Customer Reviews

Rain (Hudson Family, Book 1

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

I don't know what the fuss is all about... I enjoyed rain a lot. Yes, the book did follow the same line as other stories... but V.C andrews always did that. It was just the way she worked. It may be predictible but these books enthall me. The writer hasn't lost his touch yet because he still has me addicted. Bashing doesn't help to much... And you can't get these books confused because all of the characters come from different back grounds... I liked the fact that the book settled on characters besides the main one... you may be a little confused it the ghost writer didn't tell you more than you needed to knwo about every character. This book was wonderful... It involved poor life... a bi racial girl and for once a NICE grandmother. I don't think the writer could have done any better... does anyone agree?

I don't know. These used to be my favorite books. I used to hound the bookstore clerks every single day to see if the new VC Andrews book was in yet. Of course, I was 9 and 10 then, and now I'm 17. I still buy these books-- i don't know why-- but this one, I just couldn't finish. There was no originality, no character development. "Rain"'s voice is identical to "Dawn's" or "Misty's" or "Jade's." When VC Andrews was alive, she wrote about strong people who grew through suffering. I must say that her writing skills have declined considerably since she died. Now, all the stories are the same. The theme is making money off the name of a poor dead woman. The characters are identical; only in name and physical description are they unique. The settings are slightly different, but at the core they are all the same: either poverty-filled but loving homes or rich, cold dysfunctional estates. To construct a "VC Andrews" (R) plot, one must only take one element from a selection of Incest, Adoption, or Poverty, and then somehow work all the other cliched ones in at some point. Insert many grammatical and spelling errors to make it apparent that these books are written for money only. Finally, put a glossy cover with a good-looking girl on it. Presto! Voila! VC Andrews used to be unique. Now she's dead. Anyone can be dead. And apparently, they've got just about anyone writing her novels.

This book was enthraling from the beginning. I and a huge fan of V.C. Andrews anyway, I've read every single book by her, and I found that this one was an incredibly written book. It is similar to the story of Dawn Cutler, but I'm sure this one will have mysterious twists, as all of her books do. I recommend this book to anyone who is even slightly a fan of V.C. Andrews.

Ok, I have kept quiet all these years, but after reading Rain, Iam going to let out all my feelings about these books that are written by this untalented ghostwriter. First of all, why is the main character always so wimpy and so whiny? Why are they always on the verge of tears? What gives? Every page I turn, they are always crying? ANd why is it that there always an evil overweight ugly small minded sister in the book? (Clara Sue, Gisselle, etc) and why do they always get away with it when they insult the main character? If you notice, the main character never defends herself..she is on the verge of crying? After reading the book, it occured to me that the brother had liked Rain even before he knew that they werent related! He found out that they werent related and he wasted no time into getting into Rains pants. Thats dumb. Another that really bothers me, and I think that anyone can agree with me...Why does the main character waste her time whether to sleep with an unimportant character or not? At least 5 or 6 chapters were wasted on her deciding whether to sleep with Corbette or not. I found that part of the story to be a waste of paper and the ghostwriter shuld not waste our time on reading about unimportant characters in the book. Those 5 or 6 chapters should be about Rain finding out more about her family. And why does the ghostwriter always waste 2 or 3 pages on a very unimporttant character?, like the homeless person that saved Rain. Those pages were a waste of time. I found the book tremendously boring and a big disapointment. That is why I gave the book one star. I can tell you already what Lightning Strikes is about...Rain goes to another country, finds her father, who wants nothing to do with her...thats only the first 2 chapters. The next 14 chapters will be Rain deciding whether to sleep with some loser and the last 3 chapters will have her return home and get insulted again by her bratty sister. All in all the story will come to absolutly NO conclusion and be as boring as the first. One more thing. the part where Rain hears the dead Beni whispering in her ear that she is unsexually active and she should sleep with that absolute loser Corbette, the real V. C. Andrews would have had Rain reminded that sleeping around is what caused Beni's death in the first place. To the ghostwriter....so far, you are killing the books...find a new plot and a new character with a BACKBONE! And FAST!

I found this book very intriguing. I put this book up there with Sister Souljah's THE COLDEST WINTER EVER (5 stars for that one). Anyway I thought the storyline was better than VC Andrew's other novels i.e. Ruby, Heaven, Dawn, Melody... For once VC Andrews's(ghostwriter) made the main character an African-American female. I like the character Rain because unlike the other main character's in VC Andrews's other stories, Rain speaks her mind. I have one question though? In Rain's case...I would never want a relationship with a man that I grew up with as my blood brother and found out later on he wasn't. I would still think of him as a brother. That's repulsive! I get the Heebie Jeebie's just thinking about Roy and Rain. That's VC Andrews for you...the more incest the better. Either way this book was excellent and I'm on page 5 of LIGHTNING STRIKES the second novel in the Hudson series.

I have been reading V.C. Andrews' books every since I was in junior high. I would invade the bookstores to see if her new releases came out. The people in the bookstore know me by name. When I read Rain I was deeply disappointed. There were some good parts of the book. I did like the fact that the grandmother wasn't a cynical old witch and that she admired Rain's mother for bringing her up with morals. But it was the same plot used over and over and over again. I agree with most of the reviewers that gave a poor rating on this book. V.C. Andrews must be rolling in her grave to see her pride and joy decline in such a droll fashion. What happen to the thrilling writing and the edge of your seat suspence. Books like Flowers in the Attic and My Sweet Audrina. If you are a novice to V.C. Andrews books I suggest you start with Flowers in the Attic and work your way down. You'll see how her writing style was fresh and full of wonder and not where it is: Reduced, Reused and Recycled.

I have been a long time fan of VC Andrews. I have been reading her books since high school. Rain is a relatively good book. True, the story line is similar to many other VC Andrews books but this one has its good parts. It was refreshing to have the book take place in modern times and to see the main character be a mulitracial person. I thought the beginning of the book was good. But it started to slow too much and get a little dull after Rain moves in with her real grandmother. I found the relationship between Rain and Roy a little gross. I mean he grew up with her his whole life and when he finds out they are not blood related, hes relieved because he loves her? I look forward to the next book.

I admit it. The only reason I purchased a copy of this book is to see how well a black lead character would fare in a V.C. Andrews novel. I admit it, I'll be reading the next two as well.

I should have known better than to expect anything than trite stereotypes. Rain Arnold, hardworking black girl from the ghetto (why are all black people assumed to be 'from the ghetto'?) with a long-suffering mother, a wild sister, a strong brother and a father for an alcoholic. Where have we heard this all before? I thought it was from one of Oprah's books.

I know that a V.C. Andrews novel is the literary equivalent of a Twinkie--bad for you but, oh so very good--but my sweet tooth just went sour after finishing this book. And finish it I did, hoping against hope that Rain Arnold would become a character I could have a modicum of sympathy for.

Doesn't it get tiresome using the same scenario ad nauseaum?

The big secret-Rain finds out that she's half-black because her real mother, Megan Hudson Randolph, is filthy rich and white.

Rain finds out that her real mother couldn't keep her because a half-black child conceived out of wedlock would have been an embarrassment to her upper-crust family.

Rain's "brother" Roy suddenly finds himself attracted to his sister/not blood sister.

Rain finds herself living with her real family, the Hudsons, who are fabulously wealthy and absolutely dysfunctional. The grandmother, Victoria, is a stern matriarch who comes to like Rain a little.

Rain attends a snobby girls' school and ends up the belle of the school play.

Rain's "real" brother, Brody, seems to like his new "sister" a whole lot...

Rain gets drunk and foolishly loses her virginity to the first sweet-talking playboy she meets. Not, a great role-model for teenage girls. And, in this age of sexually-transmitted diseases, where's any mention of safe sex?

And, she finds out that the woman who has been her mother thus far has died of cancer--how convienient.

Oh, and now she's on her way to London to further screw up her already messed-up life.

Rain is merely another stock character in a long line of stock characters with cutesy names from the mind of the so-called "V.C. Andrews"...

Dawn, I mean Ruby, i mean Rain, yeah, Rain was just the same old thing only repackaged in a different form. It gets very tiresome that the ghostwriter doesn't use his own material when he writes these novels then they would be very exciting and might actually be good. Not really looking forward to Secrets of the Morning, oops, i mean Lighting Strikes. With the mini-series, I lost all faith in the VCA francise for it seem to degrade VCA's memory and writing talent. His excuse for writing the crappy mini-series is that he felt that VCA would have moved onto today's problems. If she didnt write about today's problems when she was alive, why would she write about them now if she was still living? It's just an excuse to churn out these sappy TEEN oriented novels and kick us older readers to the side. So, mr author of the DEvil's Advocate, i read your the novels that you wrote under your real name why cant you add some of your writing to VCA?

I have been reading V.C. ANdrews books since the beginning. I was hooked with Petals series and lost through the Orphans and WildFlowers series. At long last our ghost writer has decided to go back to what made V.C. Andrews' gothic stories so enthralling. The opening story, I feel is just that, an opening and a beginning to what is going to be an very interesting anthology of this family. I like that the writer had decided to take the storyline from an unexpected, and more up to date, angle than what has been in the past. Mr. N (ghost writer) has now moved V.C.'s legacy into the future. I don't believe that this book has overshadowed V.C.'s own stormy intuition of gothicness but he does add a fever pitched twist into a new storyline. A jewel to read. In waiting great anticipation to the next book in the series. I only hope that the rest of this and other series begin to take on more and more of the old feel of Andrews' golden touch. 4 Stars to Rain, a must read for the modern Andrews fan!