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Girls of Spindrift #3
Mayfair
Book Three of the Girls of Spindrift.
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Flowers in the Attic and My Sweet Audrina series (now Lifetime movies) continues a haunting new series featuring highly intelligent teenage girls who struggle to survive a specialized high school and find their place in a world that doesn’t understand them.
Such is the burden of being brilliant.
Mayfair arrives at Spindrift School, and quickly begins to feel its walls are a prison, its teachers her wardens. Having become best friends with Corliss and Donna, the three of them become the de facto It Girls of Spindrift; the other students call them the Supremes—and not for their singing talents.
Jogging the grounds of Spindrift one day, the girls notices a hole in the fence leading to the nearby town that the students are never permitted to visit. Gathering up their nerve for an off-campus excursion, they venture to a local bar, and into the presence of a man Mayfair becomes enchanted by. Thrilling and new, this affair of the heart is the opposite of the rigorous study Spindrift demands of its pupils. And so for this ultra-smart girl, the question becomes: which is smarter, which brings more self-satisfaction, the path of the brain, or the wilds of the heart?
The four Girls of Spindrift novellas together form a sequel to Bittersweet Dreams—available now!
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Flowers in the Attic and My Sweet Audrina series (now Lifetime movies) continues a haunting new series featuring highly intelligent teenage girls who struggle to survive a specialized high school and find their place in a world that doesn’t understand them.
Such is the burden of being brilliant.
Mayfair arrives at Spindrift School, and quickly begins to feel its walls are a prison, its teachers her wardens. Having become best friends with Corliss and Donna, the three of them become the de facto It Girls of Spindrift; the other students call them the Supremes—and not for their singing talents.
Jogging the grounds of Spindrift one day, the girls notices a hole in the fence leading to the nearby town that the students are never permitted to visit. Gathering up their nerve for an off-campus excursion, they venture to a local bar, and into the presence of a man Mayfair becomes enchanted by. Thrilling and new, this affair of the heart is the opposite of the rigorous study Spindrift demands of its pupils. And so for this ultra-smart girl, the question becomes: which is smarter, which brings more self-satisfaction, the path of the brain, or the wilds of the heart?
The four Girls of Spindrift novellas together form a sequel to Bittersweet Dreams—available now!
102 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2018
About the author
V.C. Andrews
379 books8,491 followersBooks published under the following names - Virginia Andrews, V. Andrews, Virginia C. Andrews & V.C. Endrius. Books since her death ghost written by Andrew Neiderman, but still attributed to the V.C. Andrews name
Virginia Cleo Andrews (born Cleo Virginia Andrews) was born June 6, 1923 in Portsmouth, Virginia. The youngest child and the only daughter of William Henry Andrews, a career navy man who opened a tool-and-die business after retirement, and Lillian Lilnora Parker Andrews, a telephone operator. She spent her happy childhood years in Portsmouth, Virginia, living briefly in Rochester, New York. The Andrews family returned to Portsmouth while Virginia was in high school.
While a teenager, Virginia suffered a tragic accident, falling down the stairs at her school and incurred severe back injuries. Arthritis and a failed spinal surgical procedure forced her to spend most of her life on crutches or in a wheelchair.
Virginia excelled in school and, at fifteen, won a scholarship for writing a parody of Tennyson's Idylls of the King. She proudly earned her diploma from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth. After graduation, she nurtured her artistic talent by completing a four-year correspondence art course while living at home with her family.
After William Andrews died in the late 1960s, Virginia helped to support herself and her mother through her extremely successful career as a commercial artist, portrait painter, and fashion illustrator.
Frustrated with the lack of creative satisfaction that her work provided, Virginia sought creative release through writing, which she did in secret. In 1972, she completed her first novel, The Gods of the Green Mountain [sic], a science-fantasy story. It was never published. Between 1972 and 1979, she wrote nine novels and twenty short stories, of which only one was published. "I Slept with My Uncle on My Wedding Night", a short fiction piece, was published in a pulp confession magazine.
Promise gleamed over the horizon for Virginia when she submitted a 290,000-word novel, The Obsessed, to a publishing company. She was told that the story had potential, but needed to be trimmed and spiced up a bit. She drafted a new outline in a single night and added "unspeakable things my mother didn't want me to write about." The ninety-eight-page revision was re-titled Flowers in the Attic and she was paid a $7,500 advance. Her new-generation Gothic novel reached the bestseller lists a mere two weeks after its 1979 paperback publication by Pocket Books.
Petals on the Wind, her sequel to Flowers, was published the next year, earning Virginia a $35,000 advance. The second book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for an unbelievable nineteen weeks (Flowers also returned to the list). These first two novels alone sold over seven million copies in only two years. The third novel of the Dollanganger series, If There Be Thorns, was released in 1981, bringing Virginia a $75,000 advance. It reached No. 2 on many bestseller lists within its first two weeks.
Taking a break from the chronicles of Chris and Cathy Dollanganger, Virginia published her one, and only, stand-alone novel, My Sweet Audrina, in 1982. The book welcomed an immediate success, topping the sales figures of her previous novels. Two years later, a fourth Dollanganger novel was released, Seeds of Yesterday. According to the New York Times, Seeds was the best-selling fiction paperback novel of 1984. Also in 1984, V.C. Andrews was named "Professional Woman of the Year" by the city of Norfolk, Virginia.
Upon Andrews's death in 1986, two final novels—Garden of Shadows and Fallen Hearts—were published. These two novels are considered the last to bear the "V.C. Andrews" name and to be almost completely written by
Virginia Cleo Andrews (born Cleo Virginia Andrews) was born June 6, 1923 in Portsmouth, Virginia. The youngest child and the only daughter of William Henry Andrews, a career navy man who opened a tool-and-die business after retirement, and Lillian Lilnora Parker Andrews, a telephone operator. She spent her happy childhood years in Portsmouth, Virginia, living briefly in Rochester, New York. The Andrews family returned to Portsmouth while Virginia was in high school.
While a teenager, Virginia suffered a tragic accident, falling down the stairs at her school and incurred severe back injuries. Arthritis and a failed spinal surgical procedure forced her to spend most of her life on crutches or in a wheelchair.
Virginia excelled in school and, at fifteen, won a scholarship for writing a parody of Tennyson's Idylls of the King. She proudly earned her diploma from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth. After graduation, she nurtured her artistic talent by completing a four-year correspondence art course while living at home with her family.
After William Andrews died in the late 1960s, Virginia helped to support herself and her mother through her extremely successful career as a commercial artist, portrait painter, and fashion illustrator.
Frustrated with the lack of creative satisfaction that her work provided, Virginia sought creative release through writing, which she did in secret. In 1972, she completed her first novel, The Gods of the Green Mountain [sic], a science-fantasy story. It was never published. Between 1972 and 1979, she wrote nine novels and twenty short stories, of which only one was published. "I Slept with My Uncle on My Wedding Night", a short fiction piece, was published in a pulp confession magazine.
Promise gleamed over the horizon for Virginia when she submitted a 290,000-word novel, The Obsessed, to a publishing company. She was told that the story had potential, but needed to be trimmed and spiced up a bit. She drafted a new outline in a single night and added "unspeakable things my mother didn't want me to write about." The ninety-eight-page revision was re-titled Flowers in the Attic and she was paid a $7,500 advance. Her new-generation Gothic novel reached the bestseller lists a mere two weeks after its 1979 paperback publication by Pocket Books.
Petals on the Wind, her sequel to Flowers, was published the next year, earning Virginia a $35,000 advance. The second book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for an unbelievable nineteen weeks (Flowers also returned to the list). These first two novels alone sold over seven million copies in only two years. The third novel of the Dollanganger series, If There Be Thorns, was released in 1981, bringing Virginia a $75,000 advance. It reached No. 2 on many bestseller lists within its first two weeks.
Taking a break from the chronicles of Chris and Cathy Dollanganger, Virginia published her one, and only, stand-alone novel, My Sweet Audrina, in 1982. The book welcomed an immediate success, topping the sales figures of her previous novels. Two years later, a fourth Dollanganger novel was released, Seeds of Yesterday. According to the New York Times, Seeds was the best-selling fiction paperback novel of 1984. Also in 1984, V.C. Andrews was named "Professional Woman of the Year" by the city of Norfolk, Virginia.
Upon Andrews's death in 1986, two final novels—Garden of Shadows and Fallen Hearts—were published. These two novels are considered the last to bear the "V.C. Andrews" name and to be almost completely written by
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 23, 2018
Mayfair is the third book of the Girls of Spindrift series by V.C. Andrews. The series is a set of novellas that are prequels to the book Bittersweet Dreams which has already been published. I have not yet read Bittersweet Dreams myself but I don’t believe it would necessary to have done so to understand this novella, it seems to be mainly some character building for what would be coming in Bittersweet Dreams.
The first two novellas in the series introduced Corliss and Donna and now Mayfair has joined them at the exclusive Spindrift School that is for the extremely gifted. These girls never fit into their lives being well above their peers in school and testing off the charts and now they have found each other and began to bond and become friends. While the girls are out jogging they find a way under the fence and into a small town near the school and decide to explore.
Being novella length I’m sure you’ll all expect my usual the story is good but there isn’t a lot of depth. I really don’t mind with these as it’s more nostalgia to dip into the haunting lives that live within the pages of a V.C. Andrews novella. And yes, I’m well aware along with most anyone that V.C. herself passed away years ago and these are actually written by her ghostwriter, Andrew Neiderman.
There are some out there who 1 star every book coming out without ever giving them a chance, however I’m not one of those and actually like trying these out. While some stories written since her passing were really terrible some of them aren’t too bad and good for that trip into the past occasionally. The Girls of Spindrift is one that I don’t find that bad at all, not award winning but good to pass the time.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more review please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
The first two novellas in the series introduced Corliss and Donna and now Mayfair has joined them at the exclusive Spindrift School that is for the extremely gifted. These girls never fit into their lives being well above their peers in school and testing off the charts and now they have found each other and began to bond and become friends. While the girls are out jogging they find a way under the fence and into a small town near the school and decide to explore.
Being novella length I’m sure you’ll all expect my usual the story is good but there isn’t a lot of depth. I really don’t mind with these as it’s more nostalgia to dip into the haunting lives that live within the pages of a V.C. Andrews novella. And yes, I’m well aware along with most anyone that V.C. herself passed away years ago and these are actually written by her ghostwriter, Andrew Neiderman.
There are some out there who 1 star every book coming out without ever giving them a chance, however I’m not one of those and actually like trying these out. While some stories written since her passing were really terrible some of them aren’t too bad and good for that trip into the past occasionally. The Girls of Spindrift is one that I don’t find that bad at all, not award winning but good to pass the time.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more review please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
June 16, 2018
I have read almost all of the V.C. Andrews books since the first one published when I was 12. This is the 3rd novella in the Girls of Spindrift series. I have met 3 of the girls so far as this is the third book. Spindrift is a special school for students who just don't fit in at a regular school as they are more advanced than the teachers there with their IQ of 180 or higher. Yeah, these are not the run of the mill teens but they may just be too advanced to participate in normal conversations or social media. We meet Mayfair is this novella, she along with Corliss and Donna that we met in the previous novellas are called the Supremes at school. The girls are tired of being kept separated from "normal teens" so they set out to change that. Jogging one day they see a hole dug under a fence that separates the school from outside world. Knowing they will get into a lot of trouble if caught they slip under anyways and discover the outside world is not what they expected it to be .
Pub Date 02 Jul 2018
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
Pub Date 02 Jul 2018
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
July 2, 2018
I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
3 Stars
Mayfair is the 3rd installment in the Girls of Spindrift series, as well as the sequel to the full-length novel Bittersweet Dreams. I recommend against reading as a standalone. Corliss, Donna, then Mayfair.
I rated the first two much higher, and I do believe that is in part to the fact that Corliss and Donna began before the girls arrived at Spindrift, allowing the reader to forge an emotional connection with the characters, as well as weaving an air of mystery to Spindrift. Mayfair begins while at Spindrift, with a major event 'told' not shown, and this created an emotional disconnect between me and the narrator.
The residents of Spindrift take being geniuses to a whole new level, beyond the range of what an average, everyday person could even contemplate. This almost detached emotional state is difficult to connect to for the reader, at least it was for me.
I enjoyed watching the struggle unfold for the girls as they tried to assimilate back into the population- however, I felt it rather vapid, as if there is no in between. You're either beyond genius or only enjoy shopping and the mall, with no in between.
Overall, I just felt for someone so intelligent, every thought and action was emotionally and mentally stunted at the age of 10 or 12, which made for a difficult read for me.
While this was a quick read, and did fit into the series as a whole, I never connected, didn't truly feel entertained, and never connected to the story or the narrator. With such an original premise surrounding Spindrift, I'm unsure why Mayfair and what she told within her story was a focal point in the first place. With a beginning told (not shown), a dry middle, and it ended before I felt it began, what was or was to come would have been a more interesting focal point to read about instead of what was on the pages.
Recommended to fans of VC Andrews and this series.
3 Stars
Mayfair is the 3rd installment in the Girls of Spindrift series, as well as the sequel to the full-length novel Bittersweet Dreams. I recommend against reading as a standalone. Corliss, Donna, then Mayfair.
I rated the first two much higher, and I do believe that is in part to the fact that Corliss and Donna began before the girls arrived at Spindrift, allowing the reader to forge an emotional connection with the characters, as well as weaving an air of mystery to Spindrift. Mayfair begins while at Spindrift, with a major event 'told' not shown, and this created an emotional disconnect between me and the narrator.
The residents of Spindrift take being geniuses to a whole new level, beyond the range of what an average, everyday person could even contemplate. This almost detached emotional state is difficult to connect to for the reader, at least it was for me.
I enjoyed watching the struggle unfold for the girls as they tried to assimilate back into the population- however, I felt it rather vapid, as if there is no in between. You're either beyond genius or only enjoy shopping and the mall, with no in between.
Overall, I just felt for someone so intelligent, every thought and action was emotionally and mentally stunted at the age of 10 or 12, which made for a difficult read for me.
While this was a quick read, and did fit into the series as a whole, I never connected, didn't truly feel entertained, and never connected to the story or the narrator. With such an original premise surrounding Spindrift, I'm unsure why Mayfair and what she told within her story was a focal point in the first place. With a beginning told (not shown), a dry middle, and it ended before I felt it began, what was or was to come would have been a more interesting focal point to read about instead of what was on the pages.
Recommended to fans of VC Andrews and this series.
July 9, 2018
Let's be absolutely fucking clear here - V.C. Andrews did not write this book. The book cover/advertisements for 'Mayfair' claim that the same person who wrote the FITA and My Sweet Audrina series (hold on. There is only ONE Adare novel. Neiderman's shitty money-grubbing attempts do not constitute a 'series' but back to the point...) but it's a bold-faced lie by the publishers to try to push these new books.
The crap Neiderman writes has gotten worse and doesn't sell as much as it used to. V.C. Andrews has been dead for THIRTY years now, and her notes were long used up (I suspect around or right after the Logan series) It's 100 percent Neiderman now, and it befuddles me that the publishers and family keep pushing this even though V.C. left behind several manuscripts which any fan would LOVE to read (like the Obsessed)
As a V.C. Andrews fan, I want to see a book come out that was actually written by V.C. Andrews herself, not a lazy ghostwriter who knows her name sells better than his own, and is trying to see what kind of crap he can get away with under her name (Secret Brother, Whitefern, anyone?)
If the ghostwriter wants to keep writing - then by all means, let him do so under HIS own name, and have the REAL VCA's unpublished manuscripts finally out for us VCA fans! The publishers would make a lot of money off that, which makes me wonder why they insist on passing Neiderman's crap under VCA's name but not releasing her actual manuscripts! And releasing a bunch of books ONLY in e-format instead of doing the smart thing and i don't know, releasing all titles in BOTH paperback and e-format?
If you're unhappy with the publishers and the ghostwriter, make yourselves heard.
This book was the spectacular failure that I expected it to be. Beautiful, rich, smart girl gets in trouble due to her naivete because book-smarts don't equal street smarts... oh my! So cliche...
Well, cliches can work in the hands of talented authors who give these cliches humor, depth, or both. Neiderman does neither, and his attempt to portray the mind/voice of a smart teen girl just falls flat. It's obvious he's not even trying anymore, and is just grasping at straws and stereotypes, making for main characters who come across as unlikable. I didn't like Mayfair in the first book, and I like her less after this.
Neiderman, cut this crap and step back the fuck away from the computer. I'm surprised you don't have carpal tunnel syndrome from all the time you spend churning out these books. And if you're truly so confident in your writing ability (you even bragged about being better than VCA when you were caught writing reviews for yourself on Amazon) then you should have no problem releasing all future writing projects under your own name. Because you're such a FUCKING AWESOME author, right? ..Right???
The crap Neiderman writes has gotten worse and doesn't sell as much as it used to. V.C. Andrews has been dead for THIRTY years now, and her notes were long used up (I suspect around or right after the Logan series) It's 100 percent Neiderman now, and it befuddles me that the publishers and family keep pushing this even though V.C. left behind several manuscripts which any fan would LOVE to read (like the Obsessed)
As a V.C. Andrews fan, I want to see a book come out that was actually written by V.C. Andrews herself, not a lazy ghostwriter who knows her name sells better than his own, and is trying to see what kind of crap he can get away with under her name (Secret Brother, Whitefern, anyone?)
If the ghostwriter wants to keep writing - then by all means, let him do so under HIS own name, and have the REAL VCA's unpublished manuscripts finally out for us VCA fans! The publishers would make a lot of money off that, which makes me wonder why they insist on passing Neiderman's crap under VCA's name but not releasing her actual manuscripts! And releasing a bunch of books ONLY in e-format instead of doing the smart thing and i don't know, releasing all titles in BOTH paperback and e-format?
If you're unhappy with the publishers and the ghostwriter, make yourselves heard.
This book was the spectacular failure that I expected it to be. Beautiful, rich, smart girl gets in trouble due to her naivete because book-smarts don't equal street smarts... oh my! So cliche...
Well, cliches can work in the hands of talented authors who give these cliches humor, depth, or both. Neiderman does neither, and his attempt to portray the mind/voice of a smart teen girl just falls flat. It's obvious he's not even trying anymore, and is just grasping at straws and stereotypes, making for main characters who come across as unlikable. I didn't like Mayfair in the first book, and I like her less after this.
Neiderman, cut this crap and step back the fuck away from the computer. I'm surprised you don't have carpal tunnel syndrome from all the time you spend churning out these books. And if you're truly so confident in your writing ability (you even bragged about being better than VCA when you were caught writing reviews for yourself on Amazon) then you should have no problem releasing all future writing projects under your own name. Because you're such a FUCKING AWESOME author, right? ..Right???
July 8, 2018
I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Read.
Finally! The girls get to Spindrift! Mayfair’s book starts once all three girls have settled in to Spindrift and formed a friendship of sorts. In a school full of socially awkward geniuses, the three beautiful young women are called the Supremes.
After wading through the first two novellas, I think I was hoping for something more once the girls got to Spindrift. And while we do get a sense of the physicality of the secure school facility, the secrets behind Spindrift are still merely hinted at.
Mayfair’s book somehow manages to spiral into something that almost resembles a romance. She might be a genius, but Mayfair’s decisions seem fairly stupid and her reactions are those of a defiant and somewhat spoiled rich kid. Mayfair isn’t a terribly likeable character. She is as smug as Corliss and Donna but she also comes across as vain and shallow.
I really haven’t enjoyed the style of the writing in these three prequels. I don’t need my characters to be likeable - I quite enjoy a good antihero or an unreliable narrator - but I really couldn’t engage with any of the three girls and I found the painfully slow build of the story arc incredibly frustrating.
Finally! The girls get to Spindrift! Mayfair’s book starts once all three girls have settled in to Spindrift and formed a friendship of sorts. In a school full of socially awkward geniuses, the three beautiful young women are called the Supremes.
After wading through the first two novellas, I think I was hoping for something more once the girls got to Spindrift. And while we do get a sense of the physicality of the secure school facility, the secrets behind Spindrift are still merely hinted at.
Mayfair’s book somehow manages to spiral into something that almost resembles a romance. She might be a genius, but Mayfair’s decisions seem fairly stupid and her reactions are those of a defiant and somewhat spoiled rich kid. Mayfair isn’t a terribly likeable character. She is as smug as Corliss and Donna but she also comes across as vain and shallow.
I really haven’t enjoyed the style of the writing in these three prequels. I don’t need my characters to be likeable - I quite enjoy a good antihero or an unreliable narrator - but I really couldn’t engage with any of the three girls and I found the painfully slow build of the story arc incredibly frustrating.
March 29, 2019
I'm not like other smart girls, or am I? I'm so confused with myself. Oh look a boy, shiny.
June 28, 2018
This book actually was the first book by V.C. Andrews I have read in years because every book seemed to be the same. Mayfair, even though it’s the third in a series brought back by faith in this author. These highly intelligent girls are part of a school where they can’t get out ever. They find an opening underneath a fence and go out and experience some life, especially one girl. I can’t wait to read the previous 2 books that are on Scribd. Definitely recommend if you are looking for something different by her.
October 13, 2023
A complete waste of time.
Was this "series" a writing exercise for 13yo girls?
A complete waste of time.
Was this "series" a writing exercise for 13yo girls?
A complete waste of time.
July 9, 2018
Check out our
Mayfair
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Mayfair
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Erica – ☆☆☆
Mayfair is the third installment in the Girls of Spindrift series, as well as the sequel to the full-length novel Bittersweet Dreams. I recommend against reading as a standalone. Corliss, Donna, then Mayfair.
I rated the first two much higher, and I do believe that is in part due to the fact that Corliss and Donna began before the girls arrived at Spindrift, allowing the reader to forge an emotional connection with the characters, as well as weaving an air of mystery to Spindrift. Mayfair begins while at Spindrift, with a major event 'told' not shown, and this created an emotional disconnect between me and the narrator.
The residents of Spindrift take being geniuses to a whole new level, beyond the range of what an average, everyday person could even contemplate. This almost detached emotional state is difficult to connect to for the reader, at least it was for me.
I enjoyed watching the struggle unfold for the girls as they tried to assimilate back into the population – however, I felt it rather vapid, as if there is no in between. You're either beyond genius or only enjoy shopping and the mall, with no in between.
Overall, I just felt for someone so intelligent, every thought and action was emotionally and mentally stunted at the age of 10 or 12, which made for a difficult read for me.
While this was a quick read, and did fit into the series as a whole, I never connected, didn't truly feel entertained, and never connected to the story or the narrator. With such an original premise surrounding Spindrift, I'm unsure why Mayfair and what she told within her story was a focal point in the first place. With a beginning told (not shown), a dry middle, and it ended before I felt it began, what was or was to come would have been a more interesting focal point to read about instead of what was on the pages.
Recommended to fans of VC Andrews and this series.
Sarah – ☆☆☆
Finally! The girls get to Spindrift! Mayfair’s book starts once all three girls have settled in to Spindrift and formed a friendship of sorts. In a school full of socially awkward geniuses, the three beautiful young women are called the Supremes.
After wading through the first two novellas, I think I was hoping for something more once the girls got to Spindrift. And while we do get a sense of the physicality of the secure school facility, the secrets behind Spindrift are still merely hinted at.
Mayfair’s book somehow manages to spiral into something that almost resembles a romance. She might be a genius, but Mayfair’s decisions seem fairly stupid and her reactions are those of a defiant and somewhat spoiled rich kid. Mayfair isn’t a terribly likeable character. She is as smug as Corliss and Donna, but she also comes across as vain and shallow.
I really haven’t enjoyed the style of the writing in these three prequels. I don’t need my characters to be likeable – I quite enjoy a good antihero or an unreliable narrator – but I really couldn’t engage with any of the three girls and I found the painfully slow build of the story arc incredibly frustrating.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Mayfair (Girls of Spindrift #3) by V.C. Andrews to read and review.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Erica – ☆☆☆
Mayfair is the third installment in the Girls of Spindrift series, as well as the sequel to the full-length novel Bittersweet Dreams. I recommend against reading as a standalone. Corliss, Donna, then Mayfair.
I rated the first two much higher, and I do believe that is in part due to the fact that Corliss and Donna began before the girls arrived at Spindrift, allowing the reader to forge an emotional connection with the characters, as well as weaving an air of mystery to Spindrift. Mayfair begins while at Spindrift, with a major event 'told' not shown, and this created an emotional disconnect between me and the narrator.
The residents of Spindrift take being geniuses to a whole new level, beyond the range of what an average, everyday person could even contemplate. This almost detached emotional state is difficult to connect to for the reader, at least it was for me.
I enjoyed watching the struggle unfold for the girls as they tried to assimilate back into the population – however, I felt it rather vapid, as if there is no in between. You're either beyond genius or only enjoy shopping and the mall, with no in between.
Overall, I just felt for someone so intelligent, every thought and action was emotionally and mentally stunted at the age of 10 or 12, which made for a difficult read for me.
While this was a quick read, and did fit into the series as a whole, I never connected, didn't truly feel entertained, and never connected to the story or the narrator. With such an original premise surrounding Spindrift, I'm unsure why Mayfair and what she told within her story was a focal point in the first place. With a beginning told (not shown), a dry middle, and it ended before I felt it began, what was or was to come would have been a more interesting focal point to read about instead of what was on the pages.
Recommended to fans of VC Andrews and this series.
Sarah – ☆☆☆
Finally! The girls get to Spindrift! Mayfair’s book starts once all three girls have settled in to Spindrift and formed a friendship of sorts. In a school full of socially awkward geniuses, the three beautiful young women are called the Supremes.
After wading through the first two novellas, I think I was hoping for something more once the girls got to Spindrift. And while we do get a sense of the physicality of the secure school facility, the secrets behind Spindrift are still merely hinted at.
Mayfair’s book somehow manages to spiral into something that almost resembles a romance. She might be a genius, but Mayfair’s decisions seem fairly stupid and her reactions are those of a defiant and somewhat spoiled rich kid. Mayfair isn’t a terribly likeable character. She is as smug as Corliss and Donna, but she also comes across as vain and shallow.
I really haven’t enjoyed the style of the writing in these three prequels. I don’t need my characters to be likeable – I quite enjoy a good antihero or an unreliable narrator – but I really couldn’t engage with any of the three girls and I found the painfully slow build of the story arc incredibly frustrating.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Mayfair (Girls of Spindrift #3) by V.C. Andrews to read and review.
July 8, 2018
I grew up reading VC Andrews, and I still get excited when I see a new book, even though I know it’s technically written by someone else these days. While I’ve not read all of them since the author’s death, I have read and enjoyed a number of them. This is the first one I’ve read in a bit, and I didn’t read the previous books in the series.
I found this book to be so-so for me. I may have felt differently if I’d read the books in order, as this is the third book in the series. I’ve jumped into other series in the middle in the past and have been fine. Perhaps this one was different due to the fact it’s a novella. I didn’t connect with the characters, and some parts (including the ending) felt rushed and left things hanging a bit. However, this will not prevent me from checking out other books by this author in the future.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.
I found this book to be so-so for me. I may have felt differently if I’d read the books in order, as this is the third book in the series. I’ve jumped into other series in the middle in the past and have been fine. Perhaps this one was different due to the fact it’s a novella. I didn’t connect with the characters, and some parts (including the ending) felt rushed and left things hanging a bit. However, this will not prevent me from checking out other books by this author in the future.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.
August 21, 2018
It was OK. Not the most exciting miniseries Neiderman wrote. But readable. The Orphans was my favorite.
Kept wondering if the shrink principal in Mayfair is a nod to The Wildflowers series, which was also a vastly better series. Am looking forward with mild curiosity to what happens in the next book.
Kept wondering if the shrink principal in Mayfair is a nod to The Wildflowers series, which was also a vastly better series. Am looking forward with mild curiosity to what happens in the next book.
August 8, 2018
Short and sweet
Very quick read thought it would be longer. Look forward to reading next book will have to re read others again
Very quick read thought it would be longer. Look forward to reading next book will have to re read others again
July 22, 2018
Changed
Not enjoying this book in this series. It is like author changed his writing style . Or should I say writing style of V. C. Andrews. 😑
Not enjoying this book in this series. It is like author changed his writing style . Or should I say writing style of V. C. Andrews. 😑
July 14, 2018
Mayfair is attending Spindrift School where she meets two classmates that become her friends. All three have never felt as a part of the “clique” with their classmates. The school is for those who are gifted. The three girls discover as they jog together that their is a hole under the fence big enough for them to go under. They discuss sneaking out so they can explore what is around the school. They end up going under the fence. Where do they go? What will they do?
I don’t want to spoil the story so I am stopping in order to encourage you to read it. I had fun reading it. It made me think of what life as a teenager was for me. I could relate to all three gals. The novella kept my interest as I wanted to see what was going to happen next. Enjoy reading this story!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
I don’t want to spoil the story so I am stopping in order to encourage you to read it. I had fun reading it. It made me think of what life as a teenager was for me. I could relate to all three gals. The novella kept my interest as I wanted to see what was going to happen next. Enjoy reading this story!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
July 5, 2018
Spindrift is an experimental boarding school for the exceptionally gifted (IQ over 180). Mayfair, the main character, has a father who remarried and she does not have a sense of "family". Mayfair had been burned in her last relationship and was not in a rush to go to the next. She goes jogging with her friends and they find a path dug under the fence that overlooks a mall. The three friends venture out and have fun. They meet a man who is attracted to Mayfair - and she to him. The following night, Mayfair goes alone and finds the man, Leo, at the same restaurant/bar. Carefree, she takes off with him, realizing the consequences but freedom is her main interest. The two of them share a night of passion...
An OK read. Some of the books under the name V.C. Andrews grab me more than others. This one kind of left the reader hanging. Many thanks to Pocket Star Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book!
An OK read. Some of the books under the name V.C. Andrews grab me more than others. This one kind of left the reader hanging. Many thanks to Pocket Star Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book!
June 27, 2018
More recently, I have been nostalgic for books that I read during my childhood. VC Andrews was one of those authors that I devoured during middle school. I think it was that nostalgia that drew me to this series.
Spindrift is a school for the exceptionally gifted. Mayfair is the main character in this novella. While jogging one day, she and her friends find a hole dug under a fence and they go and check out what there. She meets a man and craves freedom enough to go with him.
I didn't connect with this novella as much as I had hoped. It was a decent read- and while I may go back and reread books of this authors that I read 30 years ago, I'm not sure I'll continue to read anything new.
Spindrift is a school for the exceptionally gifted. Mayfair is the main character in this novella. While jogging one day, she and her friends find a hole dug under a fence and they go and check out what there. She meets a man and craves freedom enough to go with him.
I didn't connect with this novella as much as I had hoped. It was a decent read- and while I may go back and reread books of this authors that I read 30 years ago, I'm not sure I'll continue to read anything new.
July 2, 2018
Mayfair
by V.C. Andrews
Having read the previous books, Corliss, Donna, and Spindrift. Mayfair is the final individual story of the Spindrift, coming out after the main book, much of this story is the continuation of the story in the main novel. Mayfair is the one of the Supreme girls at Spindrift academy. This is a short story of breaking the rules, and finding that love is not as impossible as we make it. The fact that Mayfair falls for another older man makes the mother in me cringe, although i see it as good book plot. This is a nice supplement to the original book.
by V.C. Andrews
Having read the previous books, Corliss, Donna, and Spindrift. Mayfair is the final individual story of the Spindrift, coming out after the main book, much of this story is the continuation of the story in the main novel. Mayfair is the one of the Supreme girls at Spindrift academy. This is a short story of breaking the rules, and finding that love is not as impossible as we make it. The fact that Mayfair falls for another older man makes the mother in me cringe, although i see it as good book plot. This is a nice supplement to the original book.
June 13, 2018
Felt too rushed, as if just when things were getting where they needed to be, it was over. I was expecting a book and this was barely a novella. Normally like these books but this fell very flat.
September 5, 2018
Can't wait for the next book
September 11, 2018
Awesome read!I
This book captured your heart and doesn't let go, keeps you on your toes till the end. Leaves you waiting for the next book, Spindrift.
This book captured your heart and doesn't let go, keeps you on your toes till the end. Leaves you waiting for the next book, Spindrift.
November 29, 2018
Not sure
Didn't know where this book was headed. What has Mayfair gotten herself into? Can't wait to read the next book.
Didn't know where this book was headed. What has Mayfair gotten herself into? Can't wait to read the next book.
August 22, 2024
Maybe it's because I haven't been a teenager in a long time, but this was so bad. I read Flowers in the Attic in high school and liked it then and reread it last year and it was an okay read for me that time. The only reason I read this was to fulfill a prompt for a reading challenge, and wished I picked anything else. This was just bad, too many precocious teenagers and how they're so special; the author tried too hard to make them sound that way. Also, did not appreciate all the head jumping, as well as there being very little action. Do not recommend.
November 4, 2019
Storyline was okay, but it felt like Mayfair was a completely different character from Bittersweet Dreams. From being completely analytical and unfeeling she suddenly becomes someone who wants to throw her whole future away for nothing. Who runs away with someone she has two conversations with. That’s the decision of an immature girl, not the logical, head-over-heart planner Niederman spent a whole book developing in the first place. Such a character assassination!
July 31, 2024
Third of the 4 novellas related to Spindrift school which was introduced in the (at the time) standalone novel Bittersweet Dreams.
Definitely the weakest of the novellas thus far. Completely absurd plot which undermines the protagonist's character authenticity. Hope that the last novella rebounds and brings the Spindrift series to a satisfying conclusion.
If half-stars were an option, I would rate 1.5.
Definitely the weakest of the novellas thus far. Completely absurd plot which undermines the protagonist's character authenticity. Hope that the last novella rebounds and brings the Spindrift series to a satisfying conclusion.
If half-stars were an option, I would rate 1.5.
October 9, 2019
The third book in the Girls of Spindrift series. Introduction to Mayfair, a character in V.C. Andrews Girls of Spindrift series. Mayfair is a student at Spindrift. She wants more than Spindrift has to offer though. When she meets a mysterious man, she has to decide what she wants.
Entertaining story about a teen girl who is a genius at a unique private school. Quick read.
Entertaining story about a teen girl who is a genius at a unique private school. Quick read.
June 22, 2019
My, my, my
These books just keep wandering further and further away from the style of the original V.C. Andrews's style. Not the attention grabbing books that demanded to be read within a day or at least by weekend's end.
These books just keep wandering further and further away from the style of the original V.C. Andrews's style. Not the attention grabbing books that demanded to be read within a day or at least by weekend's end.
May 23, 2020
Not the bwst
Not as good as the usual series that have been written. Not planning on reading the rest of this series
Not as good as the usual series that have been written. Not planning on reading the rest of this series
July 1, 2020
Mayfair ( The Girls of Spindrift Book 3) by V. C. andrews
This was the best book out of the Spindift Series so far. Mayfair was the best character out of the three girls. She keeps life interesting.
This was the best book out of the Spindift Series so far. Mayfair was the best character out of the three girls. She keeps life interesting.
May 6, 2022
OK, I did enjoy the book, but not as much as some of the others from VC Andrews. It is well-written and easy to keep up with the storyline. I do enjoy the series, and hope it continues.
June 26, 2024
So Incredibly boring with an ending that I’m sure is meant to be a cliffhanger but I just don’t care.
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