Product Description
SECRETS ARE AT HOME HERE . . .

The Heavenstone sisters live with their mother and father in a grand old mansion in bluegrass Kentucky. Semantha, the younger and prettier one, is afraid of so many things— darkness, strange noises, mysterious whispers in the night. But nothing frightens her more than her sister, Cassie. She is older and wiser, and always telling Semantha what to do, what to wear, and how to behave around those wicked boys at school. Semantha has her eye on one special guy—but Cassie has other plans for her. In the Heavenstone house, big sister knows best.

. . . AND THERE’S NO ESCAPE.

When tragedy strikes like a lightning bolt from heaven, Semantha’s life becomes a living hell. Under Cassie’s constant, watchful eye, she feels like a prisoner—a helpless pawn in her sister’s cruel game. When Cassie begins wearing their mother’s clothes and vying for their father’s affections, Semantha realizes she must bring their twisted sibling rivalry to an end . . . before a new generation is born. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

hang in there... the end is good
It was kinda slow for me at the begining, but it all comes together and shocks you in the end. It was a good read.

I just KNOW im gonna love it
I haven't been able to find these new books in stores yet, but I know I will love it as I have every book by VCA since "Flowers In The Attic".Yes, I know, they are all "mostly" the same..poor little girl, finds out shes really a princess or has some dark and dirty family secret, but that is why I read VCA, I love these story lines.I just may have to order them online as the local stores cant keep them on the shelves..so they MUST be good!

meh
This book took way too long to get into the plot, and it gets repetitive. I mean, really? It takes Semantha (and I was bothered every time I see how her name was spelled, what was the point of that?) until she is about 7 months pregnant to finally realize she is pregnant.

...really?

...REALLY?

I mean, seriously. She just believes what the sister says about refusing to hire a real doctor and getting a different one instead? And being okay with her sister saying she should have a home birth? And doesn't even get mad?

I also found much of the dialogue absolutely ridiculous, and even by the end of the novel Cassie's motives are still unclear.

Heavenstone Secrets
It was nice to go on-line and find what I have been searching for. In just a few clicks, I owned this book.
I had been looking for this book for a long time.

Bad, bad, and more bad.....
This was a horrible story.How many times was she going to have the same conversation with her older sister?Led me down a path of expectation and did not deliver.I will no longer pick a new book by VC Andrews......this shadow writer should be ashamed! ... Read more

Product Description

Her older sister Brenda was tall, athletic, competitive, and sure of herself. But April Taylor was short, sensitive, and overweight -- and she couldn't bounce back from their father's cutting criticisms the way Brenda did. April didn't know why their once-loving dad had become a coldhearted monster, but she was sure it had something to do with her. And she could see how his cruel behavior was tearing away at her gentle mother. But a glimmer of happiness returns when Brenda brings home her college roommate: beautiful, bewitching Celia. And April wonders if she might not be so different from Brenda after all.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

April Shadows
I bought this book last month and sent it back because i found my missing book, but i still haven't gotten my refund back. They told me it would take up to 3 weeks, And still nothing. It got here on time, It was in great shape. But i wouldn't advise sending anything back, You may never see your money

UGH
I stopped buying VCA books after Black Cat, and sold all of my VCA books that came after the Logan series. The only reason I read the April Shadows was because my roommate had both books, and since it was free... why not?

Even free, I still feel used and wasted. These two books are NOT VCA. Nowhere even close. April is not a good VCA name like Heaven, Dawn, or Ruby. The titles did not make sense. April wasn't a real heroine. There were no horrible, dark secrets (her father's secret was laughable) and no real family secrets at all. This book focused a lot her stumbling (and unrealistic) explorations of her own sexuality. And two books for this series? Come on...

I'm waiting for V.C. Andrews to climb out of her grave and rip Neiderman a new one.

Change is good!
For many moons readers have been complaining about how similar all The VCA books have become.

This one is different. And that is a plus.

The story (by A.N.) offers a change-up to the franchise and is welcomed.

For once we do not have to put up with a raging beauty, but a regular girl who is trying her best to cope. The lesbian theme is different from previous novels.

The characters are written with feeling and depth.Brenda, Celia and April are easy to understand. I've yet to read the sequel, but have found this book to be a breath of fresh air compared to the last few (A.N.) novels.

Note to (A.N.) author: Please feel free to change the formula; it's gotten old and needs to be refreshed.We will still follow you.

Incredibly boring book...and I'm not even finished it yet.
I keep finding myself thinking "who cares?!" This book drags on and on and on. There's no suspense AT ALL. In the first few pages where we hear about Mr. Hyde, I pretty much deduced that Matt Taylor was in fact sick and that's why his behavior changed. No suspense. I knew the sister would end up gay--I don't agree with that lifestyle, but since I enjoy VC books (which occasionally had incest), I knew to expect one of the two. Figured out which it would be once they started pimping the fact that she never went on dates, boys liked her but she didn't give them the time of day, BLAH BLAH BLAH.It's all so very cliche.The story isn't interesting. April is a wimp, and halfway through the book, nothing about her has changed.It's making me feel as if it's not worth finishing. And that's disappointing b/c when I first started reading VCA books in school, I couldn't put them down....loved the Casteels, the Cutlers, the Adares, the Landrys, Logans, and to an extent, the Hudsons. I would search high and low in my county's libraries for an entire series just so I wouldn't have to wait to read the next one.Not soo anymore.I picked up the next in the Shadows series, but it looks like I'll be returning it along with this unfinished one.

I hope one day the ghostwriter wakes up and goes back to VC's glory days.

So many lonely people to write about
What I like best about VC Andrews books is that I know they will just keep coming. There are so many lonely people types in the world to base books on. In APRIL SHADOWS, Andrews does it again, taking a person who is not picture perfect in her own mind and suffers many losses to deal with. Voila! Another dysfunctional situation as well as a character many can relate to, to get to know.
Glad to see gay issues out of the closet and onto the page. The Uncle and his big doll make for a wonderful twist(ed) addition, too.
Now, on to book two of the series. Good! ... Read more

Product Description
Of all the folks in the mountain shacks, the Casteels were the lowest -- the scum of the hills.

Heaven Leigh Casteel was the prettiest, smartest girl in the backwoods, despite her ragged clothes and dirty face...despite a father meaner than ten vipers...despite her weary stepmother, who worked her like a mule. For her brother Tom and the little ones, Heaven clung to her pride and her hopes. Someday they'd get away and show the world that they were decent, fine and talented -- worthy of love and respect.

Then Heaven's stepmother ran off, and her wicked, greedy father had a scheme -- a vicious scheme that threatened to destroy the precious dream of Heaven and the children forever! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (119)

The best out of the series
This was the first VC Andrews novel I read when I was 13, and its definitely her best. Her stories can get outrageous and very repetitive, but this book is well-written and tells a great story.

really great start
I thought that this book was a really good start to this series of books. it was intriguing, just the way it was supposed to be and the charactors were interesting and you felt sorry for the main charactor through everything she had to go through with what her father had done, selling her off as well her siblings. I found this book really interesting and somewhat different from V.C. Andrews other books. and sometimes different is good.

Not as advertised
This is the book I ordered but I ordered the large print version and this was not a large print book. My mother enjoyed reading it, but unfortunately I will not be able to.

Yes
While I felt that the Flowers in the Attic was a excellent book, I feel that the Casteel series is overall the best. I have read this book 7 or 8 times, and I never get tired of it. And this book is only the beginning of a excellent series, so if you're looking to spend a good amount of hours reading something wonderful, then start with Heaven!

Absolutely wonderful!
This is the beginning of a wonderful saga! This saga is my favorite, second only to the Dollaganger saga. If you absolutely loved Flowers in the Attic, you don't want to miss this!! ... Read more

Product Description
With nowhere to go, no one to help her, Leigh fled into the arms of Luke Casteel!Leigh Van Voreen had to escape from Boston's Farthinggale Manor. The foul secret she harbored within her seemed to darken her life forever. Jillian, her mother, would not believe her...and Tony Tatterton, her stepfather, had betrayed her most cruelly.

But the pure devotion of Luke Casteel promised her hope and respect. Only Luke knew her deepest of secrets...only Luke would love and protect her. Bravely she bore the suspicions of the Willies' hillfolk, as she tried to grasp the happiness that had so long eluded her. Leigh prayed with all her heart that her bright, shining dreams would save her from tragedy at last... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (51)

Good Book
Personally, I find the title 'Web of Dreams' a bit off, as it doesn't fit in with the rest of the series titles. But Leigh's story is good, and gives a LOT of explanation as to how Heaven's life turned out the way it did. Tony had told Heaven that it was Leigh's fault, that Leigh was the seductress, but this book shows that not only is Leigh a victim of Tony's unrestrained lust, she is also a victim of her father's neglect and her mother's willful ignorance. In Dark Angel and Fallen Hearts, it's hard to not feel sorry for Jillian as she falls into madness, but in this book, you cannot help but think that Jillian got what she deserved, for being so selfish to Leigh.

The business with Leigh's questioned paternity was a completely unnecessary detail in this book and would have been better left out. Two other things always bothered me - that in the beginning as Annie is going through her great-grandmother's things, she finds Leigh's diary. If Leigh ran away with Luke and took the diary with her, then Jillian wouldn't have been in possession of the book (and thus she would have known of the truth), and the letter at the end reveals that Tony was aware of Heaven's existence long before she came to Farthinggale Manor, since he had a detective track Leigh down. Why did he choose to leave the baby girl up there? Yes, Tony was a slimeball for what he did, but leaving his child up in the mountains without even checking up on its welfare?

I don't know if these flaws are Andrew Neiderman's making, since VCA was unable to finish this book, and Neiderman had to finish it for her. Either way, these flaws are what keep this book from being 5 stars, but 4 out of 5 is still very good - this book is still a wonderful read and a worthy addition to any VCA collection.

Unnecessary and a Bit Icky
While some might find it interesting to read about Leigh Van Voreen's point of view, I found this book highly unnecessary.We already knew everything we needed to know about why she ran away, and what we didn't know for a fact, we could assume.This story doesn't really reveal anything new and it is full of the typical GW filler (snotty girls at school and poor Leigh's day to day struggles, a pointless revelation regarding her father, etc. etc.)The rape/sexual abuse scenes just had this tasteless quality to them---as if they're in the book for cheap drama as opposed to making any kind of point about what it's like to be in Leigh's situation.I wouldn't read this unless you are just dying of curiosity and can't help yourself.Just be aware that it pales in comparison to the first two books in the series.But it is slightly better-written than Gates of Paradise.

Lazy Ghost Writer
I loved the first three books in the Casteel series; Heaven had so many admirable qualities. And I don't mind V.C.Andrews' books having very similar dark subject matter. My big issue is with the Ghost Writer's blatant laziness. Heaven and Leigh and Annie all describing the sitting room with the subtle oriental designs in the same exact words, for example, and Tony repeating several identical sentences to each girl. Any original statements were less articulate than in the first two books. But I enjoyed Leigh's bonding with little Troy, and was fascinated by heartless selfish Jillian. Leigh's optimism about life in the Willies was so different from Heaven's realistic view of tough times. And I liked that
because of Leigh's age, Farthy's beauty could be described in such a dreamy way.

Not a bad book
But...For some reason on this new cover Leigh looks like Daryl Hannah and she also looks about 30 years old. She was 14. What was wrong with the other cover? It was much better.

Anyway, this book doesn't sink to some of the levels of suckage that the ghostwriter sinks to in his later books, but he also gets a bunch of things wrong. Tony was supposed to be a blonde, not have dark brown hair. He opted for the innocent approach with Leigh's character and left out any darker motivations that were hinted at in the first three books. He also copied a bunch of passages straight out of her other novels.

I remember him getting a lot more wrong, but I don't feel like getting the book and looking up all his mistakes.

Not bad, but he's done worse.

Disappointing
I read this book last in the Casteel series.I was hoping for more passionate characters and passion in general.Leigh's character didn't interest me at all and she reminded me somewhat of Annie in the previous novel (whom I didn't care for).There were no new secrets revealed and it moved really slowly.So much potential is lost with the ghost writer. ... Read more

Product Description
In the heart of the bayou, Ruby Landry lives a simple, happy life. But innocence can't last forever...

The only family Ruby Landry has ever known are her loving guardian, Grandmère Catherine, a Cajun spiritual healer, and her drunken, outcast Grandpèrb Jack. Although thinking about her dead mother and mysterious father sometimes makes her feel as mournful as the wind sighing through the Spanish moss, Ruby is grateful for all she has. Her life is filled with hope and promise...especially when her attraction for handsome Paul Tate blossoms into a mysterious, wonderful love. But Paul's wealthy parents forbid him to associate with a poor Landry, and Grandmère urges her to follow her dream of becoming a great painter, foreseeing a time when Ruby will be surrounded with riches in the dazzling city of New Orleans! Yet she cannot know how close that uncertain future looms....

In a faded photograph, Ruby glimpses for the first time the image of her father -- and learns of a shameful deception and a shocking scheme of blackmail that now must come to light. Stunned by these revelations, she is devastated when Grandmère dies, leaving her to seek out her father in his vast New Orleans mansion. There, in a house of lies, madness, and cruel torment, Ruby clings to her memories of Paul to keep her heart alive. For only their love can save her now.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (87)

Why is this not on Kindle
This was the second V.C. Andrews book I read. I still have the same copy my best friend gave me 12 years ago, its so tattered that I can barely read it. I recently received a Kindle for my birthday and I was so excited to have this book, and was quickly disappointed to learn that every OTHER book in the series could be purchased. All and all the book is good. I love the descriptions of the swamps and Ruby's naive nature.

A CAJUN SOAP OPERA--
Some interesting characters but the story drags at times and I'm not in to depressing sagas.

Please quit writing spoilers!
I am sure that I, like most people, read the reviews to find out if a book I am about to buy is worth reading or not.But now I know I won't enjoy the book because the first three reviews I read told the entire story, including all the juicy details that makes the book worth reading.Please, please, please, stop writing plot summaries and stick to reviews that don't tell the whole story.

Good beginning to a good series.
Following his success with the Cutler Series, Andrew Neiderman spun out another enjoyable series. This series didn't QUITE have the feel of its predecessors, but is still a worthwhile and engaging book (and series)

While the Cajun v Creole is a bit stereotyped (but nowhere near as the heavy stereotypes Neiderman used in later books) the characters are still rather enjoyable and believable. The rest of the Landry series is much the same, a bit heavy with some stereotypes but overall a well-rounded read. It was cool to see an artist as the leading lady this time, and Ruby deals well with all the crud that others toss her way.

4 out of 5 stars for a decent and worthwhile read.

V.C. Andrews not at best
So far I've read the Flowers series, Dawn series, and Heaven series. I have now started on Ruby. I have to say that Flowers and Dawn are my favorite, with Heaven I lost interest, cause I love Dawn so much and was upset when Dawn died, and then Heaven died, I stopped reading for awhile and wondered if they will kill off all the main characters in the 3rd book.
With Ruby I'm taking a chance, and with Ruby so far it is not that great. I had to struggle to get through this book, as agreeing with another review, "The first half is the best." Also there is loads of controversy over whether or not Beau raped Ruby or not. I say he most definitely did force himself upon her, and she like a stupid girl gave up. There is no romance there, and he constantly refers to her as not being like Gisselle. Which would personally freak me out being compared to someone so often. Therefore Beau is a Jackass.
All in all, I think im going to stick with this series for the time being
even know the series similarities are there: Rags to Riches, Horrible school life, odd lovers, fame and fortune, and inevitable death. ... Read more

Product Description

As a child, she was Baby Celeste, the one thing that kept her mother in touch with reality. But now her mother is in an institution, damaged by years of lies and secrets, and sixteen-year-old Celeste Atwell is alone in the world. Adopted by a wealthy couple, Wade and Ami Emerson, Celeste has everything a girl could desire: designer clothes, luxury cars, even a handsome boyfriend. But her new life is shrouded in mystery:

Ami acts more like a girlfriend than Celeste's adoptive mother -- what mother would encourage her daughter to flirt outrageously and dress in racy outfits? Wade, meanwhile, stoically accepts his wife's wild spending sprees and over-the-top behavior. Celeste is about to discover the true price of having it all -- because the secrets hidden within the Emerson household are too dangerous to keep under wraps.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Frustrating Discrepancies
I have been a reader of VC Andrews book for 20 years. Over the years the books keep getting worse. The ghost writer needs to get some things together before writing another novel...The books deal with very adult situations (like rape) but are written in a pre-teen style. Make up your mind ghost writer! Also one thing that really bothered me about Child of Darkness is big Celeste was supposedly 15 when she met the neighbor Elliot Fletcher and several months later she gets pregnant with baby Celeste. Ok....so one would reason that she was 16 when the baby was born...right? Well book 2 ends when baby Celeste is about 3....(by the way they make it sound like baby Celeste is so smart but at 3 she can only say da da and very short sentences).....well in book 3 big Celeste is 17 yrs and 4 months when admitted to the institution...huh? She should have been at least 19! Then they say baby Celeste was taken off the farm at age 6? Wow big Celeste was only 11 when she conceived? Call Guinness! And if baby Celeste was 3 at the end of book 2 and 6 when she was taken off the farm....what did she do for 3 years when everyone else was dead or taken off to an institution??? I know...she used her psychic powers to ward off the social workers that were taking her and hid in the cemetery for 3 years with baby Jordan! Sorry, but this discrepancy made it hard to enjoy the book at all.

What a piece of trash!
Thank God I didn't buy this book, I borrowed it from a friend. As soon as I started reading it, its slow pace just made me gag, especially with Baby Celeste's idiocy showing up every time, what an annoying naive little twit. The beginning was kind of decent, explaining her early life and such, but there come the adoptive parents, the rich house, and other things that may make this like yet another "Laguna Beach" episode.

And what the ph*ck is it with rape now? First there were brothers and even random strangers in past series, now a Grandpa, to make it even more gross?

Also, the ending was so rushed. The only character I cared about (Celeste Sr.) only appears in like a couple of lines, and her story isn't even clear.

Seriously, GW needs to stop. Now.

good book. mysterious ending
this book was amazing until you got to the end. it kind of left you wondering. i'm wondering if v.c. andrews is going to write another novel in the gamini series to tie up the loose ends. i hope so. over all the book was very good though. i couldn't put it down!!

Pretty Good Ending To the Saga
This was a pretty good book.The story line was pretty crazy, in true V.C. Andrews fashion!It was not the best V.C. Andrews book that I've ever read, but I enjoyed it a lot and had a really hard time putting it down.The plot twists will definitely surprise you and you will enjoy how the story wraps up in the end.It's still twisted in terms of what happens in the plot line, but it did not have the same tone as the first two books. Overall, if you enjoy V.C. Andrews, you will enjoy Child of Darkness.

STOP IT
This has to stop, seriously. When Neiderman first ghostwrote for VCA, he did a decent job. I liked the Cutler series, and he did a good job of finishing up the books that VCA had started but didn't finish for the Dollanganger and Casteel series. The Landry and Logan series, while not the best, were still very decent, and I enjoyed them. However, it all started to go downhill with Orphans. That was not what VCA would have written. I endured the Hudson and DeBeers series with disgust. The April Shadows and Broken Flower series are making VCA spin in her grave right now. Mr. Neriderman, please stop writing for VCA and go back to your own work. You're a old man, stop writing as if you were a young girl. Put the VCA name to rest, did you know there's a online petition circulating around demanding that you stop writing for VCA???

I found myself confused and frustrated with this series. You know that you should feel sorry for Celeste, but after reading Black Cat, you don't. She is GROWN, yet she let her mother push her around, and Mom is one VERY f---ed up person. And this third book in Gemini just... left things hanging, without satisfaction or questions answered. Celeste (Sr.) is given bare mention in this book, and you never do learn what happens to her. It's like Neiderman lost interest in this series and slapped this third book together out of random ideas he got from soap operas. I ended up selling these books on eBay because I wanted some of my money back and more room on my bookshelf for better books. ... Read more

Product Description

On the eve of her graduation from an exclusive private school, shy wallflower Semantha Heavenstone is caught in a whirl of scandal and betrayal. Now, she's returned to the grand Kentucky mansion where painful memories of her mother and her older sister, Cassie, are as potent as newly mown bluegrass. It seems no matter where she goes, Semantha is haunted by a voice from the grave -- spiteful, domineering Cassie, whose taunts and manipulations seem as real as when she was alive.

Soon her father will remarry, new memories -- and a new stepmother -- will replace the past...and Semantha herself has a chance at a bright future with a career inside the Heavenstone empire and handsome Ethan Hunter by her side. But someone will see to it that Semantha never forgets the tragedies of yesterday. Will Cassie's ghostly hold on Semantha destroy her hope and drive her to madness? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

SECRET WHISPERS
I THOROUGHLY ENJOY ALL OF V.C. ANDREWS BOOKS.I HAVE READ EVERYTHING THAT SHE WROTE AND THE BOOKS THAT WERE WRITTEN FROM HER NOTES AFTER HER DEATH. I HOPE THERE ARE MANY MORE TO COME.

Secret Whispers
Excellent.I did not want to put it down.Characters were very believable.

Disappointing, but expected
When VC Andrews died years ago so did her great writing.You could tell from the moment the first book came out after her death that it was not the same.I still occasionally read one of the books, but I expect them all to be disappointing and they are.

secret whispersheavenstone
it was a very good book iv read all of vc andrews books annette thompson

another great read
i couldnt put these books down....so good yeah alittle far fetched but thats the whole point of vc andrews...great series!!! didnt want um to end ... Read more

Product Description
Before terror flowered in the attic there was a young girl. An innocent, hopeful girl...

When young Olivia arrives at Foxworth Hall, she thinks her marriage to handsome Malcolm will bring the joy she has longed for. But in the gloomy mansion filled with festering desires and forbidden passions, a stain of jealous obsession begins to spread--an evil that will threaten her children, two charming boys and one very special, beautiful girl. For within the halls of this cursed house a shocking secret lives. A secret that will taint the Foxworth family for generations to come... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (91)

In The End We Get A Better Understanding Of The Beginning
GARDEN OF SHADOWS by V. C. Andrews is just one example of her storytelling brilliance, and her ability to bring closure and understanding to her readers.

Throughout the Dollanganger series, we had unanswered questions about what would make a grandmother mistreat her own grandchildren and set in motion events that would scar them forever. In this prequel of the series, however, we understand not only the motivation of Olivia, but the life she had to endear as well.

You know a writer has told a story well when you find yourself sympathizing with one of the 'villians' of the series, but that is the way this novel leaves me. And those final words prepares you for the evil that is born in FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC.

A must read for all V. C. Andrews fans, though I would suggest you read it as the 5th book. That way it adds to the mystique and the thrill.

Backstory takes center stage in this wonderful prequel...
What happened in Foxworth Hall before Cathy, Chris, Carrie and Cory moved into the attic?Was Olivia Foxworth always such a monster?Was Malcolm Neil Foxworth that pious, ruthless and ambitious?What about Christopher Sr. and Corrine -- what were they like as kids?All unanswered questions can be found in this prequel to Flowers in the Attic.Set some time in the 1920s, Olivia is a twenty-four-year-old New Englander, a hopeless romantic doomed to spinsterhood.After all, who on earth would marry a six-foot-tall, plain-faced woman? But then Malcolm Neil Foxworth comes along and steals her breath away.He is gorgeous, way out of her league.But he likes her, seems interested in her and what she has to say and likes her independent streak and intelligence. When he proposes marriage, she immediately accepts.Things soon change when she enters Foxworth Hall in Virginia and discovers the monster she's married, a man with a strange obsession with his dead mother and lusts after his father's new young wife. Foxworth Hall strips Olivia of hope, love or sympathy, turning her into a monster just as bad, if not worse than Malcolm.

The ebb and flow in Garden of Shadows are amazing.We are shown how twisted Malcolm is and how Olivia descends into an apathetic person.We find out exactly what occurs at Foxworth Hall and the events that lead to the forbidden love between Corrine and Christopher, and it is far worse than we could have imagined.Yes, the possibility was hinted often, even as far as back as in Flowers in the Attic, but the revelation is nevertheless disturbing.(I won't say what it is so I won't supply spoilers.But I'm sure that fans of this series know what I mean.)The room with the attic has always played a major role in the stories, and is used as a prison long before the Dollaganger children moved in.To my surprise, Olivia is a sympathetic character, or at least starts out that way.You understand why she becomes the way she does; it even explains her hatred and envy toward Corrine.She's actually far less annoying than Cathy.Amazing how the villain turns out to be more likable than the victim in this case.Garden of Shadows is the best book since Flowers in the Attic.Petals on the Wind was good, but everything fell apart in If There Be Thorns and Seeds of Yesterday.There was too much storyline, too many different last names and mixed parentage to keep up with.V.C. Andrews's ghostwriter revived the series with a bang.Don't be put off with the fact that this book was ghostwritten.If possible, the person who wrote this book was better at story and character development than the actual creator of the series.

"Dark"
I can't put this book down! This book is the prologue to "Flowers in the Attic" (or the "Dollanganger" series.) It is dark and twisted in a way I didn't expect. It details the life of Olivia Foxworth, the evil grandmother in "Attic"; Malcolm Foxworth, her despicable husband; and their children. Read it and you'll understand why Olivia became the way she did! It's an easy, entertaining read.

The one that started it all!!!
I had read the whole Dollanganger series before I came upon GARDEN OF SHADOWS. It was such a wonderful edition to this series that I was pleasantly surprised! Who wouldn't want to find out why Olivia Foxworth acted the way she did, and why she inflicted harm and wrath on others?

If you have read Flowers in the Attic, you know that Olivia Foxworth is a hateful, jealous woman. She didn't start out that way. She was once filled love and hope, like any other young woman. GARDEN OF SHADOWS is her story about how she met and fell in love with Malcolm Foxworth. How she thought that he must have fallen in love with her too. Little did she know that when they were married, she would turn out to be no more than his business partner and sometime partner in bed, but only for breeding purposes. Malcolm's mother left him when he was only five years old, and he had never recovered from it. He kept her old room exactly the way it was when she lived there, and he talked about her often, sometimes with love, and sometimes full of hate and vengeance.

When Malcolm's father Garland returns from Europe with his 19 year old bride Alicia, the house opens itself up to a woman who was very similiar in looks to Garland's first wife. Malcolm is taken by her, but extremely jealous of his father. One fateful night, everything changes for all of the inhabitants of Foxworth Hall and there will be lies and secrets that will be carried over to future generations to come.

The book is filled with drama and intrigue and it's an extreme page turner. Enjoyable with or without having read the series first. Highly recommended!

GARDEN OF SHADOWS (POCKET BOOKS/1987)
REVIEW: Although released in 1987: V.C Andrews' "GARDEN OF SHADOWS" is actually a prequel to her landmark gothic potboiler "FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC". In that book we are introduced to the cursed Dollanganger family: husband Christopher, wife Corrine; and their four blonde-haired, blue-eyed children Christopher, Cathy, Carrie, and Cory. Their nightmare stay at Foxworth Hall is dutifully chronicled by author Andrews. But with "SHADOWS" she creates an absolutely riveting novel that sucks you into her world and the world of Olivia Foxworth (the hard-as-nails "instrument of God" grandmother who will eventually imprison those kids in the old attic at Foxworth Hall). Here we get to meet Olivia as a young girl; and then as a young lady who is unbearably tall, awkward, and plain (and bereft of hope that any man would take a sincere interest in her as a bride). But because of her father's insistence on business school and in helping him in the office: Olivia's appeal as a wife catches the attention of Malcolm Neal Foxworth who is looking for an intelligent woman who can "appreciate the pursuit of economic success and grow gracefully with it." And so Olivia and Malcolm marry: but the marriage is nothing like Olivia's schoolgirl dreams of living happily-ever-after with "Prince Charming". And as she learns more and more about Malcolm's past (and his twisted psychological preoccupation with his own mother): a terrible pall of evil hangs over the vast beauty of Foxworth Hall which seems to affect everyone that comes to stay there. With "GARDEN OF SHADOWS" V.C. Andrews earns her namesake as one of America's most popular fiction authors. She has an easy-going yet bewitching style that shines like gold in this particular book, her similies are exquisite and acute, and her reputation for creating vibrant characters is readily apparent here. All of which helps to make "GARDEN OF SHADOWS" a masterfully crafted work that far exceeds the "soap opera" nature of its gothic trappings. HARSH LANGUAGE: about 5 words. VIOLENCE: about 13 instances. SEXUAL REFERENCES: about 14 mildly descriptive incidents including incest. DRUG REFERENCES: a couple of instances where cigarette smoking and champagne drinking are mentioned.

... Read more

Product Description
The first in a new series from bestselling author V.C. Andrews, FAMILY STORMS is a classic V.C. story of jealousy and deception. ... Read more

Product Description
At last, Heaven would find the happiness she longed for...free from the scorn and contempt of her past!

In her grandmother's fine, rich Boston house, Heaven Leigh Casteel dreamed of a wonderful new life of new friends, the best schools, beautiful clothes and most important, love. The pearls of culture, wisdom and breeding would now be hers. Soon she would make the Casteel name respectable, find her brothers and sisters, and have a family again.

But even in the world of the wealthy, there were strange forebodings, secrets best forgotten. And as Heaven reached out for love, she was slowly ensnared in a sinister web of cruel deceits and hidden passions! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (58)

Wonderful read
At 4.5/5 stars, Dark Angel serves as an excellent follow-up to 'Heaven' - a book that I have read at least 8 times already - and is a good chronicle of Heaven's further adventures. I am just sad that Kitty destroyed Leigh's doll in the previous book, but heaven should have confronted Tony about it, it wouldn't have hurt to press the issue (especially after finding out what Tony and Leigh had done)

Heaven's idea to screw around with Luke's mind was a great idea. After the mistreatment he gave her, he deserved it though I felt bad about what happened to Tom. Overall a decent continuation of Heaven Casteel's story.

One of my favorite VC Andrews titles
I first read this book when I was in middle school (well over 10 years ago), and to this day I still clearly remember it and have fond memories of it, although I've moved on to more "intellectual" (though less fun!) fare.

Without a doubt, the Casteel series is one of the best, and this book is the best book in the series. It probably doesn't hurt that I think Troy shaped my views on what an ideal boyfriend was like for the rest of my life.

It's a great book where you really, really root for Heaven and feel her pain and sadness when near the end (I don't want to spoil it.) There was a part in the book that absolutely crushed me, and even though I was pretty young at the time, I consider that to be a pretty good sign of a decent book.

Perfect
The book is in perfect condition and it got here very fast. Thanks so much!

Dark Angel
The book Dark Angel is the sequel to V.C. Andrews book Heaven. In Dark Angel a girl named Heaven leaves her home in a poor town in the mountains of West Virginia, the Willies, to live with her grandmother in Boston. In this book Heaven is now 17 and she wants to go to college. But inorder to do that she must get her rich grandmother to like her enough in order for her to get money to go. But her plane to get the cash starts to unravel when she finds her grandmother isn't excactly someone who cares for people too much.
Well I had to read a book written by a Virginia author and I chose this one because of the great reveiws it had gotten. Mainly girls will like this book because Heaven is in a stage in her life in which all girls will have to go through.
The books plot was mostly about Heaven trying to get money for college so she can go and be the first Casteel to get into college. The descriptions of each character gave you a very clear image of each the person. Their expressions, movements, and physical features gave each charcter their own personality. The theme of the story was a rages to riches kinda of thing. Where Heaven moves from a run down shack in the Willies to a masion in the rich part of Boston. The whole story is told in Heaven's words so its her on oppinion on her new life, not a narrator's which is good. I enjoyed the book alot, every time I read a page I just wanted to see what happens in the next one.

This is a good book.
This book is called Dark Angel by V.C Andrews. The plot of the story is a girl named Heaven whose father sold her for 500 dollars and then went to her rich grandparents. The main idea of this book is to love your family even if they do not seem to love you, because you might not see them again.

An example of this would be when Heavens little brother and sister don't remember her (they were sold to another family for 500 dollars by her pa.) Another is when Heaven was going to marry Troy and could not because she finds out Troy is really her uncle.

In this book it may seem that many bad things happen, but there are also some good things, such as when Heaven arrived at her grandparents' rich house. Also, when Heaven's grandpa fixed the cabin she was born and raised in.

I would recommend this book because it is filled with mystery and secrets. It also has a lot of drama. ... Read more

Product Description
When I was a little girl, Daddy told me never to fear the dark. “We exist because of the darkness,” he told me. “All of you are daughters of darkness.”Beloved bestselling author V.C. Andrews’s passion for vampires comes to spellbinding life in a long-awaited novel of dark desires as all-consuming—and forbidden—as in Flowers in the Attic. One night, with the sound of a young man’s scream, high school senior Lorelei discovers that her stern but loving father, who adopted Lorelei and her sisters as infants, is no ordinary man. He has raised his beautiful girls for one purpose: to lure young men into their world of shadows. Like her sisters, Lorelei has been trained in the art of seduction and warned never to fall in love. But when she meets a handsome and charming classmate, she boldly defies her family and follows her heart—even if love is a poison. . . .Dangerously enticing and deliriously intoxicating, V.C. Andrews’s Daughter of Darkness will leave readers thirsting for more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Amazing new and original story
Despite what one constantly negative reviewer says, this is the most original and exciting V.C. novel yet.
There is a real V.C. character in a new situation that challenges her and the reader. Why someone would continue to buy V.C. novels just to criticize is beyond me, except to say, there is obvious envy and sour grapes.
Those of us who read and want to see something new and not the same old story will love Daughter of Darkness. What's more fun than being surprised and enjoying the answers?

Sigh...
Poor, sweet, beloved V.C. Andrews, who worked so hard to bring us the enticing Flowers in the Attic, My Sweet Audrina, and the Heaven books despite all sorts of physical difficulties (including breast cancer and arthritis and a really bad back that had been a problem for her since youth) does not deserve to have her name dragged through the mud (or something far more vile) with books such as this.

The author description from the book is as follows...

"One of the most popular authors of all time, V.C. Andrews has been a bestselling phenomenon since the publication of her spellbinding classic Flowers in the Attic. That blockbuster novel began her renowned Dollanganger family saga, which includes Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, and Garden of Shadows. Since then, readers have been captivated by more than fifty novels in V.C. Andrews' bestselling series..."

I can agree that FitA was spellbinding. However, VCA only was able to finish seven books and start four more. She certainly didn't write fifty books. Makes you wonder why even 25 years after her death, the ghostwriter continues to churn these books out.

Apparently Neiderman decided to hop onto the vampire bandwagon (Twilight, Evermore, The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, and so on and so forth) with this... this... I'm not even sure what to call it. On the cover (at the bottom) it says 'The Vampire Novel Fans Have Been Craving Since Flowers in the Attic'

Waitaminute, WHAT? After reading the Dollanganger series, vampires was the furthest thing from my mind.

So anyway, the main character's name is Lorelei Patio. It literally sounds like Neiderman drew first and last names at random from a hat. Personally, I liked Lorelei as a name, but now Neiderman has soured me for that name. and Patio. PATIO. I keep thinking of lawn and patio furniture now. For all we know, her name could have been something like Razzberry Microwave or something like that.

This book isn't much different from the stuff Neiderman has been writing since the Orphans miniseries (though Orphans was actually better than this) but every flaw has been magnified. The cliches are worse, the lines more cheesy, the characters more cardboard, and the ending... oh wow. Seriously, dude. And the names are recycled as well. In Heavenstone Secrets, Semantha's first baby was supposed to be called Asa. Here, one of Lorelei's sisters is named Ava.

SPOILER ALERT!

Yes, they really are vampires. I was wondering if Neiderman would just tease and make them SEEM like vampires, but the ending reveals that they really are vampires. And there's incest. Apparently, Sergio Patio (Daddy Vampire) likes to have sex with his own daughters, and Lorelei learns that she really IS his daughter, and not adopted. YET she is also expected to have sex with him and bear him daughters. The boys feed, the girls breed. Lorelei and her sisters are all supposed to become brides of Sergio and breed more vampire babies. Apparently the girls don't start out as full vampires, and it isn't until they are properly initiated that they do become full vampires. I've never heard of anything so ridiculous. Lorelei also meets her real mother, but it's lame.

Fortunately, Lorelei is disgusted by this and wants none of it, so she runs away with her boyfriend, Buddy (seriously, that's his name) despite threats that she might become one of the hunted rather than a hunter.

And then at the very ending, she just abandons Buddy and hops into a truck with a complete stranger, not even knowing where he is going. For all we know, he could end up raping or killing her, but Lorelei just trusts him completely - which shows how much of an idiot she is. After escaping a vampire coven, I'd be especially alert to the surroundings. And she abandoned Buddy after he told her he loves her and she told him she loved him too. So why would she run away? Not only is Lorelei a stupid character, this whole book is nonsensical and makes no sense whatsoever.

Yet, poor Miss V.C. Andrews is credited (or more appropriately, blamed) for this.

This book also comes with a preview for the next title, 'Family Storms' (thank goodness DoD doesn't have a sequel) and one of the characters is Jordan March. BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT...apparently it's NOT the same Jordan March from the Early Spring series! So not only are titles and ideas recycled, now names are being copied and pasted.

V.C. Andrews, your true and honest fans love and miss you.

Daughter of Darkness
I Live in Bermuda and i am very upset that i am unable to download this to my Kindle i have never had a problem with any other book now i seem to be having them with two in one day.

Any recommendation ... Read more

Product Description
All that glitters isn't gold....

Using an assumed name and pretending to conduct a study of one of the nation's wealthiest communities, Willow takes Florida's gem city by storm and quickly encounters Thatcher Eaton, a young lawyer who sweeps her off her feet. But as Willow spirals into a passionate love affair and becomes intoxicated with the lifestyle of the rich and famous, the dark truth about her birth family threatens her fabulous new life, pushing her to the brink of insanity.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

vc andrews book review
i bought these book to go with my other vc andrews books and these book was very good i would recommend it and I ordred from one of Amazon sellers and i got it in a coupla days in new condition so i am very happy with the book-i would highly recommend these book

Disappointing
After the lackluster Hudson series, I, as a longtime VCA fan, was excited to pick up this book when it was released on the shelves nearly ten years ago. but I was disappointed. Neiderman obviously wasn't trying as much as he had been before, and everyone was flat. The story was only mildly interesting, and there was none of the thrills and chills that came with reading a real VCA book, or one of Mr. Neiderman's earlier ghostwriter books (Cutler, Landry)

And I'm not sure why Mr. Neiderman couldn't have chosen a better family name, instead of the name of a jewelry business.

Highly dissapointed with the eintire series.
I was very disappointed with this series. It's not written in the same style as all the other VC Andrews books. I have never been so disappointed with the lead female in a V.C Andrews series before. Also, her story was dull, and many of the characters seem flat and two dimensional. I was bored with it. I also jumped the gun and bought the entire book series, without reading it, so I'm really kicking myself. *Sigh.* oh well, life goes on! P.S, If you want a way better VC Andrews story and character, read the Logan series instead. You won't regret it.

The WORST!
I have read every VC Andrews book and this one was the only one that I could not finish reading.I put it down after the fourth chapter.I could not get attached to the main character and to say the book is boring is a huge understatement.I bought the rest of this series and now they will go unread.Do not waste your time reading this.

Hungry!!!
To me, I found this book to be very enjoyable! I chose not to read this until I read Hidden Leaves! This book gave me a glimpse of a subliminally "unique" teen boy!

I also got hungry for cake...chocolate cake-like a certain Trans! It took forever to find out if Willow got the estate in her name or not?! Over all, I LOVED IT!
... Read more

Product Description
What if mere mortals could meet their Gods and learn the answers to life's most mysterious questions?

Now they can.

Imagine a planet with two blazing suns. A world inhabited by mortals with flaming red hair, saffron colored skin, and violet eyes. A place where extreme and often violent weather conditions force the people underground where they will be safe...until the next furious storm strikes. This strange land is El Sod-A-Por, the ill-favored one, and in the far distance sits the Green Mountain, home of the Gods -- Gods who have no mercy. But everything changes when a fearless young man, Far-Awn, defies his father's warnings and travels tirelessly, in search of a star-shaped opalescent flower.

This miraculous plant becomes the source of never-ending food and can even be made into clear atmospheric domes, which enclose entire cities to ensure peace and protection.

Years later El Sod-A-Por is known as El Dorriane, the ideal, and Ras-Far, grandson of the revered Far-Awn, is king. The people happily live a life of plenty -- until an entire city is mysteriously wiped out. A civil war between the Upper and Lower Dorrianians ignites, forcing the king to send an entourage of the bravest and strongest men from each province to the Green Mountain to seek answers to this unexpected unrest.

Ras-Far's only child, the beautiful and headstrong Sharita, demands to go with the men across the arid desert plains to meet the Gods.

The handsome barbarian Dray-Gon, from Lower Dorriane, leads the expedition, but he sees the princess as an unnecessary burden. Now he will have to shield her from the ruthless sandstorms and evil outlaws who will attempt to enslave her at any opportunity. As the unprecedented journey begins, their love-hate relationship transforms into an enthralling passion, as the princess's icy exterior begins to thaw and Dray-Gon turns from a hard-edged savage into a gentle hero. But when they finally reach the Green Mountain, they are met with a shocking revelation that challenges everything they ever believed to be true.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

NEEDS to be in Print!
As an avid reader of V.C. Andrews, I definitely wanted to add this book to my collection. But why would this only be available on Kindle? I for one cannot stand reading books on the computer. Who wants to drag around a lap top when a paperback would be just fine. Unfortunately, since I do not own a Kindle nor will be buying one, I had to download the written copy of this book and put it in a binder to read. Pain in the rear! It's like 600 pages. Whoever thought that e-books are better than paperbacks need to re-consider and PUBLISH this book in a written format.

As for the story itself, its a great read once you get past all the science fiction. If you dont really like science fiction, I doubt you'll like it. Its interesting to see a different style of story from Andrews (even though her characters remain familiar) and to think that this was written before Flowers.

strangely appropriate
On the surface this book is quite different from the rest of V.C. Andrews actual books, but once you get past the scifi bits, you see her recurring relationship problems in Sharita and Dray-Gon's interactions. Definitely worth reading.

should be a book in print
All of VC Andrews books are in print why not "Gods of Green Mountain"?I have read all of her books except that one because I don't really like to read books on my computer.i like to read while relaxing at home in a comfortable chair or while my family go on trips in the car."Gods of Green Mountain" is the only one of her books that I have not read.I really wish that somehow it could be put into print instead of an e-book.Until then I guess that will be the only book that I won't be reading of hers.

A Very Dissatisfied V.C. Andrews Reader

Gods of Green Mountain
Wonderful book a story by one of my most favorite authors.I am so glad that I was able to read yet another great book by her.The book talks about a place that although not like Earth in many ways the way they become more civilized is very much like Earth.A wonderful book and so different from her others.So you might ask why only one star?Easy it was an E-BOOK!Who's moronic idea was this?I like to read books in bed or on trips I have a life outside the computer.Naturaly I am not going to drag my enitre DESKTOP with me.If the book wasn't by V.C. Andrews I wouldn't even condisered BUYING it I thought if they sold it they might give us a way to a least print it out, now I am upset that I did. So yes, great book but a lousy way of getting it out.I hope to anyone who might be listening to PUBLISH the book on paper and sell it like a book not like a program.For heaven sake it is over 600 pages long is it really that hard?It could make millions for the publishing company if done. ... Read more

Product Description
Preparing for her high-school graduation, young bayou teen Gabriel is raped and impregnated by rich cannery owner Octavious Tate and is subsequently forced to surrender her baby boy to her attacker's wife. Amazon.com Review
Her high school graduation just days away, pretty Gabriel Landryis blissfully happy.Then a rich cannery owner, Octavious Tate, surprises her near a secluded pond and shatters her world.Pregnant and desolate, Gabriel agreesto let Mrs. Tate pretend she's the one who's expecting and claim the baby forher own.But after her baby is taken from her, Gabriel's life is shattered again -- until the mysterious Creole millionaire Pierre Dumas comes to the bayou... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

Beautiful and sad
You know right away what happens to Gabriel when you start reading 'Ruby', so reading this book is a bittersweet experience. It was nice to see a time where Jack and Catherine were happy together - at least some of the time. I can't help but wonder what would happen if Gisselle had inherited some kind of gift, since it seems to run in the Grandmere bloodline. Anyhoo, Gabriel comes off as a very likeable character. She's very sweet and loving - maybe a bit too sweet for some - but she was a character I was genuinely fond of so it's hard to take what happens to her at the hands of Octavarius Tate.

I feel that Gladys was a bit overdone with the revelation of what had happened to her as a child, and she knew of Jack's reputation, so she should have made her offer directly to Gabriel, or Catherine should have been the one Gladys went to Still, this is a good book, and a rather bittersweet one. Definitely one of the ghostwriter's better books.

Tarrnished gold
I received this book promptly and it was in good shape. I was very satisfied with my purchase.

Very satisfied with the book!
Hi I am very satisfied with the book, it was in good shape and it game quickly home to my house thank you so very much I really recomend everyone to buy from this customer!!!

Nature's child
According to the blurb on the book jacket, this fifth book in the Landry series is actually the prequel, and in fact, I'm reading it at the right time ie. before I read any of the others. This famous series has been made into movies, including "Flowers in the Attic". Gabriel Landry is the daughter of two Cajuns, living in the swamp land of a Louisiana bayou. Her mother Catherine is a "traiteur", a healer and a midwife and is much loved and respected by all. Her father Jack is a whiskey swilling, no-good dead beat who is always looking for an easy way to make money without working for it. Gabriel is completely at home in the swamps with her animals and plants and falls easy prey to a lecherous, wealthy neighbour who rapes her when he finds her alone in the swamp. When she discovers she is pregnant, her father makes a deal with the neighbour's wife to hide Gabriel in her house until the baby is born so that no one will know of Gabriel's disgrace and the neighbours may pass off the baby as their own. After the birth, Gabriel sees her baby son only a few times and from a distance. A year passes and this poor, naive(stupid?) girl once again falls victim to a rich man, but this time, very willingly, and the same process starts again, with Gabriel agreeing to give up her baby to the rich couple, to raise as their own. The baby, Ruby, is apparently the star of M/s Andrews first book, and, although this review reads like a gigantic soapie, I'll now simply HAVE to find this first book, Ruby!

5th book in the series but should be 1st...
This is the 5th V.C. Andrews series that I've read & I need to start taking my own advice and read the 5th book in the series before I read the others.The 5th book is always the actual beginning of the series & I have no clue why it's like that.You already know everything that happens so I can never make myself finish the last book because there are other books that I'd rather be reading.I'm sure if I had read this book first I would've really enjoyed it but I just see no reason to read a book where you already no everything that happens.Overall though, this is my least favorite V.C. Andrews's series.It was just o.k. for me.Nothing special. ... Read more

Product Description
Chris and Cathy made such a loving home for fourteen-year-old Jory -- so handsome, so gentle. And for Bart,who had such a dazzling imagination for a nine year old.

Then the lights came on in the house next door. Soon the Old Lady in Black was there, watching them, guarded by her strange old butler. Soon she had Bart over for cookies and ice cream and asked him to call her "Grandmother".

And soon Bart's transformation began...

Fed by the hint of terrible things about his mother and father...leading him into shocking acts of violence.

Now while this little boy trembles on the edge of madness, his anguished parents await the climax to a horror that flowered in an attic long ago, a horror whose thorns are still wet with blood, still tipped with fire. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (96)

Andrews' Pricks The Heart With IF THERE BE THORNS
I have read this book and the other in the series over a half dozen times, and everytime I am amazed at how V. C. Andrews was ahead of her time in capturing the essence and evil of secrets and betrayal. In IF THERE BE THORNS we have the continuation of Cathy and Chris' story, told through the eyes and voices of their children. We are given a unique glimpse into exactly the extent the lies the family are living have spread---and what can happen when they go unchecked.

Yet another reason why V. C. Andrews will forever be one of the best.

Good, but hard to read..
I love this book just because its apart of this series. But I think its my least favorite of the series just because Bart is such a little BRAT! I would have sent his little behind to military school. Other than Bart, I liked every part of it.

From another , more reliable POV...
While others criticize the shifting of POVs in this novel (From Cathy to the kids), I actually found it an intelligent move on V.C. Andrews part to make the main narrators JOry and Bart.Jory, specifically, is a far more reliable narrator than his mother Cathy in the past two novels (FITA and POTW).Both Flowers in the Attic and Petals on The wind are written as a "confessional" type of story, but Cathy tells the story in a way that there are glaring gaps or so much denial in her narrative that you can't fully trust her POV. Especially when it comes to her feelings about her sibling, Chris.There were many hints of her adoration of Chris in POTW through the suspicions of other characters, but Cathy still insisted on denying it.

But here in If There Be Thorns, through the eyes of Jory and Bart, we see how deeply in love and attached Cathy truly is to Chris.More in love with him than with any of the other men that came into her life.Jory is intrigued but at the same time disturbed by the almost supernaturaland unique love that exists between his parents.Bart's voice is like a young Cathy of FITA days. But Bart is a darker version of that Cathy.More vulnerable, too.But even he notices that his parents like to kiss more often than other people do.Bart's vulnerability is what makes him an easy prey to the new people next door. The Old Lady next door merely wants to reunite with Chris/Cathy, but her butler...well, he has nefarious plans involving vulnerable Bart.And it's his plans which creates the conflict in this story.

While some of Bart's confusion and antics is disturbing and entertainingenough to read, it remainsthat the high point of this third novel is how the readers can see Chris/Cathy's relationship outside Cathy's perspective.Through an outsider's POV,the reader can clearly see the intensity of feelings between Chris & Cathy, the risk that they've taken and how it affects them.The reader can't help but be drawn to this couple that shouldn't be together, yet somehow, despite the wrongness of their relationship, you can't imagine them being happy with other people. They've gone through so much as children that it's nearly impossible for them to be a true and loving partner to anyone else. Through Bart and Jory, we also see Cathy's shortcomings as a mother.It actually makes you grateful that Chris is there to be father to the kids because without him to keep Cathy in check, Cathy might have treated Bart worse than she did in this book.I'm sorry, but I really feel that Cathy is outright deluding herself when she says Chris can't live without her. After reading this book, I'm convinced it's Cathy who is a total wreck if Chris is not by her side.He still continues to be the one to save Cathy and her sons.

I took out a star for the lukewarm plot of Bart's corruption.Four stars though for the further enlightenment on Chris and Cathy's relationship, especially during a delightful confrontation between Cathy and Madame M.

Decent continuation of the Dollanganger series
This book doesn't have the same feel as FitA or PotW, but is still a wonderful book. People wonder why Malcolm was the way he was, and Bart's reading of his journal helps to shed some light in why the Foxworth bloodline became so twisted and why Malcolm treated/saw women the way he did. The storyline focuses on Jory and Bart, and how they come to know the old lady next door - and her dark secret, and how Malcolm's madness continued to live on. A definite must-read for any VCA fan.

Book review
My grandaughter thoroughly enjoyed this book.It was in great shape and the shipping was quicker than expected. ... Read more

Product Description

When she danced, she could dream...

Beautiful and talented, Rose was the apple of her father's eye. But when he is tragically taken from her, his carefully hidden secrets destroy the only life Rose has ever known -- and lead her into a world of luxury unlike any she has imagined. Rose is whisked off to a prestigious private school, while her mother falls into a hateful whirlwind of wealth and greed. But a most unlikely person will show Rose the true meaning of family -- and give her the courage to follow her dream.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Blah
You know how some people say that 'so-and-so comes out smelling like roses', right? Not so for this book. Cinnamon and Ice were okay reads with bits of interest in them, but I don't know what book was worse, this one or Honey. This book just had such contrived twists and turns that in its own way, actually turned out to be rather predictable. So much is made of Rose's beauty, and the way she dances - the way she is described as dancing and feeling - are very cheesy and almost child-like. This book just doesn't work well in a series or on its own, it was just not very well-written.

Ooh!Ooh!I'm telling!
Gather round children.Now, do you remember your kindly Auntie Kate telling you that some V.C. Andrews books lift bits from other books when they think you're not looking?Well, this book is a perfect example.
Most of the first half of "Rose" is nicked from the first chapter of "Flowers In The Attic."And from that, you should work out which one of Rose's relatives you shouldn't get too attached to (I don't do spoilers, honest).
As to the rest of the book... bla bla bla scheming aunt, bla bla bla not-all-there mother, bla bla bla noble if one-dimensional boyfriend.Evan's character is pretty original, and that almost made me cave in and give this book an extra star.But the whole gratuitous storyline-repeating was too much to overcome.I can't believe they thought nobody would notice.People these days...
(PS- Much is made of Rose's beauty.I wish, just once, they'd have an ugly heroine. Mumble mumble.)

Rose
Lovely, talented, and innocent, Rose was loved and cherished by her father. His death, whether it was an accident or suicide, left behind secrets that have been hidden all their lives. Soon the doors to his many secrets opened and changed Roses "normal" teenage life in Lewisville, Georgia. It leads her and her mother into a fantasy life that wasn't as good as it seemed. Roses mother gets caught up in this luxury life that wasn't true and caused her to become someone she isn't. Roses mother soon forgets the value of life and that love and family is priceless and worth more than the world she is caught up in. Rose meets people that help her live the life that she had always only dreamed of, they give her hope and faith and the will to make it through. The unexpected happens to Rose. She gets the confidence to succeed, in her new unfamiliar world, from a stranger. I would recommend this book to my friends around my age because the way Roses life changes and also by the way she had to change by the events that happened in her life. I also like the way the novel ends; it ends in a twisted and unexpected way. I don't like the book in a way because some parts have nothing to do with the way Rose struggles through life. I don't think adults or children would enjoy reading this novel. I think the book would have been a lot better if there was more action. The way V.C. Andrews describes the characters was interesting and makes you wonder about their personality, it draws you in. I overall think this was a good novel.

Rose
Lovely, talented, and innocent, Rose was loved and cherished by her father. His death, whether it was an accident or suicide, left behind secrets that have been hidden all their lives. Soon the doors to his many secrets opened and changed Roses "normal" teenage life in Lewisville, Georgia. It leads her and her mother into a fantasy life that wasn't as good as it seemed. Roses mother gets caught up in this luxury life that wasn't true and caused her to become someone she isn't. Roses mother soon forgets the value of life and that love and family is priceless and worth more than the world she is caught up in. Rose meets people that help her live the life that she had always only dreamed of, they give her hope and faith and the will to make it through. The unexpected happens to Rose. She gets the confidence to succeed, in her new unfamiliar world, from a stranger. I would recommend this book to my friends around my age because the way Roses life changes and also by the way she had to change by the events that happened in her life. I also like the way the novel ends; it ends in a twisted and unexpected way. I don't like the book in a way because some parts have nothing to do with the way Rose struggles through life. I don't think adults or children would enjoy reading this novel. I think the book would have been a lot better if there was more action. The way V.C. Andrews describes the characters was interesting and makes you wonder about their personality, it draws you in. I overall think this was a good novel.

Rose
Lovely, talented, and innocent, Rose was loved and cherished by her father. His death, whether it was an accident or suicide, left behind secrets that have been hidden all their lives. Soon the doors to his many secrets opened and changed Roses "normal" teenage life in Lewisville, Georgia. It leads her and her mother into a fantasy life that wasn't as good as it seemed. Roses mother gets caught up in this luxury life that wasn't true and caused her to become someone she isn't. Roses mother soon forgets the value of life and that love and family is priceless and worth more than the world she is caught up in. Rose meets people that help her live the life that she had always only dreamed of, they give her hope and faith and the will to make it through. The unexpected happens to Rose. She gets the confidence to succeed, in her new unfamiliar world, from a stranger. I would recommend this book to my friends around my age because the way Roses life changes and also by the way she had to change by the events that happened in her life. I also like the way the novel ends; it ends in a twisted and unexpected way. I don't like the book in a way because some parts have nothing to do with the way Rose struggles through life. I don't think adults or children would enjoy reading this novel. I think the book would have been a lot better if there was more action. The way V.C. Andrews describes the characters was interesting and makes you wonder about their personality, it draws you in. I overall think this was a good novel. ... Read more

Product Description
The final, haunting novel, in the extraordinary story that has enthralled millions!

The horror began with Flowers in the Attic, the terrifying tale of four innocent children locked away from the world by a cruel mother.

The shocking fury continued with Petals on the Wind and If There be Thorns. Now V.C. Andrews has created the last dark chapter in the strange, chilling tale of passion and peril. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (76)

A Thrilling Ending to A Remarkable Saga
I am one of those die-hard V. C. Andrews fans that must not only read but own EVERYTHING with her name on it. Though I first read SEEDS OF YESTERDAY over 20 years ago, it is one of those books that I find myself returning to almost every year because of the characters, the story and the ending it provides to a saga that has enthralled so many of us since Flowers In The Attic.

V. C. Andrews is a storyteller that was truly ahead of her time, and someone who knew how to tell a powerful tale. All of us fell in love with and had a certain amount of pity for the Children of The Attic, and once we see how their story ends, we can almost find some form of peace in it.

Kudos to Andrews for teaching us lessons of life that we should not forget: It's what you do with what you have not what you have that counts.

Book Purchase
The pre-owned product was just as advertised and shipped quickly.I am completely satisfied and would order again from this supplier.

Enjoyable book
This story doesn't have so much to do with the first three Dollanganger books, as it's now 1997 (over a decade set after the actual date VCA published this, in the mid-80's) but still stands as a decent story in its own right, with the surprising reappearance of a character long thought dead. And religion comes back with this character, reminding Chris and Cathy all too well why they didn't want anything to do with religion. As a part of a series, Seeds of Yesterday doesn't contribute overmuch to the Foxworth saga, which is sad, because it'd have been nice to learn more about the Foxworths.

Just one plothole - in SoY, it's 1997, but in the next book 'Garden of Shadows' (prequel to Flowers in the Attic), Olivia Foxworth's will included a letter to be opened 20 years after her death (which was the story of GoS) and her death was in 1972, so Chris and Cathy should have read GoS by now and already be aware of what happened between Malcolm and Olivia.

What a dreadful conclusion!
The years passed.Jory and Bart, Cathy's sons, are now in their mid to late twenties.Cindy, Cathy and Chris's adopted daughter, is a rebellious teenager.Bart will "come to his own" when he turns twenty-five, making him the sole heir of the Foxworth fortune.Cathy, Chris, Jory and his wife Melodie visit the newly constructed Foxworth Hall to celebrate Bart's twenty-fifth birthday.Bart has received psychological treatment over the years and now, a law school grad, is mature enough to have a mind of his own.The original Foxworth Hall is no more after the fire several years ago, and this new one doesn't hold the sinister past and secrets from those terrible years Cathy and Chris spent in the attic.Olivia and Corrine Foxworth have been long dead.There are no ghosts of attic's past lurking in the shadows of this new house.Nothing could go wrong this time, right?As expected, a series of disasters set in.Jory's thriving dancing career is jeopardized, his marriage is also in peril, an uncle of Cathy's and Chris's, once presumed dead, reappears, and Cathy and Chris find themselves prisoners in Foxworth Hall once again.Tragedy and pain are rampant in the house, and one cannot help but wonder if Bart is behind all of the horrible new occurrences.Will the ghosts in the attic ever leave Cathy in peace?

This has got to be the worst book in the entire series -- nothing to do with Flowers in the Attic.As some reviewers have already said, the characters are nothing but cheap replicas of previous characters.Cindy is a seductress and a man-magnet, kind of like Cathy when she was young (is this supposed to be ironic, since Cindy is not Cathy's biological daughter?), Bart is a player like his namesake of a late father, Chris is like Chris, Sr. in more ways than one, Jory experiences the same kind of decisions his late father Julian faced, and there are twins that are just like Carrie and Cory.Realism is thrown out the window and I couldn't believe the disaster this book turns out to be.I would have killed Bart and his constant nobody-loves-me whining had I been Cathy.Cathy has never been a likable heroine, but she is downright insufferable here.I'm tired of her constantly defending her incestuous relationship with Chris.Yes, she and Chris were forced to be together in the attic during the most crucial moment of their lives, but they're adults now and they should know better.No matter the circumstances that drove them to be together, what they're doing is wrong, period.I do not blame Bart in this part.The ending is awful -- rushed, abrupt and inconsistent.Loose ends are never tied up.Who was responsible for Jory's accident?What about the other stuff that occurs?Did Andrews write this book, or had the ghostwriter already taken over her work?If so, then her family should have hired a better ghostwriter to wrap up the series.I don't know if I should read Garden of Shadows (the ghostwritten prequel) now.Something tells me that I will hate it.I think I'll just pretend this is the very last book in the series.As Cathy says in the book, the Dollanganger saga has reached the end.It definitely has for me.

Seeds of Yesterday
I didn't want to put the book down!It was so good and heavy breathing stories.. Great book! Thanks. ... Read more

Product Description

HOPE IS SHATTERED...
La esperanza se destruye

No amount of money can keep heartbreak away: Delia Yebarra learned that painful lesson after a boating tragedy ended her fairy-tale romance with Adan Bovia, a wealthy politician's son. But when she discovers she is carrying his child, Delia has no choice but to live under the watchful eye of Adan's powerful father, who blamed Delia for the deadly accident but soon puts her health and the safe delivery of his grandchild above his resentments. Or so Delia believed.

BUT LOVE BRINGS NEW LIFE...
Pero el amor sopla una nueva vida

For Adan's father intends to use his connections to blackmail Delia. A cruel nursemaid monitors her every move. And a manipulative schemer orchestrates a reunion with Delia's cousin Edward -- a visit with grave consequences. But after tiny Adan Jr. arrives, Delia is no longer fighting for herself but for everything she ever believed, back when she was a Mexican country girl. Can Delia recapture the innocence of her roots and make a bright future for her family? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

book by VC Andrews
My elderly aunt had read two other books by VC Andrews but isn't physically able to get out to find "Delia's Gift."I placed the order and it was delivered the day before Mother's Day.Perfect gift.

typical VC Andrew series, but that's what I like
I got this book because I am reading the 3 book series.It's your basic VC Andrews plot, but that's what I like.Easy reading.

Sicky Sweet
I agree with the same old, same old opinion. VC Andrew used to write about kids who, in spite of their circumstances, were not raked over the coals like this Delia was. They were ingenious and it didn't take them 3 books to wake up. And if I hear the phrase "in my heart of hearts" one more time, I'm going to barf.

Great!
Excellent book as are all of the V.C. Andrews books!I hard a hard time putting it down.

Not nearly as depressing
I found this series to be better in someway than the original V.C. Andrews books no matter who is going to criticize me for it.I liked some of the originals like My Sweet Audrina, but could not make it through the Flowers in the Attic series.They were all way too depressing.Yes the characters were very well written, but the originals had a formula as well with these great huge tragedies where everyone seemed to suffer.I like the bit of hope that the newer novels have.I couldn't put the first book in this series down. ... Read more

Product Description
The first in a three book series by VC Andrews, DELIA'S CROSSING features a young girl who comes from Mexico to live with a rich aunt in Palm Springs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Misfortunate journey
This book spent a little time in my TBR piles, which shows how impatient I am when it comes to read this articular author for me. This book orbits around the character name Delia, who lost her parents at the beginning of the book while she was in the middle of class, which is the turning point of her life. Her grandmother couldn't take care of her, and surprisingly, her mother's sister, Delia's Tia Isabella offered to take her into her own care.

Migrating to America, Delia found out she has two cousins, namely Edward and Sophia. Edward is the kind one, and Sophia is the one who tries to make her life a living hell. Moving into a rich place, rich relative, Delia should be well off right? Nope! Her Tia Isabella doesn't really welcome her much into the family. Misfortunes after misfortunes follows her around, like the evil eye.

I love the plots, and I love the quotes within this book. The characters are lovable and hate-tables, which shows how into the book I was in reading it. I also love the cover. The plots are fast and really pulls you in once you've started reading. I have a hard time putting this book down when I have to do somethings.

Would I recommend it? Yes! Absolutely!



Librarian Muse
Ok.. I need to correct a mistake some librarians have with VC Andrews books. Her books DO NOT belong in school libraries! Yes they are popular, but it is NOT suitables in any High school or elementary school libraries. Get it to your head! Why? Incest and Sexual nature of it. Yes, she is popular, but NO! do not have ANY VC Andrews in your school library! It however belongs in a public library though. Her books are just too great to not be in a library!

What a downer --Rougher than the Book of Job!
The life of the main character, Delia, goes from believably bad to unbelievably bad; and the bad characters she meets along the way are pretty one-dimensional. The author of Delia's Crossing seems to write with a broad brush.Evil, Super-Evil, and Beneath Contempt, the "bad guys" don't seem to have another side to their nature to make them actually interesting or believable; the reader just has to accept them as flatly disgusting.The good memories Delia has, are of her grandmother back in Mexico.And those memories are equally over the top-- Saint-like. There is a sprinkling of extra characters in the book who are neither too good or evil, but are also of not much consequence to the story nor very interesting.The plot meanders maddeningly, as if new personalities were being tried out on some of the characters.I longed for it to be over.One good thing: I did learn a few Spanish phrases. I otherwise felt that even the folks from Mexico were portrayed in caricature. If I were V.C. Andrew's English teacher I'd suggest she try a re-write; with more character development, and fewer sequenced meaningless tragedies. (We're still getting constant fresh tragedy at every turn on page 387.) Enough already!

Captivating
Overall this was a very good book. A different genre from what I normally read, but even so it was really good.You get a good sense of what life in Delia's village was like and also what life at her aunt's house was like. There's some good family gossip in there and plenty of things that make you go hmmmmmm..... I was surprised by the ending and am not sure what I expected from it, which is why I gave it 4 stars.I'm still debating if I'm satisfied or not with how things turned out. It kind of left me wanting more from certain situations. Overall the book was a good read for me.It was entertaining enough to be a good book but not the best book I've ever read.

One of the Best Yet
I have read almost all of the V.C. Adrews books and I must say this is one of my favorites. She takes a little more time in setting the plot in this one. Not everything happens at either just the beginning or just the end. I loved it!

best books
I had copies of the second and third in this series but somehow I had nrver seen the third. This is my favorite author. So far I have read all her books. When I couldn't find on store shelves, I went to Amazon and found it right away. I know I can always depend on Amazon. By the way, I got it a lot less expensive than the two I bought in the store. ... Read more

Product Description
book ... Read more