REVIEW: The Heart Does Not Grow Back by Fred Venturini

The Heart Does Not Grow Back by Fred Venturini
Publishing Information: Paperback; 320 pages
Publisher: Picador; 4 Nov 2014
ISBN: 78-1250052216
Standalone
Copy: Provided by author
Reviewer: Tyson

Amazon

Synopsis: "EVERY 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."

The Heart Does Not Grow Back is one of those books that comes along and flies under the radar when it really should be shouted from the rooftops. It is a book about the growing pains of adolescences, while twisting the story with a superhero.

Dale is Sampson is a loser when it comes to the ladies, luckily his best friend is the star baseball player and every girl in school is chasing after him. Finally, in his final year of high school he decides to put himself out there and when he takes steps to go after the girl of his dreams, those dreams are shattered. It is only when he learns he has the power to regenerate his body parts that he figures he can help others and maybe get that girl of his dreams after all.

One of the reasons that I enjoyed this book was that it captures life very well. Dale's emotions are raw and on display for everyone to read; you gain an understanding of him and his actions, you trust him and sympathize with him drawing him closer to you. When his thoughts go very dark you have been on the journey with him and know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. When he makes a mistake, you forgive him and give him a second chance. You don't find that often in novels.

Another reason I enjoyed the book so much was that for a book about a loner who struggles with human interaction, the book does a great job of showing how one person struggles to pick themselves up and keep trying to join in on life and find connections to others. There is a very powerful scene where someone is raped and it isn't for the faint of heart but it does leave Dale further down the pit and as he grasps to come to terms with it and move forward you will find a little bit of yourself in his journey.

The Heart Does Not Grow Back was an unexpected treasure and I hope that the book and the author find their audience as it really deserves it. It is well-written and has a powerful message that doesn't beat you over the head with it but will leave you wanting more. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy as soon as possible.

Overall 8/10