The Unwelcomed Child by V.C. Andrews ……….. A Review

"My mother had looked into the face of evil so many times she knew what it was. It was me. I was born without a soul…" 
                                   The Unwelcomed Child by V.C. Andrews

Satan's child. Pure evil. Or an innocent baby victimized by superstitions and hard fought beliefs? I could not put this book down! It's horror, but it's psychological horror. V.C. Andrews plays tricks with our minds. Leads us down a path, but veers to another. But there is so much more to The Unwelcomed Child than the psychological horror; there's first love, and first passions awakened…

Elle was born from an unwanted pregnancy, an act deemed evil by her over-the-top religious Grandmother. Abandoned right after her birth by her Mother, who was escaping both the pregnancy and the prison she called home, Elle was suspected to be pure evil, born from an unholy act. To keep Satan from his ultimate prize, Elle was forced into a life of confinement, laborious housework, strict religious teachings and no outside contact with the living world all under the watchful eye of her Grandmother… until one day Elle had a chance meeting. Was this the start of the sin that was just waiting to emerge?

What can I say about this book? It was a definite page turner. I was slowly pulled into the book innocently enough, with a well crafted story and more than well written characters, but then I was so wrapped up in the protagonist, Elle, I had to keep reading into the long hours of the night to see what was going to happen next. There are so many dynamics to the story too- What  creates the relationship between Mother and Daughter? What makes us the person we are? What is that fine line of protecting and suffocating? Can evil acts ever be justified? The story is filled with psychological horror, the way Elle was raised in such an atmosphere void of much normalcy, but then Elle starts to become a person, with feelings, a curious mind and questions that just can't be beat out of her. Is her Grandmother truly guarding Elle & protecting her from the devil inside her, or punishing her for a deed not of her own doing? The turning point in Elle's life, in the book, will have you on the edge of your seat wondering which direction V.C. Andrews is going to take you.

I felt the horror and fears of Elle's everyday life, but then I also felt that giddiness of falling in love for the first time. The plot was building up as the pages turned, my heart pounding at times, and then without warning I was gently brought back to the real world. Sometimes a story can drop you off a cliff at the end, but this one did not, and I found that to be very satisfying. I thoroughly enjoyed The Unwelcomed Child! If psychological horror is not the norm for your reading tastes, but this story sounds intriguing to you, I would recommend giving The Unwelcomed Child a try. It's a well crafted story and a great example of this type of genre.

It has been probably over 20 years since I've read any horror, and thank to the folks at Pocket Books, I had the opportunity to rediscover V.C. Andrews and a genre that I had overlooked for some time. Thank you Pocket Books! Putting some "horror" back in the TBR pile! The Unwelcomed Child by V.C. Andrews will be available in Kindle Edition and a Kindle Edition on January 21st!

First Book of The Year 2014...

It's funny sometimes how we bloggers discover books, other blogs, meet new bloggers, meet other readers, new authors, publishers and other bookish people. I was reading a post from Vasilly of 1330v ~ Thoughts of an eclectic reader about her first read of the year and how it could almost set the tone of the whole year. I thought this was interesting as I never really thought about "the first" book of the year.     So, how am I going to set the tone of my reading year? I definitely have plenty of books to read, but now I am feeling the pressure of making the right choice!

All this talk about first books really started when Vasilly visited Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila asked readers on her blog what their first read of the year would be and created a link for everyone to enter their posts or photos of what the book would be…

OK, so I am stepping out of the box just a bit. I'm going to read The Unwelcomed Child by V.C. Andrews. It's a new book coming out by the same author who wrote the horror novel Flowers in The Attic. I remember being being so wrapped up in Flowers in The Attic, and unable to put it down. It has been years, probably over 20 years since I read it and it still stirs up feelings of dread. I am so excited to read an author I haven't read in years and whose books I use to love. It's stepping out of the box a bit because I haven't read any horror in years. This copy of The Unwelcomed Child is a review copy courtesy of Pocket Books, so it's not out on the shelves until Jan. 21, but here's the teaser from the publisher…

My mother had looked into the face of evil so many times she knew what it was. It was me. I was born without a soul. . . .

Elle Edwards grew up believing that because of her mother’s sinful ways she was born without a soul; that’s why she was abandoned and left in the care of Grandmother Myra and Grandfather Prescott, who try to ensure her evil will not infect them—by raising her in a virtual prison. Because her days are occupied with homeschooling, strict religious studies, and vigorous housekeeping in their upstate New York home, Elle knows practically nothing of the outside world, even as she emerges as a young woman with impressive artistic talent. But when she makes a secret, forbidden connection to vacationers at the nearby lake—a handsome boy and his precocious twin sister—Elle’s world will shatter. Will  discovering the truths about her past send her future plummeting to hell?

Hmmm, I wonder what tone I'm setting by reading a horror novel first?! :-) I guess we'll just have to see what the rest of the year brings. In the meantime, I'm going to start to record my "first reads" of the year. I love the idea of putting some thought into picking out the first book you'll read for the year. How about you? What's your first book going to be for the year? Want to participate in The First Book of the Year 2014? Here's the link to the Book Journey and what it's all about.