Eden's Children

Eden #1

by V.C. Andrews

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Horror, Audiobook, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Ebooks

400 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2022

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

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keep falling into the trap of reading VC Andrews' books as an adult because I enjoyed them so much as a teen. I think I am kind of over it at this point and find the storylines to all be somewhat similar. This one was about Faith, who was adopted out of foster care along with her foster brother, Trevor. Things seem great at first but there is some darkness to the adoptive family that soon becomes clear.

While the story was dark, it was also predictable and I am not entirely sure I understood the motivations. Faith was a somewhat likable character and had a charming kind of naivety about her. It was a quick read and a lot of things happened, but I can't say I was surprised by too much and I am not sure where the story goes from here, assuming there will be more in the series.

Overall, if you love VC Andrews (though we all know that the original author is no longer with us and they have been ghostwritten for quite a while), you'll like this book because it fits the theme; if you are reminiscing about books you read as a teen and now you are an adult, you might be less enthralled. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest. review.

[Romy · Rating 2 out of 5]

My lord.

I’m a huge fan of VCA and even the ghostwriter, but all I’ve read were books from 30-40 years ago. This book is reason to not try his new work again.

The beginning of the book was super hard to read. I thought Trevor was 7 and Faith 12 with how they were written. Then towards the end their characters were entirely different. Paula / Mama Eden was a horrible character. Not just because she was written as the villain, but she was terribly flat and repetitive. Every character was super flat and had no redeeming qualities. Literally Big John and Mr whatshisface were the best characters of the book lol.

It was very tell not show instead of show not tell. Trevor and Faith were apparently uncannily close, but it didn’t look like that at all. They kept secrets and had no chemistry at all.

The Forbidden Room disturbed the fuck out of me. Lance was an ass, I had higher expectations for him.

With the name Eden’s children it could’ve had a cool theme of Eden’s Garden. Lance even hinted at it. But it was not executed at all. Missed opportunity.

There will be a book two but I can already guess how it goes. Not sure if I will read it.

[Barbara Dougherty Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I requested this book, I had high hopes that this was taken from VC Andres notes or unfinished manuscripts, but reading the book it is clear it is truly just a book written by a ghost writer trying to gain money from the name.

The Flowers in the Attic books just can not compare to this one. It lacks in all areas

I did finish the book, but the characters, plot, and everything about the book were lacking. So sad

Can not recommend.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author (so, "not"V.C. Andrews) for granting me a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I don't want to read about child porn. This is disgusting. Honestly, I am done. VC Andrews was a brilliant writer and someone who suffered tremendously. Her legacy does not deserve this garbage.

[Barbara Powell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had hoped that this would be reminiscent of V.C’s classic style-maybe the ghost writer had taken notes and would write in that vain, but this was nothing like what I would have expected. It was creepy but not like Flowers in the Attic creepy. It was icky creepy. There was no character that you could connect with, the kiddy porn storyline was just gross and the adoption from an orphanage would have been great had the mom not been using them for ungainly purposes. No thanks.
Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from a GoodReads giveaway and was very excited. However, this was just…weird. It definitely was suspenseful but I read more to get it over with than because I was enjoying it like I usually do. There were some disturbing scenes for a book talking about a 14yo girl and 15/16 yo old boy. It didn’t even further the plot in my opinion; it just left a distasteful feeling in my mouth. After reading some other reviews, I realize this is ghost written under V.C. Andrew’s name so I’m gonna have to go back and read her earlier work. After reading this, if I didn’t know it was ghost written, I probably wouldn’t read another book by the same author. Disappointing 😞

[Richard K. Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what the results would be if 'Are You There God, It's me Margaret' and "Flowers in The Attic" were to have a child. I really enjoyed this one.

Faith and Trevor were adopted together from the Wetzlers Orphanage together by Paula Eden. Though they are not biological siblings, Paula saw something in them that made her think: 'I must have both of these beautiful babies. They are raised at home by their 'Mama', her husband 'Big John' and Nana 2. They are kept out of society to preserve their 'family'....though they have the internet to do their schooling research on, they have no idea what the outside world is about.

When the next door neighbor invites his grandson from New York to stay the Summer while his parents go thru a bad divorce, Lance arrives and he meets Faith and Trevor. Their lives will never be the same after this Summer day.

Though the book is written by Andrews' Ghost Writer; Andrew Neiderman, this book was highly enjoyable. Even though know what the story is going to be about....it did have a twist that I did not see coming. There is no 'incest' in the book; because that is sex between siblings, and Faith and Trevor are not blood related.
I would recommend this to anyone who loved 'Flowers In The Attic'.
4 💜💜💜💜

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mother Knows Best....or Does She?

Another spooky V.C. Andrews novel. In this story the mother Paula Eden and her husband adopt two children from an orphan's home. The children are not related, but they have grown close and protect each other so she adopts both of them. A Boy Trevor and a girl Faith.

She keeps the children close and keeps them from being exposed to the outside world, homeschooled and taught by Paula.

One day the young nephew of a neighbor, Lance, comes to visit his grandfather and everything changes.

Paula cannot release control of the two children and wish them to carry on her legacy as a family. She resorts to drastic measures to ensure this.

The story is a good story, but a bit repetitive at times. I did guess most of the story before it happened, although I was a bit off but it was still a bit easy to guess where it was going.

Thanks to those writing for V.C. Andrews for writing the story, to Gallery Books for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

[Mindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.)
This story wasn't quite what I was expecting! I could predict early on that the mother had plans for Faith and Trevor to be together, but when it actually happened by drugging her and Trevor raping her, I was surprised and a little disturbed. And the fact that they continued the almost-incest is just outrageous. This book was a lot darker than I thought it would be. The book had a slow start but I was anxious to see what the last chapters contained. 2.5 stars.

[Janet Fiorentino · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had taken a long break from reading the novels marketed as by V.C. Andrews (who died in 1986) but ghostwritten by Andrew Neiderman. As a teenager, I enjoyed V.C. Andrews original works, but never got into the newer books. “Eden’s Children” is a great example as to how the original is always better.

Faith and Trevor are being homeschooled by their adopted mother. She believes in their unrealized potential; hence, she keeps them isolated so she can school their brilliance. Trevor is quite attached to his mother, but Faith wants to break out. At this point, the book can pretty much write itself.

I can tolerate predictability if the writing is lively, but sadly, this was a book I could not finish. I highly suggest reading (or rereading) the original “Flowers in the Attic” series if you are looking for a domestic (yet somewhat creepy) thriller.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and Net Galley for the privilege of reviewing this book.

[Shaena Peters · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I had a hard time getting into this. I found the language and descriptions somewhat convoluted. Bit of a disappointment.

[Sarah Winegar · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried really hard to get through this book since it was a free copy given through a goodreads giveaway but 90 pages in I just could not. Too gross for me sorry 🤢

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a hard book to read for many reasons. First, there isn’t enough dialogue. There is so much prose, and a lot of it is useless and boring. The whole book feels so slow. I was 30% into the book, and if I had not read the synopsis, I still wouldn’t have known what the plot was. Second, the relationship that is forced between Faith and Trevor by their adopted mother is hard to read. While they aren’t biologically brother and sister, they were raised as brother and sister. Yet, the mother seems to want more from them together. The author, a ghostwriter as the named author has passed, decides to put a lot of sexual tension between Trevor and Faith; I honestly wish I had some kind of warning prior to reading this book. Basically, what I thought I was going to get based on the synopsis was not what the book is at all. I wish the book would have touched on a described some of the mental health issues that Paula was dealing with. Instead, her behavior was just accepted. However, I did enjoy that Faith recognized that things weren’t right and wanted more for herself. I’m not sure I’d recommend this book. I’d say, be wary reading.

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trevor age 15 and Faith age 14 know next to nothing about their biological parents. As far as they are concerned they never had parents until they were taken from the foster home and adopted together. They lead very sheltered lives, having no interaction with other children or with anyone other than their adoptive parents. Their mother tells them this is to keep them safe from the evils out there but in reality, it is to protect herself from others finding out about her own evils. The children's adoptive father is conveniently on the road most of the time, and looking the other way when he is home.

I must say I really hated Trevor and his mannerisms. The smirking and shrugging made me want to smack him even though I couldn't actually see him doing it I could picture it in my mind. The father could have been a likable character if not for being so weak-willed and always kowtowing to his wife's demands.

The story is told from Faith's point of view and is at times only what is going on in her thoughts, which gets a bit draggy. It's also fairly predictable but I will probably tune in for the next installment to see how it ends.

My thanks to Gallery Books.

[Crystal Shavalier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eden’s Children is quick read about two children who are adopted from a foster home .
Faith and Trevor were adopted after years in the system. They are very sheltered in their home and never leave to shop or go to school. They do not realize how different their lives are until the neighbor’s grandson visits from New York. Both Trevor and Faith try and do everything they can to please their mom. Things quickly change when their mom falls and gets hurt during a storm.
This book was good but certain parts were pretty slow moving. Thank you Netgalley and publisher for a copy for my opinion..

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not entirely sure about this one. Like previous books I've read by V. C. Andrews, and it has been many years because I was a teen the last time I read one, there is a young heroine, dealing with the confusing feelings of first love, emerging from her cocoon into a beautiful butterfly, while dealing with the ugly circumstances that life has thrown her way. I haven't read any books that the author's estate permitted to be released, so I'm not sure if the remaining storyline of "Eden's Children" is typical of those or not. While the story was predictable, (I figured out the direction it was heading by chapter four) I still found it to be disturbing. Portions of the story were enjoyable and delivered the horror factor I was anticipating from a book with the V. C. Andrews name on it. However, I didn't care for any of the characters, except the protagonist and my feelings for her were lukewarm at best. Overall I would rate this 2.5 stars because the quality of the content is not what I would expect with the Andrews name attached and I'm fairly certain I won't be reading any of the newer material sold under her name.

I would like to thank Gallery Books and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this before its January 3, 2023 release date.

[Alana Thomson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m sorry, what????😀

[diana ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very very poor writing. Storyline was as see-through as a windowpane. Complete waste of my time. I will be suing for damages.

[B.J. Burgess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This time, the story is better, with a more gothic tone—absent in the recent ghostwritten outings. Apart from the protagonist, Faith, the rest of the characters are a mess with little to no personality—especially Trevor, an emotionless, one-dimensional character—in need of further development. The home should have been a significant feature— but the author, Andrew Neiderman, opted to describe it in as few details as possible—rather than being a character in its own right, it's just there, serving no function other than to be a building.

The "twist"—to put it mildly— is disgusting... and unsettling. If the surprising portions were handled better, I would've been mildly interested—maybe even startled—by what happened between the siblings—however—I'm left wanting more from a narrative that could've been written better by someone else—preferably a woman. The sections depicting Faith's first menstrual cycle were poorly worded—giving the impression that they were written by a man—in this case, Andrew Neiderman. The situation—and the character Faith herself—would've been conveyed stronger by a female author.

I can ensure that some readers will find the plot fascinating and others will call it straight-up trash, and some readers won't even pick up the book because it's "ghostwritten"—but will take the time out of their day to post their nasty comments online—even months before the book's release date. For my part, I evaluate books strictly based on their written content; if I enjoy what I read, I will give it high acclaim; if not, I will pick out the last flaw in the book and share my criticism with everyone.

What it boils down to is that I enjoyed Eden's Children—or at least the concept of it. Despite the novel's many—many—many flaws, it's one of the decent V.C. Andrews novels in recent memory—at least fifteen years.╌★★★✰✰

[Margie Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of reading V.C. Andrews books and have been ever since they first started coming out. I actually own every single book although the earlier ones are getting very worn and tattered! This books synopsis doesn’t really give you a look into what this story is really like. Now I know a ghost writer named Andrew Neiderman writes these books ever since Virginia’s death and that there is a difference in their writing. With that being said, I think this book is the closest he has come to resembling Virginia’s work. There were parts to this story that resembled and made me think about the earlier books. The mother for one, who I did not like, made me think of Corinne because I felt she was selfish and really only cared about what she wanted. She was twisted in my opinion. I really did enjoy reading this and I’m not sure why there are such bad reviews. I was happy to read about a new family and I look forward to the next book in this series to see what happens between the children. I’d like to thank Gallery Books for accepting my request and NetGalley for the arc to read, review and enjoy. As long as there are V.C. Andrews books written, I will continue to keep reading and adding them to my home library. I’m giving this a 4 star rating!

[Julia Lewis · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I requested this book on Netgalley, I had high hopes of getting something even close to V.C. Andrews's original writing. I'm fully aware that these are ghostwriters, but maybe they took a few notes and continued her amazing work. But what I found was poorly executed and an extremely cheap attempt at shocking the audience.

The first few pages are a garbled mess and I should've just stopped there. The entire book sounds like it's told by a small child (which I thought was the main character's POV), but somehow she wasn't even a small child anymore. Skip this one, and I definitely am done with Andrews's ghostwriters.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still have chills from thinking about this book and all the things that Faith went through. I was able to tell what was planned for Faith long before it happened and was waiting for everything else to happen together. Not sure how I feel about the ending or how that came to be. It seemed 'too easy' for it all to just end up like that.

[Dolores · Rating 1 out of 5]

What was I thinking.? I should have known better. This book was so trashy and stupid.

[Desiree Carr · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a double-edged sword for me. I like how she writes, but I don't like the incest she seems to write about often

[Shivali Choudhury]

DNF. I felt like the book was too repetitive and not progressing as much. It just did not draw me in like I thought it would.

[Monica Domeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I have to say is the last few chapters were 😱😱😱

[Kelsey Rhodes · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5 stars! A huge disappointment to any loyal VC Andrews fans. I recognize that since her passing, VC's work has been ghost-written. What I don't understand is how whoever is making those decisions felt this ghostwriter was the appropriate choice. What was special to VC was the ability to delicately balance between the horrors of the world and making it palatable. This ghostwriter has none of those skills. This was a monstrous read that had me sick to my stomach at parts. Please leave the memory of her work in peace if it can't be better produced.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Marion · Rating 1 out of 5]

The storyline itself was creepy and definitely gave V.C. Andrew type vibes, but I felt like it was lacking something. Near the end some of the characters just randomly acted unlike their character and it felt like the author was grasping at straws for the storyline.

[Cassidy Milton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty gross. I won the sequel to this book in a Goodreads giveaway, but naturally had to start with this one first. Not exactly looking forward to the 2nd book, but hopefully it’s….less icky?

[Lauren Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I devoured every VC andrews book when I was younger. The newer ones are pretty predictable and just aren’t the same. Yes I know it is a ghost writer now but stil.
This wasn’t bad. Just predictable.