V.C. Andrews’ ‘Bittersweet Dreams’ Is A Delicious Read [REVIEW]
December 15, 2015 4 Comments
In V.C. Andrews’ BITTERSWEET DREAMS, a gifted prodigy must learn to deal with adult issues.
(Photo by Stephen Brace, Flickr)
V.C. Andrews’ latest novel, Bittersweet Dreams, takes a long hard look at the importance of beauty, intellect and maturity in what is one of the author’s smartest novels to date.
Pocket Books
This time we are drawn into the world of Mayfair Cummings, a girl who was born into privilege, who is pretty but doesn’t dwell on it, and whose IQ is off the charts.
As smart as she is, however, Mayfair is still a teenager blossoming into adulthood, and no matter how cerebral she may be, the young prodigy must still learn to cope emotionally with the common causes of teen angst: authority figures, self image, family ties, and sex.
It has been years since I read an Andrews novel, but like so many I started reading her books as a teen, secretly gulping down the Dollanganger books that began with Flowers in the Attic like the guilty pleasures they are.
But unlike that series and many of those that followed, Bittersweet Dreams offers up something fresh, timely, titillating and thought provoking. This novel delves into many of today’s hot button issues: bullying, student/teacher relationships, eating disorders, and parental obligation.
Multi-layered and compulsively readable, Bittersweet Dreams is at times both horrific and outrageously funny. Readers will relate to Mayfair, and yet Andrews doesn’t paint a singularly one-sided portrait of issues either, which could easily have been done in a novel told from the first person point of view.
Instead, Andrews uses Mayfair’s analytical mind to carefully craft a novel that is rife with verisimilitude and which delivers enough insight that adult figures are both frustrating and sympathetic, which is an achievement that few characters can carry off successfully.
If you’re in the mood for a story that will entertain, enthrall, and enlighten you, and yet is as sinfully delicious as a box of bon bons, you won’t want to miss V.C. Andrews’ Bittersweet Dreams.
V.C. Andrews
(Drawing courtesy Simon & Schuster)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
One of the most popular authors of all time, V.C. Andrews has been a bestselling phenomenon since the publication of her spellbinding classic, Flowers in the Attic.
That blockbuster novel began the renowned Dollanganger family saga, which included Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, and Garden of Shadows.
Since then, readers have been captivated by more than 60 novels in nearly 20 bestselling series. V.C. Andrews’ novels have sold more than 106 million copies and have been translated into 22 foreign languages.
Sadly, Andrews passed away in 1986. She left several unfinished manuscripts and outlines which were completed by Andrew Neiderman. He has continued the thrilling storytelling started by Andrews ever since.
Visit V.C. Andrews home on the web, like her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.
BITTERSWEET DREAMS
By V.C. Andrews®
400 pgs. Pocket Books. $7.99
About Jathan Fink
Jathan & Heather 
This book is terrible, Mayfair is a very unlikeable main character, she’s condescending and looks down on people who don’t have her IQ . She can’t even be bothered to try to make friends because no one is as smart as her, so of course they’re not worthy of her time. She uses her little stepsister Alison who worships her for petty revenge. Even Joy the girl who has anorexia and probably just needs a friend she just analyses instead of you know offering friendship. This book is not well written at all ,the synopsis on the back of the book makes it seems like Carlton and her going to become a couple or something they had one conversation and she turned him down Also I’m not sure Julie her stepmom is as bad as Mayfair was making her out to be
Pingback: Mean Girls Pursue ‘Corliss’ in V.C. Andrews’ New Novella [REVIEW] | Jathan & Heather
This book sounds really interesting!
I hadn’t read V.C. Andrews in some time, but this one was very well done and kept my interest throughout. I think you’ll like it!