Girl in the Shadows

Shadows #2

by V.C. Andrews

SOME SECRETS SURVIVE THE LIGHT OF DAY. OTHERS SHOULD STAY LOST IN DARKNESS FOREVER. THE FAMILY SAGA THAT BEGAN WITH APRIL SHADOWS CONTINUES! April Taylor wasn't a little girl anymore -- but who was she really? The home she shared with her parents and her older sister, Brenda, may have been filled with turmoil, but it was the only home she knew. Now, with nowhere to go in the wake of losing her mother and father, April had to grow up fast as she embarked on an odyssey of heartbreak and betrayal. It was mere chance that led her to the secluded home of a kindly elderly woman and her deaf teenaged granddaughter, Echo. There, April found a shelter from her mixed-up life, and from the confusion that severed her relationship with Brenda, after an encounter with Brenda's girlfriend, Celia. But when a dangerous couple arrives with greedy intentions, April discovers they will take advantage of her very special friendship with Echo to get what they want. Now, April's survival depends on being true to the one person she's never fully herself.

Genres: Fiction, Horror, Young Adult, Romance, Adult, Gothic, Abuse

400 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2006

About the author

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

Reviews

[[ J o ] · Rating 1 out of 5]

This reminded me of a book they made me read at college called Eden Close. If you make the first-person protagonist female you kinda have the same story, just a bit more American. With a weird doll thrown in, too. No idea, really.

[Redfox5 · Rating 3 out of 5]

So we had everything here that makes a good Andrews book. We had the dead parents, the willingness to have sex with the first guy who comes along, the rape, the being shut up somewhere, the nasty older "Sister", the young girl with a disability. We were just missing the incest. Maybe her ghost writer needs a new formula? This book was actually fairly dull until Rhona showed up. April kept getting on my nerves for keeping everything to herself when it was quiet clear that things would have gone better for her if she's talked more. The teacher got on my nerves as well. But still it was okay. Miss the 5 book sagas :(

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Girl in the Shadows was a little better than April Shadows. I liked Echo she was a good character. I didn't like the supposed love interest though. He was alright at first but when he said he didn't do it with her when he did. I found it irritating and thought she could've done better. The plot was a lot more interesting in this book, so it was a slightly better read.

[Tara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Possibly the worst book I have ever read.

[TheRLPL Rice Lake Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patron Review:
Great.

[Lit Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Na de dood van haar ouders en de breuk met haar zus komt de 17-jarige April (ik-figuur) in huis bij een oude dame en haar dove kleindochter Echo. Ze voelt zich er thuis en probeert haar evenwicht terug te vinden. Alles verandert als na jaren Echo's moeder met een vriend terugkeert. April wordt door hen gechanteerd en bedreigd waardoor ze opnieuw in een nachtmerrie terecht komt. Dan moet blijken of ze zo zelfstandig is geworden dat ze haar leven in eigen hand kan nemen en schaduwen op afstand kan houden. Een roman die je leest alsof je deelnemer bent aan het verhaal en direct belang hebt bij de afloop. Het boek is het tweede en laatste deel in de 'Schaduw'-serie.

[loysir · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There were still questions about myself I desperately needed to answer, and I knew I wouldn't find the answers in books or magazines or even talking with more experienced women. These were the answers that had to be discovered by myself within myself."

-April Taylor-

There, it said it all about this book already. Not a bad read though. I enjoyed it and had finished reading in about 3 days. Yes, I don't rush when I read because I don't want re-reading a book.

[Taffey Champion · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rather wonderful tale, spun about a confused young woman struggling with a weight problem; sexually innocent, yet on the verge of discovering her sexuality. She must protect an innocent and beautiful deaf child from the impending danger coming from her atrocious, murderously vindictive mother and her wicked, lecherous boyfriend. A fascinating read, once the story picks up momentum.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing book. Typical Virgina Andrews book. Liked it much better than the first book, the characters are far more interesting. The last part of the book is also kinda thriller-ish. All in all; a good read :)

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy and quick read, but how many titles can have the word "shadows" or "secrets" before people can't even remember which series the book belongs to. Getting a little less creative then they used to be. Will still read future books by Andrews.

[Sadie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I liked this, it managed to keep me reading. It was most exciting when Rhona showed up.

[Chrissy Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never hated a character as much as I hated Rhona. Wow.

It was a wonderful and satisfying book, but I couldn't help but think there were a few threads still left at the end.

[Nicole Mathias · Rating 5 out of 5]

v.c. andrews books are all absolutely amazing and very easily distinguishable from any other authors. i love the darkeness, secrets, lies, very addicting, i have almost every single book!

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

v.c. andrews books are all absolutely amazing and very easily distinguishable from any other authors. i love the darkeness, secrets, lies, very addicting, i have almost every single book!

[Mary Bey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite others' dislike of the more recent ghostwritten novels, I still really enjoyed this one. It's even better than the first.

[Amy Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really
liked how confident & sure of herself April became in this book. the characters of Rhona & skeeter were interesting. perfect examples of deadbeat users. i hated how devastated Evho became after seeing what type of person her mom really was. i hated how tyler treated April, he really acted like a user who didn’t care. i got worried when MRs weztington got sick. i was scared that she was going to die. I liked the ending a lot. it gave all of the characters a happy but not sappy ending & great start towards a new life.

[Denise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cringy. I didn’t choose this book, it was leant to me to read and I hadn’t read the first book either so wasn’t fully up to date on what had happened previously but she often referred to her past. I didn’t like it at all really, I found it patronising and the characters shallow and unrealistic. That said I got to the point where I did need to finish it to find out what happened.

[Amy Packwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thankfully Girl in the Shadows was better than its predecessor. Mainly because it cut away most of the old characters and introduced Echo, who is far more interesting. And April grows up a little and stops being horrifically whiny.

[tracy haylock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Loved it sorry it ended hope they will do a follow up with a new one to see want happens

[NoirReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was even more insane than the first book LOL. I mean . . . Rhona and Skeeter . . . WTF. It was kind of like reading a Jerry Springer episode in the form of a VC Andrews book.

[Diana Redding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was slow to get started but I got into it this year. Was hoping for Rona or her sleeves bag of a boyfriend to get in an accident. But ending up being pretty good

[Nico · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah, I read trash. Sue me!

[Farida]

happiness comes from within u

[Anna benoit · Rating 5 out of 5]

i thought this book was fascinating, slighty appaling, terrifying and overall:fantastic. I liked this book very much.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

V.C. Andrew books has always been one of my little guilty pleasures!

[Laura Accumanno · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. great sequel!

[Jodie Angeline Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice story and quite different to what you would expect.

[Matthew Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

decent not great but good