I received a copy of Rust & Stardust #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was truly heartbreaking, and more so because it was based on a true story, the real-life kidnapping of 11-year-old Sally Horner, and her kidnapper in 1948 in Camden, NJ. Like passing an accident, you want to look but at the same time you don't. The hope that everything will turn out ok is what motivated me to keep reading. I won't reveal the ending so as not to spoil it for others. This is an intense book, not something you would typically read on the beach on a vacation, as you will experience many difficult emotions while reading it, yet I highly recommend it.

Wow! What a heartbreaking read! Greenwood does a great job of delving in to what it must have been like to have a missing child in 1948. The use of various POV helps the reader to see all sides of the story.

This review may contain mild spoilers. If you don't want any hints, skip this review.

here's the thing about tragic endings: they need to be done really, really well for me to like them. if they are done well, then they can be one of my favourite sort. but when they aren't? it just feels like the author is trying to make it more Literary by making it tragic, because happy endings are often associated with genre fiction and so to prove that they are Not Like Those Other Books they make the ending tragic.

this is a sad and harrowing book. it is supposed to be. it is about an eleven year old girl who is kidnapped and abused by a child molester; of course it is going to be heartbreaking. it was very well-written, and although the pace lagged a little in some areas, overall i think it was pretty good.

but i just want to know what the point of that ending was. to have happiness nearly in reach, but then cut short. what was the author trying to say? that even though you think the worst is past, life will find a way to make tragedy even in the most unexpected and ironic of circumstances?

because i can't be bothered with that narrative anymore. i can't be bothered with that sort of pessimism. i live with that pessimism, that fear every day. people don't need reminders that life is terrible.

this was good, but it could have been more. i believe it should have had a happy ending. i'm not just saying that because i prefer them; like i said, i think sad endings can be done well. but here, it just left the whole book feeling like ash; made me think - well, what the hell was the point of all of that?

but this is a very personal opinion. this is the sort of book to evoke very personal, very subjective feelings. it's the sort of book you should read if you think it would be interesting, but not to look too hard at the reviews. it's a little like poetry in that sense.

Rust and Stardust by T. Greenwood is one of the most gut-wrenching novels I have read in a long time. It is the based on the true story of Sally Horner, the 11-year-old kidnapping victim whose abduction in 1948 also inspired Nabokov's Lolita. On a dare, Sally attempted to steal a notebook from a Woolworths when she was stopped by a man claiming to be an FBI agent. He was actually an ex-con named Frank LaSalle, fresh out of prison. He says he’ll arrest her unless she does what he says. She believes him. What follows is two years of confusion and anguish for Sally, as she and Frank move all around America, just beyond the grasp of the authorities. This is not a book for the faint of heart, but I loved it. The writing perfectly captures the era, it’s so suspenseful, and it is filled with characters who are interesting and complex. It’s tragic and very affecting, definitely a book that will make you FEEL. It’s out in August.

This heavily fictionalized version of the story the real life Lolita is tragic for the whole family involved. There is very little of the facts or of the accounts of those involved but it is well-told and creates a moving tale of young Sally Horner, her family and the invented kind souls who encounter her. A quick read, and recommended for another perspective on Lolita. but not for those looking for a true crime/ non-fiction version of the events, or even one based around the facts with some creative license to fill in the gaps. .

Rust & Stardust is based on the real-life kidnapping of 11-year-old Sally Horner in 1948. Desperate to appease her friends, Horner is pressured into stealing a notebook from a local shop. At this time, she has no idea she's being watched by Frank LaSalle, who abducts her after pretending to be an FBI agent.

This story is disturbing, heart-breaking, and such a mind-blowing historical novel. It really is the kind of book parents should NOT read because it's likely to send them over the edge (or maybe make them more vigilant? who knows.) Though it was not a happy book, I still enjoyed it's historical side and would definitely recommend to my friends.

While this is technically a fiction, it is based on the true story of Sally Horner. You can get the gist of it from the book description so I won't repeat it.

I can tell you that I couldn't stop reading it. I did pause to Google Sally Horner and Frank La Salle because I needed to see what they looked like. Look them up since I don't know how to add images on here.
This is written in multiple POV's but I really only cared about Sally and the intimate thoughts and feelings of an 11 year old girl before and after her abduction. This is where it is a fiction since Sally had only shared basic information about her ordeal to the public. Most are told from this story/article: https://hazlitt.net/longreads/real-lolita. The author then took those tidbits and created a complete story to give Sally a voice of her own. I loved that! I tried not to look up what the outcome was before I finished the book, but it was really hard.

The only reason for not giving it 5 stars was because there were so many POV's. I really wasn't invested in half of them. The conclusion of their stories, I thought, were completely unnecessary.

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gosh, this book is a punch to the gut. I still haven’t read Lolita, but I have seen the 60s film adaptation, and it’s one of those literary references I’m well familiar with. But I didn’t know about the story of Sally Horner until a few years ago, and have been fascinated and saddened by the little I found on her. She was kind of like the Elizabeth Smart of her day, and any story of a child enduring what either of them did is heart-wrenching to read. The author handled this story well, not giving graphic detail of Sally’s ordeal but giving enough for the reader to understand how horrible it was and how frightened she was of her captor. I loved the portrayal of all the other people affected by Sally’s kidnapping getting their perspective told. That added an element to the story as a whole that made the entirety of it more relatable. Maybe not a story for everyone, but certainly a well-done story of a resilient young woman who faced a despicable situation.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

This book is a fictionalized account of the kidnapping of Sally Horner in 1948 which inspired the story Lolita. Sally Horner was tricked into going with Frank LaSalle when she was just 11 years old. When Sally attempts to join in with the girls in her class by shoplifting a composition book from Woolworths, LaSalle catches her in the act and tells her he's a FBI agent. Sally believes him. What follows is harrowing journey for Sally from Camden, New Jersey to San Jose, California.

T. Greenwood is one of my favorite authors and she did not disappoint with this novel. The characters in this story all have believable voices. Sally is portrayed as naive, but yet, also smart. My daughter is currently twelve years old and I could see her in Sally. Which is also extremely frightening given the story. Sally is so vulnerable and trusting for so long with Frank. He is a monster and I know there are still monsters like him out in the world. Then the real life ending of Sally's life makes the story even more harrowing. Though the story is sad T. Greenwood makes it hard to put down.

The story of Sally Horner, the inspiration for Nabokov's book Lolita. Gripping, heart-wrenching and ultimately unputdownable.

This book shines on every level: sentence after sentence is beautiful and precise. The characters are complicated and sympathetic, the ideas are sweeping and profound, but are never too overt. It’s a rare novel that is as accomplished in its meaning as it is in its storytelling while also succeeding wildly on the language level as well! A novel to lose yourself in and then reflect upon again and again.

You can never go wrong with a T. Greenwood novel. This, as usual, is gorgeous and heart-wrenching, full of fully-realized characters with whom to empathize. The tension created in this story is outstanding and will keep the pages turning. I knew it was a fictionalized account of the kidnapping that inspired Nabakov's LOLITA, but I didn't know much of the particulars of the case.

Tammy creates such a vivid portrayal of the late '40s/early '50s as well as the interior worlds of all of her characters. I loved the choice to show perspectives of not only Sally, her mother, and her sister, but the other women she came into contact with in the years of her abduction. (I also loved to conscious omission of Frank's POV.) Seeing so many angles provides a three-dimensional rendering of the effects this type of event has on the central characters as well as those around them; the ripples extend far. The writing is beautiful as always, and the color imagery is Tammy's strongest since UNDRESSING THE MOON. Her use of red is especially noticeable. The final chapters also resonate with the titular stardust and are, quite simply, luminous.

The subject matter may be difficult for some readers, so this won't be for everyone, but I found it to be a sensitive approach.

(Worth noting that I edited the author's 8 previous books, so a smidge biased. :) )

Fantastic yet very sad book and I struggled to read parts, but it has you hooked.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC Ebook for my Kindle.
I've read several of T. Free Wood's books and liked them; however this one wasn't one I enjoyed. Child abuse is a subject I don't read about and so I skimmed over the book.

When a book opens with a quote from Lolita, you know you are in for a disturbing and heartbreaking story. Even the title, Rust and Stardust, comes from a poem Humbert wrote for Dolores Haze. Reading the first chapter convinced me that I don't need to stop to sleep, eat or answer my phone, I simply devoured this book in 4 hours! I am still shaken, especially after seeing images of true protagonists of this story, real people long gone now. If these dramatic stories didn't exist in real life, I wonder if writers would be able to create them on their own?

The story is about Sally Horner, a girl kidnapped by a proven child molester. She was just 11 years old and gullible as one can be at that age. He tricked her into believing he was from the FBI and took her with him. They spent almost 3 years together. There are not many testimonies from the two of them, so the majority of the book is fiction, but the facts are proven and true. This made me so upset while reading, because I had to google those facts after every chapter, just to make sure that this is how it really went down!

We get a glimpse of Sally's life, but also what it might have been for her mother and sister, her friends and people who met her along the way. The amount of guilt that everyone harbors after such traumatic event is because everyone is responsible for this. Turning your heads away because it's to complicated to raise your voice, not wanting to believe just because it sounds messed up and sick, makes every person in a community and country partially responsible for letting these kinds of things happen. I even remembered some minor events that I witnessed during my lifetime and I felt guilty as hell, just because of this book!

I loved a voice that T. Greenwood gave to Sally. She really was just a girl, naive, scared and easy to manipulate. While reading, I had to remind myself that this was a child, not an adult who knew what is the proper way to defend yourself or find an escape. I had to remember what it was like to think that every adult is smart and important, that you listen when they speak and you do as you are told. I personally hated the mother, but not for the lack of good writing! Her character was despicable, but I guess that was just me. Her reasons and driving forces were well explained and I enjoyed this author very, very much! Other characters were also magnificent, each one was there for a reason and I loved them.

I almost rated this book a 4, because there were things that just didn't sound believable to me. Then I remembered, this was 1948! Even the police couldn't perform then what I can do now on my smartphone. After reminding myself of this, I felt even more how helpless those people were and how lucky we are today for all the resources and science progress we have.

I am not the one for tears while reading (unless the book is Call Me by Your Name, then I'm a mess), but the ending will move even the toughest 'I've seen it all' readers. It was truly emotional and deep and I will remember this story for a long time. When you close the book and read the last page, only then you get the meaning of the red fabric on the cover of this book. Oh my God! Symbolism at its finest!

The year is 1948 when eleven year old Sally Horner walks into her local Woolworth's. She's on a mission, a simple dare from some girls at school - steal something and you will be accepted as part of our group. What follows, however, is anything but simple when Frank LaSalle; a recently released convict and child abductor sees an opening and takes Sally captive. This novel traces the two years that Sally spent as his captive; clocking the mental and physical assault she suffered at his hands as they made their way across the country avoiding the law. Sally's story, unfortunately, is one we've seen many times before - but what makes her story even more fascinating is that this real life abduction became the inspiration for Vladimir Nabokov's 'Lolita'.

In a world before Amber alerts, before the internet and security cameras the abduction of a child seems far more harrowing. This novel, while a fictional portrayal of a real life kidnapping, is difficult to read at times. Watching a grown man's abuse and psychological terrorism on a child and Sally's subsequent loss of innocence painful and chilling. I had to step back from my reading at points and remind myself that this story was real. That this poor girl suffered this abuse for as long as she did.

This novel snuck up on me with quite a lasting impact.

This is a beautifully written book, based on the real life story that spawned Lolita. It is gripping from the very beginning, and doesn’t let you go until the very end. You will find yourself feeling the full spectrum of emotions while reading this, much of which will be heartache and even anger, but it is completely worth the read!

Unfortunately this wasn’t for me. It had nothing to do with the writing but the story. My stomach hurt every time I read it. Not one single person who this girl encountered did right by her. I also couldn’t wrap my head around her mother letting her leave town with someone she didn’t even know. Different era maybe, but still I could not identify at all with the mom. Well written book but understand the subject matter is constant abuse.

It’s incredibly difficult to review such a heartbreaking book but all credit to the author for making a magnificent read. So very beautifully written and done with such sensitivity...hard to think how this could ever happen and the fact it’s based on a true story makes it even harder ..5 great big stars and many many thanks to the author for a wonderful read.

*Standing ovation, thunderous applause, wipe tear from cheek.* This book is one of the most precious reads I’ve ever read. An absolute masterpiece! The tragic story of Florence Sally Horner, the crime that inspired Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, pours itself onto the pages of Rust & Stardust.

A lot of the books I’ve read recently contain a plot that slowly builds, has an action-packed climax and an ending that leaves me in desire of closure. This book isn’t like that. It begins gripping you from the first page and pulls you in, more and more. I felt such waves of emotions during this read. I felt fear, anger, disgust, sorrow, peace, hopeful. There were a few times I found myself wiping a single tear from my eye. (And I’m not usually that kind of reader.)

T. Greenwood has breathed life into Sally’s story unlike any before. She has taken a very sensitive topic and written with such tact and poise that should be commemorated. I highly recommend this read to everyone.

I would like to thank T. Greenwood, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the digital galley. This was a story that will always be part of my highly recommendation.