Midnight Whispers isn't a bad book, but it isn't the best in the Cutler series either. In this volume, the perspective changes from Dawn to her daughter Christie who is now sixteen years old. The rest of the Cutler gang are back (sans Grandmother Cutler, Clara Sue and Randolph,) and are in fine form. Well, except for Laura Sue who is suffering from an unnamed aliment that seems suspiciously like Alzheimer's. Philio is still unhappily married to a woman that he has tried to clone into Dawn and now has two bratty kids and Fern has grown up to be a total slut but is anyone really surprised? Christie's love interest comes in the form of Gavin Longchamp, the half-brother of her stepfather. (The incest thing really got done to death in the early books by Neiderman.)Anyway, tragedy befalls the family when a fire breaks out at the hotel, killing Dawn and Jimmy. Christie and her little brother are orphans. Instead of going to live with Bronson (the most sensible adult in the series,) they are forced to stay with Philip and his wife. Christie's short stay with Philip is an unhappy one (I won't go into details but fans of V.C. Andrews novels will know what I mean,) and she and her brother eventually run away. And then the novel pans out telling their adventures, Christie's reunion with her biological father (who is still a prick,) and a visit to the Meadows, where Christie was born. The ending is a bit disappointing, though I'm happy to say that at least one character finally gets their just desserts.
This book was so much better than the previous one in the series. Christie was no whiner, thank goodness. After Dawn and Jimmy's death, many things happen all at once: Phillip and his family move into Dawn's home, Jefferson is forced to share his room with his absolute monster of a cousin. All of the things that happened to Christie in this book really made me feel for her. Of course, Fern appears in it a few times and once again does nothing to drive the plot. Her existence in this novel served only to disgust me, as her only purpose seems to be to shove sex in the reader's face. However, the reappearance of Charlotte and Luther is rather comforting because not only are they endearing characters, but it was fun to see how they had managed to enjoy their lives after Emily's death. Although things seemed to get worse and worse for Christie after her parents' deaths, she faced down each new crisis and every time she came out on top, I could rejoice with her. The only thing I wished I could have seen more of was the relationship between Christie and Gavin, who is just a really sweet guy. A pretty good read.
What do You think about Midnight Whispers (1992)?
Christie Longchamp had a happy life with her parents, Dawn and Jimmy, her brother, Jefferson, and even her Uncle Philip, Aunt Bet, and cousins. She even tolerates her rebellious, trouble-making Aunt Fern. Shortly after her sixteenth birthday, tragedy strikes and turns her world upside-down. No one will listen to her, forcing her to run from her family's curse . . . I try to write these reviews so I won't give too much away. ;-) Anyways it was a good book. Christie gets to meet her real father as well as relatives down at The Meadows plantation. I felt so bad for her at times that I wanted to punch whoever was making her world crumble! Gavin is also awesome ;-) Uncle Philip, Aunt Bet, and the twins are terrible as well as Aunt Fern.
—J.N.
This story is told by Dawn's daughter, Christie, who is now 16. Dawn and her husband, Jimmy, die in a fire shortly after her birthday, destroying the hotel. Christie and her brother Jefferson are treated unfairly when their Aunt Bet, Uncle Philip, and their twins move into their home. Christie and Jefferson run away after Philip rapes her, and they stay a short time at The Meadows with Aunt Charlette and Luther. Aunt Fern comes to threaten her she will tell Philip where they are. But it doesn't matter when Jefferson gets tetanus and has to be rushed to the hospital. In the end, Philip gets taken away when he tries to rape Christie again, and Christie and Jefferson go to live with Bronson, the husband of Christie's late grandmother. Fabulous book!
—Anne Marie
When I read these novels back in the day I would have given them 3-3.5 STARS and now would say about one StarI started reading VC Andrews books in the 1991 and stopped about 2003. I have read:-Dollanganger Series-Casteel Series-Cutler Series-Landry Series-Logan Series-Orphans Series-Wildflowers Series-Hudson Series-Shooting Stars Series-DeBeers Series-Broken Wings SeriesAs a preteen reading these novels was a rebellion and the gothic theme also seemed cool. I stopped reading this author because the novelty wore off, the novels are too formulaic that I could not tell one book from another and gothic aspect was lost.
—Kris - My Novelesque Life
