Rating: Summary: Descent VCA novel Review: I decided to give Celeste a try, after giving up on V. C. Andrews years ago, because of the different plot description. I bought it right away and read the story and was moderately impressed, but not to the point where I'm buying V. C. Andrews books again. But, over all, for V. C. Andrews fans, read this book. The strongest point of this book is that it's different. Yeah, way different from the previous family series and miniseries books. This book reminds me very much of My Sweet Audrina. The book starts off and continues on for quite some time with Celeste and her brother Noble as kids. Sarah, their mother, insists that she can see spirits, and she wants her children to see them as well. From the beginning, we realize that Sarah favors Nobles much more than Celeste. Even though Celeste's father states that she is the smarter twin, Celeste is the most impressionable one, maybe because she craves to have her mother's attention without realizing it. When Celeste does get the "gift", and not Noble, instead of her mother being fully proud of her, Sarah is silently disappointed that her beloved Noble doesn't have it. She orders Celeste help him achieve his gifts. The responsibility of Noble, and his unpredictable ways, leaves Celeste with a heavy burden, for if she fails, her mother would surely reprimand her, something she does not want. Tragedy strikes again and again in this novel, and Celeste world keeps going upside down. When her brother Noble dies, her mother snaps, and Sarah convinces herself that her son didn't die. In fact, she convinces herself that Celeste has died (with the help of her "spirits"). This is the part where Celeste's identify is taken and replaced with her dead brother. Of course, this masquerade is not perfect, and things go horribly wrong. The characters are stronger and more complex in Celeste, and (finally!) I felt something for the main character. But at times I found the plot moved a little too slow, but it made up for the different atmosphere, characters, and situations that this book brought to the table. This book is indeed a breath of fresh air, but I found that it could have been...more? No matter. Most fans who will enjoy it. 3 ½ - 4 stars
Rating: Summary: DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME Review: I didn't like this book at all. The title character, Celeste has a very sheltered to the point of being imprisoined life. She has a twin brother named Noble (sounds more like a lion's name or a winning race horse's name than a boy's), a controlling, manipulative mother who has a lot of New Age superstitions and a father who is the only likeable character in the book. The children are home schooled; they are taught to believe their dead relatives appear to them in spirit form and that they can communicate with them. Their mother buys them amulets and insists that they and their father wear them as well. Arthur, the children's father is the one voice of reason. He tries to convince his crazy wife to let the children mix with other kids and to develop social skills, all to no avail. Arthur joins many other VC Andrews/unmasked ghostwriter parents in death by automobile accident. That's a quick and easy way to finish a character off. After Arthur's untimely death which his widow taxes on his refusal to wear his amulet, she isolates the children further. To make matters worse, Noble breaks his leg at 9 and is not allowed to go to the hospital. Instead, he is treated at home with a home made cast and Celeste is blamed for every jam her brother gets into. She is also brighter than Noble which their mother resents. She wants Noble to have all the mental endowments and advantages. Add to it Noble's untimely demise in a fishing accident. Naturally Celeste is blamed and to make a stupid story macabre, morbid and sick, their mother buries Noble in Celeste's clothes and forces Celeste to take on Noble's role. Her hair is cropped; she is forced to wear her brother's clothes and act as much like Noble as possible. All photographs and objects belonging to Celeste are buried. (...) Her mother lives in a state of constant denial, even when Celeste is raped by a neighboring boy and becomes pregnant. Even after the baby is born, Celeste is forced to be her child's "big brother." I didn't like the mother at all and her punishments of starving and locking up the children and following nonexistent voices repelled me. I also don't like the way many of V.C. Andrews/ghostwritten characters call their mothers "mommy," which sounds very babyish and just right for the 4-year-olds and younger set. I didn't like this book at all. The sequel could ONLY be better, which isn't hard to do. I'm not overly optimistic about that. Naturally, anything with the name "V.C. Andrews" and an attention grabbing cover will attract readers for any number of reasons and the cliff hanger endings will keep readers wondering what happens to the weird cast of characters. Good marketing skills. I would not wish this book on anyone and it is just literary junk food suitable for reading on a long plane trip.
Rating: Summary: Very twisted story... Review: I don't want to say i disliked this book..I didn't love it like the "Flowers" series...but it did reflect back to it in a way. Sarah has some big issues when she decides to turn Celeste into her brother Noble...and then keeps Celeste from being a mother to her own child. I can't wait to read Black Cat.
Rating: Summary: Closer to VC Andrews Pen Review: I enjoyed Celeste, much to my own surprise... Years ago, I was addicted to the books by V.C. Andrews -- specifically the Flowers in the Attic series and the Heaven series. Andrews could spin a story with mystery, secrets, love, incest -- and all of it would work together so beautifully. Honestly, there are no authors I have found that are comparable in style to V.C. Andrews. Consequently, I was disappointed with the books that were written "in her honor" after she had passed away. At first they were all right, as if she had outlined them to begin with. Gradually, they didn't hold my interest anymore. They were lacking...something... Celeste brought back the old feelings that so well reminded me of the author of the spellbinding My Sweet Audrina. As if someone had studied Andrews well enough to truly mimic that style that entrances you to turn page after page. The storyline promised much -- and made the book a quick read. What was missing in this book, however, was that ray of light. One bad thing after another befalls Celeste Atwell. I thought by the end that there would be some glimmer of hope for Celeste. I walked away feeling dismal about the entire experience. Will I read Black Cat, the upcoming sequel? Probably. But I wish there had been some small happiness for Celeste in this book - like Heaven's Logan or Cathy's brother Chris. Anyway, I found this book better than the past few novels in V.C. Andrews' name. The storyline carried the book for me. If you liked Flowers in the Attic, give this one a chance.
Rating: Summary: Exceptable Review: I have been reading V.C. Andrews books since I was in eighth grade. I am now a freshman in college and continue to purchase and read every single V.C. Andrews book that is published. This book was definitely a classic V.C. Andrews book chock full of death, rape and being housebound with odd family members. It was quite predictable but I was kept entertained. Unlike the other series, this book portrays quite a different family. Usually the heroine of the novel goes through highschool meeting the love of her life, however, in this book that does not happen. Celeste is housebound and imprisoned by a mother who is obsessed with supernatural powers. She can't go to highschool because she has to stay at home, resembling her dead twin brother. Honestly, I can't wait until "Black Cat" comes out because I'm curious what is going to happen to the new arrival third member of the party.
Rating: Summary: Dont read if you havnt read the book yet!!!!!! Review: I have to say I'm a fan of V'C Andrews estate books, although I never really read her original work, on the exception of seeing Flowers in the Attic which was very good, I find her book family series to be good. All of the family series are always simalar, you know, the rich spoiled girl, falls in love with one of her family members, they run off together after something really bad happens, she loses her virginty to him, or she gets raped, etc. Its all so predictable, i just wish that the people who write these books can make them a different for once. I found Celste to be a little bit different, I liked the character Celeste but I just thought that her crazy mother just messed up Celeste childhood up to the point where Celeste grew up forcing herself to believe she's really a male when she isn't, and what I found the most annoying is that it actually seemed like Celste loved her mom after all that witch put her through, another thing I cannot stand is that her mom always gave Noble the most attention which was so wrong, parents who are actually like that should be ashamed of themsleves, I admit the begining was kind of slow and hard to get into, but got alot more interesting as Celeste got older and her next door male neighbor moved in. Another part that was so irritating was how when Celeste finally gave birth to her baby boy, she let her mom take control of the baby like it was her's. There are parts of the book when I actually wished that I can just be Celeste for a moment and just slap her insane mother and run a way, if that had happened this novel would have been more of a satisfied read.
Rating: Summary: VC is BACK :) Review: I LOVED this book!!! I am a huge VC fan. There for a time though it seemed the small series that were being put out were the same things over and over just different titles. With Celeste I was pulled back in as a HUGE fan and will anxiously await the sequel to this one! I do hope Celeste comes through this all and becomes who she was meant to be with her daughter by her side.
Rating: Summary: Nice try! Too bad it flopped! Review: I'll give an extra star to the ghostwriter for trying, but c'mon! These books are terrible! The Andrews family should have stopped these books once V.C. died instead of churning out these poorly-written, sappy, unrealistic novels. It's worse than watching an episode of Days, for crying out loud! Either get a new writer or stop this all together!
Rating: Summary: Great Read! Review: I've read all of the V.C Andrews books and this was another great one! I can't wait for the next title in the series to come out!
Rating: Summary: Ghostwriter needs to give up the ghost Review: It surprises me that so many people don't seem to know that VC Andrews passed away almost 20 years ago- that's why "her work" seems repetitive. The ghostwriter just continues to rework her themes in an attempt to stay "true" to her early works. Just a ploy for others to cash in on her name if you ask me. But I was desperate for a "beach read" and so picked this up. Celeste is a bit tired and slow, in my opinion. VC Andrews real work was gothic, which can often mean a bit overwrought as well as dark, and this was part of their charm. This is dark (maybe), but lacks the artistry, well drawn characters, and story development. I was a huge fan of the Dollanganger series and My Sweet Audrina. I've tried some of the ghost work, none seem interesting or compelling. Save your money, just reread the REAL VC Andrews!
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