Scan barcode
celjla212's review against another edition
4.0
I can't really say this book is ABOUT any one specific thing. The best way to describe it is that it chronicles the life of main character Dale Sampson from childhood to early adulthood. In middle school, he meets the guy who is to become his best friend and shape his life in unimaginable ways, Mack. Mack is a popular ladies man while Dale is the polar opposite, awkward and quiet. Mack is persuasive, especially so on his friend, and so he drives Dale to make a decision one night that changes everything--and leaves Dale with an inexplicable new ability--he can regenerate.
Dale is somewhat boring as a main character. He is in love with a single woman for most of the book, then when things are revealed to him he moves quickly to another. To me, it was as if he was in love with the idea of being in love. Even though he's morose most of the time, you can't help liking him and feeling for him when bad things happen, even though he seems to be responsible for most of them.
The friendship between Dale and Mack is central to the story, and sounds as if it is one sided most of the time. Dale is always there while Mack is womanizing, traveling, and trying to become famous. They even drift apart for a few years, but when Mack learns about what Dale can do they come back together. They seem to truly like each other, and I'm not sure why; each of them has characteristics that make them somewhat horrible.
I have to say I enjoyed the first half of the book a lot more than the second. Seeing Dale discover and test his ability, while coming to terms with how his life had changed, was absolutely beautiful. I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough to see how he would make it through the earth shattering trauma that had happened to him. But once he got into show business, Dale became a completely different person, and he wasn't as pleasant to get to know anymore. I just didn't really love the whole reality show thing.
The ending of the book was definitely unexpected, and I'm not sure if I can say definitively that it was happy or sad...but it seemed to be the only way things COULD end. In the end, Dale learned that having himself would have to be enough, and that is a moral we all can take to heart.
Dale is somewhat boring as a main character. He is in love with a single woman for most of the book, then when things are revealed to him he moves quickly to another. To me, it was as if he was in love with the idea of being in love. Even though he's morose most of the time, you can't help liking him and feeling for him when bad things happen, even though he seems to be responsible for most of them.
The friendship between Dale and Mack is central to the story, and sounds as if it is one sided most of the time. Dale is always there while Mack is womanizing, traveling, and trying to become famous. They even drift apart for a few years, but when Mack learns about what Dale can do they come back together. They seem to truly like each other, and I'm not sure why; each of them has characteristics that make them somewhat horrible.
I have to say I enjoyed the first half of the book a lot more than the second. Seeing Dale discover and test his ability, while coming to terms with how his life had changed, was absolutely beautiful. I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough to see how he would make it through the earth shattering trauma that had happened to him. But once he got into show business, Dale became a completely different person, and he wasn't as pleasant to get to know anymore. I just didn't really love the whole reality show thing.
The ending of the book was definitely unexpected, and I'm not sure if I can say definitively that it was happy or sad...but it seemed to be the only way things COULD end. In the end, Dale learned that having himself would have to be enough, and that is a moral we all can take to heart.
ovenbird_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Taking a major departure in terms of genre from what I've been reading recently. This is kind of a sci-fi, X-Men, sort of superhero type thing about a guy who discovers that he has the ability to regenerate his limbs and organs. I'm a little more than half way at this point and my initial impression is that it's a good enough story, but feels a bit like it's been done before. There's a damsel in distress narrative going on that makes me sigh and say "really? Couldn't we do better than that?" I hope there will be a twist somewhere that redeems that particular aspect of the plot. However, the description of life in highschool and its accompanying horror and dislocation rings true. The scene at the beginning where a grade six boy is blindfolded and then purposefully made to walk into poles for the sake of entertainment brought me so distinctly into memories of being 10 that it was eerie. I was actually imagining the very playground I was forced to haunt.
I'll definitely finish this book. There's enough going on to keep me curious and the writing is decent. It's a good change of pace.
And I'm done, and this was pretty good. The damsel in distress narrative did have a small twist that kept it from being completely cliche and the ending was fairly satisfying.
I'll definitely finish this book. There's enough going on to keep me curious and the writing is decent. It's a good change of pace.
And I'm done, and this was pretty good. The damsel in distress narrative did have a small twist that kept it from being completely cliche and the ending was fairly satisfying.
schuster_s's review against another edition
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.
christajls's review against another edition
3.0
This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic
The Heart Does Not Grow Back is a puzzling story. It’s described as “a darkly comic, starkly original take on the superhero tale” and I’m not quite sure that’s what it is. It’s definitely about a man with a superpower. After Dale Sampson survives a horrific shooting in high school he discovers he has the ability to regenerate parts of his body. Everything from skin to fingers to organs and, at one point, even his corneas. Regeneration may not be a common superpower, or one of the most wished for superpowers, but it definitely counts as one.
But what sets Dale apart is he isn’t really a superhero. That same shooting that led to the discovery of his powers, also damaged his best friend’s arm (no more major leagues for him) and killed the girl he was in (unrequited) love with. To make matters even worse, not long after, his mother dies of cancer. This has left Dale with extreme survivor’s guilt mixed with some PTSD. He’s alone, broke, unmotivated, and has no intention of living his life any differently than that. All of which makes him an extremely interesting character but definitely not your typical superhero.
He’s finally spurned into action when he discovers the twin sister of his high school crush still lives in town and is married to an abusive husband. This is his chance to do things over again. He couldn’t save the first twin but maybe he can save this one. One thing leads to another and he ends up starring in a reality TV show called The Samaritan, where he donates body parts to those in need. From the outside he looks like a hero – he’s saving lives, keeping people alive when they would have otherwise died waiting for a transplant. But the reader is privy to his more selfish motivations. He’s not giving away body parts out of a genuine desire to help people, in fact he’s quite cold and distant from the people he’s helping. He’s doing it to try and draw a girl he loves away from her husband and to him. But at the end of the day what matters more? His intentions? Or the effect of The Samaritan? Not only does he save lives on the show but organ and blood donation go up across the country causing even more lives to be saved.
The Heart Does Not Grow Back is a difficult novel to read. Between the shooting, the abuse and the surgeries it’s quite graphic and violent. It should come with a big “trigger warning” sticker on the cover. But if you’re able to look past that, it’s a thought provoking novel on survival, charity and what it means to be a hero – whether you want the title or not. Dale Sampson is a difficult and frustrating character, but it’s those exact characteristics that make him so interesting to read about.
The Heart Does Not Grow Back is a puzzling story. It’s described as “a darkly comic, starkly original take on the superhero tale” and I’m not quite sure that’s what it is. It’s definitely about a man with a superpower. After Dale Sampson survives a horrific shooting in high school he discovers he has the ability to regenerate parts of his body. Everything from skin to fingers to organs and, at one point, even his corneas. Regeneration may not be a common superpower, or one of the most wished for superpowers, but it definitely counts as one.
But what sets Dale apart is he isn’t really a superhero. That same shooting that led to the discovery of his powers, also damaged his best friend’s arm (no more major leagues for him) and killed the girl he was in (unrequited) love with. To make matters even worse, not long after, his mother dies of cancer. This has left Dale with extreme survivor’s guilt mixed with some PTSD. He’s alone, broke, unmotivated, and has no intention of living his life any differently than that. All of which makes him an extremely interesting character but definitely not your typical superhero.
He’s finally spurned into action when he discovers the twin sister of his high school crush still lives in town and is married to an abusive husband. This is his chance to do things over again. He couldn’t save the first twin but maybe he can save this one. One thing leads to another and he ends up starring in a reality TV show called The Samaritan, where he donates body parts to those in need. From the outside he looks like a hero – he’s saving lives, keeping people alive when they would have otherwise died waiting for a transplant. But the reader is privy to his more selfish motivations. He’s not giving away body parts out of a genuine desire to help people, in fact he’s quite cold and distant from the people he’s helping. He’s doing it to try and draw a girl he loves away from her husband and to him. But at the end of the day what matters more? His intentions? Or the effect of The Samaritan? Not only does he save lives on the show but organ and blood donation go up across the country causing even more lives to be saved.
The Heart Does Not Grow Back is a difficult novel to read. Between the shooting, the abuse and the surgeries it’s quite graphic and violent. It should come with a big “trigger warning” sticker on the cover. But if you’re able to look past that, it’s a thought provoking novel on survival, charity and what it means to be a hero – whether you want the title or not. Dale Sampson is a difficult and frustrating character, but it’s those exact characteristics that make him so interesting to read about.
rmesquirrel's review against another edition
5.0
When I heard the author preview the book at another author's book event I thought the book would be entertaining. I was wrong about it just being entertaining... This book is fantastic! It made me laugh, it made me cry, mostly it made me think about the relationships in my life. Worth every minute I spent reading it.
optimus_mo's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to rate it higher, as the main idea of the novel was pretty imaginative, and the beginning 2/3rds written in such a way that it couldn't be put down...but it still relied heavily on common literary tropes. Definitely worth the read, though.
apatrick's review against another edition
2.0
Reads like Chuck Palahniuk. But I don't read him anymore, because it was all adolescent-boy stories. This books is pretty depressing. Not very much goes right for the characters. No startling, fresh insights; no reminder that the world is a wonderful place. Just people doing stupid things and never getting past them. That's not all I need for a book, of course, but it was what I was hoping for today. Pass!
mynameismarines's review against another edition
4.0
I originally read this story when it was published as "The Samaritan" three years ago. There's a lot I want (and plan) to say (via Youtube video) on the experience of reading the rerelease, because of the changes to this book I rated five stars three years ago, and because of the changes I've gone through as a reader.
For now, I just want to say that this is still a damn good story. I only read it once so it was interesting to have an impression of certain scenes and characters and to wonder if and what changed. I'll include my original review of the first version below.
This go-around, I felt a little more detached from the characters in the story, which is probably part of why I rated it just one star lower. Again, this is strictly a personal preference thing. This is a story about some very damaged people and I just found it harder to root for them. I also found myself hating Rae and couple other minor characters.
I was curious, after I finished the book because I knew the end was changed. I went back and read the last two chapters of The Samaritan and I have to say... I like the original ending better. I was also surprised to find that about 4 quotes I'd highlighted in those last two chapters were missing from The Heart Does Not Grow Back. It reaffirmed my suspicion that this version was tightened up in some places, though for me, that wasn't necessarily an improvement. I tend to like the flowery bits, especially when they are amazing commentary on life, loss, giving and receiving.
------------------------------
"Simple really," I said. "The heart does not grow back."
In that line, Venturini appropriately sums up his well-written, raw and character driven story.
I turned the last page feeling slightly depressed, but mostly impressed at Ventirini's seamless story telling and at his ability to illicit such a reaction from his readers.
It's amazing to me that a story that features limb regeneration could feel so true and so relate-able. His tone is always conversational, though his descriptions and observations are anything but simple.
The truth is that the story is about more than just its supernatural element. At its core, it is a story of friendship, loss, trauma, chaos, guilt, expectations and reality. It's about getting along when your heart is taken from you.
The friendship between Dale and Mack really helps the entire thing progress nicely. In other circumstances, in another story or perhaps apart from each other, Mack and Dale might be entirely unlikeable. Together, and in this story, they sell a story of an unlikely friendship, loyalty and love.
I truly enjoyed reading this story and would recommend it to those who don't flinch too easily. Venturini's descriptions can get a little graphic in places, though never gratuitously so. It fits the story.
Overall, Venturini uses a story of physical regeneration to explore tragedy and creates an honest, well written, dark, fast paced story that will leaving you thinking even after the last page.
For now, I just want to say that this is still a damn good story. I only read it once so it was interesting to have an impression of certain scenes and characters and to wonder if and what changed. I'll include my original review of the first version below.
This go-around, I felt a little more detached from the characters in the story, which is probably part of why I rated it just one star lower. Again, this is strictly a personal preference thing. This is a story about some very damaged people and I just found it harder to root for them. I also found myself hating Rae and couple other minor characters.
I was curious, after I finished the book because I knew the end was changed. I went back and read the last two chapters of The Samaritan and I have to say... I like the original ending better. I was also surprised to find that about 4 quotes I'd highlighted in those last two chapters were missing from The Heart Does Not Grow Back. It reaffirmed my suspicion that this version was tightened up in some places, though for me, that wasn't necessarily an improvement. I tend to like the flowery bits, especially when they are amazing commentary on life, loss, giving and receiving.
------------------------------
"Simple really," I said. "The heart does not grow back."
In that line, Venturini appropriately sums up his well-written, raw and character driven story.
I turned the last page feeling slightly depressed, but mostly impressed at Ventirini's seamless story telling and at his ability to illicit such a reaction from his readers.
It's amazing to me that a story that features limb regeneration could feel so true and so relate-able. His tone is always conversational, though his descriptions and observations are anything but simple.
The truth is that the story is about more than just its supernatural element. At its core, it is a story of friendship, loss, trauma, chaos, guilt, expectations and reality. It's about getting along when your heart is taken from you.
The friendship between Dale and Mack really helps the entire thing progress nicely. In other circumstances, in another story or perhaps apart from each other, Mack and Dale might be entirely unlikeable. Together, and in this story, they sell a story of an unlikely friendship, loyalty and love.
I truly enjoyed reading this story and would recommend it to those who don't flinch too easily. Venturini's descriptions can get a little graphic in places, though never gratuitously so. It fits the story.
Overall, Venturini uses a story of physical regeneration to explore tragedy and creates an honest, well written, dark, fast paced story that will leaving you thinking even after the last page.
tyches_dice's review against another edition
4.0
Not for the squeamish!
This is the best book I have read on netgalley! Our protagonist's struggle to relate to others through his super-power is great - but what is better is the fact that the fantasy aspect of the book does not overwhelm the human aspect.
Can not recommend enough
This is the best book I have read on netgalley! Our protagonist's struggle to relate to others through his super-power is great - but what is better is the fact that the fantasy aspect of the book does not overwhelm the human aspect.
Can not recommend enough
survivalisinsufficient's review against another edition
2.0
I finished it, but I can't say I liked it. The female characters really are terrible, and in one case (pseudo-spoiler) . The male characters are pretty bad too, to be honest - everyone is an extreme caricature.
I think the idea of a person who regenerates turning it into a reality show is pretty good (especially having watched UnREAL, which was horribly awesome), but the writing and the way it plays out, and the weak ending...no.
Spoiler
literally interchangeableI think the idea of a person who regenerates turning it into a reality show is pretty good (especially having watched UnREAL, which was horribly awesome), but the writing and the way it plays out, and the weak ending...no.