Review: Midnight Whispers

Midnight Whispers / V.C. Andrews
Published: 1992 (Pocket Books)

Pages: 440 pages

Originally read: 2001

Re-read: July 4 2011 - July 7 2011

Happy and innocent, Dawn's daughter Christie has grown up in the safest, most loving of homes...

Yet Christie can't help feeling as if a dark cloud hovers over Cutler's Cove...a cloud whose origins lie in her family's troubled history, and the many questions no one, not even Dawn, will answer. Only one person can always chase away her blues: Gavin, Daddy Jimmy's young and handsome stepbrother.

Then, in one harsh night, Christie's world is changed forever. She is shocked to discover her Uncle Philip's unbrotherly love for her mother but even worse is the way he now looks at Christie, his eyes bright with tortured passion. Fleeing to New York City, she finds her real father...a pathetic, helpless has-been.

Desperate and heartbroken, she turns to Gavin, who travels with her to The Meadows, the plantation where Christie was born. In Gavin's arms, in the first, tender moments of true love, Christie finds a refuge from her painful memories. But The Meadows is blighted by its own dark secrets — and all too soon Christie is torn from Gavin's embrace. Now as black storms of evil gather around her, Christie must struggle to break the cruel bonds of the past...to defy the curse that has haunted Cutler's Cove for generations....

The long story short: After her parent’s deaths and her uncle Philip’s betrayal, protagonist Christie Longchamp runs to the one place she thinks she might be safe.  Hiding on the run-down plantation where she was born, I expected Christie to mature; however, sheltered to the point of naiveté by her mother, Christie makes only irresponsible decisions.  A weak narrator to start, I never really felt connected to Christie despite her tragedies and triumphs. 

Final rating: 2 1/2 of 5 stars

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(Full disclosure: there are a few spoilers in this review.  I normally try not to touch on anything the back of the book does not reveal but this book was very hard for me to read and to finish and due to some of the subject matter, I'm going a little more in depth than I normally would.)

After the untimely death of her parent’s, Christie Longchamp is thrust into a world she does not recognize.  (Truthfully, I shed more tears over Dawn and Jimmy’s deaths than I did for Christie over the course of her story.)  Following the “formula” V.C. Andrews tentatively established, and her ghostwriter capitalized on, Midnight Whispers follows the next generation of the Cutler family – Christie, and through her eyes, her younger brother Jefferson, and her step-father’s younger half-brother, whom Christie has a strong connection with, one that often amazes and confuses her.  After her Uncle Philip and his family move in to take over guardianship of Christie and Jefferson, Christie sees firsthand Philip’s strange behavior…behavior Dawn blindly never truly warned Christie about. 

I think this was one of my absolute biggest peeves in this book, and in this series.  As a mother, Dawn should have taken steps to either get Philip the help he needed, or to keep her daughter away from him.  Instead, it seems she thought she would always be there to protect her innocent daughter – until she wasn’t.

One night strips the last of Christie’s innocence, and she and her brother run away – first to one location, then another, finally calling on Gavin to help whisk them away, to a place where they can hide from reality instead of face it.  This was maybe the part I found the least believable.  Christie, at this point, has been sexually assaulted…yet less than a week later, she throws herself fully into the romantic relationship she hasn’t thus far indulged in with Gavin.   The first time I read this book that didn’t strike me as odd; this time, as an adult, I couldn’t wrap my head around her actions.  For me, Christie jumping into a relationship with Gavin almost cheapened what might otherwise have been a very touching young love.

I have a lot of issues with this book.  Andrew Neiderman (writing as V.C. Andrews) crossed a line when he took Philip’s character in the direction he did.  Before, I had some sympathy for Philip; after, I can understand why Christie ran away from him, in some ways.  The author took his character beyond redemption, which pains me, because I've written for Philip before in VCA themed roleplays.  I also absolutely loathed Fern’s character in this book.  I thought it was utterly a waste of pages, bringing her in at all, much less for the 100+ pages she was in the book.  Her character was given love and chance after chance at redemption, but all she was interested in throughout the this book and the previous one, was telling everyone how bad her life had been.

Overall, I disliked this book.  I thought a few times about not finishing it, but to respect my series re-read, I pushed through.  I did want Christie and Jefferson to find happiness, and was somewhat satisfied with how the story ended, but I felt Midnight Whispers was by far the weakest book in the series (I refuse to re-read the prequel so I won’t/can’t comment on it) and it was not in any way the story I imagined for Dawn’s daughter.

Review: Twilight's Child

Twilight's Child / V.C. Andrews

Published: 1992 (Pocket Books)

Pages: 410

Originally read: 2000

Re-read: June 28 2011 - July 3 2011

As Mrs. James Gary Longchamp, Dawn is blissfully happy. But a legacy of deceit and betrayal still haunts her...

At last Dawn can create a haven of warmth and love for her beautiful baby girl, Christie, and her darling Jimmy. Dawn is a huge success as the new owner of the Cutler's Cove hotel...and soon she and Jimmy will be blessed with a child of their own.

Yet Dawn cannot quell her forebodings of evil. She can sense Grandmother Cutler's presence everywhere...can feel her bitter hatred as if the old lady plotted her vengeance from the grave. When Dawn discovers that her brother, Philip, still clings to his mad, shameful passion for her, she is heartstricken. Her spiteful, jealous sister, Clara, is far easier to ignore...until the day Clara's childish rage explodes into violence, destroying Dawn's most cherished, precious dream.

Then Christie's father, debonair singing star Michael Sutton, returns. Now, as the heartaches and scandals of the past threaten to engulf her, Dawn must fight for her steadfast Jimmy...for only with Jimmy's love can she find the rainbow at the end of the storm. 

The long story short:  Married to her sweetheart, Dawn Cutler Longchamp struggles to acclimate to life as the new owner of the Cutler's Cove hotel.  Dawn's growing pains as a business owner and as a young wife and mother felt realistic and believable; unfortunately, the side arcs of the return of Christie's father and Dawn's brother, Philip's unwavering passion for her did not.  At time the author seemed as if he was reaching for enough material to fill the pages of a book that could have easily been shortened by about 100 pages and still have told the same story.  



Final rating: 3 of 5 stars

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This book started off with Dawn engaging in a brief but poignant legal battle to reclaim her infant daughter, whom Grandmother Cutler had secretly arranged for a childless couple to adopt, proving to Dawn that although she is dead, her grandmother’s machinations are not yet finished.  Returning to Cutler's Cove with her young child, Dawn is thrown headlong into a new world - that of owner of her family's business.  The truth of her parentage has been revealed and Dawn struggles with it - she now understands much more, and also, much less about the Cutler's and their history - and herself.  Her search for the truth, and for self-awareness resonated with me. 

As the various skeletons in the closet plague Dawn's new life, the calm amidst the storm is her relationship with Jimmy Longchamp.  One of the best things about the series, for me, was their unorthodox courtship and subsequent marriage.  I was not a fan of the lack of transition in the first book, from their belief they were siblings, to, after finding out they weren’t, giving in to so-called long buried romantic yearnings, but there is something undeniably heart-warming about them, for me.  Jimmy puts up with a hell of a lot - clearly, he adores Dawn, but what worked for me was that he let her know what he thought.  He wasn't a mindless robot like so many of the author's latter male characters became.  He and Dawn communicated and made decisions together.  Their love felt real - I felt like I was there with them, as they learned how to be a husband and wife. 

Sadly, another love was that of Philip for Dawn.  Having never let go of his romantic yearnings for his half-sister, Philip wavers between brotherly devotion and a lover's passion in this novel.  At times, even though I knew what would happen, I hoped he had changed.  But in the end the reader can tell he still harbors his mad hopes that he and Dawn will be lovers.  What bothered me most about this is that Dawn knew, Jimmy knew even if he didn't say, even selfish Clara Sue knew, and yet...no one addressed the issue.  Everyone just stuck their heads in the sand and hoped Philip marrying (his wife is a plain girl, easily molded in his eyes, into a substitute for Dawn) would make the problem go away. 

My biggest complaint with the series to date is the Cutler family's "if I don't think about it, it isn't happening," attitude.  Everyone, even Dawn, is guilty of this from time to time.  Through the first three books this was a recurring theme, one that I never understood. 

I also was not a fan of the passage of time in this novel.  Maybe it's because I am used to reading books where events occur more in "real time," but when time passed in great leaps and bounds in this book, it felt awkward and as if I was missing important things.  It's hard to believe that six years passes in this novel, a book that feels more like a bunch of haphazardly thrown together little arcs than a cohesive novel. 

A lot happened that I didn't like, luckily, I love Dawn Cutler Longchamp enough to overlook most of that.  She makes some bad choices in this book, but continues to grow up and mature.  At the end of the day, she is a character with heart, a character who feels believable and sympathetic, except when Neiderman, writing as V.C. Andrews delves a little too far into his attempt at writing for a female (words like "bosom" are thrown around a little too frequently, and at times Dawn's "voice" is a little hysterical.)

Review: Secrets of the Morning

Secrets of the Morning / V.C. Andrews

Published: 1991 (Pocket Books)

Pages:405

Originally read: 2000

Re-read: June 26 2011 - June 28 2011

Shadowed by her tortured past, Dawn has a bright new life of glimmering hopes...

Dawn can hardly believe she's a student at one of New York City's best music schools. Now her most precious wish, to become a singer, can come true. But Dawn still dreams about Jimmy, her strong, intense boyfriend, and the love and anguished secrets they share.

Then Michael Sutton arrives, a new teacher at the school, a singing star and the most wonderful looking man Dawn has ever seen. Together they create a world of feeling Dawn has never known. In his embrace Dawn awakens to disturbing, unfamiliar desires, and Michael's promises offer a vision of music and romance forever...until he disappears.

Dazed by his cruelty, alone with the bitter fruit of his betrayal, Dawn becomes, once again, a victim of her grandmothers twisted schemes. Desolate, she clings to the tender hope that Jimmy will return and renew with her their deepest hearts' dream...

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The long story short:  The long story short: Reading this book was both painful and hopeful - painful because Dawn's naivete shone through clearly as debonair Michael Sutton seduces her, among the bright city lights.  And hopeful, because through her own mistakes, Dawn learns to believe in herself.  And some of her mistakes are huge.  But some comes out of it more determined than ever to live her own life.  I could identify with her heartache and I cheered for her in the end.  The book was not without its flaws but overall I enjoyed it.

Final Rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Attending a prestigous school for the performing arts in New York, Dawn Cutler finally has a chance to realize her dreams.  Her family members - all of whom are either distant or spiteful - no longer have the chance to bring her down, as her natural talent flourishes, and she grows more confident and comfortable in her life training to be a singer.  Then seductive and debonair Michael Sutton builds her up only to destroy her, leaving her once again a pawn in her Grandmother's machinations.  

I had a lot of issues with this book.  Although I have had my heart broken - and badly - when I was a little younger and in a relationship where I was blind to the other person's flaws (and to mine!) and I can sympathize with Dawn, I found it difficult to believe that she so readily believed Michael Sutton's lies.  He was one of the slimiest, greasiest characters I've ever read about, and with every false promise he made to Dawn, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do more - shake her, or slap him.  Starved for love, she never questioned his intentions, and I wished, as I turned the pages, that somehow the story I remembered would turn out differently.  But Michael's abandonment of Dawn hurt just as much this time, perhaps because (for some crazy reason) I actually adore her.

Watching Dawn flounder as Grandmother Cutler once again steps in to arrange the solution she has deemed best, my heart hurt for Dawn.  Her family, we find out later, knows of her situation, and does nothing to help her.  Dawn is sent to stay with her great-aunts, one of whom is simple, the other who is a religious fanatic, and cruel.  Dawn definitely pays for her misplaced faith under great aunt Emily, who works her to the bone and endlessly lectures her about what a sinner she is.  When Dawn finally gets to leave, I practically clapped.

I'm a little torn on this book.  I loved some parts.  I loved that despite everything she puts him through, Jimmy is still there for Dawn.  She makes some HUGE mistakes, and he never wavers in his love for and his devotion to her.  Some would call that blind, but I always saw him as choosing to rise above it all and move on from the past and the bad decisions.  I didn't like that Dawn, at times, tended to depend on Jimmy too much, and I feel like she took for granted that he would always be there for her.  She had to grow up a lot in this book, and when I get to my re-read of the next book, I hope to see that she realizes how amazing Jimmy is to love her like he does.

I was not fond of the twist at the end of the book.  I thought it was a little too easy, and while it explained a lot from the current and previous book, I guess I will always wish Andrew Neiderman (writing as V.C. Andrews) had taken a different route.  But overall this book was emotional and enjoyable, though somewhat bittersweet, as Dawn's rags-to-riches story takes on several new levels, and new turns in the road.  The book ends on an extremely hopeful note though, with Dawn and Jimmy - quite literally - headed toward their future, together.

Review: Dawn

Dawn

Pages: 415

Published: Pocket Books

The author: V.C. Andrews

Originally read: 2000

Re-Read: 2011

Momma once told me that she and Daddy named me Dawn because I was born at the break of day.  That was the first of a thousand lies Momma and Daddy would tell me and my brother, Jimmy.  Of course we wouldn't know they were lies, not for a long time, not until the day they came to take us away... - Prologue.

In her fine new Virginia school Dawn Longchamp feels happy and safe.  But nothing is what it seems.  Now Dawn and her older brother Jimmy have a chance for a decent, respectable life, and Dawn's secret, precious hope to study singing can come true.  Philip Cutler, the handsomest boy in school, sets Dawn's heart on fire.  She is deeply devoted to her brooding brother, but with Philip, she imagines a lovely dream of romance.

Then Dawn's mother suddenly dies, and her entire world begins to crumble.  After a terrible new shock, she is thrust into a different family and an evil web of unspoken sins.  Her sweet innocence lost, humiliated and scorned, Dawn is desperate to find Jimmy again...and strip away the wicked lies that will change all their lives forever.

The long story short:  This story broke my heart the first time I read it, and that was no less true, over ten years later.  Dawn is a strong heroine, if somewhat naive, who weathers everything life throws at her with remarkable strength and courage.  Knowing what comes next provided some perspective on the tragedies of this book, but nevertheless I shed a few tears when I closed the book.

Final rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Okay, here we go.  Full disclosure:  I was fifteen years old when I first read this book.  I have written (roleplayed) for Dawn Cutler, and I have always had a soft spot for the character.  That said, I was utterly terrified to read this book.  It harkens back to my teenage days.  What if I hated it?  What if I didn't like Dawn anymore?  What if the book was trashy?  This book began the Cutler family series, and with it, the "V.C. Andrews formula" (tentatively began in her Casteel series) continued: the protagonist, usually a talented and pretty girl, finds out the family she believes to be hers really isn't, and her entire world crumbles.  In latter books, the formula grew tired and the ghost-writer for V.C. Andrews lost the earlier flair he had for staying true to her writing style and story-telling prowress.  (I eventually stopped reading her books about 5 or 6 years ago.)  But with Dawn, even this time around, I felt there was a little something special there.

Forced to work as a chamber maid in the Cutler's Cove hotel and live apart from her family, Dawn struggles to find even a single ally in the hotel and in her family.  Everywhere she turns, someone, it seems, is pushing her away, or denying their relationship to her, for their own reasons.  Each of them has a reason for resenting her return to them: her sister, Clara Sue feels she has always lived in the shadows of the sister who was kidnapped, the sister she was born to replace.  Philip cannot accept that he and Dawn are related and cannot be together.  Dawn reminds Laura Sue of her past transgressions.  Grandmother Cutler sees Dawn as a wild, untamed threat.   Dawn feels alone and betrayed without her brother and her sister.  She cannot understand why her Longchamp parents took her, and as she reaches out to unravel the mystery of her kidnapping, her relatives push her away lest she come too close to the truth several of them have spent years trying to hide.

I liked a lot about this book.  I liked that Dawn stuck to her beliefs and refused to let her grandmother make her change her name (to the one the Cutler's had originally given her.)  I liked that she was not afraid to believe in something good.  Yes, she was (and is even into later books) too sheltered and naive but she was a very interesting foil to her cruel sister.  I liked several of the supporting characters, especially Jimmy.  I loved his temper and his strength, and the he exhibited a wisdom a little beyond his years.

What I didn't like: Dawn's Cutler family was far too eager to ignore anything unpleasant.  Laura Sue, who claims to be too nervous and fragile to deal with life, is really hiding.  Randolph buries himself in his "work" in the hotel so as not to take on a parental role.  Philip tries to pretend nothing has changed between himself and Dawn.  (Various family members who should be aware of this are not, allowing the problem to continue.)  Only Lillian (Grandmother Cutler) has backbone.  At one point a supporting character remarks that it's strange that Lillian isn't more fond of Dawn, since "you're the grandchild she would want the most."  The reason why is revealed in the end, and explains the reactions of the various family members to Dawn, as well as setting the stage for the sequel.  

I was also not fond of the lack of transition from Dawn and Philip as a couple, to Dawn and Philip as siblings.  As I mentioned above, it is clear immediately that Philip is having trouble making the leap so to speak, while Dawn very quickly adjusts.  She makes several attempts to convince Philip to let go of his romantic interest in her, but is unable to persuade him.  This was the point I felt she should have sought out advice or help from someone in the family, her grandmother even.  And her transition from thinking of Jimmy as a brother, to beginning to think of him as a love interest is hurried, and I felt, not properly developed.  

All in all I did like this book, and tried to read it without letting my fifteen year old self color my thoughts.  I am going to continue my series re-read (my memory is spotty of the rest of the books) but I will admit that this series is somewhat dated, and at times, teeters on a little ridiculous.  But it is also good fun.