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A review by ceruleanjen
Gates of Paradise by V.C. Andrews
4.0
Plot:
This is a re-read for me. I've read this book several times, mostly in high school and college. I was obsessed with V.C. Andrews, her books, and her characters. I decided I missed reading her books and decided I would re-read this series again.
In this one, Heaven and Logan are killed in a car accident, leaving their daughter Annie not only an orphan but also unable to use her legs. She is taken to Farthinggale Manor, a place that she and her cousin/half brother Luke have always dreamed about for most of their lives, and cared for by her step-great-grandfather, Tony Tatterton.
It was better than I remember it being, though definitely the weakest in the series. It's one of the more decent ones by the ghostwriter. I enjoyed the plot for the most part, though the first quarter of the book is a bit on the slow side. But by the halfway point, it got a lot better. I also liked how this book ended up really connecting the Tatterton family to the Casteel family. I do wish that more details about the accident had been given as it was skimmed over. Was Logan's drunkeness to blame for the accident, or would the other car have hit them regardless?
Setting:
Some of the book is set in Winnerow, but for the most part it is at Farthy, which is a lot different than from when Leigh or Heaven were there.
Characters:
Heaven is a shadow of herself in this one compared to the previous books. While I do feel sad when she is killed, it doesn't affect me nearly as much as the thought of her being harmed or killed in the earlier books. She felt watered down.
Logan is still an asshat, especially since he is at least somewhat to blame for the accident since not much is said about it afterward.
Annie was an okay character but nowhere near as interesting or strong as her mother. There were a few times that I rolled my eyes at her thoughts. She also seemed a bit spoiled, though there were definitely times when I felt bad for her. I do feel she developed more as a character during the book, though. I also liked that she was an artist.
I liked Luke Jr. a little better than Annie.
Fanny undergoes the most dramatic development and there were times that I teared up.
Tony Tatterton is both creepy yet at times almost sympathetic. I ended up feeling bad for him at the end of the book.
I did not care for Drake at all, especially when he becomes as brainwashed by Tony as Logan did.
And of course, Troy makes an appearance and that is always nice. He isn't written quite as well as he was in the previous books, but he was for the most part believable. But since when did he have coppery hair? I always thought he had dark hair? Anyway, I like how he takes to Annie right away and helps her escape Farthy, and later on is the one to put an end to the dark secrets that Heaven should have told her before.
I also liked that Rye Whiskey had more of a role in this book.
Relationships:
It was interesting to see that while Heaven and Logan were still together and loved one another that Fanny could still bring trouble into their relationship.
I found Annie and Luke's relationship to be a bit creepy and really cheesy. Their pretending was a bit hard to read about after a while.I do like that they end up connecting the Casteels to the Tattertons .
It also seems like Drake may have had some strange attraction to Annie, but it's also hard to tell. Maybe he was just jealous of Luke?
Writing/Voice:
I could tell right away that this had been ghostwritten. Even if I didn't already know, there is a big difference between the writing in this and the writing in Dark Angel. Still, the ghostwriter did a pretty good job, though there were a few things that felt off. The atmosphere also wasn't quite as creepy feeling as in the past. But definitely one of the better books.
Ending:
I liked how the ending brought the two families together in the end. It almost makes all of the hell that everyone went through worth it.
Overall, I liked this one better than I remember liking it in the past. 3.5 stars.
I decided to do a VCA Recap with this book like I did with Fallen Hearts. If you do not mind spoilers and want to check it out, go here: https://jncahill.wordpress.com/2017/04/29/vca-recaps-gates-of-paradise-part-1/
This is a re-read for me. I've read this book several times, mostly in high school and college. I was obsessed with V.C. Andrews, her books, and her characters. I decided I missed reading her books and decided I would re-read this series again.
In this one, Heaven and Logan are killed in a car accident, leaving their daughter Annie not only an orphan but also unable to use her legs. She is taken to Farthinggale Manor, a place that she and her cousin/half brother Luke have always dreamed about for most of their lives, and cared for by her step-great-grandfather, Tony Tatterton.
It was better than I remember it being, though definitely the weakest in the series. It's one of the more decent ones by the ghostwriter. I enjoyed the plot for the most part, though the first quarter of the book is a bit on the slow side. But by the halfway point, it got a lot better. I also liked how this book ended up really connecting the Tatterton family to the Casteel family. I do wish that more details about the accident had been given as it was skimmed over. Was Logan's drunkeness to blame for the accident, or would the other car have hit them regardless?
Setting:
Some of the book is set in Winnerow, but for the most part it is at Farthy, which is a lot different than from when Leigh or Heaven were there.
Characters:
Heaven is a shadow of herself in this one compared to the previous books. While I do feel sad when she is killed, it doesn't affect me nearly as much as the thought of her being harmed or killed in the earlier books. She felt watered down.
Logan is still an asshat, especially since he is at least somewhat to blame for the accident since not much is said about it afterward.
Annie was an okay character but nowhere near as interesting or strong as her mother. There were a few times that I rolled my eyes at her thoughts. She also seemed a bit spoiled, though there were definitely times when I felt bad for her. I do feel she developed more as a character during the book, though. I also liked that she was an artist.
I liked Luke Jr. a little better than Annie.
Fanny undergoes the most dramatic development and there were times that I teared up.
Tony Tatterton is both creepy yet at times almost sympathetic. I ended up feeling bad for him at the end of the book.
I did not care for Drake at all, especially when he becomes as brainwashed by Tony as Logan did.
I also liked that Rye Whiskey had more of a role in this book.
Relationships:
It was interesting to see that while Heaven and Logan were still together and loved one another that Fanny could still bring trouble into their relationship.
I found Annie and Luke's relationship to be a bit creepy and really cheesy. Their pretending was a bit hard to read about after a while.
It also seems like Drake may have had some strange attraction to Annie, but it's also hard to tell. Maybe he was just jealous of Luke?
Writing/Voice:
I could tell right away that this had been ghostwritten. Even if I didn't already know, there is a big difference between the writing in this and the writing in Dark Angel. Still, the ghostwriter did a pretty good job, though there were a few things that felt off. The atmosphere also wasn't quite as creepy feeling as in the past. But definitely one of the better books.
Ending:
I liked how the ending brought the two families together in the end. It almost makes all of the hell that everyone went through worth it.
Overall, I liked this one better than I remember liking it in the past. 3.5 stars.
I decided to do a VCA Recap with this book like I did with Fallen Hearts. If you do not mind spoilers and want to check it out, go here: https://jncahill.wordpress.com/2017/04/29/vca-recaps-gates-of-paradise-part-1/