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De Beers #4
Into the Woods
The only child of a US naval officer and a charming mother, Grace Houston is the centre of her parents' universe - until sudden tragedy tears her world apart. Grace and her mother, Jackie Lee, must leave the naval base in Virginia to head for ritzy Palm Beach, Florida, to start all over again. It's hard enough being the new girl - but Grace is enrolled at a prestigious private school where what you wear is more important than who you are. Now her own mother is pressuring her to do whatever it takes to be accepted by the in-crowd. But Grace just wants to close her eyes and disappear. Soon Jackie Lee marries a sophisticated millionaire, Winston her ticket to high society. But happiness once again vanishes into the shadows - and it's not long before the young and dashing Kirby Scott works his way into Jackie Lee's life. He's got his eye on her newly-inherited fortune - and something much more her beautiful, innocent daughter...
440 pages, Paperback
First published December 16, 2002
53 people are currently reading
2493 people want to read
About the author
V.C. Andrews
371 books9,172 followersBooks published under the following names - Virginia Andrews, V. Andrews, Virginia C. Andrews & V.C. Endrius. Books since her death ghost written by Andrew Neiderman, but still attributed to the V.C. Andrews name
Virginia Cleo Andrews (born Cleo Virginia Andrews) was born June 6, 1923 in Portsmouth, Virginia. The youngest child and the only daughter of William Henry Andrews, a career navy man who opened a tool-and-die business after retirement, and Lillian Lilnora Parker Andrews, a telephone operator. She spent her happy childhood years in Portsmouth, Virginia, living briefly in Rochester, New York. The Andrews family returned to Portsmouth while Virginia was in high school.
While a teenager, Virginia suffered a tragic accident, falling down the stairs at her school and incurred severe back injuries. Arthritis and a failed spinal surgical procedure forced her to spend most of her life on crutches or in a wheelchair.
Virginia excelled in school and, at fifteen, won a scholarship for writing a parody of Tennyson's Idylls of the King. She proudly earned her diploma from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth. After graduation, she nurtured her artistic talent by completing a four-year correspondence art course while living at home with her family.
After William Andrews died in the late 1960s, Virginia helped to support herself and her mother through her extremely successful career as a commercial artist, portrait painter, and fashion illustrator.
Frustrated with the lack of creative satisfaction that her work provided, Virginia sought creative release through writing, which she did in secret. In 1972, she completed her first novel, The Gods of the Green Mountain [sic], a science-fantasy story. It was never published. Between 1972 and 1979, she wrote nine novels and twenty short stories, of which only one was published. "I Slept with My Uncle on My Wedding Night", a short fiction piece, was published in a pulp confession magazine.
Promise gleamed over the horizon for Virginia when she submitted a 290,000-word novel, The Obsessed, to a publishing company. She was told that the story had potential, but needed to be trimmed and spiced up a bit. She drafted a new outline in a single night and added "unspeakable things my mother didn't want me to write about." The ninety-eight-page revision was re-titled Flowers in the Attic and she was paid a $7,500 advance. Her new-generation Gothic novel reached the bestseller lists a mere two weeks after its 1979 paperback publication by Pocket Books.
Petals on the Wind, her sequel to Flowers, was published the next year, earning Virginia a $35,000 advance. The second book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for an unbelievable nineteen weeks (Flowers also returned to the list). These first two novels alone sold over seven million copies in only two years. The third novel of the Dollanganger series, If There Be Thorns, was released in 1981, bringing Virginia a $75,000 advance. It reached No. 2 on many bestseller lists within its first two weeks.
Taking a break from the chronicles of Chris and Cathy Dollanganger, Virginia published her one, and only, stand-alone novel, My Sweet Audrina, in 1982. The book welcomed an immediate success, topping the sales figures of her previous novels. Two years later, a fourth Dollanganger novel was released, Seeds of Yesterday. According to the New York Times, Seeds was the best-selling fiction paperback novel of 1984. Also in 1984, V.C. Andrews was named "Professional Woman of the Year" by the city of Norfolk, Virginia.
Upon Andrews's death in 1986, two final novels—Garden of Shadows and Fallen Hearts—were published. These two novels are considered the last to bear the "V.C. Andrews" name and to be almost completely written by
Virginia Cleo Andrews (born Cleo Virginia Andrews) was born June 6, 1923 in Portsmouth, Virginia. The youngest child and the only daughter of William Henry Andrews, a career navy man who opened a tool-and-die business after retirement, and Lillian Lilnora Parker Andrews, a telephone operator. She spent her happy childhood years in Portsmouth, Virginia, living briefly in Rochester, New York. The Andrews family returned to Portsmouth while Virginia was in high school.
While a teenager, Virginia suffered a tragic accident, falling down the stairs at her school and incurred severe back injuries. Arthritis and a failed spinal surgical procedure forced her to spend most of her life on crutches or in a wheelchair.
Virginia excelled in school and, at fifteen, won a scholarship for writing a parody of Tennyson's Idylls of the King. She proudly earned her diploma from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth. After graduation, she nurtured her artistic talent by completing a four-year correspondence art course while living at home with her family.
After William Andrews died in the late 1960s, Virginia helped to support herself and her mother through her extremely successful career as a commercial artist, portrait painter, and fashion illustrator.
Frustrated with the lack of creative satisfaction that her work provided, Virginia sought creative release through writing, which she did in secret. In 1972, she completed her first novel, The Gods of the Green Mountain [sic], a science-fantasy story. It was never published. Between 1972 and 1979, she wrote nine novels and twenty short stories, of which only one was published. "I Slept with My Uncle on My Wedding Night", a short fiction piece, was published in a pulp confession magazine.
Promise gleamed over the horizon for Virginia when she submitted a 290,000-word novel, The Obsessed, to a publishing company. She was told that the story had potential, but needed to be trimmed and spiced up a bit. She drafted a new outline in a single night and added "unspeakable things my mother didn't want me to write about." The ninety-eight-page revision was re-titled Flowers in the Attic and she was paid a $7,500 advance. Her new-generation Gothic novel reached the bestseller lists a mere two weeks after its 1979 paperback publication by Pocket Books.
Petals on the Wind, her sequel to Flowers, was published the next year, earning Virginia a $35,000 advance. The second book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for an unbelievable nineteen weeks (Flowers also returned to the list). These first two novels alone sold over seven million copies in only two years. The third novel of the Dollanganger series, If There Be Thorns, was released in 1981, bringing Virginia a $75,000 advance. It reached No. 2 on many bestseller lists within its first two weeks.
Taking a break from the chronicles of Chris and Cathy Dollanganger, Virginia published her one, and only, stand-alone novel, My Sweet Audrina, in 1982. The book welcomed an immediate success, topping the sales figures of her previous novels. Two years later, a fourth Dollanganger novel was released, Seeds of Yesterday. According to the New York Times, Seeds was the best-selling fiction paperback novel of 1984. Also in 1984, V.C. Andrews was named "Professional Woman of the Year" by the city of Norfolk, Virginia.
Upon Andrews's death in 1986, two final novels—Garden of Shadows and Fallen Hearts—were published. These two novels are considered the last to bear the "V.C. Andrews" name and to be almost completely written by
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
November 18, 2009
I'm glad I'm finally done w/ this book. It takes me A LOT longer to read a book when I find it uninteresting. And this entire series was just that, uninteresting.
this book is about Willow's mother Grace and her childhood. It's pretty depressing reading about a person that seems to be depressed her entire life. I wouldn't recommend this book or this series, as it was probably the worst of all V.C. Andrews books. And for some unknown reason to me, there had to be six books in this incredibly boring series. The only reason I read it is because I want to be able to say that I read all of her books. Good luck with this one.
this book is about Willow's mother Grace and her childhood. It's pretty depressing reading about a person that seems to be depressed her entire life. I wouldn't recommend this book or this series, as it was probably the worst of all V.C. Andrews books. And for some unknown reason to me, there had to be six books in this incredibly boring series. The only reason I read it is because I want to be able to say that I read all of her books. Good luck with this one.
June 16, 2012
This book is a TRAVESTY! All who love literature should rise up in rage with pitchforks and torches, and find whatever dark, gloomy cliffside castle "VC Andrews" lives in and chase him/her out of civilization forever. Once in a while, I venture forth from the safe, comfortable world of actual, real, thought-provoking classic literature into the world of what people read on beaches. We have great cause for embarrassment if THIS CRAP is what people are reading on beaches, or anywhere. This thing sucks on so many levels. First of all,no character is developed. They're all one dimensional and pathetic. Typical misunderstood teen, whose father dies, and her mother falls in love with a fabulously wealthy man (of course). All of a sudden, ordinary girl is thrown into the world of charity events, boarding schools, and sailboats--the domain of Joan Collins, et al., but even more poorly painted as characters and no sizzling, breast-heaving sex. Is this a romance novel with training wheels for eighth grader girls who aren't quite ready for the real thing? Would I want my eighth grader reading this crap? But I digress. Second, the conflict is this rich asshole who is taking his girlfriend's daughter out on the sailboat and screwing her, even though, it's just "assumed" wink wink that that's what he's doing. She doesn't get pregnant until the book is practically over, which could have been a wanly interesting, though trite, plot point to develop, if only for its tawdriness. But the worst part of this awful book is that everyone speaks in the same voice. What one character says in quotations sounds just like what every other character says in quotations sounds just like what "VC Andrews" writes as narrative. If this book were a meal, it would be mac 'n' cheese and iceburg lettuce and peas and carrots and skim milk all thrown into a blender, pulverized and served as a lukewarm gruel in a MelMac bowl.
One more thing, I got to the end, looked at the title and thought, "Where the fuck are the woods in "Into the Woods"? Did I miss something? If there were any woods in the entire book, I slept through them. Okay, back to "War and Peace."
One more thing, I got to the end, looked at the title and thought, "Where the fuck are the woods in "Into the Woods"? Did I miss something? If there were any woods in the entire book, I slept through them. Okay, back to "War and Peace."
October 2, 2011
Only a few pages in and I am shocked and annoyed to see that it appears to be written in the same time period as Willow and Hannah!! Er, hello?? CDs and computers and email for Grace? Who is the first character in a line of 3 generations? What a whopper of a mistake for a series by such a well known author name!
Overall it wasn't too bad although I did feel that towards the end it felt a bit rushed, there was a lot happening in a short space of time. The biggest plot line involving her being seduced and falling pregnant was squeezed in and rushed at the end of the book I felt. There are a LOT of walk on, walk off characters in this one. Grace meets a few people and bad things happen to them - I was getting a bit annoyed with this but then I suppose this is to back up this feeling she gets that she is a curse on all she meets. Grace's mother had a dramatic change of personality throughout.
Overall it wasn't too bad although I did feel that towards the end it felt a bit rushed, there was a lot happening in a short space of time. The biggest plot line involving her being seduced and falling pregnant was squeezed in and rushed at the end of the book I felt. There are a LOT of walk on, walk off characters in this one. Grace meets a few people and bad things happen to them - I was getting a bit annoyed with this but then I suppose this is to back up this feeling she gets that she is a curse on all she meets. Grace's mother had a dramatic change of personality throughout.
I think that the new Andrews works are too busy trying to immitate and practically copy the original and better works that they are a tad unbelievable and irritating at times. Shame really.
December 21, 2010
Disappointing. Which is weird to say about a VC Andrews book that was written around the time this was written, because while they're not great by any means, they are at least enjoyable in that silly, twisted, guilty pleasure way. This one was rather boring.
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January 8, 2016
Long, long, boring and dull, Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub. Nope.
May 27, 2019
First I need to talk about when this book was set, as it made no sense. As you probably know, this book is the forth in a family saga but its a prequel. This book focuses on Grace, who is Willow's mother. Now Willow, I assumed was set in 'present day' which when it was written, was the early noughties. Which means that this book at the latest must have been set in the eighties.
I mention this, because at the start of the book, two of the boys she meets are really into computers and the internet. I am aware computers were around in the eighties but the internet didn't really get big until mid nighties. I just found it very odd and confusing. Did I miss something? Also after these boys are no longer in the book, computers and the internet is never mentioned again, even though Grace devotes lots of her time to studying.
This is the weakest book of the whole series, not just because of what I mentioned above. The events of the book seemed to fly by very fast. Jackie Lee's character seemed to change completely and she even seemed a little mad herself towards the end. She wasn't what I expected her to be like from how Grace had talked about her to Willow in the other books.
Obviously Grace has some mental issues, which are understandable considering what she has gone through but I didn't feel it was handled well. I was also expecting to read about her romance with Willow's father.
This book was nothing more than alright. It won't be winning any new fans to Andrews books.
I mention this, because at the start of the book, two of the boys she meets are really into computers and the internet. I am aware computers were around in the eighties but the internet didn't really get big until mid nighties. I just found it very odd and confusing. Did I miss something? Also after these boys are no longer in the book, computers and the internet is never mentioned again, even though Grace devotes lots of her time to studying.
This is the weakest book of the whole series, not just because of what I mentioned above. The events of the book seemed to fly by very fast. Jackie Lee's character seemed to change completely and she even seemed a little mad herself towards the end. She wasn't what I expected her to be like from how Grace had talked about her to Willow in the other books.
Obviously Grace has some mental issues, which are understandable considering what she has gone through but I didn't feel it was handled well. I was also expecting to read about her romance with Willow's father.
This book was nothing more than alright. It won't be winning any new fans to Andrews books.
February 16, 2018
This entire series is uninteresting. It's actually a bit depressing to read about a person who is depressed her entire life. I wouldn't recommend this book or this series. It was probably the worst of all V.C. Andrews books. There is something off about the time period. Grace's story should have been before 1980, but Grace talks about technology that shouldn't be available to her. It makes no sense.
September 2, 2012
This is Grace Houston Montgomery’s story. She is Willow’s mother. This book covers the period between when she was moving around with her father as a Navy brat until the time she goes to Dr. De Beers clinic in South Carolina.
Things I hated about this book:
1. The letter from Ruby to Grace. I hate these. They are blatant advertisement teasers to other book series. I suppose you can draw parallels between the two series but really, must they do that?
2. The time frame of this book seems off to me. They talk about Grace maybe going to a magnet school and a Shaina Twain song playing on the radio in one scene. They also make reference to Top Gun the movie in a “do you remember” type context. (Top Gun came out in the mid 80′s) Seems like there’s a possible time warp going on here because those facts would place Grace (who was like 22 when she went into the clinic) in the early to mid 90′s when she was just 15. This is assuming that Willow took place modern day.
Things I liked about this book:
1. The fact that is set in Palm Beach. I spent a lot of time there in my last year of High school and it’s like going home.
2. I thought that Graces decent into a dark depression was very well written. Kind of made me feel what it was like for her.
3. Her mother, Jackie Lee, becomes deliciously shallow and selfish. Like a good V.C. Andrews mom should!
I think it’s a good book in the V.C. Andrews universe.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Things I hated about this book:
1. The letter from Ruby to Grace. I hate these. They are blatant advertisement teasers to other book series. I suppose you can draw parallels between the two series but really, must they do that?
2. The time frame of this book seems off to me. They talk about Grace maybe going to a magnet school and a Shaina Twain song playing on the radio in one scene. They also make reference to Top Gun the movie in a “do you remember” type context. (Top Gun came out in the mid 80′s) Seems like there’s a possible time warp going on here because those facts would place Grace (who was like 22 when she went into the clinic) in the early to mid 90′s when she was just 15. This is assuming that Willow took place modern day.
Things I liked about this book:
1. The fact that is set in Palm Beach. I spent a lot of time there in my last year of High school and it’s like going home.
2. I thought that Graces decent into a dark depression was very well written. Kind of made me feel what it was like for her.
3. Her mother, Jackie Lee, becomes deliciously shallow and selfish. Like a good V.C. Andrews mom should!
I think it’s a good book in the V.C. Andrews universe.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
July 23, 2017
The story of the mother...so kind of a prequel.
October 18, 2009
If you think that your life is bad and no one else would be going through anything worse ... well pick her up and you will feel a whole lot better.
All her stories are such horribly sad - and most of them the main characters are cheated in life (not money) mind you....
The main character is a girl who looses her father and has to move out with her mother. She lives a very miserable poor life an has no friends cause she is 'different'. Then her mom decides to get herself a rich man who can take care of them - Obv she finds one. He is some old guy who has a good heart and stuff like that. Both mother and daughter are happy - for some time- the daughter has a tough time adjusting as she still continues to be the 'outlaw' of the richie-rich world. Finally she manages to get into the routine when her new dad - whom she begins to love - dies leaving her mom and her once again along but not pennieless. Her mom finds another guy - who is shall we say not so nice but out to get their money - and also out to get into the daughters bed. Finally rapers her and she goes mad.... A truely depressing book.
Anyways for a normal Virginia Andres this is ok ... I would rate it a good 5/10.
Dont feel up to such a heavy reading book ....
All her stories are such horribly sad - and most of them the main characters are cheated in life (not money) mind you....
The main character is a girl who looses her father and has to move out with her mother. She lives a very miserable poor life an has no friends cause she is 'different'. Then her mom decides to get herself a rich man who can take care of them - Obv she finds one. He is some old guy who has a good heart and stuff like that. Both mother and daughter are happy - for some time- the daughter has a tough time adjusting as she still continues to be the 'outlaw' of the richie-rich world. Finally she manages to get into the routine when her new dad - whom she begins to love - dies leaving her mom and her once again along but not pennieless. Her mom finds another guy - who is shall we say not so nice but out to get their money - and also out to get into the daughters bed. Finally rapers her and she goes mad.... A truely depressing book.
Anyways for a normal Virginia Andres this is ok ... I would rate it a good 5/10.
Dont feel up to such a heavy reading book ....
March 25, 2016
So this book has a lot of negative reviews, but I honestly thought it was pretty good. It was a lot better than Twisted Roots and had more of the VC Andrews feel to it. I thought the pacing of the story was a bit off though. Wish they'd spent left time on her younger years and more about her time with Kirby and the struggles with her mother and baby Lindon. They had a lot of history to cover in this book and I thought they did a fairly good job of it. I mean, I hated Kirby, but I thought it would have been better to really let his jerk-like personality develop. I thought Grace was a stronger character than Hannah and perhaps even Willow herself. Grace story was just so devestating, she never got a happy moment so I had to pace myself through this one. Ultimately though, I thought this was one of the stronger books in the De Beers series.
May 20, 2015
I wasn't expecting a book about Willow's mother when she was young yet since I was really getting into Willow's daughter's life and looking forward to what happens next. Anyway, after reading some of the reviews, my first thoughts were about the time frame of these stories. No matter how much I thought about it, the author should not have written about Grace like she was in high school in the late 80's. It was interesting to read about Grace's background, what happened after her father, and then her step-father Winston, passed away. I would have thought a better ending to this book would be Jackie Lee's passing, but we are left off when Grace is leaving for the mental clinic where she meets Dr. De Beers.
November 21, 2014
When I read these novels back in the day I would have given them 3-3.5 STARS and now would say about one Star
I started reading VC Andrews books in the 1991 and stopped about 2003.
I have read:
-Dollanganger Series
-Casteel Series
-Cutler Series
-Landry Series
-Logan Series
-Orphans Series
-Wildflowers Series
-Hudson Series
-Shooting Stars Series
-DeBeers Series
-Broken Wings Series
As a preteen reading these novels was a rebellion and the gothic theme also seemed cool. I stopped reading this author because the novelty wore off, the novels are too formulaic that I could not tell one book from another and gothic aspect was lost.
I started reading VC Andrews books in the 1991 and stopped about 2003.
I have read:
-Dollanganger Series
-Casteel Series
-Cutler Series
-Landry Series
-Logan Series
-Orphans Series
-Wildflowers Series
-Hudson Series
-Shooting Stars Series
-DeBeers Series
-Broken Wings Series
As a preteen reading these novels was a rebellion and the gothic theme also seemed cool. I stopped reading this author because the novelty wore off, the novels are too formulaic that I could not tell one book from another and gothic aspect was lost.
September 6, 2016
So it seems with each 5 book series, the last book in the series is a prequel. Like with flowers in the attic you had garden of shadows and with this series you have into the woods. If you already read the other books then you know what's to happen with our MC in this one. And wow was it uncomfortable. And sad. Both really. You feel for Grace and what her to find some happiness you know? This series..just...ugh!!!
March 27, 2018
This book focuses on Grace, Willow’s mother, and her descent into depression and her eventual committal to a psychiatric facility. It’s not the most upbeat story (not that most Virginia Andrews books are), but it does do a good effort of showing the triggers of what led Grace down this path. There are some anachronisms in this book, and it’s hard to place the time in which it’s meant to be set, but it does a decent job of helping the events of this series come full-circle.
December 2, 2020
This book in the series is written from Grace's perspective which was obviously coming. This details Grace's life up until she is put in the mental hospital so I presume there is another book for that.
I really liked Grace, she actually had a good head on her shoulders for the most part. I really felt for her with so much tragedy and her mother ruining everything by marrying Kirby and then becoming a bit deranged as well at the end.
Definitely worth a read.
I really liked Grace, she actually had a good head on her shoulders for the most part. I really felt for her with so much tragedy and her mother ruining everything by marrying Kirby and then becoming a bit deranged as well at the end.
Definitely worth a read.
November 14, 2008
This was the fourth book in the Willow series. It was also my favorite in the series. Even though V. C. Andrews has been dead for sometime, I still read the books they put out under her name. The Flowers In the Attic series & Heaven series were my favorites.
October 27, 2011
Is a prequel to the first book. The characters are bit fleshed out now but knew what was going to happen. Grace is raped by her step-father and her mother pretends the baby is hers. In the end Grace is starting to lose it.
January 16, 2012
Brilliant story, one of the best Virginia Andrews i have read in a while, i did notice a few time issues though that jarred a little within the time frame of the others in the series.
Overall though a very exciting story.
Overall though a very exciting story.
April 22, 2008
I liked this book a lot.
August 1, 2008
This is the only book I read by V C Andrews. I didn't like it. The characters were just OK and I really didn't lilke the ending.
November 12, 2008
The fourth book from the Willow series is from Grace Houston's POV, Willow's mom. The story of her history. I liked it very much!
July 19, 2010
This is one of those "can't put down" books. Very good and ending was quite surprising!
Read
July 31, 2011not one of her best...
April 17, 2012
V.C. Andrew books has always been one of my little guilty pleasures!
March 18, 2013
I absolutely have to read this series again to people who hate the waiting for the next book sorry but this series will make you learn to Love waiting for the next.
January 29, 2013
First one I've read by VC. It started out pretty strong, then about half way through it seemed she ran out of plot. Strange ending.
September 2, 2013
the narrator's sudden, absurd, and frankly hilarious descent into madness was the only thing that saved this slice of cheddar from a 2-star rating. so cheesy it needs crackers.
December 17, 2014
another great book............I would recommend all her books
January 27, 2016
Read in 2002.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews