Engaging story about a young lady's attempt to deal with step father sexual abuse. Well written. An added dimension is the mentally handicapped brother, illustrating how any small change in routine throws him off kilter.

You can heal your life. I know this is listed as YA but I'm no where near that age group and I think it's one of the best books I've read this year. Venus is a victim who unfortunately takes control in a way that literally blows her life and the lives of her family apart. Sent to prison as a juvenile, she manages to keep it together. Upon her release, she builds a new existence using another name but this hampers her in unexpected ways (up to an including romance.). At the same time, her mentally challenged brother Leo is taken by his uncle but then abandoned to the wonderful Herrara family, who raise him as their own. The characters are just terrific= Venus, Tessa, Leo, Tony, and Piper, in particular are all fully formed and sympathetic. Lloyd is a storyteller and this moves along at a good pace. Although you might expect what's going to happen, it never feels trite and equally importantly, it's not exploitative (or graphic). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Two big thumbs up for this.

This book grabbed me from the start. Thirteen year old Venus murders her stepfather, but we’re not told the reason why. While she’s incarcerated, her seven year old developmentally challenged brother goes missing.

Venus was bright, the kind of child teachers love. Not the kid you expect to end up in juvie. Leo needs everything just so. There are right colors and wrong colors. After Leo goes missing, he meets Tessa, another pre-teen who takes him under her wing. And then there’s Piper, another child lacking proper parents. Lloyd does a great job of portraying all of these characters. Your heart just goes out to all of them. Over and over, it’s a case of the young having to mother the young. They form families where there are none. There’s a great line that sums up how these “families” interact. “But the stars themselves aren’t actually related to one another, they just look like they belong together”. “Kind of like our family”, she says.

Some parents do the wrong things for the right reasons while others just make bad mistakes. As everyone’s stories intermingle, I realized I’d come to care about everyone and just wanted a happy ending.

This is a well done story that will tug at your heartstrings. Heartwarming is the word that comes to mind.

My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

I was a bit skeptical of the description but it is so much more than what's presented. I've seen some reviewers refer to it as a YA novel, but I disagree. So much more. I'm giving it four stars because the first 3/4 of the book was a solid four. The last quarter however, seemed a bit too neat and tidy and somewhat crashed to the conclusion. Still, I recommend the book as a Goodread!

Venus Black is 13 years old when she's incarcerated for killing her stepfather. She is estranged from her mother. And making it worse, her beloved younger, developmentallly challenged brother, Leo, is kidnapped.

Released after six years, Venus secures a new identity and seeks to make a new life for herself. This well-written book is her story as well as that of the people who cross her path in her new life. And, the story of Leo and what happens to him. Beautifully told and sometimes heartbreaking.

The book is populated with fully developed main characters. It covers much territory-- including family, broken families, love, trust, guilt [of various kinds], inner strength, and determination. It is thought provoking and ultimately captivating.

Venus Black is a teen with a secret. She is the fulcrum in a series of events that land her in jail, that cause a huge rift with her mother and puts her autistic brother in danger. While in jail, her brother goes missing.When Venus is released she is determined to find him. Her problem is her record, she wants to make a clean start, and put her past behind her, But is that possible. The characters that inhabit this story are memorable and lovely, and I highly recommend this one.

My Name is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd - Book Review

4/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I was given this title through NetGalley, on behalf of publisher: Random House Publishing, in return for my honest review.

Venus was a normal thirteen year old girl. School, homework, friends. She was rather well behaved also, at least at school. 

At home things were different, especially once Inez met Ray. Inez is her mother, and Ray is her step father. Venus dislikes them both, but hates Ray. Then there is Leo, poor Leo, she knew how to handle his problems. 

One night, one mistake, and everything would really change. She threw a blanket over her mind though. Didn't want to talk about it. She killed him, she had killed Ray, and of course Inez blamed it all on her. Then Leo goes missing, right before sentencing, and she can do nothing.

We meet Venus, first in an institution, after murdering her stepfather. She did eventually open up about Ray, and the abuse, and her mothers blind eye. She also got sentenced to Juvenile Detention, for five and half years. 

When Leo goes missing she tries, but fails to get out. Inez is nothing short of caring less. Tinker has amazingly done well, with the kids problems it should have been harder for him. We follow them, and Venus gets out later.

We begin to go back and forth and Venus, tries to live another life. A new name anyway, not herself but she soon finds out it is not that easy. So what will she do? Will she be able to make it as someone else  or go back to being Venus, she will always be Venus Black?! 

This book was quite amazing, at times frustrating and confusing. Furthermore I enjoyed the ride. It was a great story line and the characters were perfect. It was a perfect way to touch on the subject lightly. A must read for parents, and teens alike, for 2018.

My Name Is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A surprisingly engrossing first novel told from several points of view with characters you come to care about and root for throughout the book. Highly recommended.

FIRST SENTENCE: "My name is Venus Black because my dad was Joseph Black, and because on March 4, 1966, my very pregnant mother, Inez, just so happened to be watching a TV special about the Space Race when her water broke."

THE STORY The problem with reviews is that too many details spoil the magical discovery of a wonderful story so I am going to keep this brief.

Before, Venus was a A+ student who loved the stars. After, her life would never be the same.

Separated from her autistic beloved brother Leo and furious with her mother, Venus embarks on a new life. She is resourceful but scared and angry.

WHAT I THOUGHT: After reading some other reviews I was surprised to learn that My Name is Venus Black is considered for young adults. One person even suggested it was more appropriate for middle school students. I disagree. I'm 72 and adored this book. Judging the level of a book based on the age of the characters seems wrong to me. Certainly this is a coming of age story. The characters, although sometimes difficult, are (mostly) lovable and redeemable.The various threads cross and weave together to make a satisfying ending. I often say that I am looking for something different and special in a book. My Name is Venus drew me right in. And in the end, healing happens, family happens, love happens.

The writing is crisp and clean and the reader can easily follow the various points of view.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Reminded me a bit of The Language of Flowers and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.

Disclaimer: An electronic copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley/The Dial Press/Random House for a fair review.

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: The Dial Press (February 27, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399592180
ISBN-13: 978-0399592188

HEATHER LLOYD, who has spent many years working as an editor and writing coach, lives with her husband in New York City. My Name Is Venus Black is her first novel. (From her website.)

My Name is Venus Black is a combination mystery, family drama, and teary adolescent saga set in the late 80s. Young Venus is committed to juvenile detention at the age of 13, but it is not until the near end that readers find out the true story about what her crime was and the reasons for it. Lloyd leaves hints throughout and frequent readers may fill in some blanks; the absolute truth is, however, sadder and more dismal than what many might imagine.

Venus is bright and a loving sibling to her mentally challenged half brother, Leo. Clearly, there are tensions within the family, especially with stepdad, Ray. Venus's time in detention lasts until she is nineteen. She emerges as a high school graduate with little practical knowledge of the world and no support system. Her successes, small as they initially are, reflect Venus's resilience and strength of character.

Leo's needs are extensive and constant so his overwhelming compulsions cause extraordinary strains on Venus and her mother. His vulnerability and the care that Venus takes of him demonstrates the moral character of Venus and others. Of course, in a time of legal and family chaos, Leo falls through the cracks. He is kidnapped from a neighbor's home and disappears from Venus's life. The description of his personality as a kidnap victim and later as a loved guest really rings true. He may be limited in his ability to communicate but his thoughts and emotions are spot on.

Contrasting with the imprisoned Venus is Tessa, a motherless teen whose domestic skills and clarity of thought are eerily adult. She sees a need so she acts without doubt or question. Her relationship with her father is loving and clearly both characters are dependent on the other.

My Name is Venus Black is entertaining and well worth a reader's time.

It’s been a while since I last really enjoyed a new YA book. My name is Venus Black is such a moving story. I like the way the story unfolds slowly, and little by little you understand what happened. They don’t deliver the whole story all at once - you get to unfold it chapter by chapter, year by year. Even though the story is actually pretty engaging, there are some drawbacks as well. They keep changing the narrator, which is kind of confusing at some parts. And for me, it feels like a YA book for adults, since the story might be a little bit too complicated for teenagers to fully understand. At least I feel I wouldn’t understand it completely if I were like 12 or 13 years old. Overall, it’s my favorite book in 2018 so far.

This review is also available in my blog, The Cheap Subscriber, at https://thecheapsubscriber.wordpress.com/2018/02/21/netgalley-my-name-is-venus-black/ (posted on Feb 21, 2018)

I have to admit that even though it too. bit for me to really get into this book in the end I thoroughly enjoyed it! It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat and had me wanting me more when it was over!

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.



* * * * *



This book is far from my usual reading material. I normally get lost in a book to take me away from reality. MY NAME IS VENUS BLACK is a book that will cause you to examine reality closely.



This is a dark coming of age for Venus as she works to set up her new life after prison. It is a story about love and family as Leo is still missing. It is a story about facing your past so you can work toward a better future. It's a story that will have the reader questioning their own decisions.



I ended up absolutely loving the book though I did have some issues with finishing it. This wasn't a book that I would sneak a few pages every time I got the chance. In fact, there wasn't really anything drawing me back to the book once I set it aside. However once I started reading it again, I would be engrossed in the story itself.


I do highly recommend this book as it is one that will stay with you. With the exception of some violence, this book is one that entrance readers of all ages from teenagers to seniors.



*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.

This wonderful book was incorrectly titled. The main character is not Venus Black, teen girl who goes to prison. The main character is her half brother, Leo Miller, a young boy who exhibits the symptoms of autism and disappears shortly after Venus is jailed. But the misleading title did little to ruin what is a touching and beautiful book about love and how a family isn't necessarily based on blood. I love that it is told through various points of view, including Leo, who likes things that are the "right blue" and will only eat peas after making a specific design out of them. I love that both Venus and Tessa open their hearts to go at Leo's pace and learn his world, despite his inability to really explain it to them. I love that people did the wrong things for the right reasons. (Because you know how I love a flawed character and an imperfect book.) And I especially love where I like to think everyone ended up after the book ended.

"When you stop and think about it, all of us are to blame in some way. And all of us are innocent too. We were all doing the best we could at the time. I think very few people are evil"

It's going to be so difficult to review this book without giving away what Venus has done, but giving that away would be a huge spoiler and I won't do that. Based in the 80s, Venus gets sent off for 5 years for a crime she refuses to talk about. The books hints about it until about halfway through, when we just get wham! slapped right in the face with it. Quite honestly, in 2018, Venus probably wouldn't even have done time given the mitigating circumstances behind what she did. It's a coming of age tale, in which her coming of age is retarded mid-stride and she never gets to experience true growth to adulthood in the normal fashion. Throw in a much younger brother with autism, emotional disconnection issues with a mother that completely stepped out of and abandoned her responsibilities in that role, a ne'er do well uncle that snatches him up in the midst of all this turmoil, a loving family a few states over that ends up with the younger brother (this is even pre-milk carton missing picture days, kids), and we have a rip-roaring story of alcoholism, figuring out how to forgive ourselves and others, and learning to drive in Oakland. This is a book about redemption, and forgiveness. About love, and even sacrifice. It's absolutely beautifully written, and pretty high up there on my list of recommendations.

I received this book "My Name is Venus Black" from Netgalley for my honest review.
It started with a quote that I saw that got my interest - "I think about this a lot lately, trying to figure out how I got here. I trace my life back in time, looking for all those places in the past where, if I could change one key detail, I would never have seen what I saw or done what I did that terrible February night."
I think a lot of people think back on their lives and say if I could have just made a different decision my life could have been...
I did like this book and the characters. The book is set in the 80's and I kept thinking back to that time in my life. Venus Black is only 13 but charged with killing her stepfather. You never knew until the end why she did it and how. Her brother Leo who is autistic goes missing and Venus being in prison cannot help find him. I liked the Leo character and how he was really trying. It was a very good read and kept me interested throughout. I just keep thinking that one decision can change not only your life but those around you.

I haven’t read many books lately that can be shelved under “young adult.” That’s primarily because there are SO many books out there that I want to read that I haven’t considered that a YA novel would be worth the time. I stand corrected and I’m glad. My Name is Venus Black is an outstanding book, YA or not, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The story begins when 13-year old Venus Black murders her stepfather. This fact is established early in the story, so no spoiler there. The how and the why aren’t revealed until almost the end of the story, however. As a result of her crime, Venus is incarcerated in juvenile detention for over five years. A few days after her arrest, her young, mentally challenged brother, Leo, is abducted. These two horrific events could easily have seemed too much and even over-the-top if not written as expertly and believably by the author, Heather Lloyd.

After Leo’s abduction and the touching incidents of his new life, the story leaps 5 years ahead to the now 19-year old Venus’ release from juvenile detention. The novel outlines the struggles of a young woman having to deal with the loss of her youth, her brother, and her estrangement from her mother and her former life, while dealing with rebuilding a new life and new relationships from almost nothing.

I found this novel to be exceptionally well-written and engaging. I loved the overall message of hope and forgiveness that touched almost everyone in the novel. I highly recommend this story. 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House and Dial Press for an ARC egalley of the book in exchange for my honest review.

My Name Is Venus Black is a novel that has been on my radar for quite a while, and I was so excited when I was given the opportunity to read it on NetGalley. The novel opens with a fair amount of intrigue and mystery. Venus Black has been arrested for a crime, but the reader is given only a little bit of information and has to fill in a lot of the details. I loved this about the novel because I was able to use the bits of information given to create a whole picture in my mind.

The story is told from the perspective of Venus as well as another young lady, and I loved the back and forth between the two connected stories. It allowed the reader to really connect with the characters. Each of the characters were beautifully written and I really grew to love some of them and strongly dislike others. I felt a real connection to them and cared about how their story would turn out.

My Name is Venus Black is a beautifully written story about forgiveness, redemption, and the love of family. I truly enjoyed this novel and would highly recommend it to readers who enjoy contemporary YA novels. Thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for sending this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The characters in this story grabbed me from the beginning and wouldn’t let me go. I read it over two days and kept thinking about it once I put it down. For me, this was a coming of age story that was so much more. There we some tragic decisions made by some otherwise good people – some based on love, and some based on fear. The outcome and resolution of these decisions makes for an emotional, heart-wrenching read, but it is so worth it! This is a story that will stay with me for a while.

I so wish we'd heard more from Leo, less from others! There are far too many POVs (again! sigh) here, and once again they all start to blend together.

Venus' crime isn't explained fully until the end, possibly so that we get some empathy for Inez (aka Mom) but that doesn't really work. While Inez' motivations are understandable, she's just not presented in any way as likable. Tinker? He was necessary to move the plot forward but then his complete disappearance made no sense. The rest was predictable and that's not a great thing for readers - something, anything surprising would have been a welcome change.

My other problem? This is set in the 1980s. There's no real reason for that except it makes it easier to not include cell phones and other modern technology. It's not quite historical enough to be an interesting era, not modern enough to speak to teens. The only way we know when it's set is because the author tells us: there are no historical events, no musical cues, etc. that give a sense of anything to do with that era or a reason for that setting.

ARC provided by publisher.

Though the voice was a little jarring at first, I did get used to it and enjoyed this story about Venus, a teenager living in rather unusual circumstances when she is convicted of killing her step-father who was creeping on her. She is a complicated character, definitely not always likable, but intriguing all the same. The writing was confident and this is a really solid debut!

Excellent debut novel that portrays some of the struggles we encounter in life and they can be realistically dealt with when using love as a motivator.