Gates of Paradise (Casteel #4)
Stunned by tragedy, desperate and alone, Heaven's daughter clung to the frailest of dreams!
The car crash that killed Heaven and Logan left Annie Casteel Stonewall orphaned and crippled. Whisked off to Farthinggale Manor by the possessive Tony Tatterton, Annie pines for her lost family, but especially for Luke, her half-brother. Friend of her childhood, her fantasy prince
...morePaperback, 488 pages
Published
July 15th 1990
by Pocket Books
(first published 1989)
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Least favorite in the series.
Novels that were truly written by Ms. Andrews were Flowers in the Attic, Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, My Sweet Audrina, Heaven, and Dark Angel. When Virginia became seriously ill while writing the Casteel series, she began to work even harder, hoping to finish as many stories as possible so that her fans could one day share them. Since her death many have wondered whether there would continue to be new V.C. Andrews novels. Beginning wit...more
Novels that were truly written by Ms. Andrews were Flowers in the Attic, Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, My Sweet Audrina, Heaven, and Dark Angel. When Virginia became seriously ill while writing the Casteel series, she began to work even harder, hoping to finish as many stories as possible so that her fans could one day share them. Since her death many have wondered whether there would continue to be new V.C. Andrews novels. Beginning wit...more
I find everyone's distaste for this book rather interesting, as it was my favorite of all five in the Casteel series. Even if the Troy-being-her-dad storyline was not new for the reader, it was new for Annie, and I liked seeing him through her eyes. Luke and Annie's relationship was cute to me, although on the incest-y side; when I heard that both Fanny and Heaven were expecting at the same time, I figured their offspring would either grow up hating or loving each other. I am glad to see it is t...more
This is my least favorite book in the series and it grates on my nerves after just a few chapters. One thing that really bothers me throughout the novel is that eighteen-year-old Annie still calls her parents "Mommy" and "Daddy". The whole fantasy Farthy thing in the beginning is extremely repetitive and the recuperation at Farthy becomes that way after a while also. The only thing that saves this novel is the appearance of Troy at the end.
The three first books were told by Heaven, but this book is told by Heaven’s daughter Annie. It’s interesting to read about how she finds out her family’s secrets. It’s also interesting to see how she deals with everything after a terrible accident, what she does to deal with it and how other people treat her.
Some things in the book, and some characters, are just sick, unfortunately people like that exist in the real world as well, and what Annie thinks about it and how she deals with it is very...more
Some things in the book, and some characters, are just sick, unfortunately people like that exist in the real world as well, and what Annie thinks about it and how she deals with it is very...more
Gates of Paradise is the fourth book in V. C. Andrews’ Casteel series. The focus is on Heaven’s daughter, Annie, who is about to turn eighteen. She lives in Winnerow with Heaven and Logan and her sort-of-uncle Drake (now in college). There is no one she is closer to in the world than Luke Jr., the son of her aunt Fanny and father Logan. She often dreams of being with him forever, despite the fact that they are half-siblings (as far as they know). They fantasize together, often including Farthing...more
Okay, I haven't read anyone of the Casteel series until my grandfather came home with Gates of Paradise from his ship, and I 'borrowed it', well stole it's more like it -- because once I read the prologue I couldn't put the book down! I loved every word in the book. It's safe to say that since I got the book in 2008, I've read it more than 200 times. This is how much I loved this book. V.C. Andrews is totally an inspiration, and this book was amazing. I get that people don't find it the stronges...more
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Oh, how the mighty have fallen. This book was terrible, a sad, sad echo of the first book in the series. The main character Annie is sickeningly sweet and good, much like Heaven was but so much more annoying. The relationship with her half-brother/cousin is...strange and unbelievable. Tony Tatterton, sigh, it's just a rehash of the previous two books in the series. And most of the time Annie is stranded in one room, confused about her nurse, Tony, her half-brother/cousin/lover, blahblahblahblah....more
LIKED THE BOOK, BUT THE CREAPY WAY THAT TONY HAS THIS OBESSION WITH HIS WANTING TO CONTROLL ANNIE, AND HOW HE WANTS TO TURN HER INTO ANTOHER LIEGH. FULLY TAKES ADVANTAGE OF POWER HUNGRY DRAKE, AND HOW HE CONFUSES ANNIE AND THINK SHE IS HEAVEN, THEN TALKS HER INTO DYEING HER HAIR BLONDE. IT IS JUST TO SICK FOR THE REASONS BEHIND IT ALL. I FOUND IT SAD HOW MUCH OF HER LIFE TROY HAS MISSED. I THOUGHT THEY WERE ABLE TO RECONECT. WHAT I LOVED MOST WAS HOW FRANNY REALLY WANTED TO BE A DECENT MEMBER OF...more
Gates Of Paradise is the last novel, technically in the Casteel series and it feels like it too. All the loose ends are all tied up, the Tatterton, Casteel and Stonewall bloodlines are reconciled (Anne being the Tatterton and Luke being the Casteel-Stonewall mix) and everything is all hunky dory. Except it isn't when you read it.
Characters from the previous books are present here but their behavious is not what you'd expect. For instance the events in the book occur years after 'Fallen Hearts'...more
Characters from the previous books are present here but their behavious is not what you'd expect. For instance the events in the book occur years after 'Fallen Hearts'...more
While not as good as the other Casteel books (possibly because it was finished by Andrew Neiderman after VCAndrew's death), this book is still a very good read. The ending felt a bit rushed, but if you read the first three Heaven books and want to see how the saga closes, pick up this book. There's not as much action in here since it's supposed to be the end of the Casteel saga so the ending might feel cliched and I definitely think it could have been better, but c'est la vie. 4 out of five star...more
The 4th book in the Casteel series. In this book, Heaven, Logan and their daughter Annie are living in Winnerrow. Annie and her half brother Luke have a close bond and even share the same birthday.
After attending Fannie's birthday party, Logan, driving drunk, crashes and he and Heaven are killed, leaving Annie alone and paralyzed. Drake, the son Heaven paid Fannie for in book 3 is now grown and in college. Because of Luke and Annie's fascination with Farthy, Drake visits and then decides after t...more
After attending Fannie's birthday party, Logan, driving drunk, crashes and he and Heaven are killed, leaving Annie alone and paralyzed. Drake, the son Heaven paid Fannie for in book 3 is now grown and in college. Because of Luke and Annie's fascination with Farthy, Drake visits and then decides after t...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Not a big fan of this one. For starters, I couldn't get past the fact that Heaven had died (and so young). It just seemed unfair, the way life continued to play such mean tricks on the poor girl. I wasn't much of a fan of Annie Stonewall. The book just didn't seem part of the other 3 books. I know that the author changed by this point, but I was unable to become sympathetic with Annie. Her feelings for Luke were always described as fairy tales which made me think of young children love, which wa...more
though most readers found this book the least 'interesting' yet for me it was the best in the Casteel series as it answered most of my unexplained facts and as to Tony . . describing him as monster and lusty and everything so vile and horrid . . it was all over the other four books in the series and so for me nothing so new and so unexpected. And in the end at least he got what he deserved!!!!!!
Annie lives with her parents in Winnerrow. she has a half brother luke whom she really likes and luke has the same feelings for annie. Annie's parents are killed in a car accident which has left annie paralysed. Tony tatterton takes annie to fathingale manor for her to recuperate but he actually tries everthing to keep her an invalid. She also finds out tony's brother troy is not dead. Annie tries to find out why her mother left farthingale manor.
VC Andrews has always been a favorite of mine since my childhood days. I have read (and re-read) all of her books, and although I am much older now and find that some of her work is better than others, I still enjoy the twists and turns, strangeness and mystery that continues to captivate my interest. (even some of the ghostwriter's work)
I remember reading this series in high school and loving them.
Mar 20, 2013
Jennifer Holt
added it
Twenty years of guilty soap opera drama reading... Love Andrews!
Aug 08, 2012
Stephanie
is currently reading it
Notto sure as of yet, just started, update soon :)
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Virginia Cleo Andrews (born Cleo Virginia Andrews) was born June 6, 1923 in Portsmouth, Virginia. The youngest child and the only daughter of William Henry Andrews, a career navy man who opened a tool-and-die business after retirement, and Lillian Lilnora Parker Andrews, a telephone operator. She spent her happy childhood years in Portsmouth, Virginia, living briefly in Rochester, New York. The An...more
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beginning the prequel now. I really liked the rest of the series too, I'm not one of those people who can r...more
Nov 20, 2012 05:07pm