Gates of Paradise

It was an amazing book in a wonderful series. It was definitely a page turner. I can't wait to read the final book in the series next.

I have always enjoyed reading VC Andrews books. I have read this series 4 times now. It's a good story about how a family is extremely rich and a family that is extremely poor. What children go through growing up in both sides of the financial status.

Having picked this book up when I was 12, it was one of several books that I truly came to appreciate and enjoy. I knew without a doubt that I'd like it because the story is a continuation of Heaven Casteel's life where she boldly, bravely faces hardships that no teenage girl should ever have to face. Despite her struggles with abuse, neglect, betrayal, and seemingly unlimited heartbreak, heaven strives ever forward with the heart of a girl who harbors much hope that things CAN get better. Due to my appreciation of this novel I have to admit I invested in the entire Casteel series for my now teenage daughters. As expected, they both love this book and can barely set it down!

And so it continues. Gates of Paradise is a story of loss and a story of everlasting love. Annie loses her family in a tragic accident and must overcome injuries that leave her temporarily disabled. On her journey to recovery, she encounters her grandfather Tony Tatterton and Farthinggale Manor. Only then does she begin to see the real world inside her fantasy castle. Farthinggale is shrouded in secrecy and delusion. Stuck in the past! Loved it.

I love how Andrews’ writing breathes life into her characters. I felt Annie’s pain & heartbreak, her anger & disgust, as well as her joy & longing. I found myself cheering her triumphs and being let down/frustrated by her challenges as if I was living her tale. This is a beautiful book with tragedy, forbidden loves and happily ever afters mixed together.

I read Flowers in the Attic years ago, along with my mother, sister and friends. Just like the Casteel series, we couldn’t put them down! While there is some very disturbed characters, you can’t wait to see how the story is resolved. With the amazing character development, they jump off the pages into your mind and you just have to see what happens next.

I had read book 1 and decided that no matter what I needed to read the whole series. I am now on book 5 the final book written. Although I cannot say that each book was a 5 star to me, I still enjoyed each one and highly recommend indulging yourself with each book in sequence!

I really loved reading this book because as usual, V C Andrews has out done herself again. I would suggest that you get Casteel Book 1 to start and then read each of the books in the order they were written. I am currently almost finished reading book 5 in this series, and I have loved each one very much. If you enjoy reading the books by V C Andrews, then you will certainly enjoy this complete set. I know I have.

It’s a good book, apart of a good series

It is so bittersweet to be back in this world again. I took a few days off in-between reading the first three books and this one. In this book, we are following Annie, Heaven’s daughter. We see her as a grown-up 18-year-old and living a fanciful, happy and free life. She has everything she could possibly wish for and everything Heaven didn’t have when she was growing up. It is strange seeing Heaven as only a peripheral character and not the main voice of the story. I always feel a sense of loss when reading this book as if she has moved on and wants to live her life privately. However, this factor and the small break I took did lessen the pain when disaster struck. Annie is forced through circumstances to go to Farthingale Manor and stay with who she believes is her step great-grandfather, Tony. She is crippled and needs to recuperate, and everyone around decides that this would be the best environment for her. However, the sinister ghosts that have lived at Farthy for many years have grown restless and aren’t prepared to give Annie the peace she needs. Instead, her nightmare has only just begun. This has never been my favourite book in the series, mainly for no longer following Heaven. However, this time around, I have enjoyed it much more. I truly felt the despair that Annie was feeling and felt as trapped as she was; there was no way out of the situation; she was truly at Tony’s mercy. Knowing all the secrets up front as well, I was spurred on to read and revisit Annie’s involvement of them unravelling around her. It was great to read this book once more, and I feel emotionally wrung out, and I still have the final instalment to read, which always breaks me. I’m going to move straight on to it, and rip it off like a plaster.

my mother likes the author and liked the whole series deffinetly a good read

Easy to read and enjoyable

Re reading the books I read many years ago.. Still fabulous, easy reading, and one book in this series in particular still makes me cry...!! Lovely story!