefully. My Name is Venus Black was a good choice. The book is written in a youthful voice. Obviously from the point of view of a girl without much life experience. A girl who is angry and has been grievously hurt. The adults in her life have failed her. Venus tells her story of survival and her love of her special brother, Leo. Ultimately her story is one of forgiveness.
#MyNameisVenusBlack #netgalley

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this anymore. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

This was a very moving and heartfelt read. Venus is a girl who lands in jail after committing a crime which she does not wish to elaborate on, and it tears apart her relationship with her family and friends. Despite the dramatic plot, the premise revolves around a highly relatable moral that pulls your heartstrings for Venus, and I found it a beautiful read. Recommended.