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De Beers #3
Twisted Roots
The perfect family...and the perfect nightmare.
From the outside, Hannah Eaton seems to live a charmed life in wealthy Palm Beach, Florida, with her mother, Willow, a renowned psychologist, and her stepfather. But deep inside, she is miserable and lonely. She's been abandoned by her father, a pretentious lawyer whose family wants nothing to do with her. Now, the arrival of a new baby brother has consumed her mother, who is obsessed with caring for the sickly infant. And so, Hannah slips further into the shadows...
With the help of her boyfriend and her uncle, Hannah sets out for New Orleans to follow her dreams of singing. But life on the road holds many dark surprises—and shattering realities that Hannah herself may not be ready to face...
From the outside, Hannah Eaton seems to live a charmed life in wealthy Palm Beach, Florida, with her mother, Willow, a renowned psychologist, and her stepfather. But deep inside, she is miserable and lonely. She's been abandoned by her father, a pretentious lawyer whose family wants nothing to do with her. Now, the arrival of a new baby brother has consumed her mother, who is obsessed with caring for the sickly infant. And so, Hannah slips further into the shadows...
With the help of her boyfriend and her uncle, Hannah sets out for New Orleans to follow her dreams of singing. But life on the road holds many dark surprises—and shattering realities that Hannah herself may not be ready to face...
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 20, 2002
65 people are currently reading
2560 people want to read
About the author
V.C. Andrews
370 books9,089 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 47 reviews
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.
September 7, 2009
I read this book in about a week. It quickly changed my view of Willow. I felt sorry for Hannah her daughter from Thatcher Eaton. She had so many issues just coming into the world not being truly excepted by any of the Eatons. And then having a new baby brother arriving from her mother (Willow) and her step-father Miguel. How could a girl not feel out of place? Her mother was so strong in the other two novels of this series. Where did her courage go? She seems as weak and fragile as Bunny Eaton. Willow didn't connect with me anymore. I felt a resentment towards her actions. She should have known better. The love that transpired between Hannah and her boyfriend seemed too quick and too fast. There choices that involved Uncle Linden were a downward spiral but in the end I was left feeling dissappointed by the whole story. It didn't make sense to me for the series to start so intense and to end so flat. I know there are two more parts to this series but I don't think I will be reading them.
January 10, 2013
Although this series is most certainly Andrews/Neidermans weakest Ive read so far, I found this book to be better than Willow and Wicked Forest. It was generally more entertaining, where with the first two books I had to force myself to keep reading at some points. I did not have to do that with this one, and I was entranced the whole second half of the book and read it in just a few hours.
August 21, 2014
I didn't like this book as much as the 1st two in the series. I can't work out why her fathers family hate her so much or why Thatcher bothers with her when his whole family think she's not his and he clearly isn't that interested anyway.
I don't like how Willow comes across as a really bad mother in this. She doesn't seem to care much for Hannah.
I don't like how Willow comes across as a really bad mother in this. She doesn't seem to care much for Hannah.
September 2, 2018
livre trouvé dans une "boîte à livres" mais pas du tout mon genre de lecture donc je le retourne d'où il vient sans regret
May 25, 2019
I remember nothing about this book!
I actually found myself glued to the pages with this one. I really liked Hannah, even if her problems were not worthy of running away. I liked that again in this series they made a point if letting us know protection was being used, which is so unlike a Andrews main character! She also managed to avoid an unexpected pregnancy.
Of course, Andrews wouldn't be Andrews with out adding a touch of incest. This time from Hannah's half brothers who expose her boobs.
Linden is still crushing on Willow in this one but only when he becomes confused. He seemed like he's had a personally change in this book but I liked him better for it.
As always seems to happen with these books, when we move onto the daughters side of the story, Willows personality doesn't seem right but then maybe it's just her grown up.
I enjoyed this more than the last one and am looking forward to the next!
I actually found myself glued to the pages with this one. I really liked Hannah, even if her problems were not worthy of running away. I liked that again in this series they made a point if letting us know protection was being used, which is so unlike a Andrews main character! She also managed to avoid an unexpected pregnancy.
Of course, Andrews wouldn't be Andrews with out adding a touch of incest. This time from Hannah's half brothers who expose her boobs.
Linden is still crushing on Willow in this one but only when he becomes confused. He seemed like he's had a personally change in this book but I liked him better for it.
As always seems to happen with these books, when we move onto the daughters side of the story, Willows personality doesn't seem right but then maybe it's just her grown up.
I enjoyed this more than the last one and am looking forward to the next!
November 26, 2020
I definitely always feel Virginia Andrews fatigue by the time I get to the 3rd or 4th book of a series and this was no different. This book was told from the perspective of Hannah Eaton, Willow's daughter. Although it is very teenagery in emotions, I did sympathise with her. I don't think it can be easy for your mum to have another baby when you are a teenager, especially if it is with a step parent.
The incident with the step brothers seemed like it was shoe horned in and not really explained and then one was randomly killed off at the end. Hannah also doesn't feel much for Heyden once he runs away either, she is not remotely concerned for him.
I did cry at this book but it is not one I would reread.
The incident with the step brothers seemed like it was shoe horned in and not really explained and then one was randomly killed off at the end. Hannah also doesn't feel much for Heyden once he runs away either, she is not remotely concerned for him.
I did cry at this book but it is not one I would reread.
September 2, 2012
This is Hannah Eaton's story for the most part. She is the main character. Hannah attends school at a Palm Beach County Magnet school for the performing arts located downtown West Palm Beach where, she studies music. (this is a real school) Hannah frequently visits Uncle Linden at the residency where he lives. She insists to Willow that she allow Uncle Linden to live at Joya del Mar. Willow of course refuses citing the problems he had when he lived here before.
Can he be trusted to be normal?
As it turns out, he can and off they go on their way to New Orleans. For some reason they take a detour through south Carolina. (Uncle Linden needs to see some of the country apparently) It is there on a back road in the country that the motor home breaks down in the dark! Luckily, there is a kind gentleman who helps them to a house in the country where he lives and works. It is the home of a kind old woman, Mrs Stanton and her slightly mental daughter, Bess.
Of course, in the tradition of the latest novels, there is a letter from Summer (from the RAIN series) to Hannah which is basically a big blatant advertisement for the Rain series.
All in all it was a decent book. Rating:
Can he be trusted to be normal?
As it turns out, he can and off they go on their way to New Orleans. For some reason they take a detour through south Carolina. (Uncle Linden needs to see some of the country apparently) It is there on a back road in the country that the motor home breaks down in the dark! Luckily, there is a kind gentleman who helps them to a house in the country where he lives and works. It is the home of a kind old woman, Mrs Stanton and her slightly mental daughter, Bess.
Of course, in the tradition of the latest novels, there is a letter from Summer (from the RAIN series) to Hannah which is basically a big blatant advertisement for the Rain series.
All in all it was a decent book. Rating:
October 15, 2009
This book wasn't in my favorite series of stories. It seems this series took the longest to read because it just wasn't that interesting.
This book picks up with Willow and her husband Miguel, and Willow's 15 yr old daughter Hannah. The book is from Hannah's point of view as her mother is busy working as a psychologist, her step-father is busy teaching at a university, her bio dad is remarried, has teenaged twin boys who are completely spoiled and out of hand. She doesn't have much to do w/ her bio dad and never sees any other of the Eatons. Her Uncle Linden lives in a sort of "assisted living" for those w/ mental handicaps. He has his own place and is watched over. Hannah always wants to bring him home to Joy Del Mar, but doesn't know the circumstances of his breakdown either.
Hannah's mom ends up pregnant, but once she given birth, the baby is a little premature and after being home briefly, dies from SIDS.
By this time, Hannah is already outcasted and ignored by her family and spends a lot of time over a boy's house who likes to play music, but is from a broken and fragile home. They decide to run away and take Hannah's uncle linden w/ them.
They are off on an adventure w/ a lot of twists and turns a longthe way. I thought the book was a bit boring, but it did get better as it went along. It ended well at least. I am forcing myself to read the final book in the series, just so I can say I read all of V.C. Andrews books, not because I have a real interest in this particular series.
This book picks up with Willow and her husband Miguel, and Willow's 15 yr old daughter Hannah. The book is from Hannah's point of view as her mother is busy working as a psychologist, her step-father is busy teaching at a university, her bio dad is remarried, has teenaged twin boys who are completely spoiled and out of hand. She doesn't have much to do w/ her bio dad and never sees any other of the Eatons. Her Uncle Linden lives in a sort of "assisted living" for those w/ mental handicaps. He has his own place and is watched over. Hannah always wants to bring him home to Joy Del Mar, but doesn't know the circumstances of his breakdown either.
Hannah's mom ends up pregnant, but once she given birth, the baby is a little premature and after being home briefly, dies from SIDS.
By this time, Hannah is already outcasted and ignored by her family and spends a lot of time over a boy's house who likes to play music, but is from a broken and fragile home. They decide to run away and take Hannah's uncle linden w/ them.
They are off on an adventure w/ a lot of twists and turns a longthe way. I thought the book was a bit boring, but it did get better as it went along. It ended well at least. I am forcing myself to read the final book in the series, just so I can say I read all of V.C. Andrews books, not because I have a real interest in this particular series.
September 11, 2011
A little predictable, not as strong as other VC Andrew's work. What happened to the strong, capable Willow? She was portrayed like just another weak, selfish Palm Beach character in this. I thought things were getting better once they did the whole running away thing but then we were expected to then get to know a whole different family with weird dramas of their own. I was more interested in what was going on with the main characters, although I can see how it would cause Hannah to make the decision to return home. The SIDS storyline was current but Willow's character didn't handle it as I expected she should. The spoiled twins were just annoying and seriously - incest? Again? Nothing more original out there???? I will continue with the series because I feel like I am committed now. It has been so long since I read Andrews but now I am beginning to wish I had just re-read the earlier stuff.
March 25, 2016
Willow obviously had PTSD in this one, and after everything she went through, who could blame her? Told through her daughter's point of view, Twisted Roots takes place 16 years after the events of Wicked Forest. It didn't have the drama I was used to in the other VC Andrews books. It wasn't terrible, but really didn't live up to the hype the first two books created. Hannah was whiny, and frequently admitted it, Heyden was predictable, and the evil twins didn't get the spotlight they probably deserved. And the Disney-style ending? Really? Hoping the last 2 books prove to be better...
May 14, 2015
At first this book seemed like a 90210 episode with Hannah in high school, meeting Heyden, and running away with him. But it got back to its craziness when Hannah and Heyden bring Linden along and their motor home breaks down in South Carolina. There, they meet a family with a woman who has lost her daughter, and thinks she has come back (Hannah.) Linden enjoys himself, and thankfully by the end of the book Willow wants to spend more time with him, Willow is reunited and forgives Hannah, and Heyden has been able to get his music career going.
March 27, 2018
Willow’s story finished too quickly, and now we have things from the perspective of her 15-year-old daughter who feels outcast from her family because of her sickly younger brother monopolising all of her parents’ time. So she gets a boyfriend, takes her uncle (who has mental heath issues) away from his assisted living abide, and just decide to run away together. I couldn’t identify with Hannah and her problems - not after having just read the plight of her mother. Everything that happens seems a great deal more trivial in this book.
October 5, 2009
Now this was a very very good book. iread the other two books and iwas transfixed and now that i read this book i understand more of what happened to Willo. All three books in the series are wonderful and they are awsome.
A girl trying to figure out what she is supposed to do and figuring out who she really is.
A girl trying to figure out what she is supposed to do and figuring out who she really is.
February 16, 2018
Not my favorite series of stories. I thought the book was a bit boring. It wasn't that interesting. Willow who started out as a decent character become a weakling. the series like the Dollanganger, Casteel and Landry paid a lot of attention to family secrets and twists, while the DeBeers series lacks it.
May 7, 2011
I really liked this series in the beginning, but it started to go downhill a little bit and the characters weren't as realistic as Andrews' characters usually are. Still a decent series that follows the same basic structure of the V.C. Andrews series collections.
July 26, 2016
The pics when you open the books, with this one, just what's going on there? Yeah these books are creepy. Poor Hannah. Yeah these weird. Near the end especially. Talk about weird families. But the one from flowers in the attic is even weirder. Just..wow.
December 5, 2014
one of the best, most loved series/authors of all time. V.C. Andrews books are something so easily recognizable and new books continue to evolve to go with the times and bring in a whole new generation of loving readers
April 22, 2008
I liked this book a lot.
November 14, 2008
This was the third book in the Willow series. It was a good series, but not my favorite by this author.
July 20, 2009
It WAS pretty twisted!
September 22, 2011
Just love these VC Andrews books. Hannah takes off with her boyfriend and mentally ill uncle. She comes back to make up with her mother. Can't wait to see what happens next. Such a soap opera.
December 20, 2011
A brilliant book, cleverly tied in to the previous two in the series and continues with Willow's daughter, a well crafted sequel.
April 17, 2012
V.C. Andrew books has always been one of my little guilty pleasures!
July 30, 2013
I enjoyed the story being told by Hannah...but the editing is again poor.
August 8, 2013
Patron Review:
Love the author.
Love the author.
November 2, 2014
v.c. andrews books are all absolutely amazing and very easily distinguishable from any other authors. i love the darkeness, secrets, lies, very addicting, i have almost every single book!
November 30, 2014
v.c. andrews books are all absolutely amazing and very easily distinguishable from any other authors. i love the darkeness, secrets, lies, very addicting, i have almost every single book!
January 27, 2016
Read in 2002.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews