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charms1976's review against another edition
1.0
First of all let me say one thing about this book--this is definitely a book for the older teens! I almost couldn't believe that this book would even be considered a young adult book. It touches on subjects that could possibly be in a young adult book, but the whole context and style of writing would lead you to believe that it is better suited for the adult genre. There is a huge amount of cursing within the pages, subjects involving extreme violence, gay relationships, mood disorders, and overall anger. All of this I could have handled fine, but the way it was written was not what I was expecting.
It starts out okay and actually holds your interest for the first chapter or so. Then the story seems to fall apart and starts to get really out there. It also has a little comic book within the story as well including comic illustrations between each chapter. Honestly, I was not a fan of the comic book sections of the book. To me they gave no real substance to the book. It was more like filler pages just to make you feel like the book was longer. I never really bought the whole "Venom" classification that Locke used. Everyone has a dark side and anger issues, we just all have deal with it in different ways. We learn to control our moments of anger, but Locke calls it Venom and that was suppose to give him justification for biting someone's nose off. I don't think so.
I can see this book being better suited for older male teens than for the women. It has the appeal that the male's would like better especially with the comic book feel inside of it. However, I would not recommend this book for the younger teens. It may be too dark for the younger ones to handle.
It starts out okay and actually holds your interest for the first chapter or so. Then the story seems to fall apart and starts to get really out there. It also has a little comic book within the story as well including comic illustrations between each chapter. Honestly, I was not a fan of the comic book sections of the book. To me they gave no real substance to the book. It was more like filler pages just to make you feel like the book was longer. I never really bought the whole "Venom" classification that Locke used. Everyone has a dark side and anger issues, we just all have deal with it in different ways. We learn to control our moments of anger, but Locke calls it Venom and that was suppose to give him justification for biting someone's nose off. I don't think so.
I can see this book being better suited for older male teens than for the women. It has the appeal that the male's would like better especially with the comic book feel inside of it. However, I would not recommend this book for the younger teens. It may be too dark for the younger ones to handle.
nicole3654's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book, it was soo heart warming and heart breaking all at the same time!! I fell in love with Locke, Randall, Chase, Lon, and Renee!! All of the characters were soo lovable! I couldn't help but to fall! :D I read this book as a class assignment but fell in love with it and didn't put it down till i finished i read this in 3 days!! Venomous is really well written.
jolitost's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
akristinab's review against another edition
1.0
I definitely have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand the whole venom thing made no sense to me. Like how is it really different from a bad case of anger issues, and it makes him sound like a psychopath. But on the other hand, the story and plot was pretty good. So I'm torn between hating the book for being confusing and liking it because the story was pretty good.
cortcort's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this book was pretty good and the book had some nice flow,it didn't have many surprises nor did it have as much action in it as i usually like but overall it was a nice,quick read.
librariann's review against another edition
2.0
(Ages 13+ for language and sex)
Two stars, but maybe 3 if you're an angry goth dude. Hell, maybe four. But I am not angry, nor goth, nor a dude, so this book was just the other side of lost on me. The events depicted within are what the hip trench coated crowd does on a Friday night instead of emailing photos to Gossip Girl.
Two stars, but maybe 3 if you're an angry goth dude. Hell, maybe four. But I am not angry, nor goth, nor a dude, so this book was just the other side of lost on me. The events depicted within are what the hip trench coated crowd does on a Friday night instead of emailing photos to Gossip Girl.
book_banshee's review against another edition
4.0
Actual Rating: 3.75 stars
I was honestly so surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I much prefer the fantasy side of YA, so when my cousin recommended this book to me, I was skeptical. But this book was actually a really great read!
Venomous is the story of Locke Vinetti, a high school junior with major anger issues. He has dubbed his anger "Venom" and considers it to be a separate side of himself, and it's something he's constantly trying to control. Locke's battle with the venom intensifies as new friends enter his life. The book follows Locke as he struggles to control his anger outbursts and fights to prevent the "Venom" from pushing his friends and family out of his life.
There were so many characteristics about this book that I adored. And I loved that a lot of them were YA stereotypes that got flip flopped. I loved that there was both a loving relationship between Locke and his brother, and Locke and his mother. So many YA protagonists seem to have crappy familial relationships, and while Locke did have a father who left him, it was refreshing to see a caring bond with his mother and brother, who both actually got screen time.
Another what I consider to be a "flip flopped YA stereotype" was the romance. Yes, it didn't escape the insta-love vibe, but I liked how for once in the was the guy (Locke) who was the virgin and the girl who was the experienced one (and she was bisexual! yay diversity!). Both Locke and his love interest had problems/traumas they were dealing with, and I enjoyed seeing how they were both able to help each other emotionally, inside of one sole beneficiary.
Now the friendship. Friendship played an important role in this book, and wasn't pushed to side as so many cliche YA novels do, and I valued that. Now I will say that the friendships weren't the healthiest, and they weren't without their screwed up parts, but nonetheless I found myself caring about them anyway.
Another interesting thing about this book was the mini superhero "comics" at the end of each chapter. Every night Locke imagines himself/the Venom as an anti-hero using his darkness to battle other evils. I thought that these fantasies added a unique dimension to the book and allowed for some good foreshadowing and for an unusual, but engaging additional view into Locke's struggle with his anger.
Okay now the main premise of the book; the Venom. I honestly wasn't sure how I felt about this part of the book. I didn't like that for a good chunk of the book, Locke didn't take responsibility for his extreme anger/rage and that he considered it a separate being. I felt like this was a mental health issue that Locke was just expected to "learn to control". Yes, Locke saw a psychologist, but I was expecting more attention drawn to the importance/seriousness/awareness of mental health.
That being said, I felt that the resolution occurred too quickly. Locke struggled with the Venom right up until the end, then he suddenly had this realization and was on the mend. I don't know, I felt such a serious issue deserved a more drawn out and complex struggle before improving.
Overall, I really liked this book and I'm glad I read it. It was nice to step outside my usual fantasy reads and find a book I enjoyed. This book has made me feel a lot more motivated to try out other contemporary reads. I would recommend this book for anyone intrigued by the synopsis. Definitely go for it!
I was honestly so surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I much prefer the fantasy side of YA, so when my cousin recommended this book to me, I was skeptical. But this book was actually a really great read!
Venomous is the story of Locke Vinetti, a high school junior with major anger issues. He has dubbed his anger "Venom" and considers it to be a separate side of himself, and it's something he's constantly trying to control. Locke's battle with the venom intensifies as new friends enter his life. The book follows Locke as he struggles to control his anger outbursts and fights to prevent the "Venom" from pushing his friends and family out of his life.
There were so many characteristics about this book that I adored. And I loved that a lot of them were YA stereotypes that got flip flopped. I loved that there was both a loving relationship between Locke and his brother, and Locke and his mother. So many YA protagonists seem to have crappy familial relationships, and while Locke did have a father who left him, it was refreshing to see a caring bond with his mother and brother, who both actually got screen time.
Another what I consider to be a "flip flopped YA stereotype" was the romance. Yes, it didn't escape the insta-love vibe, but I liked how for once in the was the guy (Locke) who was the virgin and the girl who was the experienced one (and she was bisexual! yay diversity!). Both Locke and his love interest had problems/traumas they were dealing with, and I enjoyed seeing how they were both able to help each other emotionally, inside of one sole beneficiary.
Now the friendship. Friendship played an important role in this book, and wasn't pushed to side as so many cliche YA novels do, and I valued that. Now I will say that the friendships weren't the healthiest, and they weren't without their screwed up parts, but nonetheless I found myself caring about them anyway.
Another interesting thing about this book was the mini superhero "comics" at the end of each chapter. Every night Locke imagines himself/the Venom as an anti-hero using his darkness to battle other evils. I thought that these fantasies added a unique dimension to the book and allowed for some good foreshadowing and for an unusual, but engaging additional view into Locke's struggle with his anger.
Okay now the main premise of the book; the Venom. I honestly wasn't sure how I felt about this part of the book. I didn't like that for a good chunk of the book, Locke didn't take responsibility for his extreme anger/rage and that he considered it a separate being. I felt like this was a mental health issue that Locke was just expected to "learn to control". Yes, Locke saw a psychologist, but I was expecting more attention drawn to the importance/seriousness/awareness of mental health.
That being said, I felt that the resolution occurred too quickly. Locke struggled with the Venom right up until the end, then he suddenly had this realization and was on the mend. I don't know, I felt such a serious issue deserved a more drawn out and complex struggle before improving.
Overall, I really liked this book and I'm glad I read it. It was nice to step outside my usual fantasy reads and find a book I enjoyed. This book has made me feel a lot more motivated to try out other contemporary reads. I would recommend this book for anyone intrigued by the synopsis. Definitely go for it!
madamemidazolam's review against another edition
5.0
This was a very good book. Lock has one BAD temper haha! Very interesting. Loved it!
human_ish's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
landscapesofink's review against another edition
5.0
Link to my blog's review: https://wordpress.com/post/thatreadhead1.wordpress.com/246
So I finally got around to reading this, and man it was incredible! Totally regretting not reading this one earlier! I had no idea what to expect, as I'm not a blurb-reader. After reading the book the cover makes sense, but it was rather different from what I had anticipated.
The venom: Wow I loved this idea, and to be completely honest I loved the whole venom! Particularly how honest it made him. It totally made him speak his mind, and I believe it's how we should all be all of the time. Well, not the violent side, but the honest side for sure. Each time the venom popped up I was rooting for it.
Locke: I kind of want to say I couldn't differentiate him from the venom, but I really do love how concerned he was, and how protective he is, towards his friends and family. He's really caring underneath the venom, he's just worried. And the way
Renee: I cannot believe her back story!
Casey: Well he was an interesting character, that's for sure!
Lon: What a sweet little kid he is!
Overall, this was an amazing book with an amazing cast of characters, each of them so diverse and memorable. The Goth chick with the mental disorders, the one with anger management, the gay one, the normal best friend. So good! I feel like the ending didn't clarify much though.
So I finally got around to reading this, and man it was incredible! Totally regretting not reading this one earlier! I had no idea what to expect, as I'm not a blurb-reader. After reading the book the cover makes sense, but it was rather different from what I had anticipated.
The venom: Wow I loved this idea, and to be completely honest I loved the whole venom! Particularly how honest it made him. It totally made him speak his mind, and I believe it's how we should all be all of the time. Well, not the violent side, but the honest side for sure. Each time the venom popped up I was rooting for it.
Locke: I kind of want to say I couldn't differentiate him from the venom, but I really do love how concerned he was, and how protective he is, towards his friends and family. He's really caring underneath the venom, he's just worried. And the way
Spoiler
he agreed to councilling and took it all on board, actually tried, was totally inspirational.Renee: I cannot believe her back story!
Spoiler
The death of her parents!! I'm also so pleased that she's been so straight-up with Locke about how she's her own person and doesn't need protecting, and she can't be owned. I totally agree with what she did and how she acted after Casey and Locke's fight.Casey: Well he was an interesting character, that's for sure!
Spoiler
Someone else with the venom! The way they both attacked each other at the end was worrying! At least they know they can't blame each other though.Lon: What a sweet little kid he is!
Overall, this was an amazing book with an amazing cast of characters, each of them so diverse and memorable. The Goth chick with the mental disorders, the one with anger management, the gay one, the normal best friend. So good! I feel like the ending didn't clarify much though.