Whitefern
Table of Contents
Whitefern
Whitefern is the latest novel to be checked off my to be read list, which grows faster than I can keep up with. Anybody else have that problem? It is the second book in the Audrina series, and I was really looking forward to it.
My wife is an avid V.C. Andrews fan, and she is the one who suggested her books for me, and I decided I would give them a try. Her goal is to read all of them by the end of the year, which is no small task! My goal is to read all of Joyce Carol Oates’ books. Do you have an author where your goal is to read everything they’ve written? I’d love to hear who it is!
This post contains affiliate links
Have you read Whitefern? Come on in and let me tell you about it!
About Whitefern
The long-awaited sequel to My Sweet Audrina, one of V.C. Andrews’s strangest, most beloved books—and now a Lifetime movie! Whitefern swallowed Audrina’s childhood—and now the sprawling Victorian mansion threatens her adult life too…
Audrina remembers a better time, when her husband, Arden, was a young man with a heart filled with devotion for her. He didn’t used to be this ambitious, expansive…this cruel. But then, the death of Audrina’s father changed a great many things.
When the reading of her father’s will reveals that Audrina herself will control fifty-one percent of the family brokerage—the halls of Whitefern again don’t feel safe. Arden’s protests become frantic, nearly violent. And while Audrina didn’t anticipate running the family business, she’s curious to do so. And she can’t help but wonder what had made her father change his will at the last minute? What did he know about Arden that she didn’t?
Trapped in the middle of it all: her fragile, simple sister—the beautiful, trusting Sylvia. Audrina promised her father she’d watch over the young woman. But after years of relative quiet, the dark days of Whitefern may have returned…
Thoughts on Whitefern
“Little lies were often the glue that held more important truths together. Papa had taught me that.”
V.C. Andrews, Whitefern
I had really high hopes for this book after I finished My Sweet Audrina. I wanted her to find herself, becoming the best woman she could be, and really step up. She was almost there at the end, and just couldn’t quite get there. Which made me really hope in Whitefern that she would finally do it.
Thinking about being given half of her father’s business, this is exactly what would happen. She would find her voice and start using it. She would break all the rules and stereotypes about women in that era only being able to cook, clean, have babies, and do what they were told. I wanted her to be a rebel and fight those stereotypes. But that wasn’t the case here.
The about section of this book doesn’t actually do it justice. The whole being given half of her father’s business is actually mentioned very little, and Audrina doesn’t even do anything with it. It is secondary, and almost not worth mentioning. The only time it comes up is to point out Audrina dragging her feet in giving the entirety of it to Arden, and him getting upset with her.
The main characters in this book are Sylvia and Arden. Arden becomes a full-blown asshole, to say the least and really is cruel. He is a lot more manipulative than I was expecting him to be. He had some redeeming qualities in My Sweet Audrina, but not in Whitefern. He was simply a monster here.
Sylvia, the one who is the most hurt and abused in this book, yet seems to handle it all without any real trouble. She is written in a way that makes it seem like she’s too stupid to realize she has been abused, and it is just another day, therefore not worth remembering.
But she is definitely the victim of Arden’s abuse. Her mental condition is never diagnosed, but seems to go back and forth a lot. At times she might as well be a vegetable, other times she wanders dazed and confused, and then there are times she can put full cohesive sentences together and do household chores on her own.
Audrina just seems to be along for the ride in Whitefern. Almost like watching a movie, instead of being an active participant in her own life.
The thing that irritated me the most about this book is it was predictable. On top of it not actually being about what the “about section” spoke of, it was just really predictable, and I saw it all coming from a mile away. It actually amazed me how Audrina didn’t see it coming like a freight train.
Final Thoughts on Whitefern
“We had both been violated, and we both had to bury memories the way other people might bury bodies.”
V.C. Andrews, Whitefern
I’m calling Whitefern a three star read. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t totally hate it either. It was… basic. Like pumpkin spice and Ugg boots level basic. It is easily forgotten because of that. That is honestly one of the reasons I love my book blog, so even I can remember everything I’ve read, when a book isn’t memorable enough to remember on my own.
I just find myself wanting so much more out of this book, and having high expectations, based on the end of My Sweet Audrina. It had potential to have a really happy ending and be so, so much more. But it didn’t make it there.
It’s like it could have been a home run, the batter makes it to first base instead, and everybody else strikes out, and that is it.
This is only the second novel from V.C. Andrews that I’ve read, but I went to read other reviews and so many die-hard fans absolutely hated Whitefern. This wasn’t originally written by V.C. Andrews herself, but another writer under her name. Much the same way Brandon Sanderson finished Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series after Jordan died. I’m not a big enough fan to really see the difference or have an opinion on how I feel about another writer finishing this series.
Discussion
Have you read Whitefern or any other writing from V.C. Andrews? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
About the Author
V. C. Andrews (Cleo Virginia Andrews) was a twentieth century American novelist. Her forte was gothic horror fiction blended with family saga. She is famous for her notoriously bestselling work Flowers in the Attic (1979).
Andrews was born on June 6, 1923 in Portsmouth, Virginia. She was the only daughter and youngest child in the Andrews household. As a child she had a falling accident and she suffered from crippling arthritis in the aftermath of her surgery. However, she had not lost hope as she completed her studies from home. She then started her career as an illustrator and an artist.
She made an attempt at writing with a science fiction novel, named Gods of Green Mountain but failed to have it published. Then she penned a novel, titled The Obsessed for which the publishers suggested her to develop the plot and make it more electrifying. Overnight she edited her work and resubmitted it with the title Flowers in the Attic. Its publication in 1979 brought her huge praise and success as a fiction writer as it instantly became bestselling debut novel of hers.
Subsequently, Flowers in the Attic became the Dollanganger Series owing to its raging success. The first book is a psychodrama centered on the Dollanger family whose head of the family dies in an accident which leaves the mother and her four children financially helpless.
Andrews’ idea of a good novel was that it be fast-paced. She was of the view that she only finishes those books that hold her interest long enough and keeps her guessing till the end. Therefore, while writing a book she minded the fact that her readers do not feel lost in the details but it incited the urge in them to find out what was about to happen.
V. C. Andrews’s other famous works include, The Casteel series (1985), The Cutler series (1990), The Landry series (1994), The Logan series (1996), The Orphans series (1998), The Wildflowers series (1999) and many more. Her works have been translated into many other languages. She suffered from breast cancer in her last days and died on December 19, 1986 at the age of 63. The success of her career had her estate hire a ghostwriter after her death. Andrew Neiderman ghostwritten numerous stories under her name.
Purchasing Whitefern
If you are interested in buying the paperback version of Whitefern, click here.
Click here for the hardcover version.
Click here for the Kindle version.
Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.
More from V.C. Andrews
Did you enjoy my review of Whitefern? Need another great V.C. Andrews novel to read? Here is a list of hers in order, by series.
Audrina Books
Whitefern
Broken Wings Books
Broken Wings
Midnight Flight
Casteel Books
Heaven
Dark Angel
Fallen Hearts
Gates of Paradise
Web of Dreams
Cutler Books
Dawn
Secrets of the Morning
Twilight’s Child
Midnight Whispers
Darkest Hour
De Beers Books
Dark Seed
Willow
Wicked Forest
Twisted Roots
Into the Woods
Hidden Leaves
Delia Books
Delia’s Crossing
Delia’s Heart
Delia’s Gift
Dollenganger Books
Flowers in the Attic
Petals on the Wind
If There Be Thorns
Seeds of Yesterday
Garden of Shadows
Secrets of Foxworth
Echoes of Dollenganger
Secret Brother
Beneath the Attic
Out of the Attic
The Shadows of Foxworth
Early Spring Books
Broken Flower
Scattered Leaves
Eden Books
Eden’s Children
Little Paula
Gemini Books
Celeste
Black Cat
Child of Darkness
Heavenstore Books
The Heavenshore Secrets
Secret Whispers
House of Secrets Books
House of Secrets
Echoes in the Walls
Whispering Hearts
Hudson Books
Rain
Lightning Strikes
Eye of the Storm
The End of the Rainbow
Kindred Books
Daughter of Darkness
Daughter of Light
Landry Books
Ruby
Pearl in the Mist
All That Glitters
Hidden Jewel
Tarnished Gold
Logan Books
Melody
Heart Song
Unfinished Symphony
Music in the Night
Olivia
Orphans Books
Butterfly
Crystal
Brooke
Raven
Runaways
Secrets Books
Secrets in the Attic
Secrets in the Shadows
Shadows Books
April Shadows
Girl in the Shadows
Shooting Stars Books
Cinnamon
Ice
Rose
Honey
Falling Stars
Storms Books
Family Storms
Cloudburst
Sutherland Books
Losing Spring
Chasing Endless Summer
The Forbidden Books
Forbidden Sister
The Forbidden Heart
Roxy’s Story
The Girls of Spindrift Books
Corliss
Donna
Mayfair’s Dangerous Escape
Spindrift
The Mirror Sisters Books
The Mirror Sisters
Broken Glass
Shattered Memories
The Umbrella Books
The Umbrella Lady
Out of the Rain
Wildflowers Books
Misty
Star
Jade
Cat
Into the Garden
Standalone Novels
Gods of Green Mountain
Into the Darkness
Capturing Angels
The Unwelcomed Child
Bittersweet Dreams
Sage’s Eyes
The Silhouette Girl
Becoming My Sister
The Woman Beyond the Attic
Amazon Notice
The Reading Wife is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, at no added cost to you.
