This was such a great book!

One night in 1980, 13-year-old Venus Black's life, and the life of her family, changes dramatically when she commits a crime. She doesn't want to talk about it, but the media can't get enough of it. It's a surprise to many who know Venus well, because she is a straight-A student who dreams of being an astronaut. Her crime, and her subsequent refusal to talk about that night, or the events which led up to it, strains her already-difficult relationship with her mother, Inez, whom Venus blames for everything.

"A few days ago, I was hanging out by my school locker, gossiping about boys with my girlfriends. My biggest worry was how to talk Inez into buying me a new pair of Jordache jeans. Now I'm locked up with junior criminals, I've been labeled a violent offender, and my biggest worry is getting beat up."

To make matters worse, Venus' seven-year-old stepbrother, Leo, who is developmentally disabled (in modern vernacular he'd probably be diagnosed as autistic), has gone missing. No one knows what happened to him or where he could have gone, but it's just another thing Venus blames herself for (and Inez blames Venus as well).

Five years later, Venus is released from prison and is determined to make a fresh start, as someone new. She has a fake ID and a suitcase of used clothes, and what she wants is to find a job, make some money, and then move from Washington State to California, where no one will know who she was or what she did. She all too quickly finds that it's not easy to start over when you haven't resolved your own issues, or said the things you've needed to say.

She gets a job and starts to settle in, and meets both a young girl who reminds her a little of herself when she was younger, and a man who is interested in her romantically, although she knows she must keep him at arm's length. But after a while she realizes that she can't escape her guilt or hurt, and she needs to do everything she can to try and find Leo, to see if he's even alive five years later.

My Name is Venus Black is powerful, moving, and utterly compelling. It's a story of second chances, of forgiveness and regret, fear of rejection and fear that someone will discover the secrets you've kept hidden. It's a story of family and friendship, of realizing you are worthy of happiness and love, and that you can't push people away forever. It's also a story of how people we least expect can rescue us.

From the book's very first sentence I was completely hooked on Venus' story. Venus is a complex character but she is so easy to become enamored of, and root for, despite what she did when she was younger. I was so happy that Heather Lloyd made the choice to focus more on Venus after prison than have to endure the young woman-in-prison clichés.

There are a number of memorable characters other than Venus—Inez, Leo, Piper, Danny, and two other characters I won't mention for fear of spoiling their role in the story. I did feel as if the character of Tinker seemed to be little more than a device to advance part of the story; I'm still not completely clear on his motivations to do what he did.

Lloyd doesn't quite settle for wrapping everything up with a neat bow, she doesn't take a heavy-handed approach with describing her characters' flaws, and allows you to come to your own conclusions about whether they should be considered guilty or not. There were a few times I worried she was going to sacrifice the integrity of her story for some quick drama, and I was so glad she didn't.

All in all, this is a beautifully written, memorable, moving story, and Venus Black is truly unforgettable.

NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

This is the debut novel of Heather Lloyd, and I will read any new book(s) that she writes.

There is good character development. My heart ached for the pain from the past that was tearing apart the love and kindness of good people. The characters in My Name Is Venus Black are humans who make bad choices for the right reasons. And, oh what a mess of emotions that are foisted upon the reader to handle!

3.5 stars - this book wasn't for me but might be for you!

My Name Is Venus Black is a beautifully written novel that follows the lives of two families in the aftermath of Venus' crime that set multiple things in motion and altered the courses of many lives. Initially the story is told from two POVs, Venus and Leo, but as the tale progresses more perspectives are included in the mix to give a well-rounded and full picture of what is happening and the impact.

If I had rated this book early on it would have been closer to 5 stars, but I was most engaged for the for 60%. Sadly my interest waned a bit the longer the circumstances of the crime were avoided, and that is the reason for my 3.5 star rating.

Reasons that this book wasn't for me but may be for you:
- The increasing number of povs that were introduced as the book carried on, without much notice or indication that it is happening. Some readers will undoubtedly love seeing the story unfold from all of these important people's perspectives, but for me it was jarring and confusing.
- Not knowing what the crime was until 15% in, and it was essentially in passing and not fully explained until 70% in.
- The time jump six years in the future. It felt anticlimactic to me and left so many questions on what happened, how the trial went, etc. I would have been interested in a smaller leap in time to showcase what transpired for her during those years but there IS a lot to be said for the way Lloyd weaves the tale: dropping hints, teasing the reader towards the answers but it is a slow journey of realization that I think a lot of readers would enjoy.

Loved the story. Venus is a written as a character that you will relate to and understand. She seems real and you can feel her pain and injustice. The story brings you and and makes you want to know more, but you only learn bits and pieces until you know the whole story. Heart wrenching and heartwarming at the same time. Read this book and I think you will agree that the author is amazing.

This book follows Venus, who does something horrible as a teenager and is sent to juvenile prison, and her brother Leo, who goes missing shortly after Venus commits her crime. You get to see how Venus' crime tears their family apart and how they struggle for years.

I have to say that I was not a fan of young Venus. But that was before I found out why she did what she did. I can definitely understand her anger towards her mother Inez. I was more interested in the chapters that followed Leo in the beginning. Once Venus was released from juvenile prison I became more interested in her story and really wanted to know why she did what she did.

This was an absolutely fascinating book. Whenever I was forced to put it down the characters still stayed in my mind and I couldn't wait to see what happened to them next. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the galley.

Thank you Netgalley and the Dial Press for the ARC.

We meet Venus Black in the midst of the worst night of her life. She has just committed an unspeakable crime and we're now going along with her as she lives through the consequences. Slowly we learn what Venus did and why she did it. As if this wasn't enough to happen in one family, while Venus is in juvie her little brother, Leo, is kidnapped. Leo has special needs and this makes Venus even more worried for her little brother.

This book follows thirteen year old Venus, her brother Leo, and her mother Inez as they cope with tragedies that have torn their family apart. Over six years we see how Venus and the other characters grow and change. I usually get annoyed when so much happens to a character in such a short amount of time, but this was different. It felt believable and you can't help but root for Venus. This book is set in the 1980s, but the topics are still relevant. The characters are all well written and have depth to make you question what you would do if you were in their shoes. I cannot wait to read Heather Lloyd's second book if this was her debut novel!

Very interesting story. I figured there was more to Venus Black's story from the very beginning, but it was not confirmed until the very end. I have been sitting here stewing about the book. How would Venus's life been different if the truth had come out earlier? Why didn't Inez speak up for her daughter? What is the whole deal with Danny knowing who she was from the very beginning? My Name is Venus Black would make for very interesting discussions in a middle or high school setting.

This review is based on an ARC of My Name Is Venus Black which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Random House/The Dial Press).

Well... This was a little bit of a letdown. Personally I didn't think that My Name Is Venus Black lived up to it's massive hype. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this story. I enjoyed it, but at the same time I felt a little indifferent. I can't really put into words how I feel. To make it easier I'll just break the book down into basic likes or dislikes.

What I liked:
(1) Sibling story!! I love sibling stories! This one hurt a little extra because of Leo's disability and the fact that there were two sisters (well, one real and one almost sister) loving him and looking out for him. Not to mention Venus and Piper's almost sisterhood.
(2) Multiple points of view. I really loved that only Venus's point of view was in first person, whereas every other character's point of view was told in third person omnipresent, making this book truly about Venus more than anyone else.
(3) All the relationships! I loved how everyone came together or fell apart and the distinct and different relationships between each character and another. That fascinated me, and it was all well portrayed.
(4) The macabre. There wasn't much of it, but the one chapter where it all came out, that was a great chapter.
(5) The cover and title. Beautiful cover, perfect title! This is the kind of combo that would make me buy a book without even looking at the synopsis.

What I did not like:
(1) Everything about "that night" is kept a secret until the end. I get that there were bits and pieces hinting at the truth, but it just felt kind of like a ploy to get you to keep reading to find out what really happened. Maybe if I were more interested in the story this wouldn't bother me so much. I may be biased on this point because I don't recall this bothering me with books that I do like.
(2) I didn't like anyone besides Piper. She was the only character I really cared about and wanted to hear more about.
(3) I didn't feel anything. There was only one scene where I actually felt moved and it was somewhere near the end. But it's not like I felt it deep in my heart or that it brought me to tears. It was more like, "Aww. It made me feel."

Overall I guess I can see other people enjoying this, but it's just not for me. I already know that I'd never re-read this; it isn't worth the time.

4.5 Stars

”Sometimes I wonder where I've been,
Who I am,
Do I fit in.
Make-believing is hard alone,
Out here on my own.

“We're always provin' who we are,
Always reachin'
For that risin' star
To guide me far
And shine me home,
Out here on my own.”
-- ”Out Here On My Own” – lyrics by Lesley Gore, Michael Gore


Beginning with the epilogue, dated the 12th of September in 1980, you are aware that Venus Black has committed some act that changes the trajectory of her life, as well as the others in her family, her seven year-old brother, Leo, especially, and her mother, Ina. Venus has been accused of committing a crime as this story begins.

”My Name is Venus Black” is about assumptions we make, conclusions we jump to, dismissing those nagging doubts we have about others, dismissing the concerns and complaints of others, wanting life to run smoothly. Repercussions follow, rebounding like echoes off the walls in an empty house, touching everyone who enters. The damage done, eating away at everyone involved. And eventually there is also forgiveness, we hope, for both given and received.

Leo is not your average seven year-old, he has developmental disabilities, emotional difficulties with change, and having his sister Venus taken away from their home, especially at a point of undoubtedly much confusion for him, it unsettling for Leo. He’s lost his most important connection, to the one person who understood him, his unspoken meanings, knew how to calm him down before he would dissolve into rocking back and forth, banging his head against the wall. His mother is lost in her own grief, dealing with all that has occurred, and Leo becomes lost in the shuffle. And then Leo is just… lost.

Leo is a wonderful character that also brings out the best in all of the other characters as he gradually becomes a part of each of their lives, and a character that quickly creates a bond with the reader. Being unaffectedly simple in his viewpoints, you realize how vulnerable that makes him.

This story is unveiled slowly, which I appreciated. There’s not much else I can say without giving too much away, so I’ll just say that I was completely captivated by Leo, and although it took me a tiny bit longer to open my heart as fully with Venus, overall I loved ”My Name is Venus Black” .



Pub Date: 27 Feb 2018


Many thanks for the ARC provided by The Dial Press / Random House Publishing Group – Random House

This book is such a page turner. Inoook forward to reading more of Lloyd’s books. This book really made me think about what I would do in similar situations. I was so happy for the happy ending.

Not gonna lie, I almost regretted requesting this when I first started it. I couldn’t connect to the story as it began, and feared it would be filled with unlikeable characters and sadness.

I’m glad I stuck it out because it certainly hits an uptick shortly after the characters of Tessa and Tony are introduced. This is certainly not the bummer I braced for.

I’m always a sucker for lonely people connecting to others in unexpected ways and this story is full of that. Dare I call the ending heartwarming?

Sweet, heartbreaking and very real. This book has so many layers. Really enjoyed.

4.5 stars

Stories from the perspective of children always get to me because the children are almost always so honest and many times so much more astute than the adults . I certainly felt this way as I read this book. It’s hard to read at times because some sad and awful things happen. If not for these child characters, this probably would not have appealed to me when my friend Esil recommended this book . There are crimes committed - murder and then a kidnapping, some suspense - usually not my kind of book . But my friend knows a lot about the types of books I like and knew that I would be drawn in . She was right.

13 year old Venus Black, her 7 year old brother Leo who is more than likely autistic, the sweet and smart Tessa, my favorite character with so much heart, a 10 year old girl who becomes so important to Leo and Piper who forms a bond with Venus later in the book - these are the children I came to care about. It’s difficult to write about this without spoilers so I’ll be brief in my thoughts. 1980 , a deadly crime is committed and Venus spends 6 years in a juvenile lock up. Her narrative runs along side her brother Leo’s story and his heartbreaking ordeal. While in many ways, this is Venus’ story, Heather Lloyd has done a great job of weaving together the situations of a few characters whose lives come together by circumstance.

There is a dysfunctional family, there is a loving father and daughter, there are mistakes that people make that have consequences, some that deserve redemption and forgiveness and an ending that even though predictably neat made for a satisfying read . Thanks , Esil !


I received an advanced copy of this book from Dial Press/Random House through NetGalley.

My Name is Venus Black was a very well written YA book. It was told from the perspective of different characters. Initially, some characters were more likable than others. However, as the story enfolded, the reader was given glimpses of why the characters reacted the way they did.
The characters were all well developed, but the author really made Leo’s character stand out. His character was the most vulnerable and most loved.You cannot help but root for him throughout the story.
This was a very fast paced read and engaged the reader from the first to last page.

Good book, not amazing but solidly good. The characters were sympathetic.

Wow! This book completely captivated me from start to finish. I couldn't put it down, and was sorry to say goodbye to the characters at the end of the story. If you enjoyed The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, or A Man Called Ove, I would definitely give this book a try.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this heartwarming story.

Wish I could have given this book more than 3.5 stars -- I thoroughly enjoyed the NetGalley advance copy -- but the book's flaws nagged me throughout the time I spent reading it. The final score reflects this ambivalence.

What the author got right: memorable characters in two families, an intriguing premise, and plenty of plot momentum. What bothered me: quite a bit of sloppy editing (typos, numerous stray upper-case letters), and some continuity problems that had me rereading, scratching my head, trying to regain the narrative flow. Examples include some road trips that have Venus Black (avoiding law enforcement) driving well below the speed limit, but making the 830-mile trip from Everett, WA to Oakland, CA in one driving day -- in February! Maybe that would only give pause to a west-coaster, but it smacked of Internet research (in fact, I googled it -- that's how much it bothered me.)

Other reviewers have singled out Venus's brother Leo as the strongest character, and I agree -- he is central to all that happens. This is a well-built book that (to use a construction metaphor) only skimped on the finish details.

I just read this book all in one sitting, but I still can’t quite pinpoint exactly how I felt about it. It is compelling, but maybe a bit too on the women's fiction end of the spectrum to really satisfy me? It centers on a thirteen year old girl, under arrest for a terrible crime, who years later is trying to rebuild her life and hide from her past. And also her developmentally disabled brother has been kidnapped. I liked many parts of this but the ending was perhaps a bit too pat. B/B+

When I first sat down to read My Name is Venus Black, I made it 25% of the way through the book in the first sitting, and then sat it down, looked at my husband, and said, "I don't think I can finish reading this book."

I was experiencing serious issues with one particular aspect of the book, which I will explain below, and I had encountered the line that was the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back" when I started having an internal battle over whether to continue reading or refuse to go on.

Ultimately, my desire to know what happened won, and I forged ahead.

Now that I have finished reading My Name is Venus Black, I honestly can't say whether I'm glad I did so. Part of me was happy with how the rest of the book played out, but an equal part still struggles with one major issue with this book.

My Name is Venus Black begins with a teenage Venus's arrest for the murder of her stepfather, Raymond. The circumstances surrounding her actions are fuzzy, Venus initially refuses to explain to anyone why she did what she did, and she places most of the blame for what happened on her mother's shoulders. She is sent to a youth detention center where she spends the next five years, but in the meantime, her seven-year-old brother with fairly severe developmental delays is kidnapped. The book then begins to take a few different paths, moving around among the actions and thoughts of several different characters and jumps forward five years in time to when Venus is released and attempts to begin a new life with a false identity.

First and foremost, let me start by saying that I always have a hard time reviewing YA fiction. I always try to keep personal preferences from influencing my opinion of a book, because ultimately, I feel that the quality of a book should depend completely upon the quality of the writing itself. Young adult fiction can be difficult for me because I struggle to determine whether the writing is structured a particular way because of the intended audience or simply because the quality is not what it should be. My Name is Venus Black is written in a very simplistic style. If this was an intentional choice by the author, I can understand, but I still feel that it's on a sophistication level more appropriate for middle grades fiction. If this had only been applicable to certain characters in the book whose maturity level is very low, that would make sense to me and would be an excellent choice on the author's part, but the style is utilized for all the characters.

In addition, the story is told from varying points of view throughout the book. In some parts, the point of view is first person from Venus's perspective, and in others, when other characters are the focus, it is third person omniscient. This didn't bother me much until the last few sections of the book. Once several characters begin interacting with one another, the shifts get much more jumbled and confusing. This technique might work at times, but it fell flat for me in this particular book. As for the plot, although it got a bit too cliche at times, there is only one element that I thought was weak--the reason for Leo's kidnapping was a big stretch for me. I had a hard time believing that the motive was comparable to the severity of the crime. However, I also realize that real life works that way as well sometimes, so I didn't let it bother me too much.

There were definitely elements of the book that I DID appreciate, however. I thought Venus's brother Leo's character was wonderful, and the insight into his thoughts were well-crafted. Including the inner workings of a child with a developmental disability (most likely autism, in Leo's case, although it is never named specifically) is not an easy feat, but I felt that Heather Lloyd did a good job with Leo. Lloyd also did an excellent job of weaving the concept of guilt and forgiveness throughout the book. Although Venus's growth and maturity in regard to those concepts would be expected for a coming-of-age story, several other characters in the book go through a similar process. I also appreciated the way Lloyd tied all the stories together by the end, even if I didn't love the point-of-view changes.

So, why did I almost abandon this book?

My reason is complicated. And I'm still conflicted about it, because I am struggling to determine whether my reason is a legitimate concern or I'm being too sensitive.

My son is five years old, and he has a developmental disability (autism). When I read books that feature characters with autism, I'm always very cognizant of how they are portrayed, especially through the eyes of other characters. And I have to admit, My Name is Venus Black hurt my heart.

Although I thought the author did a good job of crafting Leo's thoughts, and I loved his character the most of all the characters in the book, she also made some decisions that left me in tears...and not because I was moved by them. For the first half of the book or so, Leo is referred to three times as "retarded" and "retard." The use of that word in a work of fiction published in 2018 is completely unnecessary, in my opinion, regardless of whether the use of that word was acceptable in the time period the action of the book takes place or not. The first time it was used, it was spoken by Venus when describing Leo to another character. Venus. His sister. The person who, at that point in the book, probably loved and respected him the most.

The second time it was used, a character was grocery shopping for food for Leo and "tried to think like a retard." That was the moment when I put the book down and didn't think I would pick it up again.

Look, I get it. Authors need to portray characters and the world the way it really is and not sugarcoat it for the sake of sparing someone's feelings. But the use of that word will never be phased out if it continues to be presented to others, especially young adults and children, as a normal part of speech. I know the book takes place during the 1980s and that word wasn't seen in quite the same light as it is (or should be) today, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be replaced with a different word or left out entirely.

Unfortunately, the use of that particular word is not my only qualm regarding the details included about Leo's treatment by others. On three separate occasions, Leo is compared to a dog. On several other occasions, he is described as a "whack job,"a "weirdo," and "not right in the head." Several other times, characters talk about what's "wrong" with him, including characters who seem to genuinely care about him. All the characters in the book also seem genuinely surprised that Leo knows basic things like the alphabet and colors, and their inability to distinguish between developmental and intellectual disabilities is disheartening and never addressed.

I know life is not all sunshine and rainbows, and I know that those kinds of thoughts probably cross the minds of those who deal with kids like mine frequently, no matter how much I tell myself that everyone who meets my son loves him and sees his strengths, not his struggles. However, I felt that their use was far too excessive in My Name is Venus Black, and were mostly unnecessary. The details of Leo's disability and the effect it has on those around him could have been handled in a much different manner. For all I know, Heather Lloyd might love someone with autism herself, and for all I know, their use might be toned down in the final copy of this book. I hope both of these things are true.

Ultimately, the bones of My Name is Venus Black were fairly solid, and I might have even overlooked some of the issues I had with the writing a bit more, had my experience with the book not been different from most as a result of my deeply personal connection to an important element of the story. I wonder if my overall opinion would be different, if I didn't have a child like Leo myself. However, I can't help but feel that a wonderful character like Leo...and the entire community of people in the world with developmental disabilities...deserved a bit more respect.