Rating: 
Summary: Refreshing from old VC books
Review: I've read all of the reviews for this and other titles and found that not too many people thought the same as I did.
After taking a..say...3 or 4 year hiatus from Andrews books, it was refreshing to stumble upon the four Orphan books, and the final story where they all join together. It is nice to read about 4 different girls, their hurdles, and how each of their individual personalities and talents complement each other. It takes you from one person to the next so you don't become bored too easily. Brooke and Crystal were my 2 favorite characters; Crystal was intelligent and sensible, and Brooke was similar but a bit more easy going. Raven and Butterfly were alright but again reminded me of the weak and fragile characters that populate most of VC Andrews books. It was different, and better I have to say, to finally read about characters who were strong and did the best with what they had. The major reason I stopped reading Andrews for awhile was because I got tired of the repetitive story plots, the whiny, helpless female leads, and most of all, the over-used rape and incest. Although Gordon Tooey does come close by sneaking on Crystal in the bathroom, it doesn't dwelve into it to much. One thing I didn't like about the book was that Raven appeared to be less helpful and strong in this book almost to the point where I was hoping the other girls would kick her out of the car and drive off. Also, as I read from another reviewer, why wasn't there anything written about her desire to sing in the first book about her (1 of 4)?? It just seem to have been written up suddenly so that she wouldn't be the only girl without a talent. It lacks consistency.
Anyways, I think i've rejuvenated my interest in Andrew's books again! Time to hit the library.
Rating: 
Summary: Runaways
Review: V.C. Andrews Runaways is the best book that I have ever read. It is about four girls Brooke, Raven, Crystal, and Butterfly (Janet). Raven hoped to be a singer, Crystal planned to go to college to be a doctor, Butterfly a dancer, and Brooke secretly hoped to find her mother in California. They lived in New York at a foster home called the Lakewood House, which was owned by Gordon Tooey and his wife Louise. The four girls runaway to California, borrowing Gordon's car. During their trip a lot of mishaps had happened. Making their journey much more difficult. There were almost times where they wanted to give up. This book I thought was very exciting. It has so much suspense and drama. When you read it everything is described so perfect, it is almost as if you were there. If you want to know how these brave young girls lived the rest of their lives you should read the book. I guarantee that this book is one of them books you don't want to put down and you can't wait until the end.
Rating:
Summary: Great End to a Mediorce Series
Review: Runaways is the fifth novel in the Orphans series, and the only full length one. It is narrated by Brooke. The girls have become friends after arriving very close in time to each other at the once upon a time resort turned foster home run by Louis and Gordon Tooey. Gordon, however, is a monster, sort of a Uncle Reubenesqe figure. All of the girls live in fear of him. So, they come up with a plan to escape, with involves stealing the station wagon owned by Gordon and Louise, which they later find cocaine beneath the seat of. On the way to California to look for Brooke's absentee mother, they are robbed by a fellow runaway and Brooke and Raven fall in love, one with a decent guy. There is a pregnancy scare and in the end, Gordon gets them. They manage to run away again, and this time, they run out of gas on an Indian reservation and finally get some help, and even a home for Butterfly. This book was really good. It really made me like the rest of the series, despite the metaphors and dialogue that didn't seem even close to realistic. There is something about the four girls that makes them human and worth reading about, that the Wildflowers series didn't have. Maybe they just needed a station wagon. Anyway, give this a go. And if you like it, try and read the four girls stories.
Rating:
Summary: The type of book that will leave you begging for more...
Review: I recently read the Runaways book, and the four preceding books. I found them all delightful, although the Runaways seemed more V. C. Andrew's type of book. The four mini-books seemed rather different from any other Andrew's book I've ever read. However I still found them marvelous. I've enjoyed all of the V. C. Andrew's books that I have read, the Dollanganger series the most, though. The four Runaways are the most realistic characters that I have read about in any of her books. I can relate every one of them into a person that I have known, or a combonation of people that I have known. They seem to reach out of the book and pull you in, and you can imagine yourself riding along in Gordon Tooey's car along with them. You can hear Raven sing. You can see Butterfly dance. You can hear Crystal's scientific facts. You can see Brooke's incredible abilities. And you can feel all of their yearnings to be accepted, loved, and be a part of a family. Does anyone know of any books coming after this? If so, please e-mail me!!
Rating: 
Summary: Unlikely events and a stupid plot
Review: I'm a huge fan of V.C. Andrews' early works, but lately these ghostwriters have really unrealistic plots. The first four Orphan books were good not great, but this one was the worst.
You steal a car, run away, and do what with your lives?The girls get into all kinds of odd situations and the ending is just worse. They go through all this hardship and, like all her ghostwriter works, happy ending for everyone. The second worst V.C. book I ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good
Review: I liked this book more than some of the other V.C. Andrews books that have come out recently. Runaways is an example of why I keep reading her books even though they have become progressively worse since her death. This book is a refreshing change from the other V.C. books (no rape, incest, evil grandparents, or dark family secrets). For once, none of the characters have sex in this book! It's considerably more tamer and therefore less exciting, but the characters are more likeable. It's easier to relate and sympathize with these girls.
Rating: 
Summary: The most unrealistic junk I ever read
Review: Okay, I thought I'd give a V.C. Andrews book a try, seeing as how my friend is so obsessed with them. Well, Runaways seemed like a catchy title so I gave it a try. Let me just say, OHMYGOD!! Obviously this author does not 'write what she knows' because she has a totally warped view of the foster care system. I know people in foster care and this book is so far from the truth. Just for an example, the Tooey's house seems to house about 15 kids, when the legal max is six.
Also, how dumb does the author think 17-year-old girls are? A bunch of bikers tell a bunch of defenseless girls to go off on a deserted road and they happily oblige? Yeah, right!
All I can say is, if you don't care what the REAL world is like, go ahead and read this.
Rating:
Summary: Yep this is a winner!!
Review: ...This book is great they deserved to run away Im mean who would want to stay in a place wear they try to keep u as salves Love at 1st sight ill belive Imean i fell head over heels in love with brookes boyfriend he seams so kind and loving and respects her opinions!!I need a guylike that!! Great book read it it tells the real life of a opan cause i know some!!
Rating:
Summary: Terribly disappointing
Review: Unlike some of the people here, I liked the novels before this one better then this book. It seemed to me that the author just wanted the readers to feel sorry for the girls like all of the time. I mean through out some of Brooke's narration and some of the things that were being said it seemed like the unspoken message always was "We are orphans so feel sorry for us all of the time" I also noticed that this books screws with the girls ages, in this book they are all 17, and in Butterfly's book she was 13, Brooke was 14, Crystal was 15, and Raven was 14. And since they all arrived at the orphanage a short time from each other like Brooke said, they wouldn't be the same age! Also Brooke and Todd's relationship is pretty unbelievable, they just met and we were supposed to believe they were so in love with each other. If they wanted Brooke to have a boyfriend, they should have written him in during her book and have them meet up again or something like that. Also Crystal's constant "know it all" remarks got annoying. And where did the whole thing about Raven wanting to be a singer came from? There was nothing mentioned about her knowing how to sing in her novel, unless you count the part when it mentioned she was singing in the shower. The whole idea of them stealing a car, and a credit card togetting across the country to accomplish their dreams is just stupid! How far would they have gotten without graduating high school, especially in Crystal's case since she wanted to go to college? Why would they even give people like the Tooeys permission to run a foster home anyway!
The only interesting thing about this book is that it's pretty much about a road trip, and it's fun to see where they end up and who they meet. Other then that this book was pretty terrible.
Rating:
Summary: Run, Orphans, Run. Run like the wind.
Review: I really didn't care that much for this book. First of all, Raven really bothered me because she was the typical V.C. Andrews exotic beauty. And of course we're told how savvy she is, yet she does all kinds of stupid things. Brooke falls in love with a guy and then gets to second base (she's got that baseball thing down) with him after knowing him a whole day. The name "orphanteers" is lame. Their chant is lame. Butterfly was interesting enough, though. Crystal's dialogue was basically a rehash from her individual book (she recites everything said on the night she found out her foster parents died, like she would even remember every word when she didn't even know what was going on when it was said.) I noticed a difference between the real V.C. and the GW. V.C. Andrews' characters not only had more depth, they understood that others had suffered as much as they had. GW's characters feel that they have some sort of monopoly on suffering and that every one else does the Macarena through life.
Anyway, these poor girls, who know so much about how rotten human nature really is, keep picking up hitchhikers, even after their bad experience with one. They do a lot of stupid things.
Gordon Tooey had no depth. He was just a demonized villain. I almost died from boredom during the last couple of chapters.
Glad I'm done!
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