From the TBR Pile: Blog Tour: The Heart Does Not Grow Back by Fred Venturini

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Blog Tour: The Heart Does Not Grow Back by Fred Venturini

Author: Fred Venturini

Publisher: Picador

Date of publication: November 2014

VERY SUPERHERO NEEDS TO START SOMEWHERE…

Dale Sampson is used to being a nonperson at his small-town Midwestern high school, picking up the scraps of his charismatic lothario of a best friend, Mack. He comforts himself with the certainty that his stellar academic record and brains will bring him the adulation that has evaded him in high school. But when an unthinkable catastrophe tears away the one girl he ever had a chance with, his life takes a bizarre turn as he discovers an inexplicable power: He can regenerate his organs and limbs.

When a chance encounter brings him face to face with a girl from his past, he decides that he must use his gift to save her from a violent husband and dismal future. His quest takes him to the glitz and greed of Hollywood, and into the crosshairs of shadowy forces bent on using and abusing his gift. Can Dale use his power to redeem himself and those he loves, or will the one thing that finally makes him special be his demise? The Heart Does Not Grow Back is a darkly comic, starkly original take on the superhero tale, introducing an exceptional new literary voice in Fred Venturini.

I know I am going to be in the minority when I say I did not care for this book. It wasn't any where close to what I was expecting. Initially, the book plodded along through the developing relationship between Dale and Mack. Their friendship was odd as they were so opposite that it was hard to imagine them being friends in the first place. But, hey, stranger things have happened, right? Then the story got kind of weird and disturbing and I just couldn't read anymore. Not a lot shocks me, but the "tragedy" scene was a bit over the top for me. I did read a little bit more, but once Dale started looking for a black market organ dealers, I was done.

As I said, this book really wasn't for me. But lots of other people seemed to like it, So, give it a try and see for yourself.

About Fred Venturini

Fred Venturini grew up in Patoka, Illinois. His short fiction has been published in the Booked Anthology, Noir at the Bar 2, and Surreal South ’13. In 2014, his story “Gasoline” will be featured in Chuck Palahniuk’s Burnt Tongues collection. He lives in Southern Illinois with his wife and daughter.

Connect with Fred

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Fred Venturini’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, October 13th: Benni’s Bookbiters

Tuesday, October 14th: Books a la Mode – author guest post

Wednesday, October 15th: Read a Latte

Thursday, October 16th: Benni’s Bookbiters - an unofficial soundtrack

Monday, October 20th: Bell, Book & Candle

Wednesday, October 22nd: My Shelf Confessions – Wonderfully Wicked Read-A-Thon Giveaway

Thursday, October 23rd: Saints and Sinners

Monday, October 27th: A Fantastical Librarian

Wednesday, October 29th: In Bed with Books