What do you think?
Rate this book
Orphans #1-4
Orphans 1-4
V.C. Andrews' bestselling miniseries tells the story of four orphans who each has suffered alone, but finds a family that she hopes will become her own. In Butterfly, Janet's new mother is determined to turn her into a ballerina; in Crystal, Crystal's interest in science could lead to disaster with a neighborhood boy; in Brooke, her new mother is trying to turn her into a beauty queen when Brooke wants to play sports and be normal; and in Raven, a dark family secret might shatter her life forever.
Library Binding
First published November 1, 1999
22 people are currently reading
1561 people want to read
About the author
V.C. Andrews
371 books9,158 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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
February 4, 2019
Χμμμ ... δεν τρελάθηκα !
Διαβάστηκε πολύ γρήγορα αλλά .. στο βιβλίο αναλύει τις ζωές διαφόρων ανθρώπων για να μας δείξει πως κατέληξαν στο ορφανοτροφείο , θα μπορούσε να το κάνει λίγο πιο πρωτότυπο και λίγο διαφορετικό για τον κάθε χαρακτήρα . Δεν το εκενε και με κούρασε .
Ιστορία αδιάφορη και νομιζω ότι το έχω ξαναδεί το εργάκι.
Διαβάστηκε πολύ γρήγορα αλλά .. στο βιβλίο αναλύει τις ζωές διαφόρων ανθρώπων για να μας δείξει πως κατέληξαν στο ορφανοτροφείο , θα μπορούσε να το κάνει λίγο πιο πρωτότυπο και λίγο διαφορετικό για τον κάθε χαρακτήρα . Δεν το εκενε και με κούρασε .
Ιστορία αδιάφορη και νομιζω ότι το έχω ξαναδεί το εργάκι.
July 23, 2019
Γραμμένο με το ιδιαίτερο στυλ της Andrews. Ένα πολύ ομορφο βιβλίο.
December 9, 2020
Shadoe and I, we done did it. 5 stars for hilarity value. Long live Sacket!
December 9, 2020
What better way to enjoy this magical journey than with Erika! 10/10 didn't make me want to lift my legs up and down like I was in a swamp.
February 25, 2015
4 great stories about 4 different girls who go through different circumstances but all end up at the same foster home.
June 14, 2014
Love VC Andrews
July 25, 2021
Overall, I enjoyed these for what they were. Even though they were bound together, I read them spaced apart which I think helped. The stories are all pretty samey if you read them all together which I could see being tedious.
Butterfly: I was entertained by it, but I think some of the characterization or plotting was not the best. I thought all the ballet stuff was pretty interesting because I've heard before that ballerinas (and I think gymnasts too) are susceptible to being exploited by the adults around them, so having that as an aspect of the plot was interesting. The issue I had was mainly that there's a part where Janet is and she doesn't really react to it which seemed unrealistic.
Crystal: I liked this book a bit more than the first one because it was a little more focused on Crystal's thoughts and feelings about what was happening around her which I generally prefer in stories. I also liked the aspect of the mom using soap operas as a way to escape and getting lost in them. I thought that was an interesting plotline. I don't really remember any specific things I didn't like...except I do remember thinking the kissing experiment thing was weird.
Brooke: This story is basically the same as Butterfly except instead of ballet she's forced into beauty pageants. I think if I had read this all in one go I would have been annoyed when I got to this one and it was the same as the first one, but since I read them pretty far apart it didn't bother me much. I actually liked this one more than Butterfly because I liked Brooke as a character more since she's a little more headstrong than Janet. It kind of doesn't make much sense for her character to be like that though since she presumably wants to stay with her new family so you'd think she'd be trying to please them more than she is.
Raven: This one is sort of a Cinderella retelling. I think I liked this one the best just because it's the most different from all of the others. The story structure is still pretty similar, but the circumstances of it are fairly different. It also shows more interaction between all of the girls at the end than any of the other books did which I thought was nice to see.
I thought these books were pretty entertaining. I'm glad I didn't read them all back-to-back though because I think if I had I would have been annoyed with how similar they all are.
Butterfly: I was entertained by it, but I think some of the characterization or plotting was not the best. I thought all the ballet stuff was pretty interesting because I've heard before that ballerinas (and I think gymnasts too) are susceptible to being exploited by the adults around them, so having that as an aspect of the plot was interesting. The issue I had was mainly that there's a part where Janet is and she doesn't really react to it which seemed unrealistic.
Crystal: I liked this book a bit more than the first one because it was a little more focused on Crystal's thoughts and feelings about what was happening around her which I generally prefer in stories. I also liked the aspect of the mom using soap operas as a way to escape and getting lost in them. I thought that was an interesting plotline. I don't really remember any specific things I didn't like...except I do remember thinking the kissing experiment thing was weird.
Brooke: This story is basically the same as Butterfly except instead of ballet she's forced into beauty pageants. I think if I had read this all in one go I would have been annoyed when I got to this one and it was the same as the first one, but since I read them pretty far apart it didn't bother me much. I actually liked this one more than Butterfly because I liked Brooke as a character more since she's a little more headstrong than Janet. It kind of doesn't make much sense for her character to be like that though since she presumably wants to stay with her new family so you'd think she'd be trying to please them more than she is.
Raven: This one is sort of a Cinderella retelling. I think I liked this one the best just because it's the most different from all of the others. The story structure is still pretty similar, but the circumstances of it are fairly different. It also shows more interaction between all of the girls at the end than any of the other books did which I thought was nice to see.
I thought these books were pretty entertaining. I'm glad I didn't read them all back-to-back though because I think if I had I would have been annoyed with how similar they all are.
July 21, 2020
When I read this as a young girl, I remember liking it so much and checking it out multiple times from the school library.
But this is not really good. It's entertaining because it' so over the top, but the stories are AWFUL and the characters (especially the parents) are so one-note, it's laughable.
Janet and Brooke are basically the same story but one is with ballet and the other, beauty pageants. The Crystal storyline goes nowhere and that's probably why it ends so brutally (what is going on with the mom being obsessed with soaps ? It just doesn't serve the story at all). The uncle in the Raven book is sooooooooo DUMB, I cringed each time he talked or breathed or did anything.
This was way better in my memory lol
But this is not really good. It's entertaining because it' so over the top, but the stories are AWFUL and the characters (especially the parents) are so one-note, it's laughable.
Janet and Brooke are basically the same story but one is with ballet and the other, beauty pageants. The Crystal storyline goes nowhere and that's probably why it ends so brutally (what is going on with the mom being obsessed with soaps ? It just doesn't serve the story at all). The uncle in the Raven book is sooooooooo DUMB, I cringed each time he talked or breathed or did anything.
This was way better in my memory lol
June 30, 2019
Interesting account of the lives of four girls who are presented with difficulties in foster homes.
A twist at the end.
I left this book at a second home and only read sporadicaly. If I had it to go over, I would have read right through it.
A twist at the end.
I left this book at a second home and only read sporadicaly. If I had it to go over, I would have read right through it.
December 24, 2017
Yet another high school read. Some of the characters from this book really stuck with me over the years, which is really saying something for a book like this.
February 9, 2018
a very good book
April 3, 2021
Not bad. I would have liked it better if it was fully formed stories instead of short ones.
October 26, 2022
Rated all 4 books 3 stars so just did the same for the bind up!
March 20, 2024
A lot tamer than most V.C. Andrew's books. Each character is so tragic that you are truly heartbroken throughout the book when their worlds collapse over and over and over and over again.
September 25, 2024
Fairly decent for short stories, though fairly predictable
October 1, 2025
Well written, but didn't live up to my expectations after the Dollinger series.
September 1, 2016
3.5 stars really. I didn't love this book but I didn't hate it. Ultimately it was 4 short books combined into one, giving us 4 different experiences that these girls had prior to all arriving at this one foster home. The first 3, Janet, Brooke and Crystal all had more similar stories where they were in orphanages and eventually were adopted and their adoptive moms were just crazy women who wanted them to turn into a younger version of them or wanted them to be what they could not be. They were definitely creepy stories and had me on my toes up until the ending and I never would have guessed how exactly they came to be at this foster home. The last story however is what really lost it for me. Raven has a completely different upbringing and I feel like she belongs in a completely different book (The Wildflowers and Into the Garden for example because she's more an OWP like this group) but nevertheless we are stuck with her and her terrible mother who you guessed it gets arrested and she ends up now an orphan with her aunt and uncle who are just as messed up if not more so than any of the other 3 girls "adoptive parents" the difference is, their "parents" wanted them, this uncle wants nothing to do with her and I got the vibe he was definitely a pervert who did some nasty things to her mother to "make her a better person" when in reality it probably led her to make all the terrible choices that she did. It really is a good 4 part series, just not my favorite of VCA, but I of course am going to read the final book Runaways because I just can't stand not knowing what is going to happen to all of these girls once they meet and potentially become close at this new foster home.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2009
I liked this book. 4 girls with all different circumstances all end up at the same foster house. Janet (Butterfly) who lives w/ foster parents whose new mother wants her to be the prima ballerina she never was, thanks to a car accident. This poor girl is literally tortured with dance. I like how she ends up in the foster house.
Crystal, who was fostered into a good family, loses them to tragedy. Brooke, who is taken in by parents where the mother wants her to be the beauty pageant winner instead of the athlete she is. The end of her story is crazy, but I loved it. And Raven, whose mother is a fugtive. She's taken in by her abusive uncle and his family. She's the worst of all.
I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, Runaways. This brings all the girls together in their new foster house. I think it'll be good. I think it's funny that in 99% of V.C. Andrews books, it's the mother that's always the evil, mean person. Rarely is a father the bad character. It's usually quite the opposite.
Crystal, who was fostered into a good family, loses them to tragedy. Brooke, who is taken in by parents where the mother wants her to be the beauty pageant winner instead of the athlete she is. The end of her story is crazy, but I loved it. And Raven, whose mother is a fugtive. She's taken in by her abusive uncle and his family. She's the worst of all.
I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, Runaways. This brings all the girls together in their new foster house. I think it'll be good. I think it's funny that in 99% of V.C. Andrews books, it's the mother that's always the evil, mean person. Rarely is a father the bad character. It's usually quite the opposite.
April 26, 2009
Four extraordinary New York Times bestsellers by V.C. Andrews together in one volume. Featuring the stories of:
Butterfly ~ She was a lonely orphan until a wealthy couple gave her a home -- and a chance to be a world-class ballerina. But her newfound happiness was as fragile as a spider's web.
Crystal ~ Bright and gifted with a flair for science, she found loving new parents, and a boyfriend in her new school. But a shocking tragedy could shatter her perfect world.
Brooke ~ Whisked away from the orphanage into a glamorous life, she was surrounded by every privilege a girl could want. But all she really wanted was to be loved -- just as she is.
Raven ~ She put her painful past behind her when she was taken in by her aunt and uncle. But the torment she was about to endure was far worse than anything she had experienced before.
Book Details:
Title Orphans (Orphans Series)
Author V.C. Andrews
Reviewed By Purplycookie
Butterfly ~ She was a lonely orphan until a wealthy couple gave her a home -- and a chance to be a world-class ballerina. But her newfound happiness was as fragile as a spider's web.
Crystal ~ Bright and gifted with a flair for science, she found loving new parents, and a boyfriend in her new school. But a shocking tragedy could shatter her perfect world.
Brooke ~ Whisked away from the orphanage into a glamorous life, she was surrounded by every privilege a girl could want. But all she really wanted was to be loved -- just as she is.
Raven ~ She put her painful past behind her when she was taken in by her aunt and uncle. But the torment she was about to endure was far worse than anything she had experienced before.
Book Details:
Title Orphans (Orphans Series)
Author V.C. Andrews
Reviewed By Purplycookie
February 18, 2019
This book had me gripped, at first. By the 3rd girl, the storyline had become painfully predictable.
August 28, 2013
These four books - each about an orphan girl who finds a new family - are very similar in plot and are quick reads. Each girl has a tragic story with her new family and ends up being placed Ina foster group home. This is where the story ends, and is set up quite nicely for readers to go find "Runaways" and see how the four girls survive in the foster home. I wish this fifth book in the series were included in the one large book. While predictable, I liked seeing how each orphan girl was a fighter and I can't wait to see how the next book unfolds!
June 20, 2011
The original "Flowers in the Attic" series was a guilty pleasure for me as a teenager, but I didn't care as much for the posthumous knockoffs. I was pleasantly surprised by the feminist themes and good psychological insights in "Orphans". The pre-teen heroines show a preference for quiet geeky boys over self-important studs, and battle for their independence against narcissistic stepmothers who use the trappings of traditional femininity to crush the girls' spirits. Incest is still present as a theme, but no longer romanticized. I'd actually recommend this as a YA book for girls.
November 2, 2010
My mother had read this book, so I wanted to read some stories that captured her. I learned a lot...there are four different stories here about four different orphans and how their lives were turned upside down. It's sentimental and there are some worthwhile lines that you'll find 'in between'. However, it's not classic literature by any means. I enjoyed it for the fun, knowing my mom related to the stories. I'm thankful that I made the time to read and find hidden messages for myself.
June 7, 2013
This was the first series I ever read, I love re reading all the stories of Janet, crystal,Brooke and raven... Everytime I read there stories its like the first time all over again
Each story you become one with the girls and what they are going through and have, raven I can semi relate to when it comes to an absent mother and taking care of yourself...
But over all is my favorite series ever
Each story you become one with the girls and what they are going through and have, raven I can semi relate to when it comes to an absent mother and taking care of yourself...
But over all is my favorite series ever
December 7, 2010
This is a 4 in 1 book. The stories of Butterfly, Crystal, Brooke and Raven all in one book. I had read them individually, but my sister had a copy of this book.
This is the only V C Andrews series that I could ever really get into. All the others just made me feel so depressed. At least these 4 orphans have a super happy ending!
See each book review for more details.
This is the only V C Andrews series that I could ever really get into. All the others just made me feel so depressed. At least these 4 orphans have a super happy ending!
See each book review for more details.
November 6, 2011
I don't recommend anyone read this, but I so want someone else to read it so we can talk about how ridiculous it was. After reading it I was convinced VC Andrews must be a man - come to find out, VC Andrews died in 1986, her estate trademarked her name, and a man has been ghost writing novels in her name since then.
August 11, 2011
Many of her books are very predictable and repetitive, however I was looking for something that would be a quick read and require little brain power (school is using all of mine right now!). This is doing the trick so far.
December 5, 2014
one of the best, most loved series/authors of all time. V.C. Andrews books are something so easily recognizable and new books continue to evolve to go with the times and bring in a whole new generation of loving readers
April 10, 2015
I read this a while ago an I still remember loving it. this is one of the books that got me back into reading. before this I hadn't read since I was about 8... I read this at around 12/13 and fell in love with reading all over again.
July 21, 2008
All four were also good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews