Customer Reviews

Scattered Leaves(Early Spring)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is nothing like a real VCA book, or even the books that the ghostwriter started out with (Cutler, Landry)

So this girl hit puberty early? Big deal? The "secrets" revealed within this book are hardly shocking or thrilling, and the fact that there's just two books in this series shows the author's lack of effort. It's clear that he just doesn't care anymore about writing a good story. The premise was interesting, but this second book is no better than the first one.

Ummm..... HELLO! Am I the only one who noticed that 1) Jordan was supposedly in 3rd grade and only 7 years old, but the author often referred to her classmates as being in 6th grade, and Alanis found a way to explain Jordan's being held back only 3 years, and 2)Alanis was a teenager -16?- who was totally interested in hanging out with a 7 year old, and 3) a supposedly 7 year old could read all of Ian's letters and big words and write back to him?

Also, this book was not NEARLY as graphic and dysfunctional as the early series, with the real VC Andrews. And as other reviewers have mentioned, the ending was definitely rushed, anticlimactic, and very disappointing. On the other hand, I did keep reading it through to the end...

This book was good. But, it could have been way better. There was one thing Jordan forgot to tell us...not only was her brother Ian a kid genius, but so was she! I don't know any seven-year-old that talk the way she does. This was my favorite. "Over the horizon, a stream of milky white clouds seemed glued to the sky. Otherwise, the blue extended unstained in every direction." What?! I think that the author rushed the ending...but I won't spoil it for anyone...and also, why does all of the black girls have to come from broken homes? I'd like to pick up one V.C. Andrews book and find a middle class prominent black family...they do exist...It was a little disappointing that the character never aged a bit, also. And I figured out the so-called explosive secret long before I was finished.

It's my own fault for not researching the book before I bought it, but I thought I was purchasing a novel. This falls more into the "Babysitter's Club" genre. I would put it at a third or fourth grade reading level, though I wouldn't actually recommend someone that age read it, due to some bizarre and unnecessary events and character traits.

The plot was weak and the character development was inconsistent, not to mention the author's flagrant use of race/class stereotypes. The characters were unbelievable and downright strange. To sum it up: it was painful to read.

This book had many flaws, including discrepancies in Jordan's age and her surroundings. I didn't find myself falling in love with the characters as I did with other novels, and I felt that the end was sloppy. Some aspects of the plot were left undeveloped. I've read all of VC Andrews' books (and those of the ghostwriter), and this was definitely my least favorite.

This book, like every other written by VC Andrews' ghost writer, was a horrible disappointment. The Dollanganger and Heaven series and My Sweet Audrina are literally impossible to put down; I think we as readers need to accept that although Ms. Andrews' outlines may have lived on, her storytelling talent died with her.

Scattered Leaves, due to its premise, had the potential to be completely fascinating (not many fiction books about early puberty, and so much could be done with the subject, esp using VC's noir style) BUT completely failed to deliver anything but shallow characters and undeveloped themes.

This is certainly nowhere near the calibre of the author's other series. The ending was very rushed and the revelation fell flat as it seemed not to have much impact on the lives of the characters. We never really learned the impact that it had on Frances. Worth a read, but pales in comparison to the Dawn or Ruby series.

My girlfriend loves VC Andrews :) she was so excited about the condition of this book.. Worth the money :)

This follow up to the book "Broken Flower" is much like the books of "Flowers in the Attic", but not nearly as twisted. It's told very well in the eyes of a young girl, and if you remember that, I think you'll appreciate it. This book is a lot more mellow sexually than the Attic books.

So SCATTERED LEAVES is the last book of the EARLY SPRING series. It's a shame Pocket Books doesn't let the ghost-writer do more books in a series anymore. I'd certainly buy more than 2 or 3 in a series!

I would haved really loved to learn what happens to this family as they age. Especially Jordan. I have to admit, during most of the book I literally hated the Alanis character. She took such incredible advantage of the young, sweet Jordan. Yet I often forgot that Jordan was so young because she was so mature. And it would have been nice to learn more about what becomes of Ian... a true evil genius. Shame, Pocket Books, give us more than two books in a series! Let the ghostwriter -- the very talented Andrew Neiderman -- tell us more about these characters.

I too had figured out the secret long before the end of the book. Grandmother Emma was a strange one indeed... she wasn't a typical evil VC evil grandmother, but I could never quite figure out if she really loved Jordan or not. And I think she must have wanted Jordan to find out the family secret.

Most exciting, however, is the title of the next book... SECRETS IN THE ATTIC! Wow... what a fantastic tribute to the original and sadly departed Virginia Andrews. I cannot wait to read it! Keep 'em coming, Mr. Neiderman, and we, your faithful, will buy them and read them!