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Rust & Stardust

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Member Reviews

This is an incredible story based upon a true life crime. Absolutely mesmerizing account that won't let you put the book down. The characters are so complex and chilling that you remember them long after the story has ended.

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It dragged on at times and was painful to read at others, but overall it was a beautiful book. The only thing I’d want different would be for the author to expand more on the research done during writing. We’re interviews of people involved conducted? And so on. But the story was intriguing and hard to put down. Would definitely recommend.

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This was an excellent read on the case that inspired Lolita. All I knew was the basics of the case from when I took my courses on 20th century literature, and this really filled in blanks.

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Rust & Stardust A Novel by T. Greenwood has kept me up way past my bed time considering I work tomorrow. St Martin press you have put out some great books this summer by some amazing people so thank you for that. This has to be one of the most gripping true crime novels I have read this year so again thank you. Rust & Stardust... where do I begin? Oh my gosh 5 huge gut wrenching and beautiful stars!! You will cry and it will be those leave me alone ugly cries that not many books are able to bring out of me. The only thing I didn’t like about this book is that it is over. I have to say this is the first book I have read by this author but it will not be the last. Now on to the story. Greenwood tells a disturbing and heart-breaking story of Sally Horner and her abductor Frank LaSalle. The novels starts off in 1948 with Sally stealing a notebook from Woolworth's in order to impress her friends. Sally is approached by a man outside the store, claiming to be an FBI agent who says he is going to save Sally from prison due to her stealing.  The book is then spanned over the two years that this little girl is tormented by this monster. Across many state lines and so many people know something is wrong and do nothing or realize too late that they should do something. This book is so beautifully written that you cannot put it down. I will say that this book touches on some dark subject is not for the faint of heart. The ending is heart breaking and the chapters are told by each family member which makes you feel for cry with everyone involved. 5 stars all the way go get it NOW!

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This book is a fictional account of the real life kidnapping of 11 year old Sally Horner in 1948, the crime that inspired Nabokov's Lolita. Sally was held captive by this monster for two years, during which time she faced unspeakable horrors. 

Let me start off by saying that this is not a "light" or "pretty" read in any way. As one would expect, given the premise, it is chock full of potential emotional triggers, largely abuse related. Proceed with caution and take care of your mental health. <3

That said, the author took great care in the crafting of this novel. The reader is spared any graphic detail and although I don't usually require a light touch on the darkest details, I feel that when it pertains to a child, a light touch is all I can handle. The author managed to show restraint without underplaying the tragedy of what happened to Sally. 

The writing itself was so stunningly beautiful and eloquent there aren't even words for it. There were sentences that I would read and re-read just to soak them in. It was such a unique combination of beautiful word crafting and heart-wrenching plot that I couldn't give this book anything less than 5 stars. 

"How sad it is that grief has a shelf life … It’s only fresh and raw for so long before it begins to spoil. And soon enough, it will be replaced by a newer, brighter heartache—the old one discarded and eventually forgotten." 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I have to say this was the best book I read this summer! I could not put t down and when I had to I could not stop thinking about Sally. This book was so well written, kept the readers attention and kept me wanting more. This book is going to have a lasting impact on anyone that reads this. Thank you for tellin Sally’s story.

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Thank you T Greenwood, St Martins Press and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

This novel is based on a true story and inspired by Lolita. I was gripped from the beginning of this book and it became my saviour on a long haul flight. Unputdownable, if that is a word! I was so pleased that I diverted from my usual genres of choice to this genre. It is easily In my favourites pile for this year.

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Really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it, couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.

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4.5 stars...
T.Greenwood took my heart on a rollercoaster ride this weekend. Once I picked up this book, I could NOT put it down! I felt like I was abandoning little Sally too if I did. That's how psychologically gripping this novel is.

Sally Horner is a typical 11 year old girl looking for friendship. She yearns to be a part of a group of girls at her school but when she tries they tell her she must steal something from a local store in order to be initiated into their blood pact. Unfortunately, Sally is a good girl by nature and when she tries to steal a notebook, she gets caught by Frank La Salle. Frank tells her he's the FBI and is taking her to jail for her crime. This is how Frank gets Sally to leave her family behind and attempt to hide her shame for stealing. Of course, the mean girls abandon her to her fate with this strange man and this is the start of Sally's physical, psychological and emotional abuse at the hands of serial rapist, Frank La Salle.

This book will make you want to cry, fight, hold your children a little bit tighter. Poor Sally believes Frank's lies as she came from a very sheltered family. As she gets older under his care, his feelings about her change and her life becomes in danger. Luckily Sally finds someone she can trust that helps her when she needs it most. The end of the story is heart-wrenching. You'll definitely want to throw the book and cry into your pillow for a few minutes.

All in all, Greenwood writes an amazing Lolita-inspired story that is sure to have you enthralled. Highly recommended for people who don't mind a tear-jerker or kidnapping or child abuse scenes (while not incredibly graphic, it's equally intense).

Raging Book Reviews Highly Recommended

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I received a free e-copy of Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood from Netgalley for my honest review.

Rust and Stardust is based on the true story of 11-year-old Sally Horner. Sally was kidnapped in Camden, New Jersey in 1952 by a 52-year-old Frank LaSalle, who was just out of prison.
Sally, who never fit in wanted to join a club of girls in her school. In order to join the club, she had to steal something from a local store, Woolworth. She stole a composition notebook. As she was leaving the store, a man who claims to be an FBI agent, confronts her. The man, a convicted child abuser, said if she doesn't do as she was told that she would face a judge and go to prison for stealing. Sally is so scared and she believes him. He convinces her to lie to her mom, and say that she is going on a holiday with her friend to the shore. Sally's mom is so happy for her that she finally has a friend so allows her to go. Her mother even walked her to the bus stop and me the man who said he is the father of the girls friend.

This is a horribly tragic story. The thing that poor Sally had to go through in the hands of LaSalle. This story, although tragic, was so beautifully written and such a quick read. Please keep in mind that this can be a difficult read and very emotional at times due to the nature of the content and the fact that it is a true story.

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This book was very enjoyable! I really getting to know the characters and watching their stories unfold. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!

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I received an advanced reader of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

I didn't know anything about this book going into it and, perhaps, that is why it shocked me in both its beauty and darkness. Although I had also known the general premise of Lolita, I had no point of reference that this novel had been based on a true life kidnapping crime. In Rust & Stardust, Greenwood pulls back the curtain on this horrific case and chillingly illuminates what all this girl had been through.

In 1948, Sally Horner is desperate to get into the cool club with a group of girls from school. As part of her initiation process, she has to steal a notebook at a local drugstore. When a man with the F.B.I. sees her take this notebook, he tells her that she must pay for her crime and that he won't rat her out to her parents, as long as she follows all of his instructions.

He poses as a father from a friend from school and says that they are going on a beautiful beach vacation and would like to take Sally along with them. Sally's mother, struggling with debilitating arthritis and pain, knows that Sally will have a wonderful adventure and begrudgingly allows her to accept the invitation. Sally knows that she must go on this trip for her court hearing and punishment for the stolen notebook.

The thing is, this guy is actually a dangerous child predator who has just been released from prison and Sally is his latest conquest.

This book wrecked me in the same ways that, A Little Life, ripped a little of my heart out. Nabbing criminals back then is a frustrating process to witness, let alone be a victim too. It takes a strong reader to read this one and I have a feeling Sally's story is going to be imprinted on my heart for a very long time. Greenwood's writing is poetry in motion, even in the evil bits of it.

I doubt you will be able to put this one down, but given the context of the story, know this is a dark read.

(this review will be be online and available for view tomorrow: http://wp.me/p6sEAo-6Xn)

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I love books based on true events and this story of Sally Horner was beautifully told. It is such a heartbreaking story of how small decisions can set off an avalanche of consequences affecting numerous people. And it all started just because Sally wanted to be liked and included in a group of potential friends. The author crafted a well written tale in spite of the difficult subject matter. Make this one of the books added to you TBR list this year.

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This novel was captivating, affecting and ultimately heartrending to experience. I am not thoroughly familiar with the Lolita story so I was coming to this without bias. This story shows the was even the tiniest bit of happiness can sustain you in the midst of overwhelming evil and despair. I thought the story of Sally Horner (a real person) was very well done and the author was able to make it a good story to read and although it was a horrible story it wasn’t completely depressing to read. This will stay with me for a long time. I thank #netgalley for the opportunity to read #rust&stardust ahead of publication.

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Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood

5 stars

“Florence Flogg, what an odd little girl, and what an odd name, like something from a novel. Like an imaginary girl.”

In 1948 Camden, New Jersey, Sally Horner was eleven-years-old. She had hopes and desired to be friends with a group of girls. Her chance to belong comes with stealing a notebook, but when Frank LaSalle approaches her and pretends to be an FBI agent with the ability to lock her up and punish her for her crimes, Sally’s whole world is changed. After weeks go by, Sally can breathe a little but she still knows he’s there. When he shows up again he claims that she is needed for court in Atlantic City. He poses as a classmate’s father and convinces her mother to allow her to board a bus with him. The charade turns deadly for Sally and this harrowing novel provides a fictionalized account of the real-life inspiration for Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita. I didn’t know this was a true story until I read the acknowledgements. This changed my perception of the ending. I am a huge fan of Rust & Stardust. It’s depressing, hard-hitting, and it seems slightly out there. I mean what mother would willingly give her child to a convicted sex offender? But people were much more trusting in the 1940s and Ella Horner, Sally’s mom, was a single mother with rheumatism. Greenwood’s strength lies in her multiple POVs. We not only follow Sally, but mom, sister, brother-in-law, a nun, the girl she tried to impress, Ruth (the woman who saved her), and a circus performer. A lot of these characters are fictional and expanded upon from the real-life people. It’s important that in mind. I was drawn into Greenwood’s writing style and her presentation of Sally being manipulated and scared was overwhelming and captivating. I love lost history. I’ve never heard of Sally Horner before this and I feel like I missed out on this incredibly impactful kidnapping case that set to tone for many of the ruses that have become popular today that we warn young children about.



Whimsical Writing Scale: 4.5

“That winter of 1949, Sally felt herself slipping away, disappearing. Like her namesake, she was only Fogg, now. Only mist.”

Sally is a very endearing little girl. Like most children her age. Her biggest desire is to belong and be loved. She is just looking to fit in and in that she becomes one of the lost girls. The girls stolen from home. The girls who lose their innocence before they even realize it’s there. Greenwood does a fantastic job of painting a girl who was trusting and lead to believe lies. The saddest part about this story is the complete mistreatment of child rape at the hands of her abductor. She was branded as undesirable and basically seen as a “slut” by the general public. I kind of wish Greenwood had expanded upon the struggles Sally faced more with integrating and belonging in society after being subjected to utterly cruelty and no one accepting and loving her the way she needed because those resources were not available. This is this very much a character study. Now, I’m going to talk about what happened to Sally So, I was so angry when I read last couple chapters because I couldn’t understand why a writer would spend all this time towards bringing Sally home only for her to die at such a young age. I was going to lower my star rating because I was that mad. After reading the acknowledgements and doing some research, I learned that Sally Horner was a real victim of kidnapping, rape, and abuse and that she really did die in a car accident with a drunk boy she spent the weekend with at the age of fifteen. That really hit me. My appreciation for this story shifted and it became an absolute favorite. Sally died young and lived a tragic life, but I think this fictionalized does some justice to the hopes of a little girl who just wanted to belong and who was stolen in the process.

Kick-But Heroine Scale: 5

“Her life had been filled with thieves.”

There is a lot of characters in this story. Ella has the strongest presence and is very complex. Her narrative is sad and full of guilt. Susan and Al are really interesting pieces to this family. Seeing Vivi’s guilt over Sally was very raw and I admired Greenwood for trying to spin a fictional narrative about a girl who put Sally into the hands of a monster without meaning to. I really appreciate Sister Mary Katherine’s narrative because it offered an in depth look into the cover-ups of the Catholic Church and how it prevented Sally from being saved sooner. I also loved Ruth and the fictional take that was presented. She is probably my favorite character apart from Sally in this novel. Lena is a bearded woman who performers in the traveling circus that houses in the trailer park Sally winds up in and she was interesting, but I feel like she was also problematic. The traveling circus may have come into contact with Sally and “freakshows” were very famous at the time, but I just feel like her character was too fictional for this story.


Character Scale: 4.5

The Villain- I hate Frank LaSalle.

Villain Scale: 5

Overall, I definitely recommend Rust & Stardust if the story of Sally Horner interests you or if you like dark fiction. It’s a beautiful fictionalized account and I think many will enjoy it. I really appreciate the story and I’m so glad I read it.


Plotastic Scale: 5

Cover Thoughts: I feel like when I look at this cover I know that innocence is being stolen and I think it’s conveyed really well through the simplistic coast and the rusty safety pin.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Rust & Stardust is based on a true story. It was not in any way an easy read. The subject matter is graphic, dark and can be upsetting at times. I kept waiting for the upturn, for the hope, for the healing. Those things did not come. I can not say I enjoyed this book, however I can appreciate the skill that Ms. Greenwood utilized in setting the scenes and weaving the tale. I could see this novel being used in conjunction with Nabokov's Lolita as part of a book discussion, there are many opportunities for discussion, debate, research and comparison. 3.5

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Prior to Rust & Stardust, i had read only 1 other Tammy Greenwood book which I thoroughly enjoyed. so I was anxious to read this one.

Rust & Stardust is based on fact, but written as a fictions00l story. Set in the late 1940's and early 1950's, it shows the trusting and extreme innocence of people of that era when compared to current times. It also shows how that trust & innocence can be abused and the widespread effects it can have on many lives.

Greenwood handled the subject with kid gloves. She revealed what was going on but kept the details mostly minimal at first, so as not to be overly offensive. It was up to the reader as to how far you wanted to immerse yourself into the happenings.

Although an extremely heart breaking story, Tammy Greenwood has a special way of allowing you to see the tiny snippets of happy alonv with the sad.

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This book was stellar. The author was right on the mark with characterizing pre-adolescent and teenage thoughts and behaviors. The mother's reasonings and actions as someone dealing with single parenthood and painful disabilities were spot on, too. I loved the colorful cast of secondary characters and how the main character tucked away the feelings of small kindnesses, bits of wisdom, and strength she garners from each one. Many times when crimes of this nature happen people shake their heads and say, "How could something like this happen, and go on for so long?" and I think this story gives us some insight on that matter.

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When you know a book is going to break your heart but the writing is so enticing that you can't be torn away. Rust & Stardust tells the tragic and horrific story of Sally Horner, a young girl from New Jersey who was held captive by a convicted rapist for 21 months.

The story starts off in 1948 in Camden, New Jersey and briefly explains Sally's rough life at home and school. Eleven-year-old Sally attempts to shoplift a composition notebook from a nearby Woolworth's store in order to be accepted by a small girls club at school. She did not know that someone was watching her. Sally was apprehended at the store by Frank LaSalle, who claimed to be an FBI agent at the time. LaSalle promised that he would help Sally avoid going to prison but she would have to come with him to testify in front of a judge and do everything he says or he would have her arrested.

LaSalle let Sally go home that afternoon but he intercepted her on her way home from school the next day. LaSalle convinced Sally to lie to her mother and tell her that she was going on a trip to Atlantic City with her friend's family. Sally's mother believed her and even walked her to the bus and dropped her off with LaSalle, who posed as her friend's father.

We follow Sally as two agonizing years go by and LaSalle continues to spin a web of lies while transporting her across several state lines. He physically, sexually and mentally abused Sally until he was caught by one of their neighbors who was able to get through to Sally. Sally was definitely naïve but those were different times. She did not want anyone to know that she was kidnapped because she was afraid of what LaSalle might have done if he found out that she told someone.

This story is difficult to read at times, disturbing, and unsettling. It is not for the faint of heart. If you are sensitive to subjects such as child abuse and sexual abuse, this is probably not the right book for you. This book is about a young girl being abused, taken advantage of, and having her childhood stolen from her.

The author's words flow beautifully and she skillfully brings Sally's harrowing account to life through her own eyes and the eyes of her family and friends. Greenwood fearlessly gave Sally a much-needed voice and describes her thoughts, pain and actions. This is the unfortunate but true story that inspired Vladimir Nabokov to write Lolita.

I want to thank St. Martin's Press and T. Greenwood for my free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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On a dare, young Sally Horner tries to steal a notebook from Woolworths. She gets stopped by an adult man who tells Sally he's an FBI agent and he puts her under arrest. Sally doesn't know this man isn't an FBI agent, she's only 11. Instead, his name is Frank LaSalle, an ex-convict who was recently released from prison. LaSalle tells Sally if she does not cooperate with him, he will put her in jail.

Readers follow Sally for two years while LaSalle mentally, physically and sexually abuses Sally. They keep moving around, staying just long enough for people to start wondering whether or not they are really a single father and his daughter. Some folks do suspect the truth but LaSalle always keeps them moving so he doesn't get caught.

This is not a "happily ever after" kind of story - it's quite the opposite - sad, disturbing and heartbreaking. Readers learn about Sally's pain and the innocence lost; they share her fear, her abduction and abuse. This book is very well written and despite the tragic subject matter, it is captivating.

It was very difficult to read at points and I don't think I'll be forgetting this story anytime too soon. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and T. Greenwood for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

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