The Girl in the Lighthouse

Arrington #1

by Roxane Tepfer Sanford

So shocking and immersed in chilling family secrets, author Roxane Tepfer Sanford has captured readers from around the world with her best selling novel, The Girl in the Lighthouse. Arrington, book #1 2nd edition From the time Lillian Arrington was born in 1862, she lived an isolated life on a remote lighthouse station with her father Garrett and her young mother Amelia. But Lillian has wishes and dreams far beyond her years. When her father is transferred to a new station, Lillian is anxious to meet the assistant keepers and their two sons, Heath and Ayden. She had never met children her own age, had playmates, or made a friend. Heath, the handsome teenage boy who desires to become a doctor someday, welcomes Lillian. However, his younger brother, Ayden, doesn't like her and she struggles to win him over. Before long, a secret bond between the three is forged and to Lillian's delight, they become close friends. After so many years, Lillian's childhood is beginning to resemble that of a normal girl. No longer is she lonely and isolated from the rest of the world by over-protective parents. Instead, she experiences new adventures, attends school, and falls in love for the first time. However, her glorious days on Jasper Island are short-lived as her beautiful young mother begins a tragic descent into insanity and passes away. Lillian is left in the care of her sinister grandmother Eugenia Arrington, who, since the end of the Civil War, continues to steadfastly hold onto the once glorious Georgia plantation known as Sutton Hall. It is there that the immoral secrets of Lillian's parents are revealed, and she is left to pick up the pieces of her scandalous past, and somehow, find her long way home. The Arrington The Girl in the Lighthouse All That is Beautiful Sacred Intentions, prequel

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Romance, Mystery, Ebooks

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 11, 2009

About the author

Roxane Tepfer Sanford is the author of the best selling family saga, The Girl in the Lighthouse, All That is Beautiful and Sacred Intentions (the Arrington series). Her writing style has been compared to that of well known gothic fiction author, V.C. Andrews.

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Praise for Roxane Tepfer Sanford:

Writer's Digest 2010
"The writing is lean and literate in style, painting a fascinating word portrait that is given a humanist depth in the way the author portrays Lillian’s turbulent journey through life as set against the historical environment and situation that inform the shaping of those characters’ lives and destines. The authors choice of incident is well honored in the way the individual scenes reveal character through action and dialogue; an entertaining and informative read."

Kam Aures for RebeccasReads.com (07/10)
"I truly enjoy Sanford’s writing and can’t wait to read future books from this talented author. If you enjoy V.C. Andrews' books, Sanford’s style and thought process is very similar and I think that you will enjoy her work!"

"Roxane Tepfer Sanford’s novel of betrayals, lost love, and shattered lives is intense, vivid, and unpredictable. The web which holds the plot together is reminiscent of V.C.Andrews’s Gothic style. I couldn’t put The Girl in the Lighthouse down once I started reading. I had to know more." http://www.hereandthere.us

"This book was wonderful could'nt put it down. It's very reminiscent of VC Andrews classics like Dawn, Melody and Flowers in The Attic."-Reader review-amazon.com

Melanie Tighe, owner of Dog-Eared Pages Used Books 2010
"Shadows of V.C. Andrews’ Flowers in the Attic hang over The Girl in the Lighthouse but Sanford adds a surprising twist that keeps the reader guessing about Lillian’s mysterious and horrifying family secret until the very end."

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wish I had taken the time to read the reviews for this book before I invested my time reading it. It was actually pretty enjoyable for about the first half of the book, but then things went downhill (very, very far downhill).

The author seemed to want to include every awful thing that could happen to a person and have them be a part of Lillian's life. And, like an idiot, I kept reading so I could see how Lillian made it through and was reunited with the Dalton family (which didn't happen). Poor, poor decision.

Mother with mental illness . . . check.

Mother who attempts suicide and has to be institutionalized . . . check.

Mother dies (not sure how) . . . check.

Father loses it after his wife is institutionalized . . . check.

Father leaves daughter with crazy grandmother the daughter never knew existed . . . check.

Grandmother is hateful and abusive . . . check.

Father wasn't really her father but her half uncle (yep, mom married her half brother) . . . check.

Daughter escapes from grandma's house, and is found by a handsome older man . . . check.

Daughter falls in love in handsome older man, he loves her, but resists physical affection, until he doesn't anymore and rapes her, and then she finds out that he's her father (I am not even kidding-how did she come up with this stuff?!?) . . . check.

Daughter burns plantation to the ground and shoves real daddy in front of a carriage where he is trampled to death . . . check.

Gets a train ride back home in exchange for allowing her picture to be drawn (regular clothed picture-shocking at this point that that's all it was), and the story ends on the ride home . . . check.

So, you're reeled in with an interesting story about life manning a lighthouse many years ago, and then things just start going all sorts of crazy. And then it just ends. I wondered if the whole book hadn't downloaded or something, but it really just ended without any sort of ending.

[William Ramsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me begin by saying I enjoyed this book. But it is deeply flawed. A novel consists of many parts. The writer should be able to write. The characters should be believable. The narrative should flow along to hold the reader's interest. And the story must be consistent. The first three parts are pretty much okay in the book. I read it with interest, got the characters, and it moved along nicely. But then the last part got me. The book is not consistent. Now, what do I mean by that. First, let me say that writing a novel is very difficult. It may seem easy, but it is not. You have to set a style, stick to it, and have all the plots and subplots converge at the end. This is true even if the book is part of a series. The Girl in the Lighthouse starts out as a historical novel. It tells of a young girl whose father is a lighthouse keeper in Maine. A lot is made of the two boys she befriends. All well and good. But suddenly she is transported to Georgia and finds herself in the clutches of a romance novel with an evil grandmother. Now don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with romance novels. They are usually very good stories. But the people who buy them know they are buying a romance. If you think you are reading a historical novel and it morphs into a romance, you might question what happened. And if you are going to be sent to an evil grandmother, the reason for it must be made clear. And what motivates her to evil must be hinted at, if not exactly stated. It is not enough to build up to a startling ending that tries to explain it all. For a hundred pages you are being told how awful this person is. And for those hundred or so pages you are totally in the dark.

I think the author is better than this. It is clear that the story is not finished. You realize there must be a part two when you finish it. This is very unfair to the reader. If I were editing this book, I would have had Sanford chop out a good deal of the book because it does not advance the story. The 'romance' between Lillian and Warren stays in the same place for too many pages. The reader gets the idea and wants to move on. And if I were the editor I would have slapped her hand every time she typed "his sea green eyes." The beginning of the book was excellent. The second half was too long, too lacking in motivation, and too much like a romance novel, when it should have been the continuation of a historical novel.

This book demonstrates the problems with self published books. There are two types of editing. First is copy editing, which finds misspellings, typos (and should have noticed that the Kindle edition does not indent paragraphs, which can be awfully confusing). The second type is content editing. Does the story make sense? Is the flow correct? Is the grandmother filled out. An author will always listen to a copy editor. Most think they don't need the other type. Big mistake.

The book has become very popular and that's good. I just wish it was a little more finished. And I wish I had found out if Heath became a doctor without having to read the second book (or the third).

[Roxane Sanford · Rating 5 out of 5]

by, Tracy Moore Apex Reviews,

"Surprisingly fast-paced and engrossing, The Girl In The Lighthouse is quite the engaging read. With a rich tapestry of characters, author Roxane Sanford paints a vivid picture of a life filled with unexpected twists and turns, the unpredictability of which is sure to hold the interest of any reader. Furthermore, her central storyline is taut and compelling, and her ability to keep the reader guessing at the real truth until the very end is quite masterful.

A highly rewarding, entertaining literary treat, The Girl In The Lighthouse is recommended reading for lovers of imaginative, well-crafted stories with the superb balance of action and character development. Be on the lookout for more from this promising new storytelling talent." www.apexreviews.net


"The Girl in the Lighthouse by Roxane Tepfer Sanford seems at first glance to be a nice well-told story about a girl growing up on an island in the North East just after the Civil War. Sanford captures the period well as she introduces young Lillian Arrington. Lillian’s idyllic world is shattered with the death of her strange but beautiful mother and her life becomes unbearable at her Grandmother’s crumbling plantation mansion. Shadows of V.C. Andrews’ Flowers in the Attic hang over The Girl in the Lighthouse but Sanford adds a surprising twist that keeps the reader guessing about Lillian’s mysterious and horrifying family secret until the very end."
Melanie Tighe, owner of Dog-Eared Pages Used Books

[Miss Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear. I was really tearing through this book until the 70% mark or so.. and then it all fell apart. I felt like the author couldn’t come up with anything to complete certain plot lines so she just gave up and moved Lillian to a different place.

It starts off with great potential and was very fast paced set in post civil war times, we live with 10 year old Lillian and her family on an island off the coast of Maine. She has been so isolated her entire life, that each small thing her new friends Heath and Ayden show her is amazing. It becomes obvious that later in life there will be a painful love triangle between the three of them. Her mother is delusional, and locked in her room. Her father seems to love only her mother, and there is some secret brewing in the background, which I called out early. She finds love with the boys’ parents, and then she is suddenly ripped away from the island by her father and dumped on her evil grandmother somewhere in Savannah. This is where I start to think WTF? Am I reading a VC Andrews novel? Granny keeps her locked up in a room for three years, cuts off her hair, half starves her, etc. We don’t know why… It was like I began reading a different book.

The boys don't show up again, we have two ghosts milling about for no reason, we really don't know why daddy ditches here and runs away.


There are a couple odder plot changes before it ends abruptly. In a very VC Andrews way I might add. I could start calling Lillian “Cathy”.

After peeking at GR I noticed this is listed as the first in a series, so I may pick up the second one out of morbid curiosity.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girl in The Light house (Roxane Tepfer Sanford) was an excellent read.

Roxane Sanford writes with passion. She grabs the readers by the heart and pulls you into her story. Filled with emotions, shocking secrets, young love and family betrayal, makes for a page turner and all night read.

Lillian Arrington lived a secluded life as the daughter of a Lighthouse Keeper and beautiful loving mother. When her father is relocated to Jasper Island he life changes. she is excited to meet the assistant keeper and his family, especially his two sons Heath and Ayden.

Heath dreams of becoming a doctor, while Ayden wishes to follow his father and become a lighthouse keeper. Soon the three become close friends. Lillian's life seems perfect. She now goes to a real school and as the years pass she begins to fall in love for the first time.

Her days happy days on Jasper Island soon come to an end, when her lovely mother succumbs to mental illness and eventually passes away. Lillian is taken to Sutton Hall, the Arrington Family plantation, where she is in the care of her sinister grandmother Eugenia. She finds no love there, and longs for her loving family.

Lillian soon finds out her life was based on secrets and lies. As the truth unfolds her parents past is revealed, a past full of lies, secrets and deceit. There is only one thing she must do, one thing to make her feel whole again, that is to find her way back home.

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but there were a few things I didn't like and found a little overboard for me. I didn't care much for how the main character seemed throughout the book to want every older male to "crave"her and seemed preoccupied with the "poor pitiful me" woes if each male character in her life didn't fall hungrily at her feet. At times, it seemed inappropriate because of her young age at like 9 and 13 etc. I think there was just too much of that throughout the book. I had to keep reminding myself the book was set in the 1800's so that accounted for the old fashioned dialogue between the characters. I had the feeling the book was intended for a young reader until I got to the end part and then thought otherwise!

I did like how the book moved along at a good pace and built some suspense. It seemed to twist and turn more and faster as I got nearer the end but then was kind of grossed out at the very last "shocker", which I feel was intended to be the main shocker of the whole book. The end kind of left me dangling though. Maybe that is where her next book picks up? :) Overall, I liked the book and will probably read her next one All that is Beautiful.

[Marcia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started out enjoying this book which I would consider light reading as opposed to good literature. The further into the story I got, however, the more farfetched and ridiculous it became. It follows main character Lillian from the age of nine to sixteen. She starts out obsessed with an older boy and later in the book is obsessed with a man old enough to be her father. She is abandoned by her "loving" father to the care of her hateful, cruel grandmother who keeps her locked up with starvation rations and even beats her. She just becomes so pathetic that her character is not even particularly likeable. Several story lines are left unresolved and the book itself finally just stops without really ending. This is apparently a ploy by the author to draw the reader into reading the next book in the series. I opted to read the synopsis and a couple reviews and saved myself the torture of reading more of this drivel.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads Giveaways & was pretty excited to dive into it after reading the summary. My expectations were high and I was definitely not let down. The Girl in the Lighthouse is a historical fiction novel packed with plenty of action. I couldn't help but feel my heart breaking for the main character, Lillian Arrington, as she suffered through all of the pain and strife in her adolescence. As the story came to an end, there were many surprising twists that left me wanting more. My only issue is that I felt I didn't get enough closure on Lillian's story. There was so much more I wanted to know about her journey and her family's past.

[Karyl · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terrible. The writing was extremely repetitive and elementary. All the men in the book "mumbled" everything they said. The characters were flat and uninteresting. Plus it seemed as though the author had no idea of American history. The grandfather was supposed to have fought in the War of 1812, while the father was a Confederate veteran. Yet Lillian, his daughter, was 10 years old in 1911. The time line doesn't seem to add up. Also the whole story was just unbelievable. Prepubescent girls in the early 1900s would have no idea about sex or attraction to the opposite gender, yet the author gives her 10-year-old protagonist the yearnings and desires of a woman twice her age. I will definitely not be reading any more of this series.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

First half period piece of 19th-century little girl, daughter of lighthouse keeper, hints of family weirdness. Midway through, abrupt turn to VC-Andrews-style evil grandmother, and a Series of Unfortunate Events from there.

Which makes the childhood part just an intro, which means it was way too long.

Also there's not a whole lot of redemption at the end of the book, and apparently the next book gets even worse. No thanks.

Oh, and I almost forgot. The writing was awful. At least at first. Either it got better as the book went on or I got better at tuning it out. It felt like it was written by a high-school student.

[Megs ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was alright. I picked it up because 1. it was free at the time, on Nook, and 2. the synopsis said that fans of V.C. Andrews would love this series. I see the similarities in writing style, but V.C. is just so skilled in writing I don't think this book can compare. It had the same formula, and even certain parts were the same (like the main character's impromptu haircuts), but it didn't wow me. It's an alright start to her series, but there is definitely room for improvement. Maybe some originality would help.

[Yvette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay here are the pros:

This book captivates the reader from the start. The characters unfold quiet nicely and although told from the point of view of the protagonist, who is only nine years old when the book begins, the reader is able to connect and relate to, or at least understand the other characters. The author's writing is enjoyable; descriptive, without being too wordy. The emotions are believable and raw. The scenery vivid and highly imaginable. The first half of the book is definitely a five star.

What I didn't like or didn't understand:

If you have not read the book STOP HERE. SPOILER ALERT!
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First problem was the sexual feelings that Lillian had when she was only ten. I was once a ten year old girl and at that age, boys were still icky. Yes, girls married at an earlier age back then, but I still feel that there was an enormous innocence for prepubescent girls, especial one as sheltered as Lillian that was missing.

Okay, something that confused me a bit were the ghosts. Why were only Ayden and Lillian able to see the ghost of Victor? I thought I understood that he was there to help the families or to be some type of protector, and only kids could see him. However, if that's the case, why didn't Heath also see him when he was just a fourteen year old kid? And then, later on Amelia also sees him and he scares the crap out of her(?). Why would his ghost scare her, if number one she was out of her mind and living in the past (so she wouldn't even notice his presence anyway) and two, he wasn't suppose to be scary, but helpful to the families? Then there's the ghost of Jacob-Thomas, why was he still lingering around the house? Okay, it was somewhat explained when his mom stated that she would never leave the mansion because her son still lived there, but then his mother ends up leaving with Eugenia anyway!(?)

Now here are some things that I really didn't like and I felt like did an injustice to the characters and it ruined the unfolding of the story. Why in the freaking world would Garret leave his beloved daughter with the woman who tortured the love of his life?! Why would he devote his entire life to protect her from secrets, pain, and his family to then just hand her right over?! Why not leave her with Opal and Edward until he could better provide? Heck, why not leave her in an orphanage? Anything would have made better sense to Garret's character than what ended up happening. This is where I felt the story stop unfolding flawlessly. It was as if the author got impatient and wanted to just get to the "twist." I wish that Sanford would've chosen a different way of getting Lillian to the mansion. A way that was more believable and authentic to the characters. You can't build Garret up, make him this loving, protective father, and then just make him a weasel who drops his kid off to the monster who ruined his life! It doesn't make sense to who he is.

Also, the entire story revolving around Warren was just stupid and creepy. Okay, one incestuousness relationship I can understand (well not really, but you know what I mean). It's believable that Amelia fell in love with a brother who she never knew. However, it's not believable that Warren can go from a protector, who risks his life for Lillian, who is kind and gentle, to a freaking nasty brute who rapes his own daughter. Again, a character assassination. Why couldn't Lillian get on that train with Richard and lose Warren in another way? Why couldn't some jerk from the town have raped her (destroying her innocence) and then Warren maybe be so angry that he treats her (the victim) like crap because he warned her to stay away from men and she didn't listen, so she leaves because of her shame and hurt over Warren's reaction, etc. My point is that there were more believable ways to come to the same place without throwing in useless scenes just to create another "twist," and to add more pain. To me it was useless "fluff." Again, the author makes us believe certain traits about a character and then destroys them. And no, I don't believe it was clever, sorry. Maybe had it unfolded slower with foreshadows of truth then maybe it would've been more believable, but for it to just come out of nowhere was stupid. And then he is suppose to be remorseful, but a few pages later turns around and justifies his actions and even wants to continue them?! Makes no freaking sense.

I didn't like the way it ended. Yes, it was a cliffhanger and I know more books are coming, but there are ways to have a tidy ending, even with a cliffhanger...

I will read the sequel because the author is very talented and I am hoping that the second book will make sense of the first.

This had potential of being a five star book, but because of the flaws that I mentioned it was just okay.

[Joseph Donigian · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seemed to be two separate books smashed together...

The first half of the book is about a girl and her parents meeting another two boys and their parents both meeting on an island where the two boys father's work at lighthouse. Then her life totally changes her Mom dies, her dad becomes a drunkard, gets fired, she gets sent to her Grandmother that she doesn't know and hates her, beating and starving her. The first half I would describe as pleasant the second half I would describe as ugly. The author didn't even seem to want to finish the book. She ends it on a note where her love interest tries to bring her back but he is forceful about it. So protagonist just shoved him in front of galloping horses. Very, very, very, lazy writing.

That's about the most inexplicable paragraphs I've ever seen in a novel. No justification even.

I can't recommend it.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good easy to read book.

It is set in the 1800's on the East Coast of America. Lilian is a 10 year old girl who has lived on a remote island with her mother and lighthouse keeper father her entire life. Her father gets transfered to another Lighthouse station and she finally gets to live in the company of 2 boys Heath and Ayden and gets to go to the mainland every week and even attend a real school for the first time.

Having been brought up just by her mother and father she is very naive, but soon learns to trust others and even falls in love for the first time.

When her mother goes mad and eventually dies (no spoiler as on the back of the book) she is shipped off to live with her psycho grandmother in Savannah and uncovers about her family's hidden past. Yes they even had skeletons in the closet back in the Civil War days. By this stage she is about 13 and starting to develop into a young lady.

I really felt sorry for Lilian having led such a sheltered life, then having to endure the psycho grandmother. I found she was a little too naive and trusting and am worried about what will happen to her in the second book if I ever find a copy of it.

I really loved Heath to start with, but he grew up too much for Lilian. And Ayden started off not very nice but became a firm friend later on. I think he was jealous of Heath to start with.

I did pick the POW that occurred towards the end of the book, as it does become obvious as you are reading.

It is definitely young adult, but some YA readers may not like it due to the setting era and the way Lilian behaves. But I found it is typicl of the era and really liked it. If you liked Flowers in the Attic you will love this.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I really enjoyed the first half of the novel. The protagonist, Lillian, was a very strong female character and it was enjoyable watching her grow out of her childhood. At 9 years of age she seemed quite mature to be so young. The book follows Lillian from age 9-16 as she grows up on a small island with her family manning the lighthouse, and as she is abruptly uprooted from all things familiar and sent to live in the South where family secrets unfold.

I feel that the book is either mis-titled or there is *sigh* a sequel coming soon... The book could have ended nicely and tied in to the lighthouse theme and the fortune telling made by the gypsy, however, the story terminates with lots of loose ends and makes many events in the first half seem unnecessary. For example, what role do the ghosts play, and why is it important that only Lillian and a few other characters can see the apparitions?

SPOILER
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As for the family secrets, you can figure out some as the plot thickens, and was thoroughly disgusted by the lie her father knowingly kept from her and the horrible event that resulted from him hiding the truth.

I was expecting more from this novel, but was left hanging at the end.

[Ceylan Pelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl in the Lighthouse was really gripping. And the final was amazing! I didn’t see it coming! And the atmosphere was really magnificent; all the parts about the Jasper Island and especially the south. I will definitely read the second book. The Girl in the Lighthouse was a real page-turner; I couldn’t keep my eyes away from the book especially towards the last pages. You can’t put the book aside and you want to know much more about Lillian and the Arringtons. The drama was spread throughout the book and the events take a sharp turn unexpectedly. When I was younger; I read the books of V.C. Andrews and didn’t encounter to a book that gives me the same pleasure with her books until I came across to The Girl in the Lighthouse!

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very V.C. Andrews-esque, dark victorian, sometimes depressing, romantic drama. I wanted to stop reading it at times, thinking either that it was either too depressing or the main character was too naive and whiny. I also could not stop reading it. I am almost through with the sequel and hopes it comes to some sort of happy conclusion, even though I don't have my hopes up. Lillian can't seem to make up her mind as to who she loves and what she will do to gain that love. If you like the V.C. Andrews type of books, you will like this and its sequel "All Things Beautiful".

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected a coming-of-age story and a love triangle, but was surprised by the novel's dark undertones and unexpected plot twists. I thought I had added up all of the hints to the overarching secret correctly, but there were surprises until the very end. Lillian's decisions sometimes frustrated me, but her naïveté is balanced by her inner strength and will to survive. This book reminds me of A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness in that there were times I was unsure I would like the novel; however, I was drawn to keep reading and I'm looking forward to reading All That is Beautiful.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though it is a tale of darkness, very reminiscent of Flowers in the Attic. This has been on my TBR Short List for ages. I'm glad I decided to boost it up to the top. The second in the trilogy has been purchased and sitting on my Kindle, vying for a place in the "next" pick. Looking forward to reading it.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot believe I wasted my time and finished this book! I am so mad at the ending! I absolutely refuse to waste my time on the second book to even try to see if the author resolves some major issues not resolved in the first book.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Just wow!!

[CHC94 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange story

I was casting about in my Kindle for an interesting story, and this one caught my eye. Lillian Arrington tells her story of life on Jasper Island as the daughter of the lighthouse keeper. Lighthouses have always fascinated me, and Lillian's story of her childhood was no different.

Her father, Garrett was in the Confederate Navy before becoming the lighthouse keeper and he and his wife, Amelia, have enough secrets to fill a lighthouse... after they transfer to a new lighthouse off the coast of Massachusetts, she finds friends for the first time in her life.

Heath & Ayden are sons of the lighthouse assistant, Edward, and his wife, Opal.
This begins the chain of keeping secrets and conversations that stop when you enter a room.

Lillian is determined to learn the secrets of her past, but she learns they come at a very high price.

I tried to like this book, but while the plot is good, it is difficult to get past the characters that suddenly appear. The first to do this is a dog named Lady. One day, as Lillian is telling her story, she mentions telling Lady to go home. My first thought was, "who is Lady, and why does Lillian speak to her that way?" Then she mentions Lady's barking and I realize she is a dog.

Edward and Opal also have a moment or 2 when I wondered if they know something about the Arringtons but they aren't telling. A baby girl joins their family shortly before tragedy send Lillian on a different path... and again, a family disappaers without a trace.

And since tragedies happen in groups, there are more for Lillian and the reader to endure. I am not sure yet if I will read the next 2 books in the trilogy...if they are as fraught with drop in character as this one, then I will pass.

[Stefanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Talk about dark and twisted, this book has nearly everything imaginable.
It all starts out so sunny and beautiful with Lillian and her family moving to a new lighthouse station where there is another family and she will finally have friends after spending her first nine years isolated on a remote lighthouse island.
At the new place she goes through the more innocent stages of growing up and builds a relationship with the other family on the new island and experiences her first puppy love. Meanwhile her mother spirals into insanity and reveals random secrets of the past her parents have very carefully guarded. Much of this period is also used to describe the passionate and possessive love between her parents but also manages to bring up questions about her birth.
Eventually Lillian ends up back where it all started in Savannah and quickly finds that everything she thought she knew was wrong and uncovers and even relives her parents disturbing dark past.
There were certain aspects that were easy to see coming and some that were not. I felt that there were some parts that were left with no explanation and the ending itself was very abrupt and did nothing to really conclude the story. Overall a decent read but could have used an actual conclusion.

[Mama · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pro: the story was suspenseful and compelling at most points
Cons: too many twists shoved into one story
some twists were so foreshadowed/hinted at that they just became absurdities
too much evil and unrepentant immorality for my heart - the main character slid from loving and rational to plotting, cold, self-serving and mentally unstable - rather than rise above the adversities she melted into it

[Katelynn Rumpf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to say that VC Andrews is a guilty pleasure of mine.

First person.
Small words.
Easy read.

It's as frustrating as a VC Andrews book in the beginning, what with all the secrecy and empty chapters filled with what's supposed to be breadcrumbs of intrigue.

Its the same pattern, same trauma, same story.

I still read it and gave it 5 stars because it's everything I expected and more.

Betty Sues being put thru trauma for no reason and bad guys with no reason to be bad - they just are.

I cant wait to read the second one!

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

A beautiful though tragic story.Good suspense.Did not want to put it down.Taboo topic that is all too common and usually kept secret.Suspect something was not quite right with the family.All that tragedy drove the woman crazy and why they had to hide from society

[Susan Yeatts · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just plain awful. Other reviews state it more eloquently but it's just about the worst thing every published.

I wish I could have those hours back.

Don't waste your time. Please, I beg you.

[Peggy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the beginning of the book, but after the mother was taken away, some of the plot just seemed unbelievable and was also disjointed.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much like Flowers in the Attic

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really enjoying this book until near the end which was disappointing. I had considered reading the rest of the trilogy but probably will not now.