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A review by schuster_s
The Heart Does Not Grow Back by Fred Venturini
2.0
TW: Rape, Suicide, and Murder
I almost didn't finish this book. This was a DNF from high school. It got too depressing for me then, and it was almost too depressing for me now, but curiosity got the best of me. Anything that can go wrong in this book does go wrong: boy likes girl, girl gets raped and murdered in front of him, and he gets his hand blown off. Then his mom dies of cancer, and he works as a lawn mower. This is all the beginning of the book. But of course, the hand grows back and we find our main character with this miraculous gift that he doesn't appreciate. The girl he likes also has a twin sister who he finds out years later is in an abusive relationship. Dale, our MC, develops his savior complex. This entire novel follows him being really unlikable. I don't understand his choices. His best friend is a prick named Mack who never grows out of his high school personality. All he does is have sex with women and drink beer.
I can't honestly say this is the worst thing I've ever read (See reviews for 'Tender is the Flesh" and "Clean Air"), but I definitely won't be keeping this book on my shelf.
SPOILERS__________________________________________________
OK. So the book ends with Dale faking his death, leaving this one woman 400,000 dollars, buying Mack a green Mustang, and ghosting Dr. Venhaus. Then he moves to a big city and looses his healing abilities after giving his heart to RAE'S SHITTY HUSBAND???!?!?? BRO WHAT??? IDK, the last line of the book is "the treasures of life could still be salvaged if I was brave enough to look", which is really sweet, but homie. You threw away your whole life. And then faked your death. This plot was wild and I hated the story.
I almost didn't finish this book. This was a DNF from high school. It got too depressing for me then, and it was almost too depressing for me now, but curiosity got the best of me. Anything that can go wrong in this book does go wrong: boy likes girl, girl gets raped and murdered in front of him, and he gets his hand blown off. Then his mom dies of cancer, and he works as a lawn mower. This is all the beginning of the book. But of course, the hand grows back and we find our main character with this miraculous gift that he doesn't appreciate. The girl he likes also has a twin sister who he finds out years later is in an abusive relationship. Dale, our MC, develops his savior complex. This entire novel follows him being really unlikable. I don't understand his choices. His best friend is a prick named Mack who never grows out of his high school personality. All he does is have sex with women and drink beer.
I can't honestly say this is the worst thing I've ever read (See reviews for 'Tender is the Flesh" and "Clean Air"), but I definitely won't be keeping this book on my shelf.
SPOILERS__________________________________________________
OK. So the book ends with Dale faking his death, leaving this one woman 400,000 dollars, buying Mack a green Mustang, and ghosting Dr. Venhaus. Then he moves to a big city and looses his healing abilities after giving his heart to RAE'S SHITTY HUSBAND???!?!?? BRO WHAT??? IDK, the last line of the book is "the treasures of life could still be salvaged if I was brave enough to look", which is really sweet, but homie. You threw away your whole life. And then faked your death. This plot was wild and I hated the story.