The complete Series
This series is comprised of four books written by V.C Andrews. They are, in order, listed below.
Rain
Lightning Strikes
Eye of the Storm
The End of the Rainbow
What it's about (no spoilers):
This series primarily follows Rain, an under privileged teen who maintains who depends on her strength, moral compass and pride to get her through and survive the tough streets and her abusive father. After being faced with the most traumatic event of her life, she is confronted with skeletons that had been shoved in her family closet long ago and never spoken of since.
With as much pride and dignity as she can, she navigates the obstetrical and struggles that her family's secrets bring to her life while holding true to who she is and becoming the person she hopes to one day be, despite the curse she believes hovers over her and, by connection, those she loves.
The series closes with "The End of the Rainbow" which is the only one of the four books to be written from the point of view other then Rains, but, instead, someone who is very close and dear to Rain's heart in which Rain continues to persevere in a a dramatic and threatening world while supporting those she loves as the face their own significant, life changing struggles.
What did I think?
While I liked many of the characters, I felt as if some of the characters could have had better development. In fact, some of the story lines within the overall story, seemed to come to an abrupt end, leaving me thinking "All that for that?!" I realize that these story lines may have been so abruptly ended due to time restraints, but I can't help but to wish that they had been given just a little more attention and time to play through a little more.
I did, however, like Rain. I really liked that she was a strong, independent girl who didn't play the victim even when it would have been understandable had she decided to do so. I even liked her name! I also liked that this was not as dark as some V.C Andrews books can get. In addition, I can't help but appreciate that their were significantly less characters in this series that were mean and cruel just to be mean and cruel, which, I think, made many of the characters to be easier to relate to and care about.
My favorite parts were sprinkled throughout the series but all centered around a very few select characters. My favorite moments were those shared between Rain and her Mrs. Hudson. I loved that, while both women were strong, stubborn and proud, they understood each other well and brought out the best in one another. Their interactions were fun to see and often made me smile.
I also really times that Rain shared with Jake, a friend of Mrs. Hudson's, who quickly found affection for Rain, taking her under his wing and loving her like his own family. I loved how loyal and true he was to her, especially when she needed it most.
With all of that being said, I feel I need to be honest with you. V.C Andrews is not my favorite author. While I enjoy many of her books and are very rarely sorry that I read her works, I do not often find myself feeling a need to re-read them. This series was an exception to the rule and, though I did enjoy it, I remember liking it more the first time I experienced it, though I didn't remember much this time and felt as if I was reading it for the first time again. I am glad that I got to know Rain today and would happily recommend this series to someone who enjoys this genre, as I acknowledge that his is not a genre that I favor but the story was enjoyable.
Let's rate it!
I rate this series, as a whole....
3 out of 5 Rain drops
Now you know what I think, tell us what you think! Let us know in the comments if you've read this series. Did you hate it? Did you love it? Who was your favorite character? Would you recommend this series to a friend? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
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