Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

This is the most riveting book I’ve read in a long time...I read it in a day. Finding out after reading that it is the fictionalized account of a true crime made it all the more poignant and intriguing. I won’t summarize the book as that’s been done but this book left me shocked and disturbed that something so horrific could happen to a girl. Yet Sally is every 11 year old. The author writes her so well that you understand exactly how something like this could happen. When a school yard dare goes wrong, it changes the course her lifetime. Each character, the mom, sister, brother-in-law, represent emotions and character traits that feel so real and accurate in the face of tragedy. This book is not an uplifting read and you will think about it for days to come but so so good.

I am in the clear minority in my feelings for this book. I have read other books by Greenwood and loved them, but Rust & Stardust just didn’t do it for me. For starters, I really just wanted to shake some common sense into Sally. Was she really that stupid? I mean, she is 11 years old. Old enough to know that the FBI isn’t going to arrest you for stealing a notebook.

And then, all those times that Frank left her alone, in rooms, in the care of other people, she seriously didn’t tell anyone or try to call her mom and get out of that situation. I just had a hard time believing that she really didn’t think to try to save herself. I know, I know, she was scared, but even she started to suspect that something wasn’t right and still did nothing.

All in all, I was pretty bored with this book and I really couldn’t wait to get through it so I could start my next one. With that, there are buckets of 4-5 star reviews, so I would say give it a go, especially if true crime is something you enjoy.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my copy of this book via NetGalley

There is no way around this, Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood is completely disturbing and it will trigger all sorts of emotions.

What it's about: All Sally Horner wants is to fit in with the girls at school. She is full of questions and so smart, but she can also be very quiet and rather introverted. Because of this, the other girls see her as weird and different. One day she gets dared by a group of girls at school to steal something from the Woolworth's and if she does she gets to be a part of their pack. Sally ends up getting caught by a man who says he is with the FBI and if she does exactly what he says, she won't get in trouble for stealing. The rest of the book is what happens next as 11-year-old Sally is kidnapped by a middle-aged Frank La Salle and moved around the country on his whims.

Thanks to social media I found out this is based on a true story, but prior to learning that I had never heard of Sally Horner, nor have I read Lolita which is also based on this real life abduction. This fictional retelling of her story was very hard to read. Even though Greenwood does a good job of not going into excessive detail about what happens, the truth of the matter is hard to swallow.

I really enjoyed Greenwood's writing, although some details felt a little much at times (not regarding the actual assaults against Sally though). There are multiple viewpoints which I enjoyed, but there probably could have been fewer viewpoints and more from just Sally, her mom and her sister. I think Greenwood did a great job of helping us envision what family goes through after a tragedy like this, and what could have been going on in the mind of Sally during the time she was gone.

Final Thought: Rust & Stardust is a very tough read and I was very frustrated by a lot of what happened, but I think it is an important book that most people are really going to appreciate. I can't say I loved it due to the topic, but Greenwood's writing did a fantastic job of evoking a range of mixed emotions. My heart breaks for all the Sally Horner's out there and I can only hope someday people like Frank La Salle no longer exist. I can dream right?

Where do I even begin to review a book as emotionally wrenching as this. I was left numb, speechless and just downright heavy-hearted when I reached the end. A true tragedy, and…innocence lost.

Sally is a young girl growing up with her mother Ella in Camden, New Jersey. All she wants is a good friend. More precisely, to be one of a group of girls she admired and watched become “Blood Sisters.”

At this point most readers, myself included, would probably fore-see something quite terrible heading Sally’s way. Oh yes! And the cruel joke of an initiation from the “Blood Sisters” sets off an avalanche of events that leaves poor Sally taken away from everyone she knows and loves and thrust into a world of unimaginable terror.

This book is based on the true case of Sally Horner. As the author states in her acknowledgment at the end of the book, this is not a biography or a true crime novel. It is fictionbased on true events.

I devoured this in one day. It’s so hard to put down as you are completely absorbed into this emotional journey with Sally. Be prepared for the onslaught of emotions. Anger, sadness, love and heartbreak. You cannot read this book and come away untouched by its powerful realism.

There are a number of vivid events in this book that may be difficult for some readers, but the author handled it extremely well without going into any unnecessary details.

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something to touch you and remind you of life’s true value.

A Traveling Friend read!🌸

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and T. Greenwood for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review

This book is the stay of 11 year-old Sally Horner and her fresh out of prison, 52-year-old kidnapper Frank LaSalle. Besides that, the synopsis does a fine job of explaining exactly what you’ll be getting into with this read, so I’ll let that do the speaking and instead I’ll simply share what this book did to/for me.

My biggest caution going into this is that if there is something that stands out to you in the synopsis as maybe being “not for you”... then don’t let this be the book that you challenge your comfort zone with. I specifically say this as a sensitive person myself, there is quite a bit within this story that is hard to swallow, and that’s to be expected, seeing as this is a historical CRIME fiction novel. I would really only feel comfortable recommending this to a very specific audience of taste in genre. Thankfully, the author does spare us most of the details and is actually very tasteful in style. Still, a deeply monstrous character is painted in his true light and the emotions and feelings of the victim are felt deeply throughout. This is very much not a pleasant read and I honestly struggled to desire picking it up often times. I think the only thing that helped was the short chapters that the book was broken into, which made it easier to press on bit by bit.

I’ll honestly say that I by no means loved this book. Yet, I must applaud this author and what she was able to do with the book and the characters, and with the characters, I especially appreciated the various perspectives and people we got to see, as it helped to round out some of the hard edges. It’s no easy feat to mirror a true crime event and keep it “real” enough while adding the correct balance of fictional elements, and I feel that the author did this very well. For somebody who had no previous knowledge of the kidnapping of Sally Horner in 1948, I found it to be especially gripping and compelling... and eye-opening. I was simply left heartbroken by what was ripped away from this young girl and the tragedy she faced... and any victim of kidnapping in any degree and capacity.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free review copy in exchange for my honest review!

Wow! I read this intense novel that is based on a factual account beginning in 1948, in two days. I could not stop thinking about the main character named Sally Horner. It had me feeling anger, hate, sadness, and often in tears as I turned each page.
Sally, is a young girl who was taught by her mother to always be honest and respect adults.
Her only fault was was desperately wanting friends and to belong to a club.
In order to join this girls club, she was told she had to steal one item from the local Woolworth's store in Camden, New Jersey.
The nightmare begins here as she is caught stealing and because of her honest nature, believes she needs to go to court with the man who says he works for the FBI and abducts her. She knows her mom will be disappointed in her and does not tell her what has happened.
This book was definitely well written and in great detail.
I got caught up in the journey of Sally, her new friends she met, and her family who were left in New Jersey to wonder where she was and continue to live their lives in the hope that Sally would soon return.

Oh how this book just tore my heart out! I was expecting a great read after several reviews that I read, but did not know a lot about the real crime it was based upon. Sally Horner an 11 year old girl is abducted by Frank LaSalle a rapist who poses as the FBI. I was sickened by the whole injustice that fell upon this sweet girl time and time again. I don't want to get into a lot of details in the plot so as not to give away the ending which left me in tears. This is a book that I would recommend along with a handful of tissues. Be prepared to exhibit a bit of restraint so as not to do your own research while reading.

I found this book dark and yet full of such hope. I cannot imagine what Sally would have gone through in the years that Frank had her. The author has shown us what she could possibly have gone through, thought, and felt during her ordeal. I found the writing kept me emotionally involved.

Fiction, based heavily on a real life, true crime story, Greenwood delivers a harrowing and heartbreaking account of Sally Horner’s tragically short life. A compassionate, humanitarian look at the victim’s side of this sick crime is intriguing and indelibly sad. You will definitely be thinking about this one long after you put it down.

The book begins in Camden, New Jersey in 1948. An eleven year old girl named Sally Horner is watching the girls in her class during recess. She longs to be a part of this group, and gathers up her nerve during lunch to sit with them. Vivi Peterson, one of the girls in the group, asks if she would like to be a part of their club. All she has to do is steal something from Woolworths.

After school, with the girls waiting on the sidewalk, Sally heads into Woolworths. She nonchalantly walks around and finally slips a notebook inside her sweater. Suddenly a man eating soup at the counter grabs her arm. He tells her that he is an FBI agent and that she is under arrest. And with that, Sally Horner’s life is forever changed.

Frank LaSalle is not an FBI agent, he is a known pedophile who was recently released from jail. He convinces Sally to go with him, because he is going to help her not get arrested. She goes with him willingly, telling her mother that she is going away for the week with Vivi Peterson.

Frank LaSalle ends up keeping Sally for 21 months.

What makes this story even more heart wrenching is that is based on the true story of Sally Horner and Frank LeSalle. Frank really did kidnap Sally Horner and keep her captive for 21 months. It was this kidnapping that inspired the story Lolita.

At the end of the book, the author explains how she wrote and researched the story.

A fascinating read, made all the more tragic by it being based on a true story.

I received an ARC of the book.

3.5 rounded up.

The kidnapping of Sally Horner actually served as the inspiration for Lolita, which I honestly do not know much about. I was incredibly frustrated with so many events that took place but since they are steeped in reality - I really can't complain! Greenwood did a great job of bringing this story to life and I loved the short chapter format and the multiple perspectives. Overall, I just never found myself totally loving the story and was very middle of the line on it, but there were times where I was definitely engrossed, hence the more positive swing in my rating.

Ended up really liking this book. Thought it was a little long and there was a point in the middle that I thought could've been condensed. Overall it was a fresh, unpredictable and awesome book!

Rust and Stardust is based on a true crime but is a work of fiction. This book is heartbreaking. This re-imaging will suck you in and make you feel like you were there in 1948, praying for Sally's safe return with the rest of the world. It's told from several people's perspectives. Thankfully the one perspective left out is Frank La Salle as I'm sure I wouldn't not have been able to read this had it included anything from his perspective....I've done that before, it's called Lolita and it was too much.
This work of fiction has so much truth sprinkled throughout and weaved within the story that everything becomes super believable and it's not until the end that you find out what was and wasn't part of the original case/life of Sally Horner.
This book made me emotional. This book made me involved. This book made me aware.

I received an ARC (Thank you!) of this book in exchange for an unbiased honest review.

Rust & Stardust is a fictional portrayal of the 1948 kidnapping of Sally Horner, the event that inspired Nabokov's infamous novel Lolita. Sally attempts to shoplift a notebook from Woolworth's to join the "secret sisterhood" of some girls in her class, but she is caught by an older man claiming to be an FBI agent. 11-year-old Sally has no idea the man (Frank LaSalle) is actually a sexual predator recently released from prison, and she obeys his command to go away with him to avoid being sent to jail. For the next two years, Frank drags Sally across the country as her family works with law enforcement to find her.
T. Greenwood brings the story of this harrowing crime to life with attention to historical accuracy as well as imaginative fictional characters to fill in some of the blanks. While of course the story is disturbing and hard to read at times due to the nature of the crime, the care shown to Sally by people she encounters along her journey helps to restore the reader's faith in humanity. Rust & Stardust is a powerful and heartbreaking illustration of the impact one event and one person can have on so many lives.

Rust & Stardust is the heartbreaking story of Sally Horner, who was kidnapped by a sexual predator at the age of 11. Sally lived with Frank LaSalle (who was also known by many other names) for two years, and this story is the imagination of the author on what could have taken place during that time. It was obvious the author spent a great deal of time researching the actual case.

Heartbreaking and beautifully written story of a very tough subject; the author handled it very well without going into the sordid details.

Sally Horner touched so many lives and was such an amazing human being.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy; all opinions are my own.

I have never read Lolita. I have never watched the movie either. I know what it is about, but I haven't found the stomach to do it. There is something about pedophiles that I just can't tolerate. Not even in fiction, and let's be honest, I love reading weird, and sick stuff. So, why request this book? Why did I go to NetGalley and begged the gods to get approved? *shrugs shoulders* The idea of learning about the real story got me.

Florence Sally Horner was unknown to me. This innocent girl from long ago had never been on my radar. T. Greenwood's fictional depiction of what may have happened to Sally is written in an eloquent, mesmerizing, and unpretentious. I was transported to an era way before my time, and I felt as if I was a witness to this girl's tragedy. We are presented with a resilient child, who, despite her circumstances, maintained hope, and was able to find joy in the small things. One can only wish it was really that way. I made the mistake half-way through the book to go on a research quest, only to discover her sad fate. Sally Horner didn't have a chance in life. This broke my heart.

This was not a book I could read on a sitting. I had to stop, process, and breathe at times. I can't say that it was an easy read, but it was worth to be read. It demands to be read. Sally Horner deserved a voice. Even when she was never given the chance to share the journey herself. Sally's story reminded me of why I chose the field of work I'm in. I'm glad I live in a time when CPS and 911 exist and all we need is reasonable suspicion to report abuse and prevent weirdos like Frank La Salle to roam around as much as possible. I hope he's rotting in hell. I don't have a clue on how or why would Nabokov turn something like this horrible story into some kind of controversial romance, but to each its own.

I hope there is an afterlife and that this girl found some peace in death. Excellent read...and that cover!

If true crime interests you, then you will definitely want to read this book, plus the writing is superb. It is a work of fiction, but based on the gut wrenching true story of little 11 year old Sally Horner’s abduction by mechanic Frank La Salle in 1948. It then inspired author Vladir Nabokov to write the 1955 novel Lolita (which I haven’t yet read, have you?).
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I loved that this story gave Sally a voice, along with her family members & others involved in the case, revolving the narratives of each. I went into it knowing only that it was about a true child abduction & I’m so glad I knew nothing else about the harrowing case. I read this book all in one sitting - it was just that good!

I finished this on Saturday and honestly it has messed with my sleep a bit. This is the story of Sally Horner, an 11-year old girl who steals a notebook from a store to try to join the “it group” and then finds herself in a complex web with a man named Frank LaSalle who impersonates an FBI agent to gain her trust. While she keeps waiting for her to bring her to court, she is being kept by him and away from her family. I am not going to say more about the plot, because despite this being based on a true story from the 1948, I was not privy to it going in and I don’t want to spoil anything for you either. The true story on which this is based was also the inspiration for the book Lolita (which I haven’t read… and honest need to wait awhile to read after how haunting this book was for me).

The book switches perspectives, mainly just between Sally, her mom, and her sister. We never see inside Frank’s head directly, and honestly I think this makes it a bit more terrifying. We are learning about the horrible actions he is doing based on how they are interpreted by an 11-year old girl. He uses Sally’s naivety against her and it made me physically ache for her. The story is written very well, you can easily see yourself in the different character’s shoes. I would definitely read more by Greenwood in the future and will definitely be giving my girls extra big hugs!

Rust and Stardust is the fictionalized telling of the true crime story of the kidnapping of Sally Horner by Frank LaSalle. It brought the people affected by that crime to life and insight to what it might have really been like for Sally. I originally expected this novel to suck, but it was actually pretty decent. Since it was based on a true story it really horrified me at times, that monsters like Frank are real. This is not just another thriller for entertainment. 

The characters were all a bit naïve, which is partly due to the time period. I think that contributed how Frank was able to kidnap Sally in the first place, but I also had to remind myself that she was only a kid. I really feel for Sally, but also admire her. In this novel she was able to find bright spots in the absolute darkest of times. It was remarkable how resilient she remained. 

The plot didn't follow the normal story arc that you would expect, because this was based on a true story. It did follow Sally's life when she was kidnapped, her family's life during that time, and the investigation to find her. I would have thought that more of the story would be about the investigation, but it wasn't, it was about Sally. I'm glad the novel brought her life and told her story.

The writing was good, but not exactly compelling. The book didn't keep me up late or have me dying to know what happened next. This is a sad, but true story that deserved to be told. It was well researched, but not really a fun read. It is sobering to know that these events really happened. I would recommend this book to those who like true crime stories, but not necessarily the for mystery fanatics.

I totally enjoyed reading this book. The way the author wrote each chapter through the eyes of one of the characters in the story was really well done. You would think this is so much more than a fictionalized story based on an 11 year old girl, Sally Horner, who was kidnapped without knowing it from her home in Camden NJ in 1948. You really empathize with Sally's mother, sister and family and the author does a great job of portraying how this one event changed so many lives. Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to preview this book.