Fred Venturini

To Dust You Shall Return by Fred Venturini is absorbing. The book centers around the town of Harlow and the secrets it possesses. The town is overseen by a mysterious man, only known as "The Mayor," no one is allowed to leave, if you do, you're hunted down and subjected to The Mayor's sadistic brand of torture. When Curtis Quinn (notorious Mobster) encounters Beth Jarvis (a local teen) on his hunt for his missing girlfriend, the two are sent on a path to uncover the truth. It turns out that Curtis's lover and girlfriend Kate is also Beth's sister. The two decide to figure out exactly who and what Kate is running from.

This story was, as Grey's Anatomy puts it, "dark and twisty." The characters fall in line with your typical anti-heroes, which I found extremely refreshing. Even Beth, who is the most morally upright of the bunch, still has her moments where she makes decisions that are not "good." The Mayor was such a creepy antagonist that I couldn't help but jump at every noise in my house for at least a day after I finished listening to this book. Even though his character could have used a little more explanation, what readers get is enough to creep them out. The narrator did an excellent job of conveying the story, but I wish there had been just a tad more variance in his vocals for the different characters. Overall, it was a really well-written book that will probably haunt me for years to come. This book is not for the faint of heart. I, myself, (self-proclaimed Halloween-lover and horror movie fanatic) almost was not able to finish listening.
Some trigger warnings to be aware of are gore, bodily horror, death, torture, blood, suicide, suicidal ideation, and more.

Overall rating: 3/5

To Dust You Shall Return is available for purchase now. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf and see where it's available for purchase. Also, be sure to check out Fred Venturini’s website!
I was lucky enough to be able to listen to this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own.… (more)

All of me, why not take all of me?

The Heart Does Not Grow Back: A Novel by Fred Venturini (Picador, $16).

He’s not quite the sacrificial hero Samson, but Dale Sampson has a lot to offer: himself. He can’t quite go all the way—Dale’s no Christ-figure—but he can come darn close.

In Fred Venturini’s The Heart Does Not Grow Back, Dale finds out—after a nasty bullying incident in high school—that his body can regenerate itself. He could be quietly altruistic, but Dale’s a bit of a schlub, and he’s got this friend, Mack, who’s full of ideas.

Before you know it, he’s also got a reality-TV show, The Samaritan, in which he donates organs and body parts to needy people.

Fame, fortune and superhero status sound too good to be true, and they are, as Dale is forced to reckon with his own moral compass. Despite the supernatural overtones, this is more speculative literary fiction, drawing attention to the question of altruism and the power of our own negative feelings about ourselves to drive charity. Venturini overlays the question of how we are to act in the world as well as on our feelings with comedy, but the core of this novel is all heart.

Reviewed on Lit/Rant: www.litrant.tumblr.com… (more)