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My Name Is Venus Black
My Name Is Venus Black: A Novel | Heather Lloyd
43 posts | 30 read | 43 to read
In this stirring, life-affirming debut novel, a young woman must reconcile her past with its far-reaching consequences on her quest for redemption. 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. Venus Black is a straitlaced, straight-A student obsessed with the phenomena of astronomyuntil 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, Venuss developmentally challenged younger brother, Leo, suddenly goes missing. Five years later, Venus emerges 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 brother still missing, she sets out to make a fresh start, skittish and alone. But as new people enter her orbitincluding a romantic interest and a young girl who seems like a mirror image of her former lost selfold wounds resurface, and Venus realizes that she cant find a future while shes running from her past. In this gripping story, debut novelist Heather Lloyd brilliantly captures ordinary lives upended by extraordinary circumstances. Told through a constellation of captivating voices, My Name Is Venus Black explores the fluidity of right and wrong, the meaning of love and family, and the nature of forgiveness.
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TerriGreen
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This book grabbed me from page 1. Venus is a character you will love. Coming of age and family themes. A fast read. Book 36. 4⭐️

Tracyantoon Another YA book?! Good work!😉❤️📚 5y
TerriGreen @Tracyantoon Actually my library has this as an adult book. I would agree with that category. 5y
14 likes2 comments
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Johanna414
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There were things I absolutely loved about this book, and things I found infuriating... @TheBookKeepers @kellyann28 @Shadowfat You can probably all guess what those things were since we were pretty much all on the same page!
Amanda, this was a great pick! I‘ll try to get it in the mail to you tomorrow or Sunday.
#lmpbc

kellyann28 I really liked this overall! 5y
Johanna414 @TheBookKeepers so I thought my husband had put this in the mail for me like a week ago... and then I found it in his car this morning. So it‘s on its way to you now! 5y
TheBookKeepers That‘s fine! 5y
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Johanna414 @TheBookKeepers did this get to you yet? 5y
TheBookKeepers Yes! @Johanna414 sorry it‘s been a busy month and I took a pic but forgot to post! 5y
38 likes6 comments
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Johanna414
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kellyann28 Wow that is the fastest I have ever seen media mail go! 5y
34 likes2 comments
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kellyann28
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Pickpick

Great pick for our #LMPBC, @TheBookKeepers ! I really enjoyed this one overall.
I'll be sending it along next week and using media mail so it will be to you in a little bit @johanna414
@shadowfat

Johanna414 Wow! You read that fast! 5y
kellyann28 @johanna414 I can get things done when I want to 😂 plus I really enjoyed this and it's not a wordy read, if you know what I mean. 5y
TheBookKeepers So funny, I‘m using a green pen to mark up Beasts 😂 ! I‘m glad you liked it!! 5y
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kellyann28 @TheBookKeepers I usually use a purple pen but you used one in this book haha! 5y
kellyann28 @johanna414 I didn't take a picture but I got this mailed out to you today 😌 @shadowfat @TheBookKeepers 5y
Johanna414 @kellyann28 @TheBookKeepers Great! I‘m looking forward to this one! I forgot to post, but I also sent Amanda‘s book out, so she should be getting it early next week. 5y
29 likes6 comments
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kellyann28
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Reading before 7AM on a Saturday thanks to my 3 year old. As much as I love reading, I would rather be sleeping. 😫😴

lover.of.the.classics I know exactly what you mean.😩 5y
kellyann28 @lover.of.the.classics She was up at 6 AM and doesn't even get up that early during the week for preschool! Meanwhile my husband is peacefully sleeping. 😤 5y
JackOBotts I feel ya! Hope it‘s a good read, though! 5y
kellyann28 @JackOBotts Good news is that it is a great read! 5y
28 likes4 comments
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Shadowfat
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I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I enjoyed the different POVs from the family members. Since this copy is an arc I wonder if anything changed in the final copy. This is on it's way to you @kellyann28 . @Johanna414 @TheBookKeepers #lmpbc

kellyann28 Awesome, I can't wait to start this one! 5y
Johanna414 I‘m looking forward to this one! 5y
kellyann28 Hey, just checking in to see if you are sending the last book for our group soon? 5y
Shadowfat Hey sorry @kellyann28 I've been dealing with a medical issue and I haven't gotten a chance to read as much as I'd like so I'm still working on this one. I can send it to you next week if I don't finish by then 5y
kellyann28 Sorry to hear about your medical issues! I hope you are okay! 5y
22 likes5 comments
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TheBookKeepers
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Pickpick

Finished this at the river yesterday & just dropped it in the mailbox to go to @Shadowfat for our #lmpbc pick!

@kellyann28 @Johanna414

Super random but I had a dream last night I was marking up a book for our lmpbc Group. I got to the last 20 pages and realized I had already read the book and had previously marked it up (just the last pages tho) with 2 different colored pens than the one I‘d been using! Haha it was weird & oddly stressful

kellyann28 😂😂 Stressful book dreams 6y
TheBookKeepers Hahaha I was like NOOO. Im the first one to mark this up, I can‘t claim 3 different colors 😱 🤣 @kellyann28 (edited) 6y
sudi Can i ask what is the #lmpbc ? 😬 6y
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TheBookKeepers @sudi it stands for Litsy Mark Up Postal Book Club & is hosted by @suvata It‘s a group of 4 littens who each choose a book thats 400 pages or less. You read and mark up the book with comments, highlights, etc. At the end of each month u mail it to the next person in ur group. At the end of 4 months u read 4 new books and get ur original back with everyone‘s comments. It‘s super fun! 6y
sudi @TheBookKeepers thanks for letting me know, that does sound fun 😄 6y
Shadowfat I'll keep an eye out for it! I'll be finishing up my read this week. 6y
Johanna414 @TheBookKeepers haha that‘s just reality for me... I‘m incapable of keeping track of pens so I almost always have more than one color. I probably inspired your nightmare! 😱 6y
TheBookKeepers @Shadowfat has this made it to you yet? My tracking stopped updating the end of last week, it originally said it would arrive by last Saturday 6y
Shadowfat @TheBookKeepers I haven't seen it yet :( I'll take another look around in case I missed it 6y
TheBookKeepers @Shadowfat ok, let me know! 😬 I‘ll contact the post office too and see if they can check on the tracking since it hasn‘t updated on my end. I‘m sorry!! 6y
TheBookKeepers @Shadowfat I‘m so sorry it was delayed so long! Post office said it should be delivered by 8pm today. Please let me know once you get it. 6y
Shadowfat Thanks for letting me know! I was concerned I did get it and it was lost in my house. I'll keep you updated. 6y
TheBookKeepers @Shadowfat it shows delivered 😊 hope it made it! Again so sorry for the delay! 6y
Shadowfat That's ok @TheBookKeepers , it arrived today 😎 6y
95 likes15 comments
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TheBookKeepers
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Current view of the boys fishing while I finish up my #lmpbc pick for this month. Really enjoying this story!!

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booklover3258
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Pickpick

This book was great. Its about a girl who goes to prison for murder and her disabled younger brother goes missing. Loved all the characters and it was awesome to get a lot of POV from the main characters in the story. Good ending.
4 and a 1/2 stars....would've been 5 if it made me cry but alas it did not

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TheBookKeepers
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Started on my #lmpbc but ended up being lured into nap time with the new kitty 🥰

kellyann28 😂😂 I love everything about this 6y
Dragon 😻 6y
107 likes2 comments
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TheBookKeepers
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I‘m like @kellyann28 and get way too excited for the #lmpbc and have my book selections planned out way far in advance lol!!! #GroupG members, how do you feel about this book? Anyone read it already or prefer another option? @Johanna414 @Shadowfat

kellyann28 You know I am dying to read this! 6y
Johanna414 This sounds great! 6y
Shadowfat Sorry, I must have missed your post! This sounds good to me :) 6y
108 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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suzie.reads
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I really enjoyed this book. An excellent story about family and friendship. Really liked all the different characters especially Venus and Tessa. Put a big ? on my face at the end.
"Your smile is like the stars coming at night"
????

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jouleian
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⭐⭐⭐⭐ This one gets four stars from me. While I truly like the writing style and the story was quirky, it seemed a little two dimensional for me. I'd still recommend it though.

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jouleian

I'm rather impressed, this book is off to a good start and it's rather witty. I heard good things about it and I'm finding it to be living up to it's hype at the moment.

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calciumkels
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Such a terribly sad story. I love how the author wrote from the perspective of an autistic child. An amazing insight into their mind.

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Jas16
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I really liked this audiobook about young Venus Black who is sent to juvenile detention for killing her stepfather, her brother Leo who goes missing while she is away, and the people surrounding the two. When Venus is released at 19 the only things she wants are to start over and to find Leo and bring him home but nothing is ever that simple. Great on audio.

tammysue I liked this one too! 👍🏻 6y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Sounds good!!! 6y
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NikkiLeClair
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Pickpick

Intriguing story line and great moral at the end of the story. We follow 'Venus' as she enters prison after killing her stepfather, and are at her side as her autistic brother goes missing then as she's released, we follow her desparate search for him. We also get to read from her brothers POV, and the PIC of several characters in the book.

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HeatherBlue
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Just started this one. Not sure how I feel so far, but it‘s keeping my interest!

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Sheryl63
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I loved this book; it was very well done. I wouldn't think of it being a young adult novel. I felt Venus‘s pain, she had so many obstacles to overcome. I think this writer took a several sensitive subjects and wove a great story.

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aquariusnat
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This was a great novel ! The author chose a light-hearted approach to some serious issues .It is well written and could be easily read by adults snd teenagers. Highly recommend this and I'm looking forward to more from this author !

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cj82487
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This was an interesting read. I had to remind myself that it was set in the 80s, a time where phone booths were prevalent and missing children were on milk cartons. I loved Leo's voice throughout the novel and his perspective of events.

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cj82487
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I think my favorite aspect of this book is Leo's narrative. I love reading his side of things and how he views the world.

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aquariusnat
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Starting my next read ! Another win from Librarything's Early Reviewers program!

SqueakyChu Fun! I won a #LibraryThing #EarlyReviewer book this past month as well. I‘m still waiting for it to arrive. I hope yours is a good one! 7y
aquariusnat Actually I won this a few months ago. Finally have the chance to read it . 7y
SqueakyChu @aquariusnat True confession: I have a few #EarlyReviewer books I still need to read and review. I‘m arranging them in order of which one appeals to me most! 😃 7y
14 likes3 comments
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theokiereader
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Pickpick

I‘m not a huge YA fan, but I really enjoyed this one. Each character had a messy life in their own right, and each one was redeemed by the person you THOUGHT should be the most scattered of all. I also loved that the author included Leo‘s POV, autism and all. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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theokiereader
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Sunset drive on the prairie. #oklahomaborder #byekansas

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tammysue
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BEAUTIFUL + GRIPPING novel about what the meaning of a true family really is and how far you would go to protect it. 💛

#YA
#mounttbrreadathon @Tiffy_Reads @JenlovesJT47

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LiteraryJackalope
Pickpick

This. Book. Was. So. Good.
Heather Lloyd is a MASTER of writing. This book, overall, has been marketed as a YA but I‘ve seen it on adult lists too - and there‘s a reason for that: it is the perfect “YA” book for adults to read. Venus Black is enigmatic. This story is gorgeous and wrought with grief and strife and hope. The ending could be better, but I think that‘s because I didn‘t want it to end.

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Branwen
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SiriuslyWeasley
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This book is tearing at my heartstrings! 😢

JoScho Lovely photo 🖤 7y
SiriuslyWeasley @JoScho Thank you! 😊 7y
36 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Coleen
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A fairly solid debut. Young teen is incarcerated for killing her stepfather, then is released, wanting to create a new identity for herself. In the meantime, her younger brother with autism disappears. So several different storylines going on.
While I wouldn‘t say I absolutely loved this one, I did enjoy it. It‘s not technically classified as YA as far as I can tell, but it seems as though it should be targeted as such.

EKonrad Definitely agree that it should be classified as YA! 👍🏼 7y
33 likes1 comment
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Coleen
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She makes it hard to concentrate on my book.

JenlovesJT47 So sweet!! 🐶❤️🐶 7y
tammysue Awe 💗 7y
britt_brooke 💚🐾 7y
DebinHawaii Such a sweet face! 🐶❤️ 7y
Maria514626 Oh my goodness! How many treats do you want? You can have all of them. ❤️ 7y
44 likes5 comments
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LiteraryJackalope

Ohhhhhhh my gosh.

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Alfoster
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Pickpick

This book ripped out my heartstrings and played them like a violin! I laughed. I wept. I never wanted it to end. Not your typical YA novel at all. Venus kills her stepfather and is sent to a teen detention facility until she is 19. In the meantime her autistic younger brother goes missing. What follows is a heartbreakingly beautiful story of betrayal, redemption, and family that has nothing to do with biology and everything to do with love.❤️

DeborahSmall Sounds great! 7y
Alfoster @DeborahSmall Seriously! I‘m still a little weepy after finishing it😅! 7y
DeborahSmall Do you have the arc? I just went to buy it on amazon but not out for another 10 days x 7y
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Alfoster @DeborahSmall Yes, got it from NetGalley. Just didn‘t have enough characters to put in original post. It‘s SO worth it! Let me know what you think if you read it! (And then we‘ll work on our planks)!😂 7y
DeborahSmall Lmao 😂 will do!! 7y
cj82487 I saw this one on NetGalley and went back and forth about whether I wanted to subject myself to it lol. 7y
EKonrad Enjoyed this book too...I thought the parts with the brother as the narrator were perfect. 😊 7y
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TorieStorieS
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This family drama hooks you from the very first pages and never really lets up! Excellent and authentic characters and a fantastic storyline makes this one of my very favorite reads so far for 2018! An impressive debut novel!!

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EKonrad
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Loved the premise of this - a young girl kills her stepfather and then while she's in juvie, her little brother goes missing. Although there's plenty of mystery, the big reveal of her motive doesn't come until the very end. I also got a little frustrated with the constant back and forth between character perspectives. Overall, this would have been a more satisfying read if it was classified as YA. It feels too simplistic otherwise. #arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Bookmarkie
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An enjoyable book about forgiveness, creating a new future, and family that takes place in Washington and California circa 1980.
The author, Heather Lloyd, just "liked" my review on Goodreads, AAAAMAZING! #netgalley

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Coco
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I apparently won this book and didn‘t even know it! Talk about #happymail !!! #arc #booksof2018 #booklovers

RebL I hope it‘s as cool as it looks. 7y
Bookmarkie I just finished it and enjoyed it! 7y
98 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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suvata
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Pickpick

This a heart-warming story about a girl who turns a bad childhood choice into an opportunity to change her family‘s circumstances for the better. At the age of 15, Venus is convicted of killing her stepfather. That same night, her mentally-challenged little brother, Leo, disappears. This is a gripping story about the search for Leo and about Venus searching for redemption.

63 likes4 stack adds
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McGonagall
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This is a solid 4 ☆ read. Content-wise, it is a little outside of my usual preference, but it is very well-written and engaging.

7 likes1 stack add
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suvata
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Still catching up on ARC‘s

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McGonagall
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#netgalley #ARC interesting read so far

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Coleen
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Book mail!

34 likes2 stack adds
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specklife
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Mehso-so

The book blurb for this was misleading, and although the story still wound up to be somewhat intriguing it just didn‘t quite hit the mark for me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️