Venus Black is not at all what you expect her to be.
Our first meeting with her is when she’s being taken away by the police and about to be charged for killing her stepfather. She’s a grade A student, chatty and personable but she doesn’t deny what she’s done. Which version of Venus Black is accurate?
Little details are revealed and it’s clear that there’s more to the story. However, Venus is charged and detained in the juvenile system. While she’s incarcerated, her little brother Leo is kidnapped.
Over the course of the story we shift viewpoint. We learn a little more about Venus as she hits nineteen and tries to start a new life on the outside. We follow Leo’s story as rather unusual events transpire around him.
The book is a touching one about friendship, family and forgiveness. There’s a darkness to it, but there remains a sense of hope at its heart.
The way certain events go seem rather of their time, and you’d hope things have moved on a little. However, what it shows about making bonds with people is timeless.