My Name is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd is the story of Venus Black, who at the age of 13, committed a crime which has her incarcerated until she’s 18. During her incarceration, her half-brother, Leo, goes missing. After 5 and half years, she’s released, and she slowly tries to rebuild her life, putting her past behind her and creating a new identity. As her old life begins to remerge in her new one, Venus must find a way to truly leave the past behind her in order to move forward. Will she be able to move past her crime? Will she be able to find her brother after so many years?
Unfortunately, My Name is Venus Black is a book I could not finish. With seven parts, 51 chapters and multiple points of view, it became way too long and too muddled that I found myself getting bored and not caring about Venus, her crime or her life after incarceration. The book is marketed as young adult book which I don’t like it’s why I couldn’t finish it as I’ve read a decent amount of young adult books and was entertained. I cannot recommend My Name is Venus Black. The book started with a great idea, but it didn’t live up to it.

My Name is Venus Black
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Utterly unique and powerful, can't say enough positive things about this story. Venus and Leo will be in my heart for a long time.

I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did. I loved the way the characters were developed. I really, really like Venus.

Venus Black, eponymous heroine of Heather Lloyd's My Name Is Venus Black, is very close to her brother. Though Leo is six years her junior and is autistic (since the book is set in the 80s, he's described as having "special needs", but he's clearly on the spectrum), and is only technically her half-brother, Venus adores him and nurtures him. But her ability to take care of him is forever changed when, at 13, she commits a serious crime. We're not sure what it is at first, the book opens in medias res while Venus is confronting her mother at the police station, being interviewed after it happens. It becomes clear pretty quickly that "it" is that she's shot and killed her stepfather. Why, though, takes a long time to come out.



Only shortly after Venus commits the murder, Leo is kidnapped by his small-time-crook of an uncle out of the backyard of a friend of his mother's. Venus is devastated when she hears that he's gone, even trying to flee from pre-trial detention to look for him. But her escape attempt is foiled, and she's sent to juvenile lock-up until she's an adult. When she gets out, she wants to just take on a new identity and keep her head down and try to figure out a way to get her brother back. She gets a job as a waitress under an assumed name, rents a room, and is trying to save up to go to California. But she can't really escape her past...a promising flirtation becomes risky when she finds out he's a cop and might be able to discover who she really is, and eventually her mother tracks her down too. When they get a lead on Leo, though, everything changes.



By the time this review goes live, this book will have been out for well over a year, so I don't feel bad about the fact that I'm about to "spoil" the "why-dunnit". If you'd like to remain in the dark, stop reading. I'm mostly going to spill it because the book builds up to it like it's some kind of revelation and honestly it is not at all: Venus killed her stepdad because he was peeping at her though a hole in the wall. She tells her mother, and her mother does nothing about it. It makes the rage she feels at her mother feel justified and there's absolutely no reason it needs to be hidden in the back third of the book. It's a terrible plotting decision to bury it, but that's only one in a series of bad decisions Lloyd makes in her debut novel. The characters she draws are paper-thin (with the exception of Leo, who I'll get to next) and feel not-at-all real. Venus and Leo's mother is a terrible person, but Lloyd makes her a struggling alcoholic in a way that feels like it's supposed to give her sympathy (it fails, she's still a shitty parent). There's some weird religious overtones that come out of nowhere in the end of the book and it feels shoehorned and unearned. And the ethnicity of a supporting character is constantly referenced in a way that makes it feel almost fetishistic.



The sole bright spot, really, is the portion of the story around Leo. Lloyd's ability to convey both Leo's intelligence and his limitations, the way he does love the people in his life but has a hard time expressing it in a way that they understand, is deft and well-realized. Unfortunately, that's literally the only thing that worked for me in this book. The plot is uneven, the prose competent but uninspired, the characters mostly don't work. It's not even a matter of needing a better editor...there's a story here that could be interesting, but nearly everything would need to be completely revamped to give it the telling it would need to really connect. This is a poor quality book and I don't recommend it to anyone.

Venus was an intriguing character and I loved learning more about Leo and Tessa. The family dynamics were described very well and being inside the head of a good kid who did a questionable thing was fascinating. There were some heavy topics and I took my time reading the story. The end felt a little rushed, but once again - loved the dynamics of all the different people.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Name is Venus Black starts with 13-year-old Venus committing a crime against her step-father. There is a lot of media attention surrounding the crime and her trial due to the nature of the incidents leading up to the crime and her youth. End result, she is sentenced to 6 years in a juvenile detention center. Shortly after she is imprisoned, her 7 year old special needs (likely autistic) brother, Leo, is kidnapped. The book alternates between the stories of this brother and sister, and the people who enter their lives, throughout.

When Venus is released at 19, she vows to start over, taking a new name. But the past won't let her go, and much to her chagrin, follows her. She struggles to come to terms with what that means for her moving forward. Trying to make a new life, while being pulled into dealing with old relationships is hard for her. Her main goal upon release is to find out what happened to her brother Leo - whether he is still alive, and/or what happened to him.

Coming from a definitely dysfunctional family, it is heart-warming to see Venus and Leo each begin to let others into their boxed off lives. As a result, they find relationships that lead them to grow and flourish. Family has many forms; it can be your birth family, or those who you find or who find you and want the best for you. My name is Venus Black addresses many of them.

It is extremely difficult to review this book without giving away spoilers, so I am being purposely vague. My apologies - I don't want to ruin your own read of this very good book!

Heather Lloyd is exceptional in creating full, rich, deep, understandable characters. It is that skill which propels this character-driven novel. If you're looking for a fast, suspenseful read, this isn't it. But if you love to feel as if you've entered the world of others, and watch their lives develop, this is a book for you.

I give this book 3.5 stars, only because the ending was a bit too perfect in my opinion.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

My Name is Venus Black is the story of a young woman who needs to get her life together after being involved in a fatal family situation. This book takes the reader into the lives of a number of characters, and weaves their various and similar family issues into a beautiful cloth.

The book is well written - I didn't need to go back and review or research characters throughout the story. It's not wickedly complex, but easy to take in on the first reading. I loved that I was able to get into the mind of each principal player.

I highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy an emotional story with a satisfying outcome.

One day in 1980 Venus Blacks life will completely change, her life and relationships will all be different because of the choice she made. I enjoyed how character driven this book was. I fell in love with Venus and loved how she finally let her guard down and let everyone back in her life at the end of the book. The twists and turns are unexpected and give the story so much depth, with an amazing plot, I was hooked from page one. Thank you Random House and NetGalley for a PRC for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Heartfelt, moving read about friendship, family, love, and forgiveness. My Name is Venus Black is about a broken family struggling to put the pieces back together after 13- year-old Venus kills her stepfather. This isn’t about the how and the why Venus killed her stepfather, it’s about how actions and reactions don’t always have the desired outcome and how the right choices are not always the easy ones.

The book opens in 1980 with 13-year-old Venus Black being taken to juvenile detention for murdering her stepfather. The reader isn’t sure why or how she killed him, but there are a lot of inferences to be made. I immediately took to Venus’ character, as her fear and pain emanated from the pages.

Not knowing anything about this book, I found it jarring when the POV switched to Leo, Venus’s “mentally handicapped” younger brother. However, Leo quickly became my favorite character in this book and I eagerly awaited to see how his story was going to play out.

POV’s and time continue to shift throughout the book--this type of narrative style works to offer the full picture of events from all perspectives--even from the those characters that I didn’t care for. Sometimes this type of writing style can be frustrating, but it fully works in My Name is Venus Black.

I absolutely loved this book! It’s well-written and the characterization is so strong that I got thoroughly attached to all of the characters--to the point as if I felt I personally knew them. This is a compelling read that left me wanting more. There’s a strong message about forgiveness and hope, and l shed happy tears when I reached the last page.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

A moving story about family, discovering who you are, and how good intentions really do matter. This book reminded me of Ginny Moon in many ways. I enjoyed spending time with these characters and seeing the repercussions of a split-second decision throughout all of their lives. I'd recommend this book!

I read a little bit of everything and was glad I broke up my reading schedule to read this Young Adult book.
The book starts off with a bang and we learn that our 13 year old heroine, Venus Black is brought in for something she did to her step father that ultimately changes the lives of everyone around her. It starts off in 1980 in Everett, WA and we see what life was like back then without all the conveniences we have now and how the system works for a 13 year old that commits a very serious crime.
This book is so different than a "normal" young adult book in that it is kind of a mystery within a mystery and how there is a gray area of living life in the black and white. We see 1980 and flash forward to 6 years and see 1986 Oakland, CA and Everett WA. These two areas are places that I grew up in, so the story resonated with me even more. But to see how a girl that becomes a woman and how she deals with a life that she was given by the actions she took is what the journey of this story is about.
I think the characters were well written and the fact that we get to understand and see how life was dealt with in the early to mid 80's was spot on. Especially since I'm a product of the 80's. To remember how when kids went missing, they were put on milk cartons. To using a telephone book and a pay phone. To using a road map and not google maps. It all was well researched.
Venus was a complex character yet so simple. She was a child to begin with and literally a child when the story takes a major turn. but we see how she grows and learns from her mother and the mistakes they both made in the past. Her brother, Leo is also a major character in the book. And how kids of his background were seen then. I liked how he was dealt with by his loved ones even though not everything was right. It was the sign of the times and how people changed and learned from "mental disabilities". Also lighting up the pages were Tinker, Tony, Tessa, Mike and Piper, along with Venus's mother, Inez. All the supporting characters were as important to the story and Venus' journey as she was. That's what ultimately made the book.
Taking different times and then two different places in Everett and Oakland really took us on a realistic trip in the journey of these people's lives. Heather Lloyd, this is your first novel?? You have a gift and I would be happy to share this book with my young daughters. It is written in such a way that is hopeful, yet sad. It hit me on a lot of different emotional spectrums and that is hard to do with a true YA novel. Bravo to you. 4.5 stars!

This book is about a family that goes through two tragedies. How it changes the lives of not only the person it happens to but everyone around them. Venus is convicted of murder. I liked how the author told the story through Venus. You felt her anger, love, elmbarrassement and hope. It is a story of sadness and happiness for everyone involved.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.

My Name is Venus Black is a book that will stick with me for a while, I think. Venus is 13 years old when she is arrested for a crime that happens in her house. She's a character that I can connect with easily. She's a good student, a teacher's pet. Before the crime is committed she is a girl who is never in trouble. Shortly after her arrest her 7 year old brother, Leo, is kidnapped.. Leo has some mental capacity issues that aren't named in this book. Set in the early 1980s there wasn't an autistic diagnosis given to him.

This tale could be one taken from the headlines. What happens to Venus, her brother, and the rest of their family is revealed in this book bit by bit. There is cast of characters that are flawed, memorable and unique in a variety of ways.

This was a bit of a slow burn, but with a layered plot and a varied cast of characters this book was original, interesting, and thrilling.

So many emotions in this book. Venus is a thirteen year old girl when she finds herself in Juvenile prison after killing her stepdad. She whites out the reason why and won't discuss it, and is sentenced to 5-7 years.

While she is standing trial her younger brother, who is "mentally challenged" is kidnapped. There are shifts and changes in who ends up caring for him, but Venus and his mother continue to try and find him.

When Venus is released she tries to start over, though she finds she can never let the past stay completely hidden. When a man shows interest in her, she doesn't know what to do as she has never been in a relationship.

The depth of this story is ever unfolding. So many ways to look at what happened and wonder if you would have done the same thing. Inez, the mother is not perfect but you start to feel bad for a her a little bit as you see more of her perspective.

In the end we are all just trying to get through life with as few major screw-ups as possible and hopefully come out of it unscathed. Beautifully written, very compelling and immediately draws you in.

I was drawn to this book because of the premise, but I think in the hands of a debut author it was perhaps too ambitious. The writing felt clunky - particularly how it switched back and forth between first person (Venus) and third person (everyone else). Some of the dialogue also felt stilted and unnatural, particularly in emotional scenes.

The biggest flaw to me, however, was that Venus herself wasn't likable or relatable, which I think would've helped me get over the fact that her drive or motivation for killing her stepfather wasn't revealed until the very end of the book - and even then seemed a bit rushed and out-of-character.

The reason this gets 2 stars, instead of 1, is that the plot compelled me to continue forward even though I didn't really like it. I probably wouldn't have finished it if I didn't want to know how everything turned out.

4 emotionally engaging stars to My Name is Venus Black! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

I was enthralled with Venus’ story from the start. She seemed to be the perfect teen- smart, worked hard in school, but she committed a crime, and it must have been a big one. Why did she wake up in a detention center, and why was her mother visibly shaken?

Heather Lloyd’s characterization of Venus, her mother, and her brother with developmental delays, Leo, was impeccable. How would Venus come to terms with what she had done? How does a child spend her formative years in a detention center and reunite with regular life?

Overall, My Name is Venus Black sometimes felt like Young Adult fiction because of the way it’s written; however, the characters, emotions, and subject matter made it worthwhile, engaging, and completely fulfilling.

Thank you to Heather Lloyd, Dial Press, and Netgalley for the complimentary copy. My Name is Venus Black is now available!

My Name is Venus Black tells the story of Venus who, as a straight-A student interested in astronomy, commits a terrible crime that tears her family apart. At the same time, her mentally handicapped younger brother, Leo, also goes missing. Venus spends more than five years in juvenile detention, and when she is released at nineteen, she is determined to start her life fresh with a new identity. But it is only a matter of time before the past catches up with her, and she will have to decide what to do with it when it does.

I didn’t realize that this was categorized as a YA book before starting it, even though we follow Venus at both thirteen and nineteen – the “perfect” age for a YA protagonist. However, I feel that knowing that it was slightly geared more toward a YA audience put this book in a different light because I felt more justified in my opinion that it wasn’t as dark or gritty as I was expecting it to be. Because it was YA, I felt that the writing was sometimes simplistic and repetitive. Venus’s character felt especially young, and while some of her motives were justified, I felt that her character was very immature and childish, both at thirteen and nineteen. I think my biggest problem with the story was the fact that it was all leading to Venus’s crime – first, what did she do? (though that was answered relatively quickly); second, why did she do it? (that wasn’t answered until the end of the book) – but I felt that the answer to the “why” was too drawn out; I also felt that it was building up for most of the book, but when we finally found out Venus’s motives, I was a little let down.

Side note: Besides the fact that I didn’t realize this was a YA book before starting, I also think my expectations of this book were off because the ARC cover I was sent depicts a girl with wild, black hair – which fits our protagonist, but also reminded me of Jessica Jones from the Marvel show of the same name. Because of this rather unfortunate occurrence, I unjustly compared Venus to Jessica, the latter of which was a much more complex and gritty character than Venus, so the former was never able to live up to that same level.

Honestly, I was more engrossed by Leo’s part of the story – he was abducted soon after Venus went into juvenile detention – than in his sister’s. I felt that the ethical implications of his abduction were more interesting and heartbreaking than those surrounding Venus. Leo had less control over his life than Venus, and because he was mentally handicapped, he was entirely reliant on the care of others, and my heart broke for his character.

In the end, I did enjoy this book. The characters were mildly complex, I enjoyed the overall progression of the plot, and it kept me so engrossed I finished in a single weekend!

Thank you to NetGalley, LibraryThing, and Random House Publishing Group (Random House) for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings on this one. It was okay, probably even better than okay. It was good. It wasn't great. I think there was a lot of potential there, but it just didn't quite hit the mark for me. The characters were decent. I actually liked Venus and Leo and Tessa. The storylines flowed okay and stayed connected without getting too messy. I basically had two main issues. First, there was a lot of secrecy until the end about what Venus did to end up in prison. However, it was pretty easy to figure out from the beginning, and I just didn't get the need for all the secrecy. It made for a lot of hype and expectation for some shocking revelation that frankly never happened. Second, Venus finding Leo was just way too easy and convenient. That whole process (if you can call it that) was just so implausible and ridiculous, I spent a fair amount of time thinking "really?!" So the characters were good - I was rooting for Venus and Danny, and I loved Piper. And the storyline held my interest - I thought there was a ton of potential there for some pretty engaging writing. Unfortunately, it just didn't live up to my expectations or needs. It was a decent start for a debut author, and I think Heather Lloyd could get quite good at this. She's just didn't quite hit it for me with this book.

It’s very apparent that the majority of the book community loved this book. I personally did not enjoy it too much. I thought the writing style was a bit difficult to understand. The POV would change multiple times throughout the chapter without a real separation. It was hard to follow at times because it took a few sentences to understand whose perspective we were getting.

Also, I did not find any of the characters likable, and actually kind of annoying.

Plus, the storyline was a bit slow and boring at some times. I only enjoyed reading from Venus’ POV. The other POVs were just annoying.

I really wish I had enjoyed this more than I did, but I was struggling to get through this book.