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Audrina #2
Whitefern
A Simon & Schuster eBook. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every reader.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 26, 2016
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About the author
V.C. Andrews
370 books9,076 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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October 5, 2015
Normally I'm strongly against reviewing a book before it's been read, let alone before it's even been written and released. However...
I maintain my stance that these prequels and sequels piggy-backing off of Virginia's original work have no place being written and released. I don't care how good they are (so far they've been horrible). They are official fanfiction for pay. The recent Dairy series should tell us that no one who is making money off these books(VCA's remaining family members included) cares about the integrity of Virginia's original work. All they want is money. Neiderman can't give us "new details" because he didn't write My Sweet Audrina. Virginia did. And she's dead.
To anyone who says "what if VCA left behind notes and he's incorporating that into the new book?" And that's a strong if. I ask: Have you seen the manuscript for "Where the Greener Grass Grows"? It's the first draft of what would ultimately become Petals on the Wind. Yep, the sequel to Flowers in the Attic. It's wildly different from the finished version of Petals. And she wrote both of them herself. People might bring up Garden of Shadows. It's the "original" prequel to the Dollanganger series. Written by Neiderman after Virginia's death. It's mostly accepted by fans as being cannon. Well, not all of us. There's a reason why Neiderman and the publisher is keeping us in the dark about how much of the book is based off Virginia's work and how much Neiderman made up. Same goes for books 3, 4 and 5 of the Casteel series. Did you know they decided to scrap the 100 page draft for Fallen Hearts that Virginia had been working on when she died? We'll never know what she had in mind for her characters and her story.
Neiderman can continue to write under her name for all I care. Just use original characters and stories please. Everything since Dawn has been the ghostwriters original stuff. Fine by me. Hey, I actually like some of his ghostwritten work. Tarnished Gold (Landry #5) for instance is a favorite of mine. VCA books are very unique. There's nothing like them. So I do appreciate that the ghostwriter continued writing in her style. But as more time goes on the quality has been declining. Marketing trends shape the books more then ever now. First they dropped the keyhole cover, switched to mini books, now it's 2 or 3 books in each series. The Kindred series would have never happened if it weren't for the popularity of Twilight and the explosion of "paranormal romance" novels. And it's no coincidence that the Dairy series came out when the Lifetime movies of the Dollanganger series did. Now an Audrina movie is coming out... and an Audrina sequel is coming out. You know what else is coming out? A TV series based off of Ruby. That's pretty cool for Neiderman because he wrote the Landry series. Those are all his characters. If he wants to write another book taking place in the Landry universe when the TV series comes out, good for him. Personally my fingers are crossed for screen adaptations of Heaven & Dark Angel. But I don't think my blood pressure can take anymore of the prequels and sequels that will inevitably come of it.
There's no excuse. It's all about the money. Anything Neiderman writes changing and "expanding" upon VCA's original work is fanfiction in my opinion.
Please stop retconning Virginia's original work.
I maintain my stance that these prequels and sequels piggy-backing off of Virginia's original work have no place being written and released. I don't care how good they are (so far they've been horrible). They are official fanfiction for pay. The recent Dairy series should tell us that no one who is making money off these books(VCA's remaining family members included) cares about the integrity of Virginia's original work. All they want is money. Neiderman can't give us "new details" because he didn't write My Sweet Audrina. Virginia did. And she's dead.
To anyone who says "what if VCA left behind notes and he's incorporating that into the new book?" And that's a strong if. I ask: Have you seen the manuscript for "Where the Greener Grass Grows"? It's the first draft of what would ultimately become Petals on the Wind. Yep, the sequel to Flowers in the Attic. It's wildly different from the finished version of Petals. And she wrote both of them herself. People might bring up Garden of Shadows. It's the "original" prequel to the Dollanganger series. Written by Neiderman after Virginia's death. It's mostly accepted by fans as being cannon. Well, not all of us. There's a reason why Neiderman and the publisher is keeping us in the dark about how much of the book is based off Virginia's work and how much Neiderman made up. Same goes for books 3, 4 and 5 of the Casteel series. Did you know they decided to scrap the 100 page draft for Fallen Hearts that Virginia had been working on when she died? We'll never know what she had in mind for her characters and her story.
Neiderman can continue to write under her name for all I care. Just use original characters and stories please. Everything since Dawn has been the ghostwriters original stuff. Fine by me. Hey, I actually like some of his ghostwritten work. Tarnished Gold (Landry #5) for instance is a favorite of mine. VCA books are very unique. There's nothing like them. So I do appreciate that the ghostwriter continued writing in her style. But as more time goes on the quality has been declining. Marketing trends shape the books more then ever now. First they dropped the keyhole cover, switched to mini books, now it's 2 or 3 books in each series. The Kindred series would have never happened if it weren't for the popularity of Twilight and the explosion of "paranormal romance" novels. And it's no coincidence that the Dairy series came out when the Lifetime movies of the Dollanganger series did. Now an Audrina movie is coming out... and an Audrina sequel is coming out. You know what else is coming out? A TV series based off of Ruby. That's pretty cool for Neiderman because he wrote the Landry series. Those are all his characters. If he wants to write another book taking place in the Landry universe when the TV series comes out, good for him. Personally my fingers are crossed for screen adaptations of Heaven & Dark Angel. But I don't think my blood pressure can take anymore of the prequels and sequels that will inevitably come of it.
There's no excuse. It's all about the money. Anything Neiderman writes changing and "expanding" upon VCA's original work is fanfiction in my opinion.
Please stop retconning Virginia's original work.
August 11, 2016
Whitefern by V.C. Andrews is a 2016 Gallery/Pocket Books publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher as an XOXpert, the official street team of XOXO After Dark.
After a long gap between books, V.C. Andrews has written the sequel to ‘My Sweet Audrina.’ Fans of this author have been super excited about ‘Whitefern’, and rightly so. After reading ‘MSA’, recently, I too found myself looking forward to this book.
Sadly, this long awaited sequel falls a little flat, and I picked up on a few oddball errors, and things that were clearly out of place for the time and atmosphere of the story.
As the story opens, Audrina’s ‘Papa’ had just died, and a last minute change in her father’s will gave her the controlling shares in his company, a development that sent Arden into a serious rage, and determined to take back complete control. His treatment of Audrina is becoming hardened and manipulative, belittling her and stabbing at her self- confidence, while he struts around like a peacock telling everyone he is now the head of the household.
But, an incredible development involving Audrina’s mentally challenged sister, Sylvia, will put Audrina right back into the situation she had lived in as a child, being held prisoner in ‘Whitefern’, once more at the mercy of a man, and the machinations of others.
It is important to note that the story was set in the past, in a time when women seldom had a great deal of power in the workforce and the husband was the decision maker. These stories often reflect upon this male dominated atmosphere, and the way women were ‘handled’, told what to do, and treated as second class citizens, too stupid to think for themselves.
But, I think anyone paying attention at all, will have figured out what was going in the ominous and oppressive Whitefern, and therefore, the shock value was very low. The characterizations were off center, with Sylvia’s disabilities ranged from a complete inability to function normally, to being able to carry out household chores, hold conversations, and show talents, such as with her art, and has an understanding of things I would not have thought her capable of.
To say Audrina is gullible is a vast understatement, and even with her background, and her never having been properly socialized, except for a brief period of schooling, she is still way too easily manipulated, and fails to fight back with any real vigor.
The Gothic tones are still present, with a slight touch of the paranormal, but it doesn't pack the same punch, almost becoming a parody.
Unless diehard fans of this author are willing to support this one without too much scrutiny, I’m pretty sure most people will find this one pretty disappointing.
Although I started this book with high hopes, I ended up feeling a little let down. It isn’t a truly horrible novel, but it’s uneven, doesn’t really show the characters in the same light as with the first book, nor do they progress, except maybe for the worse.
However, if you know to keep your expectations from soaring too high, and just have to find out what happened next with Audrina, you will find this one readable and maybe even enjoyable.
Overall 2 stars
After a long gap between books, V.C. Andrews has written the sequel to ‘My Sweet Audrina.’ Fans of this author have been super excited about ‘Whitefern’, and rightly so. After reading ‘MSA’, recently, I too found myself looking forward to this book.
Sadly, this long awaited sequel falls a little flat, and I picked up on a few oddball errors, and things that were clearly out of place for the time and atmosphere of the story.
As the story opens, Audrina’s ‘Papa’ had just died, and a last minute change in her father’s will gave her the controlling shares in his company, a development that sent Arden into a serious rage, and determined to take back complete control. His treatment of Audrina is becoming hardened and manipulative, belittling her and stabbing at her self- confidence, while he struts around like a peacock telling everyone he is now the head of the household.
But, an incredible development involving Audrina’s mentally challenged sister, Sylvia, will put Audrina right back into the situation she had lived in as a child, being held prisoner in ‘Whitefern’, once more at the mercy of a man, and the machinations of others.
It is important to note that the story was set in the past, in a time when women seldom had a great deal of power in the workforce and the husband was the decision maker. These stories often reflect upon this male dominated atmosphere, and the way women were ‘handled’, told what to do, and treated as second class citizens, too stupid to think for themselves.
But, I think anyone paying attention at all, will have figured out what was going in the ominous and oppressive Whitefern, and therefore, the shock value was very low. The characterizations were off center, with Sylvia’s disabilities ranged from a complete inability to function normally, to being able to carry out household chores, hold conversations, and show talents, such as with her art, and has an understanding of things I would not have thought her capable of.
To say Audrina is gullible is a vast understatement, and even with her background, and her never having been properly socialized, except for a brief period of schooling, she is still way too easily manipulated, and fails to fight back with any real vigor.
The Gothic tones are still present, with a slight touch of the paranormal, but it doesn't pack the same punch, almost becoming a parody.
Unless diehard fans of this author are willing to support this one without too much scrutiny, I’m pretty sure most people will find this one pretty disappointing.
Although I started this book with high hopes, I ended up feeling a little let down. It isn’t a truly horrible novel, but it’s uneven, doesn’t really show the characters in the same light as with the first book, nor do they progress, except maybe for the worse.
However, if you know to keep your expectations from soaring too high, and just have to find out what happened next with Audrina, you will find this one readable and maybe even enjoyable.
Overall 2 stars
November 7, 2024
I am really truly curious about something. Was this supposed to be a parody?
I am serious. I almost never give one star reviews, (although I see by some of the other reviews I am not alone). In case you happen to read my review..well here is what I will say. If you have read the first Audrina..and liked it..skip this. Seriously. Pretend it didn't happen.
I really..when reading it wondered if the writer had ever READ the original. There did not need to be a follow up of My Sweet Audrina anyway but if there was going to be, at least make it somewhat believable. And interesting. And GOOD. This was..really painful.
Ok..a few spoilers..does anyone really care?
I must admit to laughing a few times. The thing is..I do not think the things I laughed at were meant to be funny. I do not think I will ever forget an insane Arden (or a stranger in Arden's body because none of the people in this book resembled the people in the first one), yell "I'm papa now"!!! Man oh man! That not only had ME laughing hysterically I got my friend cracking up too.
So in summary..skip. Retain happy memories of Audrina and Arden living happily together slurping coffee and making babies. This book is NOT a sequel, it's an insult. Sorry but..that's the truth.
I am serious. I almost never give one star reviews, (although I see by some of the other reviews I am not alone). In case you happen to read my review..well here is what I will say. If you have read the first Audrina..and liked it..skip this. Seriously. Pretend it didn't happen.
I really..when reading it wondered if the writer had ever READ the original. There did not need to be a follow up of My Sweet Audrina anyway but if there was going to be, at least make it somewhat believable. And interesting. And GOOD. This was..really painful.
Ok..a few spoilers..does anyone really care?
I must admit to laughing a few times. The thing is..I do not think the things I laughed at were meant to be funny. I do not think I will ever forget an insane Arden (or a stranger in Arden's body because none of the people in this book resembled the people in the first one), yell "I'm papa now"!!! Man oh man! That not only had ME laughing hysterically I got my friend cracking up too.
So in summary..skip. Retain happy memories of Audrina and Arden living happily together slurping coffee and making babies. This book is NOT a sequel, it's an insult. Sorry but..that's the truth.
May 13, 2016
Was curious to see if the ghostwriter would tank this as badly as he did with the "diary" series additions to Flowers in the Attic. This was, by comparison, at least semi-readable. But all the shocking "plot twists" were things I called as soon as they happened. As much as Arden has his dickish moments in the first book, this is a guy I did not even recognize as the same character. Audrina has become a complete wet rag, actually a bit reminiscent of Haille Logan from the "Logan" series, only with even LESS personality. The way the ghostwriter chooses to wrap things up is disappointing to say the least, yet another thing recycled from Virginia's heyday. Yet another trash heap that reminded me why I quit reading after Willow's series. Thank God for Netgalley, which means I didn't buy it! :/
July 25, 2016
Whitefern is the long awaited sequel to My Sweet Audrina by V.C. Andrews. After nearly a quarter of a century we now get a look into Audrina's life as an adult after she had found out the secret that her family had hidden from her for her entire life.
Picking up Audrina's story after her father has passed away Audrina is still living in the Whitefern mansion raising her mentally challenged sister Sylvia and married to Arden. Audrina's father has left controlling interest of the business to her causing Arden to pressure her into signing it over and Sylvia is making progress in life and developed an interest in art.
Whitefern was actually better than I had expected it to be but to me still not quite as good as the earlier works written by Ms. Andrews herself. This was one of the better stories that I've read since the ghostwriter had taken over writing under the V.C. Andrews name though.
Somehow when reading along though I kept getting the feeling of deja vu as if I had read this book before. I can't think of any particular book the events in the story remind me of so I'm almost wondering if it weren't just the predictability of the story that made me feel I knew what was coming. Part of the edge missing from this one also may have been the lack of Vera in the story as she centered around a lot of the earlier controversy in My Sweet Audrina.
Also, I kind of felt all throughout the story that Sylvia's character felt a bit off for the way she's described. In the earlier book it was written that Audrina was trying to teach her to be as normal as possible but in this continuation it seems a bit contradictory at times in how she is written. One minute it's said she is still completely dependent but the next speaking in full sentences and carrying on a normal conversation along with doing a lot of things that I wouldn't expect.
Overall, a bit predictable but not too bad overall of a continuation from the earlier work. Almost as if this was a duller version of the first gripping novel, not quite up to the standards of the first but closer than some of the other later works from the ghostwriter era.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Picking up Audrina's story after her father has passed away Audrina is still living in the Whitefern mansion raising her mentally challenged sister Sylvia and married to Arden. Audrina's father has left controlling interest of the business to her causing Arden to pressure her into signing it over and Sylvia is making progress in life and developed an interest in art.
Whitefern was actually better than I had expected it to be but to me still not quite as good as the earlier works written by Ms. Andrews herself. This was one of the better stories that I've read since the ghostwriter had taken over writing under the V.C. Andrews name though.
Somehow when reading along though I kept getting the feeling of deja vu as if I had read this book before. I can't think of any particular book the events in the story remind me of so I'm almost wondering if it weren't just the predictability of the story that made me feel I knew what was coming. Part of the edge missing from this one also may have been the lack of Vera in the story as she centered around a lot of the earlier controversy in My Sweet Audrina.
Also, I kind of felt all throughout the story that Sylvia's character felt a bit off for the way she's described. In the earlier book it was written that Audrina was trying to teach her to be as normal as possible but in this continuation it seems a bit contradictory at times in how she is written. One minute it's said she is still completely dependent but the next speaking in full sentences and carrying on a normal conversation along with doing a lot of things that I wouldn't expect.
Overall, a bit predictable but not too bad overall of a continuation from the earlier work. Almost as if this was a duller version of the first gripping novel, not quite up to the standards of the first but closer than some of the other later works from the ghostwriter era.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
December 15, 2016
SPOILER WARNING: This review consists only of spoilers. Can't discuss the book without them. Read on at your risk.
CONTENT WARNING:
Whatever Simon & Schuster paid for this book, it would be a miracle if Whitefern earned out its advance. Even if you loved reading My Sweet Audrina, I don't wish its sequel upon anyone.
Why did the publisher think this was a good idea?!
CONTENT WARNING:
Whatever Simon & Schuster paid for this book, it would be a miracle if Whitefern earned out its advance. Even if you loved reading My Sweet Audrina, I don't wish its sequel upon anyone.
Why did the publisher think this was a good idea?!
February 2, 2019
What the hell happened to Arden?
March 7, 2017
I received an advance review copy of this book via Netgalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.
It's been nearly 30 years since I first read My Sweet Audrina. I loved the book, and read it many times over the years. I always wished a set of sequels had been written for this book, as there had been for the Dollanganger and Casteel series. When I heard a sequel had finally been written, I was very excited to read it. I was looking forward to finding out what came next for Audrina, and hoped the sequel would be a worthy follow-up to the story Virginia Andrews wrote so beautifully.
I was sadly disappointed, however.
Whitefern definitely had potential. Arden, once a loving husband, is now cruel to Audrina and obsessed with making money. Her father dies, leaving Audrina controlling interest in the family business, which surprises her and enrages Arden. Why did Arden change? And why did her father change his will? The answers to those questions were not nearly as shocking as I'd hoped they would be.
In fact, none of the major plot points delivered any shocking revelations. Every moment that was meant to leave the reader wide-eyed and thunderstruck fell flat, because I'd been anticipating it practically the entire time. There was only one thing that happened regarding a secondary character that actually surprised me, but given the explosive potential that could have played out involving multiple characters in the story, that one surprise didn't pack much of a punch. The final conclusion was unimaginative, and boring in its predictability.
Whitefern is a pale imitation of the brilliant and hauntingly tragic My Sweet Audrina. As readers, we often crave to know what happens next with characters we've grown attached to... but —as the sequels to Gone with the Wind have proved— sometimes 'what happens next' is best left to the reader's imagination.
It's been nearly 30 years since I first read My Sweet Audrina. I loved the book, and read it many times over the years. I always wished a set of sequels had been written for this book, as there had been for the Dollanganger and Casteel series. When I heard a sequel had finally been written, I was very excited to read it. I was looking forward to finding out what came next for Audrina, and hoped the sequel would be a worthy follow-up to the story Virginia Andrews wrote so beautifully.
I was sadly disappointed, however.
Whitefern definitely had potential. Arden, once a loving husband, is now cruel to Audrina and obsessed with making money. Her father dies, leaving Audrina controlling interest in the family business, which surprises her and enrages Arden. Why did Arden change? And why did her father change his will? The answers to those questions were not nearly as shocking as I'd hoped they would be.
In fact, none of the major plot points delivered any shocking revelations. Every moment that was meant to leave the reader wide-eyed and thunderstruck fell flat, because I'd been anticipating it practically the entire time. There was only one thing that happened regarding a secondary character that actually surprised me, but given the explosive potential that could have played out involving multiple characters in the story, that one surprise didn't pack much of a punch. The final conclusion was unimaginative, and boring in its predictability.
Whitefern is a pale imitation of the brilliant and hauntingly tragic My Sweet Audrina. As readers, we often crave to know what happens next with characters we've grown attached to... but —as the sequels to Gone with the Wind have proved— sometimes 'what happens next' is best left to the reader's imagination.
July 21, 2016
The curse of Audrina’s Swiss cheese memory seems to have plagued the author during the creation of this sequel.
Carefully crafted characters from the original My Sweet Audrina have been rehashed and history rewritten in order to produce a plot line for a sequel that was never really necessary.
Sylvia has miraculously developed into a fully speaking , eyes focused , albeit slow woman of twenty who adores her father Damien and is permanently attached to him until his death leaves her so distraught she has to attempt to dig up his grave ......
Damien himself , rather than avoiding sylvia and looking at her in disgust , idolise her in return and dotes on her - a complete contrast to the Damien Adare readers of the original Audrina will recognise.
As for Audrina herself , gone is the childlike innocence and naivety she still managed to posses even as an adult ...even after the revelations. In her place is a rather frustrated housewife , unable to conceive and remembering too well aunt Ellsbeths advice when it came to men ( some which aunt Ellsbeth never would have said) ....
Which brings me to the villian of the piece ...Arden ... a terrible charicature of the original Damien Adare,with the original Arden although he failed audrina time and time again , he still held for me at least the redeeming quality that he really did love Audrina , he was just extremely weak. Arden 2.0 is not and neither does he love Audrina much, if at all. He also seems to believe that his mother married Damien therefore he was his son and entitled to inherit upon his death.
No, just, no - if you are to write a sequel of a beloved book then please have the respect to actually know the original source material and more importantly your characters.
Original V C Andrews fans will not be happy with these obvious changes in order to make a plot work.
OK, there will not be the venomous reaction to Whitefern that the Christopher Diaries trilogy had as at least history hasn't been rewritten too much (apart from Sylvia) , just rather lazy fact checking and editing. These beloved characters are only recognisable by their names and this will come as a big dissapointment.
As usual with current V C Andrews books there are unnecessary sexual references either designed to excite readers or the author I'm not quite sure.
Audrina and Sylvia bathing together and then sharing a bed "entwined like lovers" just comes across as cheap and nasty. There is no need for it and rather than exciting had me rolling my eyes.
Now , I've got my die hard Virginia Andrews fan opinion out of the way I will concentrate on the book itself , but have to note that in order to enjoy the book I have to separate it from its predecessor.
The plot itself is very good, although you can see what's going to happen a mile off , you have to keep reading as the story really does grip you. It pulls you in because as a reader you can see whats happing whilst the narrator has no idea.
Sylvia is a compelling character and your heart breaks for her vulnerability and the prison she is in inside herself... her fragility and childlike qualities working against her. And how easy it is for her to be manipulated.
Of course , Arden is very easy to hate and plays the villian part to the extreme, even if it is rather blatant. Reading it , you hate him more every time he speaks and just, well,any time he's on the page you feel the need to vomit.
Audrina, as the narrator, is a hard character to like , you literally want to slap some sense into her , she's so blind to what's happening.
Truthfully , I d have to say this is ghostwritten VCA at its best , fans of the Cutler, Landry and Logan will love it. Full of Secrets and lies , this would have been a good novel in itself , it didn't need to tie itself to an already established book and leave itself open to criticism in doing so I'm afraid that there will be a backlash just like Secret Brother which also , if it hadn't been tied to the Dollangangers , was an intriguing story in itself.
It feels like vintage vca from the early '90s - a sign I hope that the brand is returning to that format rather than keeping in the young adult category.
Its much more appealing , story wise for the more mature VC Andrews fans who have grown up and would rather read a narrator who is in her 30 s rather than a teenage girl. If this is the future of VCA then I'm definitely buying.
Thankfully there are no unnecessary diversions from the main plot which the Christopher Diaries had with unlikeable and unnecessary characters.
It has a timeless quality to it , provides real food for thought in its subject matter ....
Whitefern in my opinion is the best VCA book that's come out since the ending of the Logan series, this is the kind of story fans want. Compelling, gripping, heartbreaking, family drama.....no attempts to keep up and struggling to in a young adult section. No, annoying teenagers , no over dramatics .
However, it should never ever have been billed as a My Sweet Audrina sequel ... to do so it discredits both the original but also this story itself
Carefully crafted characters from the original My Sweet Audrina have been rehashed and history rewritten in order to produce a plot line for a sequel that was never really necessary.
Sylvia has miraculously developed into a fully speaking , eyes focused , albeit slow woman of twenty who adores her father Damien and is permanently attached to him until his death leaves her so distraught she has to attempt to dig up his grave ......
Damien himself , rather than avoiding sylvia and looking at her in disgust , idolise her in return and dotes on her - a complete contrast to the Damien Adare readers of the original Audrina will recognise.
As for Audrina herself , gone is the childlike innocence and naivety she still managed to posses even as an adult ...even after the revelations. In her place is a rather frustrated housewife , unable to conceive and remembering too well aunt Ellsbeths advice when it came to men ( some which aunt Ellsbeth never would have said) ....
Which brings me to the villian of the piece ...Arden ... a terrible charicature of the original Damien Adare,with the original Arden although he failed audrina time and time again , he still held for me at least the redeeming quality that he really did love Audrina , he was just extremely weak. Arden 2.0 is not and neither does he love Audrina much, if at all. He also seems to believe that his mother married Damien therefore he was his son and entitled to inherit upon his death.
No, just, no - if you are to write a sequel of a beloved book then please have the respect to actually know the original source material and more importantly your characters.
Original V C Andrews fans will not be happy with these obvious changes in order to make a plot work.
OK, there will not be the venomous reaction to Whitefern that the Christopher Diaries trilogy had as at least history hasn't been rewritten too much (apart from Sylvia) , just rather lazy fact checking and editing. These beloved characters are only recognisable by their names and this will come as a big dissapointment.
As usual with current V C Andrews books there are unnecessary sexual references either designed to excite readers or the author I'm not quite sure.
Audrina and Sylvia bathing together and then sharing a bed "entwined like lovers" just comes across as cheap and nasty. There is no need for it and rather than exciting had me rolling my eyes.
Now , I've got my die hard Virginia Andrews fan opinion out of the way I will concentrate on the book itself , but have to note that in order to enjoy the book I have to separate it from its predecessor.
The plot itself is very good, although you can see what's going to happen a mile off , you have to keep reading as the story really does grip you. It pulls you in because as a reader you can see whats happing whilst the narrator has no idea.
Sylvia is a compelling character and your heart breaks for her vulnerability and the prison she is in inside herself... her fragility and childlike qualities working against her. And how easy it is for her to be manipulated.
Of course , Arden is very easy to hate and plays the villian part to the extreme, even if it is rather blatant. Reading it , you hate him more every time he speaks and just, well,any time he's on the page you feel the need to vomit.
Audrina, as the narrator, is a hard character to like , you literally want to slap some sense into her , she's so blind to what's happening.
Truthfully , I d have to say this is ghostwritten VCA at its best , fans of the Cutler, Landry and Logan will love it. Full of Secrets and lies , this would have been a good novel in itself , it didn't need to tie itself to an already established book and leave itself open to criticism in doing so I'm afraid that there will be a backlash just like Secret Brother which also , if it hadn't been tied to the Dollangangers , was an intriguing story in itself.
It feels like vintage vca from the early '90s - a sign I hope that the brand is returning to that format rather than keeping in the young adult category.
Its much more appealing , story wise for the more mature VC Andrews fans who have grown up and would rather read a narrator who is in her 30 s rather than a teenage girl. If this is the future of VCA then I'm definitely buying.
Thankfully there are no unnecessary diversions from the main plot which the Christopher Diaries had with unlikeable and unnecessary characters.
It has a timeless quality to it , provides real food for thought in its subject matter ....
Whitefern in my opinion is the best VCA book that's come out since the ending of the Logan series, this is the kind of story fans want. Compelling, gripping, heartbreaking, family drama.....no attempts to keep up and struggling to in a young adult section. No, annoying teenagers , no over dramatics .
However, it should never ever have been billed as a My Sweet Audrina sequel ... to do so it discredits both the original but also this story itself
August 12, 2016
I really hate these books that crap all over the originals. The Christopher's Diary books were bad enough, but Audrina was always a favorite of mine, and I hated this book.
"His biggest [sin], as far as he and I were concerned, was his elaborate plan to convince me when I was a child that I was the older sister of my dead sister, Audrina, the perfect little girl after whom I was supposedly named." page 7 of the trade paperback.
Ok, even if the author hadn't bothered to do any homework and learned that Audrina was told she was the YOUNGER sister of Audrina the FIRST, the sentence itself is a contradiction. How could she be named after her younger, dead sister?
And what the author did to Arden was unforgivable. He was always a bit weak, but devoted, and the implications that he had more to do with Audrina's rape were absurd, as was his new persona of the wheeling/dealing asshole with no regard for anyone and such a piece of trash he could rape a mentally challenged woman. But nothing was as stupid as him dying screaming, "I'm Papa now."
Also, just like the rest of the females in this new writer's repertoire, Audrina was bland, one-dimensional and had not much of a life outside of Whitefern, nor much of a rich inner life. All of the women in these books are the same exact person, and things just HAPPEN to them without them having motives or reasoning. It's obnoxious.
HATED IT.
"His biggest [sin], as far as he and I were concerned, was his elaborate plan to convince me when I was a child that I was the older sister of my dead sister, Audrina, the perfect little girl after whom I was supposedly named." page 7 of the trade paperback.
Ok, even if the author hadn't bothered to do any homework and learned that Audrina was told she was the YOUNGER sister of Audrina the FIRST, the sentence itself is a contradiction. How could she be named after her younger, dead sister?
And what the author did to Arden was unforgivable. He was always a bit weak, but devoted, and the implications that he had more to do with Audrina's rape were absurd, as was his new persona of the wheeling/dealing asshole with no regard for anyone and such a piece of trash he could rape a mentally challenged woman. But nothing was as stupid as him dying screaming, "I'm Papa now."
Also, just like the rest of the females in this new writer's repertoire, Audrina was bland, one-dimensional and had not much of a life outside of Whitefern, nor much of a rich inner life. All of the women in these books are the same exact person, and things just HAPPEN to them without them having motives or reasoning. It's obnoxious.
HATED IT.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2016
The Ghost Writer absolutely destroyed this serious. The watered down version of Audrina and Arden's complete character assassination came across as glorified FanFiction. As an adult, making Audrina come across as so completely and utterly daft was bad. However, the way Andrew Neiderman completely destroyed the love Arden had for Audrina was too much to bear. The Arden that VC Andrews created for us was flawed but forgivable. He loved Audrina despite his mistakes. Her Arden would never have thrown Audrina's infertility in her face. He would have consoled her. He also wouldn't have raped Sylvia. Especially after what happened to Audrina. This book was like a car crash. You don't want to look but you have to in spite of all the blood Neiderman spilled. And to have Arden die at the end by falling down the stairs was unoriginal and completely uninspired. I didn't think it could get worse after the Dollanger Diary series but boy was I wrong. I do not understand how Andrew's family allows this man to keep destroying her life's work. It's time for a new GhostvWriter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2016
Release Date: July 26, 2016
Series: Audrina #2
Genre: Gothic Romance
This long awaited sequel to one of my favorite V.C Andrews books –My Sweet Audrina—did not disappoint! Told in an old worldly and classic way, this follow-up intrigued, surprised, and thrilled me the whole way though. I never knew what was going to happen and when I found out, I was shocked and in total surprise. The secrets and lies that this story emits are terrible in every way possible, but it’s these terrible and shocking things that make the book that much better! Now, I have seen A LOT of bad reviews about this book. And while this didn’t stop me from reading it, it did make me think twice. But I am so glad I read a copy because I honestly didn’t find it to be bad in any way, shape, or form. Many people are not keen on the “new V.C. Andrews” but to each their own and you should judge it by how the book makes YOU feel, not how it made others feel. So definitely give this one a try if you’re a fan of the author. It’s honestly just as shocking as her earlier works…
In this installment of the Audrina series, we follow Audrina, her sister Sylvia (who suffers from some mental deficits) and Arden (Audrina’s husband) after the passing of their “papa”. Anyone who has read My Sweet Audrina, knows that their home of Whitefern holds many secrets and lies… The type of secrets that have almost swallowed the characters whole and ruined their lives. But having risen from the ashes and married, Audrina is living an almost new life. Until more secrets square their ugly head and hurt all of those involved… What will become of Whitefern and will Audrina ever live a life she was meant? You’ll have to see for yourself!
Overall, I did enjoy this book and it really brought me back to my “V.C. Andrews days”. Now, although there are some differences between the original and the newer Andrews, I believe these differences are pretty slight. And I would know as I have read nearly all of her books! So don’t necessarily listen to what others have to say about this one. Just read it for yourself and judge with your own views!
Series: Audrina #2
Genre: Gothic Romance
This long awaited sequel to one of my favorite V.C Andrews books –My Sweet Audrina—did not disappoint! Told in an old worldly and classic way, this follow-up intrigued, surprised, and thrilled me the whole way though. I never knew what was going to happen and when I found out, I was shocked and in total surprise. The secrets and lies that this story emits are terrible in every way possible, but it’s these terrible and shocking things that make the book that much better! Now, I have seen A LOT of bad reviews about this book. And while this didn’t stop me from reading it, it did make me think twice. But I am so glad I read a copy because I honestly didn’t find it to be bad in any way, shape, or form. Many people are not keen on the “new V.C. Andrews” but to each their own and you should judge it by how the book makes YOU feel, not how it made others feel. So definitely give this one a try if you’re a fan of the author. It’s honestly just as shocking as her earlier works…
In this installment of the Audrina series, we follow Audrina, her sister Sylvia (who suffers from some mental deficits) and Arden (Audrina’s husband) after the passing of their “papa”. Anyone who has read My Sweet Audrina, knows that their home of Whitefern holds many secrets and lies… The type of secrets that have almost swallowed the characters whole and ruined their lives. But having risen from the ashes and married, Audrina is living an almost new life. Until more secrets square their ugly head and hurt all of those involved… What will become of Whitefern and will Audrina ever live a life she was meant? You’ll have to see for yourself!
Overall, I did enjoy this book and it really brought me back to my “V.C. Andrews days”. Now, although there are some differences between the original and the newer Andrews, I believe these differences are pretty slight. And I would know as I have read nearly all of her books! So don’t necessarily listen to what others have to say about this one. Just read it for yourself and judge with your own views!
August 14, 2016
Disclaimer: This review will have some MAJOR spoilers under spoiler cuts.
This is my current second fave of V.C. Andrews just behind my sweet audrina. I personally feel that the ghost writer nailed V.C's voice in this one. It was formulaic but it felt more genuine than other books in other series.
This book got pretty fucked up like most of Andrews' catalog.
SO FUCKED UP. >:D
Crazy. >:D
That was Arden's master plan from the beginning, yo.
EPIC.
This is my current second fave of V.C. Andrews just behind my sweet audrina. I personally feel that the ghost writer nailed V.C's voice in this one. It was formulaic but it felt more genuine than other books in other series.
This book got pretty fucked up like most of Andrews' catalog.
SO FUCKED UP. >:D
Crazy. >:D
That was Arden's master plan from the beginning, yo.
EPIC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
May 29, 2021My review for My Sweet Audrina: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review for Dawn: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
More to come.
My review for Dawn: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
More to come.
June 19, 2016
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books.
I did not read My Sweet Audrina and this book can be read without having had that experience. The backstory is explained well enough for me to have an understanding of what had come in the first novel. However, I have read other novels which were actually written by V. C. Andrews and I can tell you this one doesn't measure up to the original works, no matter what series you might have read. I'm sorry, but this book didn't give me the shivers, it didn't make me wonder about the existence of ghosts or haunting spirits. It just made me irritated with Audrina and the situations she allowed herself to be maneuvered into.
Whitefern is more than just a house, it is a world. A world that has become more and more isolated because terrible things continue to happen to those who make it their home. Does this house contain the restless spirits of those who have died within its walls? Audrina and her husband Arden share the house with Sylvia and the family patriarch Damien. Sylvia is now twenty years old but has the mental capacity of about an eight or nine year old. She suffers when being exposed to interactions with people outside the realm of Whitefern so she remains within its protective area watched over by Audrina. You would think in a family that is supposed to be wealthy that outside help would be employed and Audrina wouldn't be so totally tied to the house and her sister. Unfortunately that is the role placed on her by her father and once he has died the burden continues because of a circumstance which must be hidden from the outside world.
At times during the reading of this book I honestly wondered which one of the characters was the most emotionally handicapped. I think you could put them all in a bag, reach in and choose one, and when you pulled that one out of the bag they would be the choice of the minute. The overall feeling is supposed to be dark and oppressive (I think). Instead what I felt was anger at Audrina for allowing herself to be pushed, forced, coerced - whichever or all three - into a truly bizarre situation. Whew, at least it was a fast read but quite disappointing.
I did not read My Sweet Audrina and this book can be read without having had that experience. The backstory is explained well enough for me to have an understanding of what had come in the first novel. However, I have read other novels which were actually written by V. C. Andrews and I can tell you this one doesn't measure up to the original works, no matter what series you might have read. I'm sorry, but this book didn't give me the shivers, it didn't make me wonder about the existence of ghosts or haunting spirits. It just made me irritated with Audrina and the situations she allowed herself to be maneuvered into.
Whitefern is more than just a house, it is a world. A world that has become more and more isolated because terrible things continue to happen to those who make it their home. Does this house contain the restless spirits of those who have died within its walls? Audrina and her husband Arden share the house with Sylvia and the family patriarch Damien. Sylvia is now twenty years old but has the mental capacity of about an eight or nine year old. She suffers when being exposed to interactions with people outside the realm of Whitefern so she remains within its protective area watched over by Audrina. You would think in a family that is supposed to be wealthy that outside help would be employed and Audrina wouldn't be so totally tied to the house and her sister. Unfortunately that is the role placed on her by her father and once he has died the burden continues because of a circumstance which must be hidden from the outside world.
At times during the reading of this book I honestly wondered which one of the characters was the most emotionally handicapped. I think you could put them all in a bag, reach in and choose one, and when you pulled that one out of the bag they would be the choice of the minute. The overall feeling is supposed to be dark and oppressive (I think). Instead what I felt was anger at Audrina for allowing herself to be pushed, forced, coerced - whichever or all three - into a truly bizarre situation. Whew, at least it was a fast read but quite disappointing.
July 30, 2016
The genuine VCA books and even the early Neiderman-written ones published under her name were always guilty pleasures for me -- I knew they were trash, but I enjoyed them anyway. But the recent ones have been so bad I finally gave up reading them, until the Christopher's Diary trilogy (of which I only read the first two) and this one; I know they're all basically fan fiction, but I was interested enough to want to see where Neiderman would take these stories.
I should have heeded the reviews on this one. Wow, it really was bad. Other reviewers have covered the salient points, but:
- Audrina is a totally oblivious idiot. The major plot points were telegraphed so early that you really didn't need to finish the book to know what would happen, but Audrina, who's narrating the story, practically has to be beat over the head before *she* figures anything out. For example,
- Sylvia's mental abilities seem a lot more advanced than in MSA, in which it seemed like she'd never even be toilet-trained or be able to focus her eyes consistently, let alone speak in complete sentences and cook.
- Arden. Yes, he's very weak in MSA, but he obviously loves Audrina. In this one, he's only nice to her in one or two scenes, and that's when he's trying to get something from her. He's an abusive asshole and . And he only keeps Audrina around because of her money.
-
So yeah, this whole book is a massive retcon. I've seen way better-written fan fiction than this.
I should have heeded the reviews on this one. Wow, it really was bad. Other reviewers have covered the salient points, but:
- Audrina is a totally oblivious idiot. The major plot points were telegraphed so early that you really didn't need to finish the book to know what would happen, but Audrina, who's narrating the story, practically has to be beat over the head before *she* figures anything out. For example,
- Sylvia's mental abilities seem a lot more advanced than in MSA, in which it seemed like she'd never even be toilet-trained or be able to focus her eyes consistently, let alone speak in complete sentences and cook.
- Arden. Yes, he's very weak in MSA, but he obviously loves Audrina. In this one, he's only nice to her in one or two scenes, and that's when he's trying to get something from her. He's an abusive asshole and . And he only keeps Audrina around because of her money.
-
So yeah, this whole book is a massive retcon. I've seen way better-written fan fiction than this.
August 9, 2016
I really, really want to be impartial on this review, since so many of the others aren't. This book certainly follows the darkness of other VC Andrews novels, so much so that I had to put this down halfway. It was very difficult to read. Arden is a complete asshole. A lot of other reviewers seem to be angry over this, but if you go back and read the first book from an adult point of view, you will see that he was always an asshole. Audrina should have stayed far away from him. Audrina is still so naive and allows him to treat her horribly. The plotline is extremely apparent right from the start, but that doesn't make it any less painful to read. I think this book stays true to the horrors of the original and the ending is right in line. It hurt to read this book, but there wasn't any way to resist it either. My Sweet Audrina was arguably the best of Ms Andrew's work and while she didn't write this one, I think she might have liked it.
June 30, 2023
I'm not sure why everyone hates on this book; it was actually really good. I stayed up until almost 4 am to finish it. There was one inconsistency I caught in the beginning: Audrina said how she thought she was the older sister of Audrina, the girl after whom she was named (which would make no sense for that girl to be the younger sister). Moreover, Sylvia seemed much more developed mentally than in Book 1. She could talk cohesively in this book, but after reading the sneak peek to this book 1 in Book 1, it didn't bother me.
In the beginning, I was like oh, this book is lacking the magic of My Sweet Audrina , but then I started to really enjoy the book. The first novel had more twists and turns and characters. (And was significantly longer too.)
I'm not sure how ethical the appointment of the ghostwriter was (I doubt Virginia had left so many partial manuscripts), and if she would have even wanted a ghostwriter to continue her novels and legacy once she had passed, but I'm glad for the existence of the ghostwriter because I got to spend more time in this world & with these characters I enjoy. (I think they hired a ghostwriter to make more money off her.)
I don't want more misfortune to befall the Adares, but I'd love a third book. Just saying. I want to know what happens with Adelle, who she ends up with, does Audrina ever remarry. I had doubts about Arden being the perfect guy for her, so I'm glad it wasn't framed that way in this novel. She would have had a HEA with him if he was the right man for her. I almost thought she was pregnant herself but didn't realize it! (I hoped she was.)
Be careful when reading reviews because I spoiled the end for myself
I doubt there will be a third book, so I'll end this review by saying I hope Audrina discovers a fulfilling life for herself outside of Whitefern. Even if it's not a career, she should travel or something. Just not stay in that house for the rest of her life, however big it is. It's not healthy.
In the beginning, I was like oh, this book is lacking the magic of My Sweet Audrina , but then I started to really enjoy the book. The first novel had more twists and turns and characters. (And was significantly longer too.)
I'm not sure how ethical the appointment of the ghostwriter was (I doubt Virginia had left so many partial manuscripts), and if she would have even wanted a ghostwriter to continue her novels and legacy once she had passed, but I'm glad for the existence of the ghostwriter because I got to spend more time in this world & with these characters I enjoy. (I think they hired a ghostwriter to make more money off her.)
I don't want more misfortune to befall the Adares, but I'd love a third book. Just saying. I want to know what happens with Adelle, who she ends up with, does Audrina ever remarry. I had doubts about Arden being the perfect guy for her, so I'm glad it wasn't framed that way in this novel. She would have had a HEA with him if he was the right man for her. I almost thought she was pregnant herself but didn't realize it! (I hoped she was.)
Be careful when reading reviews because I spoiled the end for myself
I doubt there will be a third book, so I'll end this review by saying I hope Audrina discovers a fulfilling life for herself outside of Whitefern. Even if it's not a career, she should travel or something. Just not stay in that house for the rest of her life, however big it is. It's not healthy.
October 18, 2025
I enjoyed this book , it is very fast paced 🤯👀🤯👀This book is just as much crazy as My Sweet Audrina 👀👀 it was like a cliff hanger with every chapter , I wont say the things that shocked me , that would be giving away the whole book however I will say that I need Nya to think of an epic way to torture Arden with a HIGH amount of pain It was definitely interesting being under the roof of Whitefin again .... that house needs to be cleansed by holy water !
August 17, 2016
Originally posted at Desert Island Book Reviews
Whitefern is the sequel to My Sweet Audrina, a standalone novel about a family’s secrets and ghosts. I read a ton of V.C. Andrews books in high school, and I’ve had trouble remembering which ones I read and which I didn’t. After reading Whitefern, I’m pretty sure I didn’t read the first book, but enough of it was recapped here that it didn’t matter (and I looked up a summary, too, just to make sure I knew the world we were in). I’d say you probably could read this without having read the first book, and you really aren’t missing all that much (though the plot in the first book does sound more interesting than this).
That said, I don’t know that I can really recommend this book. Maybe I’m just well beyond my V.C. Andrews years, or maybe this book just wasn’t my cup of tea. Either way, I didn’t really enjoy it. I had expected some drama, some ghosts, and some secrets, and while I did sort of get all of those, reading this book mostly just made me feel angry.
First of all, Arden was the absolute worst from start to finish, and Audrina just kind of took it. She didn’t stand up for herself very much or take control of her life. It was extremely frustrating, and since Arden was a huge part of this book, it was hard to like any of it.
Then, there’s Sylvia, who is mentally challenged in some way because of her premature birth. She’s treated terribly by pretty much everyone around her, and I really hated that. I understand that it’s a book and many characters aren’t perfect, and that’s fine, but without exception every character treated her badly. I don’t know if it was ever made clear how old any of the characters are, but my assumption is that Sylvia is actually an adult. She’s treated like a worthless child, though, and it bothers me.
The main plot lines of this book are a semi-secret pregnancy and the fallout from Audrina’s father’s death. Arden is front and center in both and is completely unlikable in every single way. His beliefs about women and what they should be allowed to do come up frequently and made me angry every single time. It didn’t take me long to decide I hated him while I was reading. Normally, if I hate a character, I can still like the book, but this book relied way too heavily on such an unlikable character.
I gave this book two stars, and while I probably could have dropped it to one because there was so little I liked, I kept it at two because I did like the elements with ghosts. There aren’t too many, but the parts where they were definitely stood out as the winning passages for me. Honestly, this book does remind me of a lot of the other V.C. Andrews books I’ve read, but I think that I’ve outgrown these books as a reader. It might be because the original V.C. Andrews isn’t writing them (a ghostwriter has been publishing under her name since she passed away), or because I’ve just read so many better books at this point. Either way, I don’t think I’ll be going back to this author and I can’t really recommend this book.
*ARC from NetGalley
Whitefern is the sequel to My Sweet Audrina, a standalone novel about a family’s secrets and ghosts. I read a ton of V.C. Andrews books in high school, and I’ve had trouble remembering which ones I read and which I didn’t. After reading Whitefern, I’m pretty sure I didn’t read the first book, but enough of it was recapped here that it didn’t matter (and I looked up a summary, too, just to make sure I knew the world we were in). I’d say you probably could read this without having read the first book, and you really aren’t missing all that much (though the plot in the first book does sound more interesting than this).
That said, I don’t know that I can really recommend this book. Maybe I’m just well beyond my V.C. Andrews years, or maybe this book just wasn’t my cup of tea. Either way, I didn’t really enjoy it. I had expected some drama, some ghosts, and some secrets, and while I did sort of get all of those, reading this book mostly just made me feel angry.
First of all, Arden was the absolute worst from start to finish, and Audrina just kind of took it. She didn’t stand up for herself very much or take control of her life. It was extremely frustrating, and since Arden was a huge part of this book, it was hard to like any of it.
Then, there’s Sylvia, who is mentally challenged in some way because of her premature birth. She’s treated terribly by pretty much everyone around her, and I really hated that. I understand that it’s a book and many characters aren’t perfect, and that’s fine, but without exception every character treated her badly. I don’t know if it was ever made clear how old any of the characters are, but my assumption is that Sylvia is actually an adult. She’s treated like a worthless child, though, and it bothers me.
The main plot lines of this book are a semi-secret pregnancy and the fallout from Audrina’s father’s death. Arden is front and center in both and is completely unlikable in every single way. His beliefs about women and what they should be allowed to do come up frequently and made me angry every single time. It didn’t take me long to decide I hated him while I was reading. Normally, if I hate a character, I can still like the book, but this book relied way too heavily on such an unlikable character.
I gave this book two stars, and while I probably could have dropped it to one because there was so little I liked, I kept it at two because I did like the elements with ghosts. There aren’t too many, but the parts where they were definitely stood out as the winning passages for me. Honestly, this book does remind me of a lot of the other V.C. Andrews books I’ve read, but I think that I’ve outgrown these books as a reader. It might be because the original V.C. Andrews isn’t writing them (a ghostwriter has been publishing under her name since she passed away), or because I’ve just read so many better books at this point. Either way, I don’t think I’ll be going back to this author and I can’t really recommend this book.
*ARC from NetGalley
January 11, 2021
If I could give this negative 11 stars I would! Shay already gave an excellent argument for why readers should avoid this book. I would like to add what I disliked about this book.
I read My Sweet Audrina when I was 13, over 3 decades ago. I re-read it in part to see if the book could still impart its spell on me -- and it did! Then I started this sequel, and after 2 hours I had to give up.
Audrina, Arden and Sylvia are cartoonish distortions of the original characters. Even allowing for the toll disillusionment and old wounds, the characters were way off. They felt inauthentic. The the writing was forced, and -- at least the part up to where I had to stop -- the sequel was just a rehashing of events in My Sweet Audrina.
V.C. Andrews knew her craft. You can't feeling for her characters, even if what you feel is anger or fear. They may remind you of someone you know. They stay with you even years after you've met them. And that house! It was a supporting character itself!
Try this book if you must. I applaud you for trying. But first, if you haven't yet, do yourself a favor and read My Sweet Audrina.
I read My Sweet Audrina when I was 13, over 3 decades ago. I re-read it in part to see if the book could still impart its spell on me -- and it did! Then I started this sequel, and after 2 hours I had to give up.
Audrina, Arden and Sylvia are cartoonish distortions of the original characters. Even allowing for the toll disillusionment and old wounds, the characters were way off. They felt inauthentic. The the writing was forced, and -- at least the part up to where I had to stop -- the sequel was just a rehashing of events in My Sweet Audrina.
V.C. Andrews knew her craft. You can't feeling for her characters, even if what you feel is anger or fear. They may remind you of someone you know. They stay with you even years after you've met them. And that house! It was a supporting character itself!
Try this book if you must. I applaud you for trying. But first, if you haven't yet, do yourself a favor and read My Sweet Audrina.
August 5, 2020
A good sequel to My Sweet Audrina but a bit repetitive and lots of looking back to the first book
May 13, 2016
It's been at least 20 years if not more since I read My Sweet Audrina. I can't say I remember every detail about it but I remember that I liked it very much and so was quite anxious to read the sequel.
Audrina's life as a married woman has not seemed to mature her very much. She has much of the same naiveté and innocent too trusting nature of a young girl.
Her marriage to Arden has not turned out as she had hoped and although her father has left her controlling interest in his business she lacks the drive and maturity to do anything about it. She spends most of her time caring for her developmentally challenged sister but due to her own too trusting nature she is not as vigilant in protecting her as one would hope.
If you read the first book then this is certainly worth a read but I found the plot quite predictable and it was fairly obvious how it would all end.
I received an advance copy for review.
Audrina's life as a married woman has not seemed to mature her very much. She has much of the same naiveté and innocent too trusting nature of a young girl.
Her marriage to Arden has not turned out as she had hoped and although her father has left her controlling interest in his business she lacks the drive and maturity to do anything about it. She spends most of her time caring for her developmentally challenged sister but due to her own too trusting nature she is not as vigilant in protecting her as one would hope.
If you read the first book then this is certainly worth a read but I found the plot quite predictable and it was fairly obvious how it would all end.
I received an advance copy for review.
August 5, 2016
No. Just no.
The ghostwriter is pretty much retconning any books written by Andrews.
Character development from My Sweet Audrina no longer exists. Sylvia, despite being severely mentally challenged now seems to have magically grasped a child's understanding of speech and situations. Arden, who was filled with immense remorse and contrition suddenly becomes a monster who only cares about money and control. It's awful.
The ghostwriter seems to have absolutely no understanding of how to handle sexual abuse and the aftermath of it. Arden rapes Sylvia, who becomes pregnant, while pretending to be "Papa" because Audrina didn't want children. Audrina, who ended the first book with a renewed hope and a stronger grasp on her identity and self perception loses all that.
The ghostwriter is pretty much retconning any books written by Andrews.
Character development from My Sweet Audrina no longer exists. Sylvia, despite being severely mentally challenged now seems to have magically grasped a child's understanding of speech and situations. Arden, who was filled with immense remorse and contrition suddenly becomes a monster who only cares about money and control. It's awful.
The ghostwriter seems to have absolutely no understanding of how to handle sexual abuse and the aftermath of it. Arden rapes Sylvia, who becomes pregnant, while pretending to be "Papa" because Audrina didn't want children. Audrina, who ended the first book with a renewed hope and a stronger grasp on her identity and self perception loses all that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2016
I knew this would be bad but I had to read it anyway because I loved the first book. I had recently seen the Lifetime movie of My Sweet Audrina as well and this book was about as good as that. It takes the wonderful characters that Andrews created and makes them wooden charactures. Audrina is naive as to be expected but wimpy with no back bone at all. Arden goes from being a possessive, abusive husband to simply manipulative and controlling. The most interesting character is the sister who is developmentally delayed. She goes from being like a small child to being able to do chores, create art, have conversations - no consistency.
The ghost writer cannot hold a candle to Andrews.
The ghost writer cannot hold a candle to Andrews.
June 3, 2017
The plot twists in this book were painfully obvious, which made it a drag to read. It was basically just a subpar imitation of My Sweet Audrina. Also, knowing that this book was ghostwritten by a man made me uncomfortable with some of the themes and plot points in the book. Unlike the original book which was written by V.C. Andrews herself, this author doesn't have the firsthand understanding of the female experiences he's writing about.
Received from NetGalley in exchange for review.
Received from NetGalley in exchange for review.
August 17, 2016
So I just finished reading Whitefern and I can honestly say it was better than I expected.... A couple years ago I felt the ghost writer was not putting their full V.C. Andrew in the books.... I know it is a ghost writer but they are supposed to be a ghost of V.C. Andrews.... but this book it was beyond any other ghost writer I have ever read. I loved seeing Audrina all grown up with her little sister it was a great read.
May 30, 2019
After Finding Out That This Book Existed
Noooooooooooooo!
After Reading It
In a guilty pleasure sort of way, this book was overall better then I expected. Compared to its predecessor, however, it was crap. I rate it 3 out of 10 stars.
Noooooooooooooo!
After Reading It
In a guilty pleasure sort of way, this book was overall better then I expected. Compared to its predecessor, however, it was crap. I rate it 3 out of 10 stars.
June 16, 2016
eh, this was definitely a stretch in many ways. Silvia is portrayed very differently than in MSA. And Arden is a caricature of himself-I think it's best to read MSA as a standalone.
October 12, 2020
The best thing about these latest "sequels" and "prequels" to the original works of the late V.C. Andrews is the cover art - literally, that's all.
Where do I begin? The ghostwriter, Andrew Neiderman (who has been churning these books out at an alarming rate over the past four years) should have quit while he was ahead. While the earlier ghostwritten books that Neiderman finished (such as the last three books in the Casteel series, and the Dollanganger prequel, Garden Of Shadows) and some of the other family sagas inspired by Andrews' work had their issues, at least back then Neiderman had some enthusiasm and passion for what he was doing. Now, however, he's trying to cash in on the renewed interest in V.C. Andrews because of the Lifetime TV movies, the 40th anniversary of the novel "Flowers In The Attic" and the special edition Blu-ray release of the 1987 film.
Whenever Neiderman writes books that are follow-ups or prequels to the novels Andrews wrote in her lifetime, he always makes timeline and/or character errors to a degree, and even lifts some descriptions, word for word, from the original novels. However, in recent times, these things have become even more prominent and glaringly obvious. Character assassination abounds, so much so that you will not recognize them if it were not for their names. The history and relationships between the characters are wrong, which makes it clear that Neiderman did not re-read the original books before taking on the task of continuing the sagas and did not do research. Worse, his style of writing has not only become more hurried, but increasingly perverse. Yes, V.C. Andrews wrote about controversial and dark topics, but she had a way of presenting them to make them compelling, entertaining, and moving, and while Neiderman did take some care with this in the beginning, he has thrown it all to the wind now. There's no going back.
If Audrina doesn't seem like the same character she was in "My Sweet Audrina" (as far as I know, the book was likely intended to be standalone), Arden is completely unrecognizable. Yes, he was a flawed character, but not unsympathetic, but that has completely changed with "Whitefern". Contrary to what this book will have you believe, Audrina's father Damian and Arden's mother Billie were NOT married, she died before that could happen. I could go on, but I think the point has been made. Read this book and the other latest by Neiderman under the name of Andrews at your own risk. Draw your own conclusions.
Where do I begin? The ghostwriter, Andrew Neiderman (who has been churning these books out at an alarming rate over the past four years) should have quit while he was ahead. While the earlier ghostwritten books that Neiderman finished (such as the last three books in the Casteel series, and the Dollanganger prequel, Garden Of Shadows) and some of the other family sagas inspired by Andrews' work had their issues, at least back then Neiderman had some enthusiasm and passion for what he was doing. Now, however, he's trying to cash in on the renewed interest in V.C. Andrews because of the Lifetime TV movies, the 40th anniversary of the novel "Flowers In The Attic" and the special edition Blu-ray release of the 1987 film.
Whenever Neiderman writes books that are follow-ups or prequels to the novels Andrews wrote in her lifetime, he always makes timeline and/or character errors to a degree, and even lifts some descriptions, word for word, from the original novels. However, in recent times, these things have become even more prominent and glaringly obvious. Character assassination abounds, so much so that you will not recognize them if it were not for their names. The history and relationships between the characters are wrong, which makes it clear that Neiderman did not re-read the original books before taking on the task of continuing the sagas and did not do research. Worse, his style of writing has not only become more hurried, but increasingly perverse. Yes, V.C. Andrews wrote about controversial and dark topics, but she had a way of presenting them to make them compelling, entertaining, and moving, and while Neiderman did take some care with this in the beginning, he has thrown it all to the wind now. There's no going back.
If Audrina doesn't seem like the same character she was in "My Sweet Audrina" (as far as I know, the book was likely intended to be standalone), Arden is completely unrecognizable. Yes, he was a flawed character, but not unsympathetic, but that has completely changed with "Whitefern". Contrary to what this book will have you believe, Audrina's father Damian and Arden's mother Billie were NOT married, she died before that could happen. I could go on, but I think the point has been made. Read this book and the other latest by Neiderman under the name of Andrews at your own risk. Draw your own conclusions.
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