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De Beers #1
Willow
All that glitters isn't gold....
Wealth. Extravagant parties. Celebrity status. These are things Willow De Beers could only dream of until now. After discovering deep family secrets in her adoptive father's journal, Willow bids farewell to her North Carolina college town and sets out in search of her birth family amid the ritzy glamour of Palm Beach.
Wealth. Extravagant parties. Celebrity status. These are things Willow De Beers could only dream of until now. After discovering deep family secrets in her adoptive father's journal, Willow bids farewell to her North Carolina college town and sets out in search of her birth family amid the ritzy glamour of Palm Beach.
Using an assumed name and pretending to conduct a study of one of the nation's wealthiest communities, Willow takes Florida's gem city by storm and quickly encounters Thatcher Eaton, a young lawyer who sweeps her off her feet. But as Willow spirals into a passionate love affair and becomes intoxicated with the lifestyle of the rich and famous, the dark truth about her birth family threatens her fabulous new life, pushing her to the brink of insanity....
464 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
141 people are currently reading
3071 people want to read
About the author
V.C. Andrews
370 books9,091 followersBooks published under the following names - Virginia Andrews, V. Andrews, Virginia C. Andrews & V.C. Endrius. Books since her death ghost written by Andrew Neiderman, but still attributed to the V.C. Andrews name
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 Andrews family returned to Portsmouth while Virginia was in high school.
While a teenager, Virginia suffered a tragic accident, falling down the stairs at her school and incurred severe back injuries. Arthritis and a failed spinal surgical procedure forced her to spend most of her life on crutches or in a wheelchair.
Virginia excelled in school and, at fifteen, won a scholarship for writing a parody of Tennyson's Idylls of the King. She proudly earned her diploma from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth. After graduation, she nurtured her artistic talent by completing a four-year correspondence art course while living at home with her family.
After William Andrews died in the late 1960s, Virginia helped to support herself and her mother through her extremely successful career as a commercial artist, portrait painter, and fashion illustrator.
Frustrated with the lack of creative satisfaction that her work provided, Virginia sought creative release through writing, which she did in secret. In 1972, she completed her first novel, The Gods of the Green Mountain [sic], a science-fantasy story. It was never published. Between 1972 and 1979, she wrote nine novels and twenty short stories, of which only one was published. "I Slept with My Uncle on My Wedding Night", a short fiction piece, was published in a pulp confession magazine.
Promise gleamed over the horizon for Virginia when she submitted a 290,000-word novel, The Obsessed, to a publishing company. She was told that the story had potential, but needed to be trimmed and spiced up a bit. She drafted a new outline in a single night and added "unspeakable things my mother didn't want me to write about." The ninety-eight-page revision was re-titled Flowers in the Attic and she was paid a $7,500 advance. Her new-generation Gothic novel reached the bestseller lists a mere two weeks after its 1979 paperback publication by Pocket Books.
Petals on the Wind, her sequel to Flowers, was published the next year, earning Virginia a $35,000 advance. The second book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for an unbelievable nineteen weeks (Flowers also returned to the list). These first two novels alone sold over seven million copies in only two years. The third novel of the Dollanganger series, If There Be Thorns, was released in 1981, bringing Virginia a $75,000 advance. It reached No. 2 on many bestseller lists within its first two weeks.
Taking a break from the chronicles of Chris and Cathy Dollanganger, Virginia published her one, and only, stand-alone novel, My Sweet Audrina, in 1982. The book welcomed an immediate success, topping the sales figures of her previous novels. Two years later, a fourth Dollanganger novel was released, Seeds of Yesterday. According to the New York Times, Seeds was the best-selling fiction paperback novel of 1984. Also in 1984, V.C. Andrews was named "Professional Woman of the Year" by the city of Norfolk, Virginia.
Upon Andrews's death in 1986, two final novels—Garden of Shadows and Fallen Hearts—were published. These two novels are considered the last to bear the "V.C. Andrews" name and to be almost completely written by
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 Andrews family returned to Portsmouth while Virginia was in high school.
While a teenager, Virginia suffered a tragic accident, falling down the stairs at her school and incurred severe back injuries. Arthritis and a failed spinal surgical procedure forced her to spend most of her life on crutches or in a wheelchair.
Virginia excelled in school and, at fifteen, won a scholarship for writing a parody of Tennyson's Idylls of the King. She proudly earned her diploma from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth. After graduation, she nurtured her artistic talent by completing a four-year correspondence art course while living at home with her family.
After William Andrews died in the late 1960s, Virginia helped to support herself and her mother through her extremely successful career as a commercial artist, portrait painter, and fashion illustrator.
Frustrated with the lack of creative satisfaction that her work provided, Virginia sought creative release through writing, which she did in secret. In 1972, she completed her first novel, The Gods of the Green Mountain [sic], a science-fantasy story. It was never published. Between 1972 and 1979, she wrote nine novels and twenty short stories, of which only one was published. "I Slept with My Uncle on My Wedding Night", a short fiction piece, was published in a pulp confession magazine.
Promise gleamed over the horizon for Virginia when she submitted a 290,000-word novel, The Obsessed, to a publishing company. She was told that the story had potential, but needed to be trimmed and spiced up a bit. She drafted a new outline in a single night and added "unspeakable things my mother didn't want me to write about." The ninety-eight-page revision was re-titled Flowers in the Attic and she was paid a $7,500 advance. Her new-generation Gothic novel reached the bestseller lists a mere two weeks after its 1979 paperback publication by Pocket Books.
Petals on the Wind, her sequel to Flowers, was published the next year, earning Virginia a $35,000 advance. The second book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for an unbelievable nineteen weeks (Flowers also returned to the list). These first two novels alone sold over seven million copies in only two years. The third novel of the Dollanganger series, If There Be Thorns, was released in 1981, bringing Virginia a $75,000 advance. It reached No. 2 on many bestseller lists within its first two weeks.
Taking a break from the chronicles of Chris and Cathy Dollanganger, Virginia published her one, and only, stand-alone novel, My Sweet Audrina, in 1982. The book welcomed an immediate success, topping the sales figures of her previous novels. Two years later, a fourth Dollanganger novel was released, Seeds of Yesterday. According to the New York Times, Seeds was the best-selling fiction paperback novel of 1984. Also in 1984, V.C. Andrews was named "Professional Woman of the Year" by the city of Norfolk, Virginia.
Upon Andrews's death in 1986, two final novels—Garden of Shadows and Fallen Hearts—were published. These two novels are considered the last to bear the "V.C. Andrews" name and to be almost completely written by
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
September 10, 2021
Willow is an interesting and emotional story and it kept me awake for some time just to know how it all ended,and I love how it all ended and I will soon begin to look for the sequel WICKED FOREST.
November 12, 2008
My favorite V.A. series. I think the Willow books are clever. Written with a psychological perspective.
November 19, 2024
I'm so excited to have started this series about Willow De Beers and her fractured, gothic family. Willow is a very interesting character, with beginnings so richly dark and mysterious. I mean how cool is it that her father named her "Willow" after the psychiatric institute he founded?
I especially liked watching and listening to her as she found out about her past and cheer her on when she confronted all the various bullies in her life with real strength of will. From Aunt Agnes, Allan, Nadine, Bunny and even Linden who first comes across as a real bully.
It was great seeing her go out to Palm Beach to find her birth mom while staying mentally separated from the Palm Beach extravagant lifestyle of wealth and power that flaunts itself so ostentatiously and tried at every turn to lure her in. There she meets Thatcher Eaton and falls in love with him. She also meets her birth mother, Grace Montgomery and half-brother Linden.
I thought Linden was a very interesting character especially with his artistic tendencies, his protectiveness of his mother, and his hatred of the rich who inhabit Palm Beach. His description of sailing in an inexpensive, small sailboat so close to the sea allowed me to see what he meant so perfectly and it was a perfect metaphor for the fact sometimes the rich cannot buy authentic life experience even with all their millions of dollars.
I'm so excited there are five more books in this series about Willow De Beers, and I can't wait to read on and learn more about her life. She is tough in this first book, but also at times unsure of herself and quite innocent still being only nineteen years old. She has so much life still ahead for her. It was so exciting at the end with her getting ready to go back to Palm Beach and I can only wonder what she will do once back there again with Grace and Linden.
I especially liked watching and listening to her as she found out about her past and cheer her on when she confronted all the various bullies in her life with real strength of will. From Aunt Agnes, Allan, Nadine, Bunny and even Linden who first comes across as a real bully.
It was great seeing her go out to Palm Beach to find her birth mom while staying mentally separated from the Palm Beach extravagant lifestyle of wealth and power that flaunts itself so ostentatiously and tried at every turn to lure her in. There she meets Thatcher Eaton and falls in love with him. She also meets her birth mother, Grace Montgomery and half-brother Linden.
I thought Linden was a very interesting character especially with his artistic tendencies, his protectiveness of his mother, and his hatred of the rich who inhabit Palm Beach. His description of sailing in an inexpensive, small sailboat so close to the sea allowed me to see what he meant so perfectly and it was a perfect metaphor for the fact sometimes the rich cannot buy authentic life experience even with all their millions of dollars.
I'm so excited there are five more books in this series about Willow De Beers, and I can't wait to read on and learn more about her life. She is tough in this first book, but also at times unsure of herself and quite innocent still being only nineteen years old. She has so much life still ahead for her. It was so exciting at the end with her getting ready to go back to Palm Beach and I can only wonder what she will do once back there again with Grace and Linden.
January 19, 2019
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In my childhood home, like so many in the mid 90’s, there was a dusty shelf on the bookcase filled with old V. C. Andrews paperbacks. My parents were extremely strict about policing what I watched on T.V., but were much more casual about what I read. When I was around ten or eleven years old, I picked up Flowers in the Attic, and my eyes were opened. It was my first encounter with a book that dealt with overtly sexual themes such as incest and rape, and I had no idea what was happening in the more “adult” scenes. Nevertheless I found that I enjoyed the high melodrama and the continuous cycle of betrayal and forgiveness. All through high school, while I was taking AP Literature and preparing to begin my degree in English, these books were my guilty pleasure.
This past Christmas I had the chance to spend the holidays with my family back in the States for the first time in many years. While I was sitting and catching up with my parents I took a glance at the family bookcase and there they were. The same tattered V. C. Andrews paperbacks I had read and re-read so many times. They had dwindled in number over the years, no doubt lost to garage sales and thrift stores. I was immediately hit by a wave of fond nostalgia, and when I returned to Canada I decided I wanted to revisit V. C. Andrews by reading one of her books that was new to me. On a whim, I chose Willow, which is the first novel in the five-book De Beers series.
Why is any of this important? Because the nostalgia factor here is very strong, and definitely swayed my opinion on the book. If a person who was not previously familiar with V. C. Andrews read Willow, they would probably see it as the most ridiculous and silly kind of smut. But for me, going back into that world was so relaxing. It was like taking my brain off at the end of a long day.
Willow has all of the trademarks that make V. C. Andrews the bestselling author of trashy family dramas. The title character suddenly finds herself dealing with the ritz and glamour of Palm Beach high society. The upper echelons of the upper class are pictured here as if they have been drawn by someone who had only the rudimentary idea of what wealth is. I’ve certainly never run in those circles, but somehow I find 6:00 am beluga caviar feasts as people toast themselves and how fabulous they are a bit far-fetched. Such though is the charm of V. C. Andrews, whose books have always focused on the super-rich and their dazzling lifestyles. Even though this novel is set in 2002, the characters behave as if they are perpetually trapped in some long ago era. The women are shallow and ornamental, the men strutting and arrogant. It’s all just so deliciously silly.
I haven’t said much about the plot, but that’s because the plot is largely inconsequential. What matters is that Willow De Beers is suddenly transported to a life of fabulous wealth and dangerous secrets. How and why she got there aren’t treated with any great importance.
Books like these are impossible to review. Objectively, Willow is terrible. The characters are paper-thin, there is virtually no plot. It’s mere window-dressing, but sometimes the window-dressing can be a lot of fun. I doubt I’ll read the other four books in the DeBeers series, but I’m glad to have read Willow.
My rating: 2.5/5
In my childhood home, like so many in the mid 90’s, there was a dusty shelf on the bookcase filled with old V. C. Andrews paperbacks. My parents were extremely strict about policing what I watched on T.V., but were much more casual about what I read. When I was around ten or eleven years old, I picked up Flowers in the Attic, and my eyes were opened. It was my first encounter with a book that dealt with overtly sexual themes such as incest and rape, and I had no idea what was happening in the more “adult” scenes. Nevertheless I found that I enjoyed the high melodrama and the continuous cycle of betrayal and forgiveness. All through high school, while I was taking AP Literature and preparing to begin my degree in English, these books were my guilty pleasure.
This past Christmas I had the chance to spend the holidays with my family back in the States for the first time in many years. While I was sitting and catching up with my parents I took a glance at the family bookcase and there they were. The same tattered V. C. Andrews paperbacks I had read and re-read so many times. They had dwindled in number over the years, no doubt lost to garage sales and thrift stores. I was immediately hit by a wave of fond nostalgia, and when I returned to Canada I decided I wanted to revisit V. C. Andrews by reading one of her books that was new to me. On a whim, I chose Willow, which is the first novel in the five-book De Beers series.
Why is any of this important? Because the nostalgia factor here is very strong, and definitely swayed my opinion on the book. If a person who was not previously familiar with V. C. Andrews read Willow, they would probably see it as the most ridiculous and silly kind of smut. But for me, going back into that world was so relaxing. It was like taking my brain off at the end of a long day.
Willow has all of the trademarks that make V. C. Andrews the bestselling author of trashy family dramas. The title character suddenly finds herself dealing with the ritz and glamour of Palm Beach high society. The upper echelons of the upper class are pictured here as if they have been drawn by someone who had only the rudimentary idea of what wealth is. I’ve certainly never run in those circles, but somehow I find 6:00 am beluga caviar feasts as people toast themselves and how fabulous they are a bit far-fetched. Such though is the charm of V. C. Andrews, whose books have always focused on the super-rich and their dazzling lifestyles. Even though this novel is set in 2002, the characters behave as if they are perpetually trapped in some long ago era. The women are shallow and ornamental, the men strutting and arrogant. It’s all just so deliciously silly.
I haven’t said much about the plot, but that’s because the plot is largely inconsequential. What matters is that Willow De Beers is suddenly transported to a life of fabulous wealth and dangerous secrets. How and why she got there aren’t treated with any great importance.
Books like these are impossible to review. Objectively, Willow is terrible. The characters are paper-thin, there is virtually no plot. It’s mere window-dressing, but sometimes the window-dressing can be a lot of fun. I doubt I’ll read the other four books in the DeBeers series, but I’m glad to have read Willow.
My rating: 2.5/5
December 4, 2013
This book was ok. It was very slow to start. Willow DeBeers is an almost 19 year old college student. She was adopted at birth by her psychiatrist father, who had a patient that became pregnant and wanted to get rid of the baby. Willows adopted mother was a complete bitch who tried everything she could to get her father to commit her, fearing she'd inherited psychological problems. we hear a bunch of horror storeis about her adoptive mother, as she was pretty cruel to Willow as a child, but presently she is dead.
Then of course, Willow's father suffers a fatal heart attack. He leaves Willow a diary in which he reveals he really is her bio dad. Apparently, he fell in love w/ a patient and after she was treated, stayed on at the Willows, (his name for his practice as well for his daughter) and had their child. His wife never knew that Willow was really his.
So, Willow takes a leave of absence from college to seek out her bio mom. She finds her in Palm Springs, living in the guest house of her quite large estate, that she leases to the Eatons. Here, Willow meets Thatcher Eaton, the son of the Eatons. They are complete snobs and are the first to gossip of Willow's mother. They tell her she was raped by her step-father, resulting in the birth of her son, Linden, who lives w/ her in the guest house, which also houses their servants. They talk of her bio mom and half-brother as some kind of social outcasts. Now Willow is there under and assumed name, claiming to be doing research on the social lives of those in Palm Beach.
Thatcher is immediately taken w/ her and later finds out her real name. His parents, still unaware of who she really is, invite her to live with them instead of in a hotel while she is doing her research, claiming they have many friends and many parties, so she will be able to observe on a better well. AFter she develops a romantic relationship with Thatcher, she takes them up on it.
She does get the opportunity to meet her real mother, who immediately knows who she is. Her half-brother on the other hand, is a very talented artist, but very angry and withdrawn from society. He has his sights on Willow, and once he realizes who she is, flees in his sailboat and has a horrible accident, leaving him with amnesia due to his head injury.
Once Thatcher's parents find out who she really is, they are horrified and she is asked to leave. She does return home briefly due to the death of the caretaker of her home in South Carolina. While she is gone, Thatcher doesn't contact her at all and she believes she has lost him as well, due to the influence of his parents.
In the end, Willow decides to sell her family home and move in w/ her mother. The Eaton's lease is almost up at the main house and she looks forward to throwing them out and taking control of the estate, as she re-enrolls in a college nearby. Book 2 should be better, as the first seemed to set us up for what is to come. This book definitely got better, just as it was almost over.
Then of course, Willow's father suffers a fatal heart attack. He leaves Willow a diary in which he reveals he really is her bio dad. Apparently, he fell in love w/ a patient and after she was treated, stayed on at the Willows, (his name for his practice as well for his daughter) and had their child. His wife never knew that Willow was really his.
So, Willow takes a leave of absence from college to seek out her bio mom. She finds her in Palm Springs, living in the guest house of her quite large estate, that she leases to the Eatons. Here, Willow meets Thatcher Eaton, the son of the Eatons. They are complete snobs and are the first to gossip of Willow's mother. They tell her she was raped by her step-father, resulting in the birth of her son, Linden, who lives w/ her in the guest house, which also houses their servants. They talk of her bio mom and half-brother as some kind of social outcasts. Now Willow is there under and assumed name, claiming to be doing research on the social lives of those in Palm Beach.
Thatcher is immediately taken w/ her and later finds out her real name. His parents, still unaware of who she really is, invite her to live with them instead of in a hotel while she is doing her research, claiming they have many friends and many parties, so she will be able to observe on a better well. AFter she develops a romantic relationship with Thatcher, she takes them up on it.
She does get the opportunity to meet her real mother, who immediately knows who she is. Her half-brother on the other hand, is a very talented artist, but very angry and withdrawn from society. He has his sights on Willow, and once he realizes who she is, flees in his sailboat and has a horrible accident, leaving him with amnesia due to his head injury.
Once Thatcher's parents find out who she really is, they are horrified and she is asked to leave. She does return home briefly due to the death of the caretaker of her home in South Carolina. While she is gone, Thatcher doesn't contact her at all and she believes she has lost him as well, due to the influence of his parents.
In the end, Willow decides to sell her family home and move in w/ her mother. The Eaton's lease is almost up at the main house and she looks forward to throwing them out and taking control of the estate, as she re-enrolls in a college nearby. Book 2 should be better, as the first seemed to set us up for what is to come. This book definitely got better, just as it was almost over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2015
I actually liked this one. People warned me that it was predictable. It is but I think Neiderman knew fans already know all the usual twists and turns. So instead of dragging things out he just hands you all the plot surprises within the first hundred pages and lets the story take a ride. I'm going to guess your opinion of the book hinges on whether you enjoyed Willow's story and weren't hoping to be shocked by a shocking reveal.
The most disappointing part of this book was the letter from Annie. It is a SHAMELESS and desperate attempt to get you interested in the Casteel series. "Annie" tries to hook "Willow" into reading her mother's story in the first three books of the series, her story in the fourth book and her grandmother's story in the fifth book.
I couldn't even take it seriously. It was transparent: "The circumstances of my parents death is so tragic and heartbreaking that I can't bring myself to mention it here. You'll have to read it for yourself.
It even went so far as to break cannon in it's attempt at marketing. Annie mentions the books by name. Who wrote them? Annie? Heaven? How come it was never mentioned in the actual Casteel series? Because it was made up on the spot to sell more books. Retcon. It's what Neiderman does best since the book sales have been lagging ;)
The most disappointing part of this book was the letter from Annie. It is a SHAMELESS and desperate attempt to get you interested in the Casteel series. "Annie" tries to hook "Willow" into reading her mother's story in the first three books of the series, her story in the fourth book and her grandmother's story in the fifth book.
I couldn't even take it seriously. It was transparent: "The circumstances of my parents death is so tragic and heartbreaking that I can't bring myself to mention it here. You'll have to read it for yourself.
It even went so far as to break cannon in it's attempt at marketing. Annie mentions the books by name. Who wrote them? Annie? Heaven? How come it was never mentioned in the actual Casteel series? Because it was made up on the spot to sell more books. Retcon. It's what Neiderman does best since the book sales have been lagging ;)
April 25, 2015
And people still wonder why I keep reading VC Andrews's books!!
Basically they're like drug to me,they make me sick but I enjoy them anyway lol. Willow's story is unique, and it was full of unexpected things, I can't write down what the story is all about because it was just too much...I loved and lived the charterers. Linden was my favorite. It wasn't the best of bests but it was good and I enjoyed it.
December 31, 2015
I could remember almost nothing of this book so it was like reading it for the first time all over again. I must read more of my v.c Andrews collection more often. This book now goes to live with the rest. I can't wait to start re-reading the rest of the series.
August 28, 2016
This is a good beginning to a decent series. Andrews has a good plot in this one, since the later series seem to rely on previous plots....But a good read and good series.
October 8, 2015
It was a good read although I did not care for the ending. I'm ready for the next one in the series.
July 22, 2024
I enjoy reading this. The characters are great. Easy read. Ordered the next book in this series and can't wait to read it.
January 21, 2019
Slow start but it gets better around halfway through..
January 14, 2019
I usually love V.C. Andrews and I still do but I had a hard time with the doctor/patient relationship. Interesting enough to read the second volume!
April 22, 2016
I received this book from a fellow BookCrosser for winning a sweepstakes on BookCrossing. Since the author's name brought back memories of the "Flowers in the Attic" series I absolutely loved in high school, I thought I'd give it a go.
The story unfolds as college student Willow delves into her family's secrets hinted at in a diary her father left to her after his death. The characters and the story line are all over the top, which the last sentence on the back of the book sums up nicely: "But as Willow spirals into a passionate love affair and becomes intoxicated with the lifestyle of the rich and famous, the dark truth about her birth family threatens her fabulous new life, pushing her to the brink of insanity..." While staying on a lavish Palm Beach property belonging to Willow's mother, but now rented by the parents of Willow's love interest Thatcher, Willow meets her "crazy" birth mother and [spoiler alert!] her artistic but reclusive half-brother, who was conceived through rape.
When I read the included excerpt from the second book in the series and it turns out that Thatcher's mother was raped by the same guy as Willow's mother and now they're all somehow siblings or something, I realized I've truly left my "Flowers in the Attic" days behind. While the book was entertaining, I don't feel compelled to read the next one.
The story unfolds as college student Willow delves into her family's secrets hinted at in a diary her father left to her after his death. The characters and the story line are all over the top, which the last sentence on the back of the book sums up nicely: "But as Willow spirals into a passionate love affair and becomes intoxicated with the lifestyle of the rich and famous, the dark truth about her birth family threatens her fabulous new life, pushing her to the brink of insanity..." While staying on a lavish Palm Beach property belonging to Willow's mother, but now rented by the parents of Willow's love interest Thatcher, Willow meets her "crazy" birth mother and [spoiler alert!] her artistic but reclusive half-brother, who was conceived through rape.
When I read the included excerpt from the second book in the series and it turns out that Thatcher's mother was raped by the same guy as Willow's mother and now they're all somehow siblings or something, I realized I've truly left my "Flowers in the Attic" days behind. While the book was entertaining, I don't feel compelled to read the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2015
This is definitely another great VC Andrews book series. In this book, we meet Willow, the daughter of a recently deceased psychiatrist, who after reading his diary, goes to Palm Beach to try and meet her biological mother. She does get to meet her mother and half-brother after concocting a story that she is doing research on Palm Beach society for school. She also meets Thatcher, who lives with his parents on the property of her mother. They could almost be falling in love, until the truth of why Willow came to Palm Beach comes out. The only complaint about this book is Willow herself. She acts way too mature for her age and it gets annoying at times. She should have already graduated college to solve that problem.
September 2, 2011
Similar story themes to previous Andrew's stories with a pshycological view. It was alright, an easy fast read. I hated Thatcher's character immediately and considering how Willow was disdainful towards Palm Beach people, and everything that had happened to her Mother, I was surprised that she would fall for his pathetic charms. I could see right throught him and could have written the plotline that continues on the second book of this series. Oh and surprise, surprise - the brother fancies his sister. As much as I love V.Andrews, I think the same story told over and over is getting a little bit thin.
November 21, 2014
When I read these novels back in the day I would have given them 3-3.5 STARS and now would say about one Star
I started reading VC Andrews books in the 1991 and stopped about 2003.
I have read:
-Dollanganger Series
-Casteel Series
-Cutler Series
-Landry Series
-Logan Series
-Orphans Series
-Wildflowers Series
-Hudson Series
-Shooting Stars Series
-DeBeers Series
-Broken Wings Series
As a preteen reading these novels was a rebellion and the gothic theme also seemed cool. I stopped reading this author because the novelty wore off, the novels are too formulaic that I could not tell one book from another and gothic aspect was lost.
I started reading VC Andrews books in the 1991 and stopped about 2003.
I have read:
-Dollanganger Series
-Casteel Series
-Cutler Series
-Landry Series
-Logan Series
-Orphans Series
-Wildflowers Series
-Hudson Series
-Shooting Stars Series
-DeBeers Series
-Broken Wings Series
As a preteen reading these novels was a rebellion and the gothic theme also seemed cool. I stopped reading this author because the novelty wore off, the novels are too formulaic that I could not tell one book from another and gothic aspect was lost.
August 24, 2018
After the death of her father, Willow discovers her biological mother is alive in Palm Beach. She gets sucked into the life of the rich and famous, sliding down a dark path of secrets.
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. There was a lot of creepy vibes from each characters, even Willow when she was talking to herself. While the story seemed stiff in places, it was more enjoyable than some of the other books that have been written in Andrews name. Unnerving and ominous. Not kidding when they say not all that glitters is gold.
Full Review:
https://beentherereadthat.blog/2018/0...
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. There was a lot of creepy vibes from each characters, even Willow when she was talking to herself. While the story seemed stiff in places, it was more enjoyable than some of the other books that have been written in Andrews name. Unnerving and ominous. Not kidding when they say not all that glitters is gold.
Full Review:
https://beentherereadthat.blog/2018/0...
March 27, 2018
After discovering deep family secrets in her adoptive father's diary, Willow leaves her North Carolina college and sets out in search of her birth family amid the ritzy glamour of Palm Beach. But dark secrets about her family are lurking close by and threaten to derail the new lush life that Willow has quickly become used to.
The De Beers series isn’t my favourite, but that’s not to say that it isn’t good. The glitz and glamour of Palm Beach certainly comes across and Willow actually has some sense about her, unlike some other VC Andrews protagonists.
The De Beers series isn’t my favourite, but that’s not to say that it isn’t good. The glitz and glamour of Palm Beach certainly comes across and Willow actually has some sense about her, unlike some other VC Andrews protagonists.
September 21, 2013
The first instalment in the DeBeers saga falls rather flat.
Willow DeBeers is a college student who has just discover that her adoptive father is also her biological father. She is the product of a liaison between her father and one of his psychiatric patients. And that's really about the most credible part of the book.
If the authors intention was to shock readers, he certainly succeeds through melodrama, flat characters and unbelievable situations.
Willow DeBeers is a college student who has just discover that her adoptive father is also her biological father. She is the product of a liaison between her father and one of his psychiatric patients. And that's really about the most credible part of the book.
If the authors intention was to shock readers, he certainly succeeds through melodrama, flat characters and unbelievable situations.
November 14, 2008
This is the first book in the Willow series. Good read, but not my favorite series by this author. Her first couple of series were the best. A ghost writer has been writing under her name since her death. They have kept the same topics that she wrote about(abuse,incest, etc.). I will probably keep reading these books, but I think it is time to let V. C. Andrews rest in peace.
July 23, 2012
VC Andrews is a guilty pleasure of mine. I know they aren't the best of novels, but I can still enjoy them. This one I didn't enjoy at all. The characters were so flat and the story wasn't at all exciting. I was very disappointed, but then again I might just be getting too old for VC Andrews. It was something I really loved when I was a tween.
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January 14, 2014Kind of predictable from what I read of other V.C. Andrews books. However, this one was interesting and did keep my attention. I just don't understand why Willow put herself in such a situation. Why don't these characters tell the truth straight up? Maybe then it would be such an suspenseful story.
October 13, 2015
Well I've expected a little more twist in the end but overall it is a great book and I actually was shocked when Linden kissed Willow. And the description in the back "drives her into her insanity" was not shown or implied here I kind of expected she was actually going mad. But anyways it's a great book again.
July 8, 2017
After the death of author V.C. Andrews, an unfinished manuscript was found by her family. They hired Andrew Neiderman to complete the manuscript and he went on to write many additional books under the V.C. Andrews pseudonym.
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September 11, 2016Willow, the heroine of this saga, goes on a quest to Palm Springs find her biological mother after discovering that her late father had an affair with one of his mental patients. Along the way, Willow discovers the dark family secrets that might tear her apart.
June 18, 2009
I read the first book in the Debeers Series, "Willow" and I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately my Library here did not have the rest of the series. BUT I did find the whole series on ebay for a great price and bought them. SOOO excited to start this series!
July 18, 2011
Have become adicted to the easy read of V.C Andrews. Girl is child of psychiatrist and patient. Raised by docroe and his wife. Wife is mean to Willow. After parents die Willow finds her mother in Florida.
March 31, 2011
I'm too old for this junk now... Super unbelievable. I felt like I was watching a Soap Opera. Though I will say it did make me giddy to read a lot of Florida locations, since I was born and raised there.
August 21, 2014
I really liked this series. I enjoy the books being set in more modern times for a change of pace.
The character of Willow is quite an interesting one and her story keeps you reading and wanting more.
The character of Willow is quite an interesting one and her story keeps you reading and wanting more.
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