She grew up in the shadows of lies. Now the past will come to light.
As a child, she was Baby Celeste, the one thing that kept her mother in touch with reality. But now her mother is in an institution, and sixteen-year-old Celeste Atwell is alone in the world. Adopted by a wealthy couple, Celeste has everything a girl could desire; designer clothes, luxury cars, even a handsome boyfriend. But her indulgence may come at a steep price—because the secrets hidden within her new family are too dangerous to keep under wraps....
Also in the bestselling Gemini series from V.C. Andrews—be sure to read Celeste and Black Cat, available from Pocket Star Books!
Books 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
The Gemini Series is one of the best series with V.C. Andrews' name attached to it. Generally, the books are sub-par with weak characters that make you want to slap and shake them due to the idiotic things they think and do, which generally lead to bad mistakes and terrible, inbreeding/rape-based events. Not so in the Gemini series: the women in these books are generally stronger, and don't have sex with their relatives, forced or not. Honestly, if the Andrews Estate's books weren't as addictive as crack, I probably would never pick another one up, ever. In fact, if you want to read a book's-worth about the pros/cons of the Andrews books, send me a message! I'll write your eyes out. Seriously, though: the Gemini series is a diamond among cubic zirconias when it comes to Andrews' books.
Third in the Gemini series. I was so sad there was not a 4th or 5th in the series. Reminded me of VC Andrews first books. One of my favorites from her ghost writer. I would recommend.
Reading "Child of Darkness" was an interesting experience for me. I had no idea, until I finished it, that it was part of a series. Consequently, I came to the novel without any preconceived ideas about the characters or expectations about the plot. It simply unfolded page by page and presented itself to me as a self-contained novel.
As such, I think it works very well. There is such an air of mystery about who Celeste Atwell actually is that it keeps the reader guessing from start to finish. Because the older Celeste in the mental institution and the younger Celeste who goes to live with wealthy foster parents have the same name, I was even uncertain about whether they might, in fact, be one and the same person. This ambiguity, while at times frustrating, was also fascinating. I wanted to resolve the puzzle and put all the pieces in their proper places. In fact, not knowing the back story as it appears in the previous two books in the series was actually a plus for me, because it caused me to be more engaged in solving the riddle about Celeste's past.
I really enjoyed the characters in this novel, too. Celeste appealed to me as an intuitive and well-balanced individual, grounded in good values and yet open to non-rational ways of perceiving. The foster mother, amy, was particularly interesting to me in the way she tries to coach Celeste in style and sophistication while simultaneously being extremely insecure and tormented about her own sexuality. The tenants of the farm, though only briefly sketched at the end, also feel like real people with believable reasons for doing what they do.
I am interested to read more books by this author but also slightly wary of being disappointed. I enjoyed being in the dark about much of the plot and would not like to be spoon-fed the story of a family, if that is what books in a series do. I guess I will have to wait to find out!
Ok the people in the Vc Andrews family who have been carrying on her legacy and writing projects since her death in the mid 80's should have really thought long and hard about making this a book on it's own...a spin off of sorts as, with the exception of the last few chapters, had little and nothing to do with the other two books in the Gemini series.
It's so obvious early on what Ami's motives are, and Celeste does question them to herself, but doesn't come up with any answers until after the plan comes to fruition. And Celeste has a douchebag boyfriend.
Third book in the Gemini series is twisted, which is the trademark of all the books. I've always enjoyed reading this type but the earlier ones are the best.
I was disappointed by this book. It's not really the book's fault, though. It was decently written with an interesting plot and moderately well-developed characters. What disappointed me was the direction the series took. The first two books set up this fascinating world where the family members are either seeing their dead ancestors or schizophrenic. The mother is classic V.C. Andrews-style abusive, and I was looking forward to this story being fleshed out, having an explanation for the visions, seeing the repercussions of Baby Celeste growing up in that family, reading about the older Celeste's therapy after masquerading as a boy for many years, finding out what happened to Panther... None of that is in this book. Baby Celeste is a 17 year old orphan at the beginning of this book, and then she gets adopted by some creepy rich people who have secrets of their own (which don't have anything to do with Celeste). It's almost like an entirely different series. I don't care about this other family's weird crap. That's not why I picked up this book. The elder Celeste barely even makes an appearance in these pages and it's frustrating as hell. The series also ends here. Usually an Andrews series (before the ghostwriter ran out of outlines left by the real Virginia Andrews) featured 3 books about a girl, one about her daughter, then a prequel about the mother or grandmother. Yes, it's formulaic, but it works. It satisfies the reader. The fourth book wraps things up, then the fifth book explains how they got to be all messed up in the first place. There is enough information to make you care about these people. I'm just....this makes me sad is all. I feel like I could have done a better job finishing out the series myself, and that shouldn't be the case. I'm not an author and I don't pretend to be, so for me to say that....it's pretty crappy. However, none of that has anything to do with the book that is. The book as it exists is an entertaining read, I just expected better from this author.
I have to say, I am very excited that I have finally finished my first V.C Andrews series and the Atwell's story is finally completed. The third installment, Child of Darkness, was the story of Baby Celeste Atwell after life at the Atwell farm ended. The original Celeste is now in a mental institution permanently scarred due to things that happened why she lived at the house. Baby Celeste is in an orphanage and continues to move in with many foster parents until finally ending with Ami and Wade who have decided to take her in until she turns eighteen in a year and goes to college. Everything seems to be going perfectly for Celeste. She's getting all news clothes, a car, a boyfriend and even some friends at her new private school. Could life get any better? Well, of course with a V.C Andrews book there has got to be some family secrets hidden somewhere...right? I liked the book, I really did, but I wouldn't of felt the story was part of the other two books if I wasn't constantly reminded about Noble, Celeste, and life at the farm. It was a truly new book with a new setting and atmosphere. At least, that's what I felt for the first 3/4ths of the book. Finally, the ending brought the original setting and feeling of the first two Gemini books back. I loved the ending and I felt it was a perfect way to end the series. One thing I didn't like was there was no closure with her boyfriend, Trevor. I mean, she called him and agreed to call him back later and that was it. Nothing else. She went away. I don't know, it just bothered me and I wish they would of added something with him at the end of the story too... Overall, I'd give it three stars. A good book, a good ending, but some flaws and nothing special.
I liked this book, but it was so different than the first two that it could (should?) have been it's own stand-alone novel. It really had very little to do with the first two books. The setting was different, all of the characters were different ("Baby Celeste" is now 17 so she's basically not the same character anymore), and all the events from the first two books are completely irrelevant to this story. It's not until the last chapter that Baby Celeste returns to the farm, and it's not until the epilog that Noble/Celeste is even part of the picture. This book really did nothing to wrap up the series, and the first two books really weren't needed to understand this story. It's a good book, it just didn't belong in this series.
*Warning: spoilers ahead!*
The fact that the first two books weren't wrapped up was pretty frustrating. Was Mommy/Mama really seeing spirits all along, or was she mentally ill? They allude to schizophrenia with Noble/Celeste, but the question really isn't answered. And what was going to happen to Noble/Celeste? I couldn't wait to find out and was disappointed she didn't show up until the very end, and even more disappointed to learn she just went to the mental institution and that was that. I was rooting for her to break away from her mother and finally be free to be her true self, but instead she basically lost all sense of reality and she had no happy ending. It seemed like a cop out. Not to mention Panther, who gets adopted and is never heard from again. That's so frustrating!
Basically the series ended with book two, (which sucks because Noble/Celeste going to a mental institution is an incredibly depressing ending), and book three is it's own book. At least this one had a happy ending.
This is Andrews last attempt at a family saga longer than two books. It's a shame becuase I always enjoyed the 5 book formula, where the story is told from the point of veiw of the grandmother, mother and child. Celeste is more likeable as an adult than as a child, she's lost alot of the creepyness she had about her. I found it surprising that the spirt that followed her around is Noble. She also seems to have got through many years in the childrens home without any trouble whatsoever. I liked the story after she went to live with Wade and Ami but did find the whole being date raped to give them a child fairly unbelivable, even more unbelivable was that even tho the house keeper and cook knew it was going on, no one not even Celeste wanted to report it to the police! Celeste herself seems to get over the fact she was raped instantly. I also had trouble beliving that the family renting out her home would just welcome her with open arms. Overall this saga has been alright but Andrews has done much better books in the past.
This book was better than the first two, but the plot was not at all unique and was like many other series under VCA's name. The first two books were frankly boring and annoying. The same things happened over and over again, in this book, there is finally some action. Baby Celeste seems to have more of a brain than her mother did. And I was pretty sure Sarah and the first Celeste both had schizophrenia, so the diagnosis at the end of the book proved my theory to be right. The fact that Baby Celeste didn't see anyone but Noble confirmed that because Noble, in her mind, was still living and was just a figment of her imagination. And as she grew up, she saw him less and less. The grandfather was just a pervert and I knew he was going to try to get some action sooner or later. Not shocked there, and besides the back cover sort of gave it away. Over all, a mostly disappointing series. I don't think I will be keeping it for too much longer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This last book in the Gemini series focused on "Baby" Celeste, now a teenager, a Senior in high school. Since she was taken away by child protective services about eleven years ago, she was with a foster family that didn't work out, and living in an orphanage. Things start to get weird when a young couple wants to foster her, with the excuse of wanting to give her everything her heart desires, since they are very wealthy. It turns out they just want her to be the one to get pregnant with an heir since Ami, the wife, has issues of her own to deal with. We won't know if she's pregnant, since on the advice of a spiritual housekeeper, Celeste goes home to her family farm. She gets updated on what's been happening, but most of all, she visits her mother in an institution. Does her mother know who she is? Will they ever live together again? We can only imagine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I can finally say that I am so happy that I finished this series because I can stop torturing myself. Why in the world I felt I had to finish it I have no idea, but this book was actually the best of the series. Which isn't saying anything good about this series. This time the story is in the point of view of Baby Celeste. Celeste is in a mental institution and baby Celeste is in an orphanage. Finally a nice couple who is extremely rich want to be her foster parents. Things start out at first ok but they keep getting weirder and weirder. If anything the ending was the best part about the book since it ended.
When it comes to the family sagas that either Andrews herself or the ghost writer has written, the book that follows the daughter of the main character is usually the weakest. With the Gemini series, this novel about the daughter of the elder Celeste (Baby Celeste), is fairly tolerable, though there are moments you have to suspend your disbelief. In short, the book drags for a bit, but picks up the last few chapters as we learn what the true motives of Baby Celeste's adoptive family and how the teen breaks free from them. The series as a whole is a great read (one of the best from the ghost writer)!
The third book in the series. I was hoping this book would deal with Celeste and her leaving her mother's house. This book is all about the life of "Baby Celeste" and how she grew up in an orphanage, only to go into a foster home at 17 yrs. old. Here Baby Celeste learns how cruel the world can be, even though her foster parents provide her with anything and everything she'd ever want. This book comes together at the end, especially regarding the relationship between Celeste and her real mother.
This book had a lot of issues. At the end of the second book, baby Celeste was almost 3 and big Celseste had to be almost 19. She was 15 when she met Elliott, add 9 months for her pregnancy, and almost 3 years for baby Celeste's age. At the beginning of this book, Celeste was only 17-1/2 and baby Celeste was 6. That would make Celeste 11-1/2 when baby Celeste was born. The story was ok, but I kept rehashing the continuity problems.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The third book in the Gemini Series. This book is about the life of "Baby Celeste" and how she grew up in an orphanage, only to go to a foster home at the age of 17. I thought this was the best book of the series, but still wasn't great. The series as a whole was a very disturbing and dark story.
This series was so unbelievably messed up...that I couldn't put it down. I truly wanted good things for Celeste. I was a bit disappointed that this book was not about the first Celeste, or at least incorporated her, but the plot line twisted enough that I stopped thinking of the first two novels in the series and was able to dive into this almost unrelated story.
V.C Andrews has some psychological issues in order to write books like this. the worst part is they are so good I can't wait for the next one. this was the last one in this series which is good because this series was not as good to me as some of the others. it was just off. the whole idea of he spirit world just seemed to throw off the books somehow
This was a good book, but! ... way too much suspense... there were too many time celeste would say "i'll know soon eneough why such and such happened to me" i just wanted her to tell me why. and then by th etime we found out there wasnt enough of a resoultion everything just disapeared and life became perfect! hello rape is involved here!!!! someone call the police!
Awesome. It has been awhile since I have read a series that made me hunger for the next one. I could hardly pull myself away while reading this series. Having praised the series this book out of the 3 is my least favorite. I can't really put my finger on why just didn't have the same bite and won't let go feel. Even so... Still one of the best Andrews series books I have read.
I always enjoyed just about every other VC Andrews book, ghostwritten or not. This was actually the first time I had difficulty getting through one of her books. I couldn't get into the characters and how they were portrayed. I never finished this series, I just keep rereading all of the ones prior to this.
She grew up in the shadows of lies. Now the past will come to light ...As a child, she was Baby Celeste, the one thing that kept her mother in touch with reality. But now her mother is in an institution and sixteen-year-old Celeste Atwell is alone in the world.
This was the best book in the series. If you can look past the initial age discrepancy in the beginning and the author's obvious obsession with masturbation and sex, the underlying story is very good, and the story of the atwell family ended the best way it could've.
Different plot- line that was interesting. VCA uses a lot of recycled plots, so that was nice.It was somewhat better than the new VCA books coming out, but it wasn't great, and it still seems like the VC Andrews ghostwriter doesn't make any attempts at his books or care anymore.