Dawn, 1

After VC Andrews died, it was left to Andrew Neiderman to finish the four books she had started but did not finish. After he did so, he wrote this book. It is supposed to have been based off notes left by VC before her untimely death. I know that some people were unhappy with Neiderman for this book, but I feel that the Cutler series reflected Neiderman's best efforts. It's clear that he put a lot of effort into this series (compared to the twaddle he now writes... Secrets in the Attic, Delia, etc) This series was very decent, and I feel that VCA herself would have been pleased with this series. If you want to keep reading VCA and have read the Dollanganger and Casteel series, then read this, along with the Landry and Logan series. Together, these five series make for a good reading experience.

The beginning of the Cutler series was great all the way up to Midnight Whispers, however, they start getting repetitive. Like everybody's behavior is the same (drunks, incest, people talking to themselves, someone has a baby with a relative who isn't really a relative).The rest of the Cutler series become predictable. Incidentally, though, V.C. Andrews created masterpieces. Even though I could tell what might happen next, or was perturbed by the behavior of a character, I enjoyed reading the stories. I'm an avid V.C. Andrews reader. I'm glad her relatives have kept up with the style of writing that V.C. Andrews started.

After reading the Dollanganger and Casteel books, I pretty much knew what to expect from V. C. Andrews' third series (the Cutler family series). A lot of her stories deal with the rags-to-riches theme, and in "Dawn", the leading 14-year-old character (Dawn Longchamp) learns that her current impoverished family (which consists of an older brother, Jimmy, a baby sister, Fern, and parents) is not really her own. Dawn is really the daughter of a wealthy family in Richmond, Virginia, who own and operate a prestigious hotel on the coast named Cutler's Cove Hotel. As if that weren't shocking enough, Dawn soon discovers that two of her classmates (Clara Sue and Philip) at Emerson Peabody School are really her siblings--and Philip also happens to be Dawn's boyfriend. The chances of that actually happening are about a million to one, but the taboo of incest is in all of V. C. Andrews' books, whether it's plausible or not.Following the revealed secrets, comes the emotional, psychological, and sexual abuse. Dawn is returned to her "rightful" family, and she is immediately disliked by her sister Clara Sue, as well as her matriarchal grandmother. Philip, on the other hand, refuses to allow their relation to get in the way of his scoring with her. In the background are Dawn's biological parents, both of whom are pretty delinquent and submit under Grandmother Cutler's command. The only security Dawn has comes from her other "brother" Jimmy, who later expresses his years of restrained feelings for her, which she reciprocates. (Jeez, if it's not one brother, it's the next.)Even though this book (and series) is pretty good, it's not the most original storyline in the world, nor is Dawn Longchamp-Cutler the greatest heroine I've ever read in a V. C. Andrews book. The ghostwriter (Andrew Neiderman) relies too much on the redundant family drama Ms. Andrews outlined before she died; you can pretty much deduce the surprises laying ahead for the character. Nevertheless, I still find myself drawn to these books. No matter how bad your family life may be (speaking within reason), you can always read a V. C. Andrews book and say, "I'm glad I'm not in her shoes."After "Dawn" comes "Secrets of the Morning", "Twilight's Child", "Midnight Whispers", and "Darkest Hour". Recommended for V. C. Andrews fans.

Once I read "Dawn" I thought this is the most amazing writer I have ever read from and when I realized the writer wrote the movie "Flowers in the Attic" that I loved for as long as I could remember I fell in love with anything else she wrote. Like Andrews' other books they usually dark sides them, but I think that's what drew me to them even more along with the mysteries, suspense, hoping that the main character survives whom ever is trying to destroy her, etc. Continuing on about "Dawn", I read the entire series and a year and a half later I am craving to read it again so after "Orphans" comes out I am going to finish that series and read "Dawn" again. I would also like to add for V.C Andrews if she reads this is that I am hoping for her series to be made into audio tapes and/or miniseries eventhough movies rarely do the book justice, it would still be neat to watch my most loved books on screen.

That was the first novel I read of the V.C. Andrews collection. I remember I had told my friend once how do you read so many books and such long ones in such a short period of time cause I have a problem with reading long books cause they can get boring, but when she told me about the book she had been reading called "Dawn" that she was so into the book that she couldn't put it down it was good. So I decided to check it out for myself so I did and I couldn't put it down neither it was so sad at the begining that it made me cry cause they were very poor and always moving and losing friends, and then it made me feel happy for Dawn and Jimmy that they had maybe found a better life maybe and that Dawn had fallen in love with Phillip and him with her, but then it became sad again when she found out the truth about everything her family, her boyfriend her whole life was just turned all around as if she was never meant to be happy in her life I felt so bad for her even though it was just a book it made me feel something inside it made me feel thankful that I have a good life even though I have problems I am thankful for what I've got.Then I read the rest of the "Dawn" series they were really good books also I really enjoyed reading about Dawn and I think it would make a great movie cause it is very emotional sad, but yet exciting I thought the book was great.