Ah, the last novel in the "Orphans" mini-series before the group novel, "Runaways". It has been quite the ride with quite the cast of characters. This little book also has the distinction of being the first book I finished in college- hooray! Some real grade-A literary magic right here, folks, I'm definitely on my way. All sarcasm aside, this was a fun little series I wish I would've read when I was younger.This book is a little different, since Raven was living with her mother and is not without parents like the other girls. Her mother is an alcoholic and an addict, and when she gets arrested for possession, Raven is sent to live with her Uncle Reuben and Aunt Clara. Clara is meek and sweet, but Reuben is a bully and a jerk, and so is Raven's cousin Jennifer. Reuben makes Raven's life hell at home and Jennifer makes her life hell at school, and all Raven wants is to have people who love her. After a scary incident with her uncle, Raven is sent to live with the Tooeys, where she meets the other girls- Butterfly, Crystal, and Brooke.I'm also astounded at how not-PC these books are. There were dabbles of incest in this one, a V.C. favorite, and some classic misogyny thrown around. These are not good books, but they are damn entertaining. I have the group novel in my shelf, and in all honesty, I can't wait to dig in.
Raven's mother is a drug addict/alcoholic. When she gets arrested and escapes Raven is sent to live with her uncle and his family. She has a mean cousin and Raven gets blamed for everything. Her uncle beats her and one daya gym teacher sees and Raven is sent to live at Lakewood house with the 3 other orphans from the previous books in this series.
What do You think about Raven (1999)?
VC Andrews has always been a favorite of mine since my childhood days. I have read (and re-read) all of her books, and although I am much older now and find that some of her work is better than others, I still enjoy the twists and turns, strangeness and mystery that continues to captivate my interest.With that being said - it might also explain why I find the ghostwriter's quality of work lacking and less memorable than Andrews true writing, especially with the newer, more modern series.If your looking for a quick read that you can probably finish than give it a shot, but if you're looking for a timeless piece of work that will make your heart race and leave you speechless - read VC Andrews' original stories.
—Kimberly
The back of the book is misleading, It makes it sound much worse than it actually is. I liked Raven's character, like Brooke, she actually tried to stand up for herself in some cases. And she seemed much smarter than Janet and Crystal (even though Crystal is supposed to be amazingly smart). Raven was also much harder than any of the other girls even though she was the only one out of the four girls who had "Family", and overall, she had one of the worst scenarios. It was a good background story for Raven, and I'm hoping it will shape her even more in Runaways.
—Liz
