Book Description
The truth could not be revealed -- until now....

A fter the tragic death of her adoptive father, Willow De Beers receives an unexpected gift: a family diary that unlocks all the secrets of her world -- and shatters the life she's known in glitzy Palm Beach, Florida. At last, Willow learns the identity of her real father, and unearths his secret love affair with her real mother. She discovers the reasons for her adoptive mother's cruelty...and the truth about the mysterious woman who couldn't keep her, but would love her forever.

Look inside for the original e-book prequel Dark Seed -- first time in print! Also inside...a preview of the thrilling Broken Wings series -- coming soon from Pocket Star Books

Download Description
"The truth could not be revealed -- until now.... A fter the tragic death of her adoptive father, Willow De Beers receives an unexpected gift: a family diary that unlocks all the secrets of her world -- and shatters the life she's known in glitzy Palm Beach, Florida. At last, Willow learns the identity of her real father, and unearths his secret love affair with her real mother. She discovers the reasons for her adoptive mother's cruelty...and the truth about the mysterious woman who couldn't keep her, but would love her forever. Look inside for the original e-book prequel Dark Seed -- first time in print! Also inside...a preview of the thrilling Broken Wings series -- coming soon from Pocket Star Books " ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Great read
Excellent book in the series. I could not stop reading until I had finished this book and the whole series!

Hidden Leaves

The book I read was called, "Hidden Leaves" by V.C. Andrews.This book is just one big love story that has a sad but meaningful ending.A man named Claude realized his love for a woman named Grace.The whole book was just a long letter that Claude was writing to his daughter, Willow.But Willow was not the daughter of Alberta, his wife.Claude owned his own hospital and was a psychiatric doctor.Throughout the book he talked about all of his different patients and how he eventually fell in love with a patient named Grace, even though he was still married.He talked about how his whole life changed once he met her and how he knew she was the one.Claude did not really have a good relationship with Alberta and he always said that it was more like a friendship than a marriage.Grace was at the clinic because she was suffering major depression.Later on when Claude and Grace were getting deeper and deeper into the relationship, Grace finds out she is pregnant.This was pretty bad news because if anybody found out, Claude's clinic would be shut down.When Grace's mom finds out she is pregnant she wants her to come home immediately.The mother didn't know that Claude was the father.Grace could not take the baby back to her home so Claude had to "adopt" the baby.The rest of the story is about how Willow, the baby, grows up and learns about her amazing past.I also read the prequel which was included at the end of the book.
The book I read was exciting in some parts but mostly a little boring.It was boring because I am not really into love books and it just seemed like it kept going on and on.Sometimes I did feel like I was in the book especially when he was talking to Grace or at his clinic because usually there were really intense conversations.Some parts of the main conflict interested me but most of the time there were too many parts that just wouldn't end and would drag on throughout the whole book.The characters were very realistic because the people had pretty normal lives and the book described all of the people at the clinic as if it were a real hospital.The books ending was satisfying but kind of predictable because you pretty much knew what was going to happen because if it didn't happen the book wouldn't have made sense.
The voice of the authors' writing had so much description and it sounded like it was coming from himself.It sounded like it came from him because the whole book was of a father writing a letter to his daughter.The authors' use of vocabulary was excellent because he used so many metaphors and similes and it really made you feel like you were there.The author has a very different way of writing.His writing sounds very smart and kind of old-fashioned.V.C. Andrews described things very well.There wasn't much dialogue throughout the story but it didn't really need it.The tone of the book was overall kind of depressing but it was mostly set to a romantic tone.The main conflict and story was pretty boring but the author was great.
I rate this book a six out of ten.The book wasn't really my kind of read.When I first read the back I thought it might have been a little scarier but it ended up being one big love story.I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read kind of a mellow book or someone who just likes love stories.It doesn't really matter if you are a boy or girl; I think anyone could like it if you take that kind of stuff seriously.The age group would probably be more for adults or older teens.
Overall I didn't really like this book just because it carried on way to long.The only good part was probably all of the description and the ending because you really get to see Willow's point of view.I think mostly adults should read this book.You would like it if you want a lot of description but I can definitely say it's not one of my favorites.

VC Andrews must be spinning in her grave
I'm shocked by the number of positive reviews regarding this book, which has to be one of the weakest to come out since the ghostwriter took over for VC Andrews. When will someone get this ghostwriter an editor? Not one but two characters are addressed by the wrong names (Kirby Scott becomes Kyle and Winston Montgomery is referred to as Winthrop!); the author has no idea how to appropriately use a comma; and there is not a single revelation during the course of the story that wasn't already discussed in a previous book in the series. Perhaps expectations have fallen since the death of Ms. Andrews, who was a genius and whose original books continue to rank among my all-time favorites. While reading Hidden Leaves, I was silmutaneously reading Flowers In The Attic to my best friend during our morning commute. Despite having spent years refusing to give in and read the book I consider such a classic, he instantly fell under its spell and, during a recent trip, borrowed my copy of the final book in that series, Garden of Shadows. Want to experience the REAL VC Andrews? Please, in the name of all that is holy, go back and re-read these classics rather than spending another dime on these churned-out pieces of crap that have none of the style, gothic allure or storytelling finese of the originals. Surely the publishing house could hire an author who might actually capture the spirit of the originals... or have we, as a socity, become so accepting of crap that we will continue to buy anything they put out as long as VC Andrews name is slapped on the cover?

Hello?Real World?Where are you?
I am not going to pretend that I didn't enjoy this book, (actually, based on its length and the time it took to read it was more like a pamphlet) but I'm not going to pretend it wasn't a pile of poop, either.I guess that's the paradox of some of the latest V.C. books the ghostwriter churns out every six months.(And I, like an idiot, spend $7.99 on when it'll all be at someone's garage sale next month.)

Nothing that happens in this book is even remotely possible in anything vaguely resembling the human world as any of us know it.Although I'm touched at Willow's mother's vulnerability and feel bad for her, and although I allowed myself to suspend disbelief for the duration of the pamphlet and be sad about her tragic love affair with Claude, come on.That relationship NEVER MADE SENSE!It was so implausible, even by V.C. Andrews' bizarre standards.Here are the reasons:

Number one, although psychiatrists do sleep with their patients, I just cannot believe that those with any professional integrity do!Claude is continually presented as this beacon of virtue, a man who loves his work above all else.Would a man like that sleep with a severely disturbed young woman under his care (and, incidentally, not ensure she is using birth control)?Is that the best treatment available for her?! Is that smart?He tells us that he just loves her so much, he can't help it.That's unbelievably silly.Adults know that sex isn't some uncontrollable thing-you actually can hold back if it's unprofessional, exploitive, adulterous-this one is all three.

2. Why, why, please tell me why, is Claude married to such a wretched woman?I just cannot have any respect for such a man.While he's "working overtime" at his clinic, there's an evil wife at home.WHY?I really also can't respect Claude for having stayed with this woman when he knew he didn't love her, cheated on her instead of having the courage to get a divorce, and ultimately subject his innocent daughter to an abusive stepmother who was constantly and inexplicably cruel to her.Why would you do that to someone you love?They act like he had no control over that, when clearly he did.

3. How could he abandon Willow's mother like that?I'm sorry, that part ALSO has never made sense, since the very beginning of the series, from Willow, book #1.There's just no good excuse why you would impregnate your supposed "true love" and then decide, because you "value your career so much" (so much you violate its principles in a way most psychiatrists would find abhorrent), you will abandon her and go back to an evil wife.But, take the baby with you?

It's still an entertaining book though, I can't tell you why.These books are like crack to me.I want to stop buying them and enjoying them, but I can't!Help!

Most ROMANTIC book of the DeBeers series.
A very good story of the love between Willow's parents. If only her father would've dropped his reputation as a World Famous Psychiatrist, and Grace would have given up her Palm Beach life-style. They would have had a happy life. But there was a lot at stake.

It's a good book, and is the best of the DeBeers series. A very good PREQUEL! ... Read more

Book Description

Everyone Says
Her Mother Was Crazy.
Is She Doomed to Repeat the Past?

Up in the attic, that's where Alice's mother used to escape to...and it's where, so Alice has been told, she plotted the murder of her own stepfather. Now, years later, with her mother locked away for life, the attic is where Alice finds comfort in her aloneness, writing poetry and painting pictures. When Alice finally finds the courage to come out of her shell, exchanging her dowdy looks for flattering clothes and makeup, her life completely opens up -- she even attends the prom with a cute, popular boy. But it's a night that turns quickly tragic -- sending her newfound happiness crashing down around her, and hurtling Alice into a shattering new life, one that leads her to a shocking reunion with the shadows she had fled.

From the imagination behind Flowers in the Attic comes a sensational new novel that spins a seductive web between fantasies and lies -- and uncovers the price for keeping ... Read more

Book Description
Melody Logan knew her beautiful mother, Haille, was unhappy in their hardscrabble mining town....

But with her wonderful father's unwavering love, Melody always felt safe -- until a dreadful mine accident ripped her from her family's moorings.

She was still devastated by her father's death when she left West Virginia with Haille to follow her mother's dream of becoming a model or actress. But first they stopped in Cape Cod to visit her father's family at last.

Melody knew only that her grandparents had disowned their son when he married Haille -- just because she was an orphan, her mother said. Yet moments after Melody first laid eyes on dour, Bible-spouting Uncle Jacob, nervous Aunt Sara, and her cousins -- handsome Cary, whose twin, Laura, had been killed recently in a sailing accident, and sweet, deaf little May -- Haille announced that Melody was to live with them.

Sleeping in Laura's old room, Melody was awash in a sea of grief and confusion, with only her beloved fiddle to comfort her. Then Cary revealed the truth he'd gleaned about her parents -- a sad shocking story that only puzzled her more. Melody knew nothing of the dark deceptions that would soon surface...the devastating betrayals she would face before she glimpsed the faint, beckoning lights of a safe harbor....

... Read more

Customer Reviews (86)

A sense of place, but the time eludes me
Though Laura's story seems like it was set during the late 1950's and early 1960's (when America was more innocent, like Laura), "Melody" (and its subsequent sequels) seem to be set during the late 1960's, early 1970's, even though Melody's story begins only about a year after Laura's ends.

I had read this series years ago, then believing this series marked the beginning of the decline of V.C.'s legacy, though it wasn't until I re-read this, and then read "Willow" that I realized at least the Logan series mirrored some of V.C.'s (the real V.C.'s) earlier work, but devoid of characters I could either relate to or care about.

I didn't like Melody (the character).She was whiny (what fifteen-year-old girl still refers to her mother as Mommy?), and so incredibly stupid.She was almost raped three times, all three totally preventable if she had just used some common sense (I am including all three Melody books in this review because each book is simply a continuation and not worthy of a separate write-up).

The first almost-rape:Adam Jackson.Melody had already heard about what he was about, and she agrees to meet him on the beach...alone!

The second almost-rape:Melody runs away from Cape Cod (where, despite her Uncle Jacob's gruffness, she has it pretty good), manages to get her money stolen, so she has to hitchhike part of the way back to Sewell, West Virginia (where she was from), and gets in a van with this creepy hippie who, of course, tries to rape her.

The third almost-rape:Melody's selfish mother, Haille, ran off with this bottom-feeder named Archie/Richard Marlin, when Melody's father/stepfather, Chester, dies in a coal-mining accident.Knowing the kind of guy Archie is, Melody agrees to live with him and her mother (who, of course, aren't married), because Melody has deluded herself into believing her precious Mommy is under some kind of spell Archie has put her under.So, you have Perp (or should I save Perv) #3.

What never made sense to me was why didn't Haille just abandon her daughter and do her thing fifteen years ago?I never got the impression that she was ever in love with Chester (which would have explained why she stuck around being his wife and taking care of her kid), especially since she started screwing Archie practically right after Chester's wake.

That said, Melody believes Kenneth Childs (the local artist on the Cape) is her father, but once she finds out he isn't, she starts to like him in a biblical way, and I thought that was totally weird.It was like Dawn and Jimmy growing up as brother and sister for years, and then hooking up once they found out they really weren't.What's more, Melody poses for Kenneth (the fact that she poses nude for him makes it creepy, considering they do turn out to be related--I won't say how), and pouts when Kenneth doesn't show any interest in being her lover just because he's seen her breasts.How immature!Not to mention she is sort of dating Cary (who really isn't her cousin after all).Their lovemaking was all sugar and no spice (in other words, boring), just as the sex (I won't call it lovemaking) between Haille and sleazeball Archie was primitive and gross.

Haille could have been a much more interesting character, but the GW demonized her so much, she became a caricature rather than a real person, so had there been a prequel written about her (but then there wasn't--rather we have another Olivia story), I would have had no interest because of what I knew she would become.Haille wasn't just a woman with faults, but a pretty piece of white trash.

Though I did enjoy these easy reads, I wasn't enthralled with dynamic characters (of which sweet, deaf little May was probably the best in a lackluster cast), and the characters resonate with me long after the story ends.These people did not.

A Loveable Melody
A year after first reading `Melody' she is still fresh in my mind as arguably VC Andrews' most likeable heroines. She is not obsessed with sex, money, or fame. Her only fault is being too caring for people.

Although the story is formulaic it is more "realistic" than any other Andrews' family saga. Some characters are evil but few are down right psychotic. No one gets locked in the attic or tortured. The focal conflict is the family tree being more twisted than ever. Even by VCA standards the Logan family tree is the most complicated yet! This provides for even more incest.

The VC Andrews formula is aliped to Melody Logan a gorgeous 15 year West Virginian with "flaxen blonde hair and cerulean blue eyes." Her family is poor but happy living in trailer park with her parents Haille and Chester until Chester dies in a coal mining accident.

The now snobby and neglectful Haille and her lover Richard travel to Cape Cod to reunite with the other Logans whom shunned them. Melody is shocked that she is simply abandoned to live with family members she has never met before as Haille and Richard take off for Hollywood.

The middle class Logan household is depressed due to the recent death of beloved daughter Laura whom recently drowned. She was Melody's exact double. There is mean and nasty Uncle Jacob, wimpy Aunt Sara, Laura's cold twin brother Cary, and young deaf May. Melody is set to fill Laura role occupying her room and possessions.

The Logan home is cold hearted but not down right psycho or abusive. At school Melody is also bullied. Weekends are spent at Grandmother Olivia's (we're running out of names for evil grandmothers) mansion where she is the nastiest Logan yet.

There, Melody learns of Haille's disgrace. She was the only daughter of Olivia's promiscuous sister Belinda whom Olivia raised as her own. Hence Haille and Chester were foster brother and sister and biological first cousins. But Chester was not her biological father. Haille was so promiscuous his identity is unknown but her former fiancé Kenneth Childs is a prime suspect.

Melody is also shocked to learn at school that Cary and Laura were rumored to have and incestuous relationship. They attended all social functions as dates.

In the misery of her new home Melody is eventually able to find some happiness as she investigates and befriends her suspected father, an eccentric artist. She is also able to be the big sister to May and daughter to Sara that Laura would have been and to Cary the... well I won't give anything away but I promise you more incest than any other VC Andrews series.

There are also more family secrets than any other series. Who is Melody's real father? What was Cary and Laura's true relationship? And what character come back from the dead. I promise these questions continue to haunt the reader throughout the series as they are not answered until the very end. It keeps you very intrigued.

The first three Logan books, `Melody' `Heart Song' and `Unfinished Symphony' really read all as one as they take place in a very short period of time and focus on the same 3 mysteries I just mentioned.

The Logan series remains one of my favorite as Melody is very likeable. She does not become focused on sex and money and she is eager to help those in need. The twisted family tree provides for more incest than I ever thought possible. And several of them are far more intense than typical VCA. Where as with many VCA books we wonder how or why the sibling fell in love the Logan series provides us with an explanation.

The fourth book `Music in the Night' is also heart stopping as it is told from Laura's point of view and many mysteries we've been dying to know from the beginning are finally answered.

The fifth book `Olivia' is a complete waste, no new secrets are revealed! It focuses solely on Olivia and Belinda and what evil witches they were. Unlike Olivia Foxworth she is not even an interesting villain. A better prequel would have been about Haille and her trials growing up hated.

Am I the only one who thinks...
This book takes place during the 1960s? I've seen other reviews that describe Melody as a girl of the 1990s. However, on page 130 (in the paperback version), there was reference to The Beatles. On page 205, Adam Jackson tells Melody how all the other girls talk, saying everything is "groovy". Nobody talks like that in the 90s. In the book "Unfinished Symphony", on page 80, Spike talks about taking Melody to see Grauman's Chinese Theater. It was no longer called that in the 1990s. It had been changed to Mann's Chinese theater by then. If the ghost writer was trying to convey that "Melody" took place during the 60s, then he screwed up majorly in writing "Olivia". Melody's "grandmother" wouldn't have been watching TV as a teenager. Maybe not even if "Melody" took place in the 90s. Although I did enjoy reading this book, I didn't give it any more stars because I found the timeline rather confusing. Was it the 60s? The 90s? Who knows?

Teenager moves from West Virginia to Massachusetts
This is a somewhat interesting, first person account by a fifteen-year old female named (you guessed it) Melody.Her last name is Logan.

This is my first experience with V. C. Andrews, and since this book was published after Andrews died, I assume it was actually written by her "ghostwriter."

The book did hold my interest, and I looked forward to returning to it after putting it down.

Melody seems almost too moral to be real, but she does loosen up a little toward the end (she begins to tell "white lies").Her mother, Haille Logan, seems almost too selfish to be real, and Haille's early death in a car accident in Pomona, California, seems almost too convenient.

Melody's Provincetown cousin, Cary Logan, seems too righteous to be real.Some of the other student's nickname him "grandpa," because he acts like someone very mature and older.Others, however, think he's the "wisest" of them all.

Melody loses her "daddy" in a coal mining accident in West Virginia, and her mother then drops her with her aunt and uncle in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where fishing for lobsters is the family business.

The novel follows her adjustment to her new setting, as she rubs shoulders with her various family scions, her cousins, her schoolmates, and a few local bystanders.

Her younger cousin, May, is deaf, and uses sign language to communicate.This stimulated my interest in sign language, and deaf people in general.I hope to learn that language, although, unlike Melody, I have no one to practice with at the moment.

The story is somewhat a mystery, the kind, I gather, most Andrews fans are already familiar with.I'm not a teenager (by a long shot), but since the protagonist is, I assume many teens will get a kick out of this book.So will adults, if they like stories that move along, are not too difficult to read, and help pass the time.

Diximus.

Hello
This was a good debut to a new V.C. Andrews series. Although this novel isn't as thrill packed as the prevous novels, it a nice refreshing change from all the incest and rape, the other books contain. The descriptions of thhe Cape Cod scenery, add a lot of light ot this book. It's worth a read. ... Read more

Book Description
The spellbinding Orphans series concludes in this thrilling new novel from V.C. Andrews®...

"All for one and one for all" was the girls' motto. In the grim foster home for orphans run by Louise and Gordon Tooey, at least Brooke, Crystal, Raven, and Butterfly had each other. Calling themselves "sisters," together they could forget the past and dream of a new chance...a real home. Then they discovered a secret even more haunting than Gordon's heavy boots pounding on the wooden floors. Their fragile hopes of a better life shattered, they escaped the only way they could. Soon they were runaways in a borrowed car, desperately wishing to wake up one morning in a place of sunshine and love.

Raven hoped to be a singer, Butterfly wanted to be a dancer, Crystal planned for college, and Brooke privately hoped to find her mother in California. On the open road the chains of sadness that had bound them seemed to melt away, and the kindness of strangers made a secure future seem almost real. But the highway was a dangerous place, and soon they were penniless and more vulnerable than ever. Alone under the wide western sky, they had only each other to ask if they should give up their dreams...or if they were really halfway to a haven of safety and happiness....

... Read more

Customer Reviews (72)

runaways
11-15-06

Runaways
V.C. Andrews
Pocket star books

Imagine being a sixteen year old girl who had been an orphan ever since she was born, finally adopted, then put back in a foster home run by a very evil man who doesn't let you do anything and buys the worst food.Wouldn't you run away too?V.C. Andrews' Runaways, the last book of the Orphans mini series, is about four orphans.They like to think of themselves as "sisters". Throughout the years they have known each other they have created a very loving relationship for one another, almost like sisters.Nothing can break they tight bond of love they have for one another.The foster home was run by a very evil couple who won't let anyone adopt any of the kids in the foster home.After attacking crystal, one of "the sisters", they all decide that enough was enough.They were going to run away, no matter where they were going, they always had each other.That was all they needed to survive.

Brooke, probably the strongest of"the sisters", both physically and emotionally, was once adopted by a super model who wanted to take her away from her softball dream. Brooke is a very athletic sixteen year old with thick blonde hair.Brooke was the third to enter "the sisters".She was the one who thought of running away first, and made it possible.Throughout the story, she is the one in the driver's seat, with all of the control.Crystal, the brains of "the sisters", was adopted by a couple who wasn't able to have children.She quickly fell in love with a boy as smart as her, and everything was perfect.But one day her parents died in a car crash, and she had to go back to a foster home, where no one wanted her.This amazing sixteen year old was the first one to be there for Butterfly and created "the sisters".Butterfly is very small and delicate.She was adopted by a women in a wheel chair who used to be a prima ballerina.She forced Butterfly to learn the dance, but Butterfly failed her mother.Butterfly's mother quickly went crazy and her dad sent her back to a foster home.She is very sensitive, quiet, and she's the one who keeps "the sisters" so strong.Raven is the prettiest of "the sisters".Her mother was a drunk and she did a lot of drugs.When her mother got arrested, she had to go live with her evil uncle and her aunt.Her uncle abused her until she told the school, who quickly put her in a foster home.

This realistic fiction book was the last book in a wonderful mini series called Orphans.Throughout this book, even the whole series,there are many turning points and twists.There is a lot of action and the plot pulls you in from the beginning all the way to the end and Andrews wants you to read even more.The characters are so believable.You end up feeling what they feel and you can put yourself in their place as they go through the dangerous events through the run away.When you read this book, this series even, I guarantee you'll love it.

Good read for the teen crowd
I've read V.C. Andrews since I was about 14, I'm 25 now so I've really outgrown her stuff, I should say the ghostwriters' stuff, but I still reread FITA series and Heaven series every so often.Runaways was a nice break from the tired incest/secrets formula that the ghostwriters insist on sticking to for every book.I got so tired of the stereotyped dumpy maids and jolly black cooks and all that crap.

Runaways is a good read for young girls who aren't ready for the more adult themes of the old books.I liked the four main characters, although they all seemed pretty goody-goody and naive for the life they had led so far.Not that that's a bad thing but it's just not realistic.Brooke was my favorite, because I'm the most like her.(Even married a mechanic!)The story is interesting, though anyone that's been out in real world America knows that they would have encountered a lot more problems and a lot less convienently-timed jobs handed their way.But the main theme of the story, I think, is that if you want something bad enough, if you sacrifice you just might get it.That and the power of friendship.

A good story...
The ghost writers are no match to VC Andrews' original writing style. The Orphans series was ok but a bit predictable. I couldn't get into this one. This book is interesting but could be better.

Fun and Hilarious
Forget "Thelma and Louise"! These girls really put adventure in this V.C. Andrews novel. They took home, to a lot of people on their journey to California. Well, their attempted journey.

That's too bad that the Tooley's were lying, greedy people. Seriously, if Ms. Tooley wanted money, she quit should have the foster home bussiness, and got a JOB!!! Hello! Read this book with your favorite snack and beverage, in a comfortable place. Because you won't want to put this book down.

These girls are smart and fearless. "Dorothy" and all her "imaginary friends" can't beat them!Haaeeey!!!

Unlikely events and a stupid plot
I'm a huge fan of V.C. Andrews' early works, but lately these ghostwriters have really unrealistic plots. The first four Orphan books were good not great, but this one was the worst.
You steal a car, run away, and do what with your lives?The girls get into all kinds of odd situations and the ending is just worse. They go through all this hardship and, like all her ghostwriter works, happy ending for everyone. The second worst V.C. book I ever read. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Her high school graduation just days away, pretty Gabriel Landry is blissfully happy.Then a rich cannery owner, Octavious Tate, surprises her near asecluded pond and shatters her world.Pregnant and desolate, Gabriel agrees to let Mrs. Tate pretend she's the one who's expecting and claim the baby for her 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...Book Description
Tarnished Gold is the captivating prequel to the bestselling V. C. Andrews© Landry series that began with Ruby and continued with Pearl in the Mist, All That Glitters, and Hidden Jewel. This thrilling new novel takes us back to the Louisiana bayou in the time before Ruby. In a world of wondrous natural beauty, a world of tantalizing dreams and inescapable sorrow, we meet Gabriel Landry, daughter of Catherine and Jack.

Growing up in her beloved swamp, Gabriel is supremely happy, despite the ever-widening rift between her Mama and her conniving, whiskey-drinking Daddy. Her classmates tease her, calling her "La Femme Au Naturel," the Nature Girl, because she seems more interested in poling her pirogue through the canals than she is in romance. But Gabriel nurtures her own secret dreams. Then, days before her high school graduation, rich cannery owner Octavious Tate surprises her in a secluded pond and shatters her innocence.

Pregnant and desolate, wishing to spare her dear Mama the scandal, Gabriel agrees to a shocking plan that will allow Octavious's frigid wife Gladys to claim the baby as her own and will net Gabriel's furious Daddy a huge payoff. Hiding in a tiny abandoned playroom in the Tate mansion, Gabriel is miserable. Her only visitor is Mama, whose mission as a Traiteur, a Cajun healer, gives her an excuse to treat Gladys Tate's "pregnancy." But nothing is more wrenching than the moment Gladys takes baby Paul away forever.

Returning home to the swamp, Gabriel drifts in a world of twilight gloom, brightened only by chance glimpses of her son. But as Jack Landry's reputation as a swamp guide grows, a hunting party brings handsome, gentle Creole millionaire Pierre Dumas to the bayou. Falling desperately in love, Gabriel will not heed the voice warning that their joy may bring her more grief than she can bear.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

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.

Sweet girl!!!
Before you even begin reading the Landry Series, read Tarnished Gold first. Because this is the saddest book of them.

Gabriel should've never gave up Paul. Who she concieved by Octavious Tate. After an alleged rape. Who cares if people would gossip about the incident. The only person who cared was Gladys Tate.

The same goes with when she got pregnant with twins by Pierre. It's cute to know that Gisselle was the fist to be born, and Ruby was the last!!! The way Gabriel died was wonderful. She dreamt that she rowed toward shore in a pirouge, towards Pierre. Once she landed, she past away in real life.

One of the worst efforts from the GW yet
I honestly cannot understand how anyone could like this book. This is absolutely the worst book in the Landry series. This book is even worse than the entire horrendous Melody series.

Why do I hate this book so much?

Well, it's absolutely, 100% unbelievable. The GW tries his best to write from the viewpoint of a teenage girl, but fails miserably. None of the characters in this book felt developed at all to me. They were all stereotypical and flat, and the plot was just the same plot we've seen since V.C.'s death replayed once again with different characters and a different setting.

There was no flow to the story, the major plot points weren't built up to properly, or at all. All of the actions undertaken by the heroine were completely unbelievable. Again, I believe this is the fault of a writer unskilled at writing from the viewpoint of a young woman.

The main problem with the story is the romance between Gabrielle (or Gabriel as she is referred to in this book) and Pierre. In what I can only assume is an effort to keep the book to an acceptable number of pages, the relationship develops much too quickly, with the two being pained to be apart instantly. What follows is just too flowery and awful to endure, really. Then, the relationship ends just as abruptly, and it all goes downhill from there.

I honestly cannot think of even one redeeming quality about this book, and cannot in good conscience recommend it to anyone.

Good Book
This was an excellent book, like all the V.C. Andrews series. ... Read more

Download Description
"APRIL HAD ALWAYS FELT LIKE AN OUTSIDER. 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 (17)

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!

Fat-phobia at its finest.
I used to be a VCA fan. I even stuck with the books after Neiderman started writing them, and helped run the biggest (at the time) internet fan club for her. I grew out of her books somewhere after the Melody series, and since then haven't read her books that often. However, this book caught my eye. "Dares to break all the rules"! That's what the cover said! So I picked it up, and hey- April is short, sensitive, and overweight. Well, that does indeed sound different, I think to myself. How nice it'll be to read a book with a chubby protagonist, I wondered how the issue of her size would be dealt with.

Well, let me say this: poorly. Very, very poorly. Throughout the entire book April does not once ever think anything nice about herself or her body. She's criticized constantly for her size, and she refuses to stand up for herself. It's not at all an exaggeration to say that at least once every five pages there is some mention of her being "overweight", "obese", "20 pounds too much" or some other phrase that points a negative view on herself. There's huge focus on her dieting and on her sister and father being angry with her for doing things like - oh my god - eating a meal! To say that I was disappointed in this book is an understatement. In a world where there are so many young girls with eating disorders and self esteem and self image issues, this book only goes to further perpetuate it all. It's funny, because I always laughed at the typical moaning of VCA's characters over their "bony collarbones", but at least those characters appreciated their bodies for what they were, in spite of their flaws.

There are other issues in this book - yes, there's a homosexual theme. Yes, it's predictable. There are so many stereotypes floating around in this book that it's ridiculous. Brenda, the jock lesbian. Peter, the Native American whose sole purpose in the story is to tell April about native lore and to "follow the wheel." Of course, there's the chubby April, who's fat because she's lazy and eats too much.

I would say that the one and ONLY positive part of this book is in the way that it deals with Brenda and Celia's relationship - very straightforward and without a lot of explaining. Their relationship just is what it is, and there's not a lot of controversy around it. (You may insert your own controversy if you wish..)

I DON'T KNOW WHAT EVERYBODY'S PROBLEM IS?
Seeing people disgard this book, souly because it has homosexuality contained in it. well, the world also has homosexulity in it and the sooner people realize it and stop thinking as if we all were in the dark ages where people were be-headed for things like that, the better. Anybody who has read flowers in the attic series and liked it and wrote a review saying this book should't heve ever been published is one of the biggest hipictrits i have ever had the misfortune of having my eyes rolled across their reviews for this magnificent and defiant book. and defiance in a book is a rare but key quality in a memorable book that will be remembered for generations to come. such as myself. i read this book and i'm fourteen but i even know more about beautiful literature than some of these pig-headed, hipicrital, old bitties that think back to pilgrim eras and customs when women only wore black and gray and weren't allowed an oponion. and now that i see how some women take their oponion that many women died trying to uphold, and say things like "i threw it away the second i finished it" or "it is soft core porn" or "the homosexuality it disgusting", really makes me sick and sad to know that the women who died for our oponions, would be turning in their graves if they could read the horid way people have dishevled this beautiful and heartfelt book. ... Read more

Book 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 (113)

GREAT BOOK
ANYONE WILL LIKE THIS BOOK. TRY IT I GIVE THIS A 12 OUT OF 10 DON'T LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE WHO KNOCK IT DOWN TRY IT YOU WILL NEVER BUT IT DOWN. WELL I DIDN'T ANYWAY! OUT OF ALL HER BOOKS I LOVE THIS ONE THE BEST.

The Wind in the Willies
This is a review on the audiobook of Heaven read by Donada Peters. More on her later.

Being 33, I sometimes want to take a walk down memory lane and read the books of my childhood and teenage years. In this case I wanted to take a trip up to the Willies, the mountains of West Virginia. Up Up Up the long dark trails, with the hoots of owls and barks of hunting dogs making echoes all around me. Until I reached a run down, grey cabin that held such dear memories to me.

Heaven is a story about a young girl of the same name, who lives in a cabin with her father and stepmother, grandparents, two sisters and two brothers. Throw in dogs, chickens, pigs, cows and cats and you can most definitely hear the banjos playing. But its more than a hillbilly coming of age story, its more about the search to find out exactly the meaning of family, and home, love and just how strong you a person you are after all the blows have landed. The Casteels are dirt poor. Down in the valley in the city of Winnerow, even the poorest there look down on them. They walk 8 miles to go to school and church, wear the same clothes day after day, sometimes ripping them apart and sewing them back together for a change.

They eat biscuits and lard gravy, sometimes hunting and fishing but mostly going hungry with so many mouths to feed. At the head is Luke, the raven haired devilishly handsome rogue, the only son not in jail and that's bragging. Luke spends little time at the family home, instead chooses to gamble and spend money at "shirleys place" which you can figure out means "where the hookers are"

Sarah is large redheaded mother, there are Lukes parents, Tom the older brother Keith the younger brother, Heaven is the oldest daughter followed by Fanny than Jane, who they quickly rename Our-Jane. Heaven learns from her grandmother that she isn't Sarah's, that Heavens mother Angel died in childbirth, and that she was extremely sweet and loving and beautiful and she did not belong in the mountains so the mountains took her frail life. All that was left is one suitcase, full of frilly things and one bride doll with flaxen blonde hair.Luke treats Heaven like she is less than a yard chicken, hates her because she killed his Angel.

I am not going to spoil this book, because its so worth reading. VC Andrews takes you into that cabin, into the poverty, makes you feel those hunger pangs. She gets you inside of Heavens head, so smart and strong that nothing life throws at her (and it hits the fan a-plenty) makes her stay down for long. I always thought that the characterizations in this series were VC Andrews best. The way she takes you from mountain, to valley to city and back, the way she writes the worst in humans and the best, and the way she tugs at your heart left me in tears.

I happened to get the audio version of this for work, read by Donada Peters. And I hated her voice. Heaven is a young girl as is most of the characters, a lot of them have some seriously thick hillbilly accents with their "Kerr" instead of "Care" and "Thar" instead of "there" and "Ah" instead of "I" Donada is way too old, and she has a bit of some kind of foreign accent of her own that makes her West Virginian sound like a Maine Yankee (think Jud Crandall played by Fred Gwynne in Pet Semetary) Throughout the audiobook I was cringing at her voice for Heaven, most of the time she made her sound like she was a chain smoking know it all bored with telling her thoughts. I would just recommend the book version if you are interested!

Not VC's Best
I know I differ from other posters but I truly believe that VC Andrews went downhill after Flowers in the Attic. The idea that a parent would sell his own children is plausible as it definitely happens but it does not seem very believable in this book. Additionally, someone commented that there is no incest...yes there is. There is a brief moment when Heaven's father looks at her in a sexual way and her grandfather has to stop something horrible from happening- easy to miss but it is definitely there! Also if you follow the series she end up falling in love with her half-uncle! I admit that as a teenager I loved this book but rereading the VC Andrews books I found in my house recently, the only one I can recommend is Flowers in the Attic- the entire Heaven series as an adult seems contrived and amateurish.

Fantastic, one of the best VC herself ever wrote...
Ignore the nuts on these reviews who put down this book, especially from Ice New York. This book is highly recommended for your reading pleasure, and as you can see, many others think so as well.

This is the first book in the Casteel series. You won't find a better book, except for its first sequel, "Dark Angel."

The family in this story lives in a West Virginia mountain range above the fictional town of Winnerrow. They call it "The Willies". The book begins with Heaven being taken out into the woods by her "granny" on the night before her 10th birthday. She learns who her real mother was and begins to understand why her father, Luke, hates her so much. Flash forward three years when Heaven is 13, and she describes her life with her four siblings, her grandparents, her stepmother, and Luke as they go through school, church, poverty, etc. There are vivid descriptions of what it's like to live in a drafty cabin in the middle of winter without food, clothing, electricity, running water, heat, and yes, even plumbing. There's also a first love, Logan, that enters Heaven's life.

But after her stepmother runs off due to a tragic turn of events, Heaven and her siblings are sold off to different couples. At 15, Heaven ends up with a young couple who take her to their home in Atlanta. Heaven gets a better home with more material comforts and the basic necessities, but she's subjected to the nightmares of abuse and rape within the household. At 17, Heaven finds herself back in Winnerrow due to more tragic events. She tries to find her siblings and reunites with her first love, only to have everything go wrong. The book ends with Heaven getting on a plane leaving for Boston to live with her maternal grandparents.

This book is very sad and has a lot of death and suffering in it. If you enjoy reading books without happy endings, you definitely don't want to miss this one!

Before the ghostwriters . . .
Apparently this was one of the last books VC wrote before her death (she wrote the entire Dollanganger series, I think, and then the first two books in the Casteel series). My best friend and I bonded over these books in high school! Re-reading these in my adulthood is such a nice escapist activity . . . they are still hauntingly good. Highly recommend. ... Read more

Download Description
"She hid her true self. Now the truth will be revealed.Living a life of lies under the thumb of her widowed, spiritually-obsessed mother, Celeste has been forced to take on the identity of her dead twin brother, Noble. She's almost forgotten what it's like to be Celeste -- except for the one thing that keeps her sane: caring for her darling daughter, Baby Celeste. But when Celeste's mother marries a kindly neighbor, a new breed of poisonous secrets and vicious enemies will force Celeste to do what she must -- to survive the darkness...." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

A Little Predictable But A Good Story Continuence
When I started reading the Gemini series I was plesently suprised by the darkness in tone.It was a return to form for the author.But as usual the second book falls a little bit short.After Celeste gave birth to Baby Celeste her mother made her go back to being Noble.In this book, things pick up where they left off.Celeste is still Noble and her mother is still wacky.The story continues as Sarah marries the next door neighbor (who is the grandfather of Baby Celeste).This leads to an eventual confrontation with his daughter Betsy.The book concludes kind of abruptly and doesn't leave a great ending.

good but a little slow in parts
I have read every V.C. Andrew book & this one is like all the rest. It has a good plot and parts of it just grap you. The ending was wonderful. There was a few parts that were kind of slow but then it would pick back up. Now I need to read the next one in the set.

Good Fluff Reading
I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that according to this book, Celeste was supposedly eleven when she gives birth to Baby Celeste.

I know kids start early these days, but that darn Elliot issuch a pedophile! He's old enough to drive and he still can't find enough desperate women to prevent him from going around and raping eleven year olds in the woods. He even thought she was a boy up until a couple minutes before he slept with her. Does that sound like a normal reaction to you?

The front cover on this novel and Celeste boasts "A mommy that is worse than the Flowers In the Attic." I disagree. Her mother was off the wall and eccentric and she buried her son in her daughter's clothing and made her daughter cross dress for years and called her Noble, but I didn't see her feeding anyone arsenic. Of course, there does seem to be some doubt about the way Dave Fletcher died, but this was never clarified.

As far as villians go, the Mother was by no means a sweetheart. She was perverse and cruel and she would give her daughter some kind of herbal tea that made her hallucinate whenever Celeste put on lipstick or tried to brush her hair. But she wasn't THAT bad.

If Celeste had any kind of a backbone she would have just up and left. For most of the book, I was under the impression that she was in her early twenties and just hanging around her house to help her mother and keep the spirits appeased. But at the end of this, I'm set straight. Celeste was only 17 and a half. Her daughter is six. She was a minor.

Everything is clear now. Thank you, ghostwriter!

The BEST GW could give
Wow!Thanks!This is why when I see a new VCA coming out I have to buy it... it's a compulsion - MUST HAVE VCA.This book didn't let me down.

Good story but too many inconsistancies
In Celeste (to anyone who paid attention) Celeste/Noble was 16 when she had Baby Celeste.It was brought up that she was 1 year younger than Elliot who was already driving and she was old enough to driver herself (Sarah was going to get her a car that proves this fact).At the end of Black Cat, they try to sell her off as 11 at the time of the birth.Sorry, no dice.

That is not the only inconsistancy in the series (there's also a question as whether she ever had the chicken pox), but definetly the most unforgivable.I can't get past it.It clouds my judgement of the rest of the book.

I will read Child of Darkness because I have to know if that was done on purpose, but I'm dreading it. ... Read more

Book Description
Olivia always knew her younger sister would get into trouble. but she never realized the undercurrents of disaster would grow to a raging flood....

Olivia was always the sensible one. The responsible sister. She took after their father, a man as cold and driven as the Cape Cod wind, a man possessed by an inner need to be respected and successful. She would be the one to take over his million-dollar businesses. She would become the unwavering compass and resilient caretaker of the Logan family -- whether she wanted to or not.

But Belinda belonged only to herself. Flighty, flirtatious, and possessed of a beauty that promised her a privileged life, Belinda was lavished with attention. Mother and Father, family friends, boys from school, they all adored Belinda. And as she matured into a young woman, her beauty became even more haunting. She vowed never to grow up, to remain forever an enchanting little girl to be worshiped and cared for.

Then came that fateful night, when Olivia was awakened by the low whistle of the wind off the ocean...a whistle that became an unearthly wail coming from Belinda's bedroom. It was the tragic night that their father would forbid them to speak of ever again. The night they would never forget. The night that would send generations of Logans down an unavoidable path of lies, deceit, and heartbreak.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (66)

v.c olivia
I got hooked on Virginia Andrews when i was a teenager and bought her books as i read them. Recently, i decided to start reading them again and noticed how many more there were. So i've started buying them from here and i'm so glad that i did as they don't take long at all to arrive and get here in very good condition. Thank you so much.

What?
There are a lot of things that bothered me about this book, the biggest thing being the author not keeping within the correct time period. When was this supposed to have taken place? Surely Olivia wouldn't have been watching television on a regular basis, being two generations ahead of Melody. And on page 322 (paperback), Belinda mentions possibly getting an abortion. What? Abortion wasn't even legal back then! Ever hear of Roe Vs Wade, which took place in the early 1970s? I found it hard to sympathize with Olivia. At times, she was pretty mean. I actually felt sorry for Samuel, at times, I even felt sorry for Belinda. Just what was the author trying to accomplish here? A book about Haille would definitely have been much better.

Hated the series, LOVED this book
Im not a huge fan of the Logan series, and I wasnt a fan of Olivia until I started reading this book. Upon reading the other novels, I wondered why Olivia was so mean and heartless...I was expecting this book to be another "Garden of Shadows" inwhich the protagonist is put through TONS of horrific things and mentally abused and that is why they end up horribly evil. But that was not the case in this novel.

I respected Olivia through the first half of the novel, she was a business woman, who was intelligent and independant. However after her marriage to Samuel I began to see how her "obsession" with Nelson Childs would lead to her evil personality. Samuel was a good husband- he valued her and their children(although I dont condone they way he behaved when Olivia shut him out of her bedroom). But Olivia was "in love" with Nelson, and angry at Belinda because they had an affair. Olivia did NOT take in Hallie because she wanted what was best for the child or her family. She took in Hallie because she wanted to have some sort of CONTROL over Nelson, and fantize that she was the mother to his child. If any other guy had gotten Belinda pregnant, Olivia would have just kicked her out on the street.

I wish the book had not ended with Hallie's birth, but included parts of her childhood and shown how Olivia treated her. I believe Olivia always dissapproved of Hallie because she was jealous of her- just like she was jealous of Belinda. Yes, Belinda was immature, but Olivia had other options than to institutionalize her. Olivia loved CONTROL more than anything else- she could have had a good, loving, life with her HUSBAND rather than becoming hateful over a man that wanted only her sister. The reason I like this book is because while the reader can feel sorry for Olivia, its easy to see that she had other choices- yet she made the easy choice to become bitter and evil when she didnt get what she wanted; this makes for a more realistic character.

Gangstar Lady
Olivia had it on lock down. She wasn't about to let these booze guzzling tramps take advantage of her. She went through too much with Belinda. Belinda was a thorn in her side since the get go. This is a rather terrorizing book of what happened before, "Melody". Some problems with the book, is that it's too long (440 pages). Which could have been cut down too 320 atleast. There is too much words, and not enough thrill to keep the book exciting.

Olivia not justified
Usually these books in the series try to justify the so called 'bad' person in previous stories. Most of the time I end up understanding the 'evil' characters bitterness. But not in this case. Olivia was bitter and cold in the beginning. And she stayed that way from begining to end. I give her no reason for doing the wicked things in her later life. What a WITCH! I would've rather have seen a book about Haille. ... Read more

Book Description
Laura Logan dreams of a glorious Cape Cod day when all the dark secrets are swept away....

For Laura Logan, life on Cape Cod has been nearly perfect, full of magical days spent enjoying the sea with her beloved twin brother, Cary. But then, like the creeping of the tides, the vicious rumors at school begin -- cruel voices saying unspeakable things about the Logans. Laura tries to ignore them, but not until handsome, gentle Robert Royce moves to their town does she feel truly carefree and happy again.

While Robert's smile drives the shadows from Laura's heart, she still worries about Cary, whose gloomy moods drift in like the coastal fog. And then Grandma Olivia issues a chilling threat, forbidding Laura to see Robert ever again. Alone to suffer because of dark secrets no one will explain, Laura obeys...until the miracle of a glorious summer leads her back into Robert's arms. But dark thunderclouds have been gathering on the horizon, and when they suddenly burst with tragedy, they howl a name from the Logans' shameful past that plunges Laura into a silent, terrible agony. Now Laura can only dream of the warm, sun-filled life she so desperately desires....

... Read more

Customer Reviews (75)

The best out of what I remember to be a lackluster series
It was within the first paragraph of "Melody" that I realized the quality of V.C. books were on a steady decline (though it hadn't started with this one, but with "Hidden Jewel" and not because the story wasn't good, but because the writing was awful, lacking the exquisite detail of Ruby and Gabrielle's stories, and read like a rush job).

Another blight on this series is that it broke with tradition, entitling the last book, the prequel, with the name of the main character, in this case, "Olivia".What happened to "Muted Voices"?

Anyway, I remembered this book having captured a bit of the magic of V.C.'s earlier works, and I enjoyed reading about Laura's experience in the mental facility for the privileged.

I don't really have much to say about this book except that the story was interesting, though Laura herself wasn't a very interesting character.Heaven Casteel and Cathy Dollanganger are the only main characters who really seem to have much of a personality besides being pretty and sweet.Too many of the daughters--Annie Stonewall, Christie Longchamp and Pearl Andreas, mainly--are like the same character, reincarnated.A story has to be very good to make up for the lack of an interesting protagonist, and the ghostwriter was able to do it with this one, what he hadn't been able to do with the first three books that revolve around Melody.

And I have no recollection of Olivia's story at all, so that should tell you something.

At least the ghostwriter used a famous (though sometimes overused and contrived, but favorite of many writers and one of mine) plot device that set this book apart from any other V.C. books written thus far--amnesia.

I do think the ghostwriter would do better to put as much thought into naming his secondary characters as he does his primary.They don't sound as well-thought out and sound like they've been pulled out of a hat.

I kept expecting Laura to run into her aunt Belinda in the facility, which was a disappointment, for it just seems too obvious of a plot point to ignore, like when a certain, seemingly important character is mentioned, and then is never heard from again.

Plot development is non existent
I have read all of the Logan series in order, I was intrigued to hear about Laura, her relationship with Cary, and what lead to her boating accident. Needless to say, this book has very little plot. Laura falls in love for the first time, her twin brother doesnt approve(because he has an almost creepy attachment to her), her grandmother doesnt approve because Robert(the boyfriend) isnt the "right sort". Laura has weird hang ups about sex(cause she isnt married), she and Robert are in a boating accident, Grandmother Olivia has her intituliazied.....she dies. That's IT! We never really understand WHY Olivia is the way she is(read the 5th book),or WHY Cary is obsessed with his sister, or WHY Laura has these weird sexual hang ups.
I could care less about Laura and Roberts love affair. The only intresting part are the chapters on the instituion Laura ends up in.
Dont waste your money on this novel- read it for free at a book store.

Fun book
I love this book! Usually the third or fourth book, features the story of the child from the first character, in the series. But this is about Carries's twin sister Laura.

Now we know about how Olivia found her on the beach, and had her institutionalized. Laura had no memory, and Olivia took advantage of that! The way Laura dies is thrilling. You have to read the book to find out.

best out of the worst series
The Logan series is my least favorite series because I completely despise the weak, fragile, oh-so-beautiful and precious Melody. But I wanted to be fair so I read the rest of the series without developing any liking for her. Unfortunately, the books in this series seem to be among the worst VC books written....how many times must we be subjected to Melody addressing her mother "Mommy" in every sentence she speaks?....or reading how something Cary did "took her breath away"?

Keeping all that in mind, I didn't have high hopes for this book. Surprisingly though, I thought it was the best out of the entire series. Even with all of Laura's "Mommy"'s and "Daddy"'s, I still found her rather likeable, as a sweet and sensitive character with minimal whining. I liked how this book gave us a taste of the way life was before Laura's accident, and were able to see Jacob without his bible-thumping righteousness and a happier Sara. After all of the references about Laura in the prior books, its nice to finally read the story behind them.

One thing I didn't like about this book was Cary. His obssession over Laura was just plain creepy, not to mention irritating. It made Cary, who was intended to be viewed as a tough, stubborn character, come off looking like a little lost puppy (and a sick one at that).

Definitely the best book in the series (though thats not saying much). Laura is much sweeter and gentler than Melody, not to mention not so stupid. If you'd read the rest of the series and found it as discouraging as I did, read this book and you'll take some comfort in knowing that the first 3 books weren't a COMPLETE waste of time.

5 stars!
A Wonderful, Inspirational, and Heartfelt book ... Read more

Book Description
Growing up on the thriving plantation called The Meadows, Lillian Booth cherishes the brightest, happiest dreams....

Lillian's world is full of grand parties, of sunshine and promises, as thrilling as the fairy tales Mama spins for her and her little sister, Eugenia. No one, not even her cold, stern Papa and her Bible spouting sister Emily, can crush her spirits -- until the day Emily reveals the shattering secret at Lillian's birth, a secret Mama sadly cannot deny. Still Lillian refuses to believe Emily's hateful claim that she is evil, a curse...even when sweet, gentle Eugenia loses her fragile hold on life, and Mama retreats further into her fantasies. But when tragedy befalls her best friend, the one boy whose tender heart mirrors her own, Lillian comes to believe Emily's grim words. Meekly, she endures her penance, finding a strange solace in the endless repetition of prayers in a room stripped of all comforts. Lillian's heart is torn anew when, in a drunken haze, Papa subjects her to the most brutal degradation. Then Papa loses The Meadows in a card game, and Lillian is faced with a new and terrifying prospect. Arrogant, handsome playboy Bill Cutler will return the plantation -- if Lillian will marry him! Now Lillian must leave her girlhood home behind, and make a bold new beginning as the mistress of a hotel called Cutler's Cove...

... Read more

Customer Reviews (47)

VC Andrews books
Every one in our household enjoys these wonderful books by V.C. Andrews. They are very interesting and always a thrill to read.

No surprises here (3.5 stars)
However much I disliked Lillian Cutler, I liked Lillian Booth (even though she really wasn't a Booth).Though I wouldn't call them plot holes, there were some inconsistencies to the other books in the series--I had assumed that Charlotte was simple-minded because she was the product of incest (which she wasn't), so was it because she had to live with that religious nutjob Emily?And as for Lillian herself, she is so nice and normal in this book, I wondered what happened--I guess she just hated Dawn because she was her husband and Laura Sue's child.

The one part that broke my heart was what happened to Lillian's little boyfriend, Niles Thompson.

Though I did like knowing a little more of Lillian's background, I wish the story would have at least started halfway in with her meeting her flighty daughter-in-law, Dawn's birth and kidnapping, etc.I think even a book written in Laura Sue's point-of-view would have been interesting, for I believe "little Mrs. Cutler" was deeper than she seemed.

I did have a big problem with nutty Emily--what young child actually enjoys reading the Bible, even if it's to use its verses against the stepsister she hates (for really no good reason)?It's not like her mother and father were religious fanatics or cult members.I think the character of Emily could have been a little more believable, grown into her fanaticism, instead of having always been that way.

I never really did understand Lillian's feelings towards her daughter, Charlotte.She seemed attached to her at first (even if she was a child of rape), but then she kind of forgot about her.And how in the world could she leave her with Emily after her stepfather died?I guess only Lillian knows the answer to that question.

I will say this was by far the most depressing of the Cutler series, not just because of Niles, but then what Emily does to Eugenia (technically Lillian's cousin, but whom she considers her real sister) and Lillian's cat, Cotton.It made me sick inside.

This book is more of a stand-alone novel, for it seems so far removed from the rest of the series.

It was okay when I was fourteen, but...
then I grew up and dug out my Andrews books after they'd been sitting in my closet for a time. I reread this morbid tale one night as I tried to fall asleep. At first it entertained me. But having parted ways with these stories for years, I realized that it was the same spark that got people to read books like Mommie Dearest or Flowers in the Attic. People love to be shocked. And this is a book with nothing but horrible things befalling our 'beautiful' heroine with no bright light ahead of her. It seems that all of the good guys in VCA books are beautiful and most of the bad guys are ugly. And did I mention the rape scenes were absolutely disgusting?

I rest my case...

an idea
I would love to read a story written from Charlotte's point of view.Sure, Darkest Hour was prteey good, but it does not explain why Charlotte was afraid of Lillian.Maybe the Cutler series needs her to tell her story, about how Emily treated her.

sad story of a lovely lady
Darkes Hour, was the first novel I read in the Cutler series. I decided to read this book, since the fifth book is usually the PREQUEL. Lillian grew up in a privelaged home with a big house and magnolias everywhere. Yet she still has to deal with her adultering uncle/dad (who rapes her), her spineless mom and evil sister/cousin Emily. She becomes a total victim and prisoner in her home.

Then at 16, she is betted off to womanizer Bill Cutler, and becomes the matron of Cutler's Cove. She falls in love with the hotel, and becomes a big success.

I thought Lillian was going to be a kind and loving grandmother in the first novel, Dawn. However she ends up being Grandmother Cutler, a cold frigid bitch who make Dawn miserable.

... Read more

Book Description

IN A WORLD OF HIDDEN DANGERS, IT'S EASY TO GET LOST....

After discovering her true identity, Willow De Beers leaves her North Carolina town to live with her real mother and her half-brother in Palm Beach, Florida. Now caught up in a world of glamour and extravagant wealth -- where nosy neighbors, fueled by gossip and greed, keep an eye on her eccentric family -- Willow is determined to make a fresh start.

Thatcher Eaton, the debonair attorney, uses his intoxicating charm once again, this time convincing Willow to give him her hand in marriage. It¹s to be the ritziest wedding of the decade, even by Palm Beach standards. But as future plans are made, families feud and rumors fly -- and Willow soon learns the horrifying truth: from the darkest of secrets, there is no escape....

Download Description
"IN A WORLD OF HIDDEN DANGERS, IT'S EASY TO GET LOST.... After discovering her true identity, Willow De Beers leaves her North Carolina town to live with her real mother and her half-brother in Palm Beach, Florida. Now caught up in a world of glamour and extravagant wealth -- where nosy neighbors, fueled by gossip and greed, keep an eye on her eccentric family -- Willow is determined to make a fresh start. Thatcher Eaton, the debonair attorney, uses his intoxicating charm once again, this time convincing Willow to give him her hand in marriage. It¹s to be the ritziest wedding of the decade, even by Palm Beach standards. But as future plans are made, families feud and rumors fly -- and Willow soon learns the horrifying truth: from the darkest of secrets, there is no escape...." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Willow and Thatcher belong together
After I read Willow, I was thrilled that the book didn't include any of the usual incestual relationships found in VC Andrew's novels.Although there was an undercurrent of incestual thoughts on part of Linden for Willow, it didn't really come to it's full fruition.

I loved the character of Willow.The writers created a smart, ambitious, independent heroin.She was serious about her quest to find and know her birth mother, but she was vulnerable since the death of her father.When her college boyfriend failed to support her journey, it left Willow with a new fresh wound of vulnerability.

Willow had to marry Thatcher.She loved him and because she loved him, she wanted to trust him.That is her bottom line.

I would have loved to see the writers delve deeper into their relationship.It seems obvious to me that if they are both married to others and using their daughter like a pawn that they have unfinished business together.

The ladies who told Willow about Thatcher's infidelity was the writer's way of giving the story's heroin some female friends.

Finally, I have to admit that I cried during every part with Willow and Thatcher because I had a feeling that he would betray her in a most hurtful way.Willow has to deal with that hurt and I don't think that she has healed.Sure she divorced Thatcher and married her college professor, but that doesn't seem like closure enough for the love that they shared.

Wicked Forest
This book had me bored out of my mind. About 3/4 of the way through is the only time it held my interest. Why did Willow marry Thatcher Eaton? I thought Willow was a mature, smart women. Apparently everyone but her could tell that Thatcher had been cheating on her. Duh Willow.I like her occasional bad attitude. Her snide remarks to the locals actually was kind of humerous.

Why?
Can someone please explain to me why Willow marries the arrogant, ridiculous, unfaithful Thatcher Eaton?It's so pointless.

Another good book
I have read all of V.C. Andrews books and whilst I did enjoy this one, I think it was a bit predictable at times. There weren't any big twists with this one. Still a good read, though. :)

what the heck?
so, ok i liked this book until thatcher cheated on willow.that seems totally of character since it seems that he was so in love with herthat he marries her even tho his family disapproves. and then with the quickness, he doesn't care. why is thatcher made into like this hero-type character but turns out to be a dingdong? they should've stayed together. that sux! willow doesn't even seem to love miguel all that much. the situation between thatcher and wil