My Sweet Audrina

I used to love this book when I was a youngish teenager, the combination of Gothic elements, mystery, revenge, and suspense made it irresistible. Possibly I was more into it than Andrew's more popular Flowers in the Attic. Certainly My Sweet Audrina is just as good. I reread it many times, still enjoying it even once I knew the big secret.

Audrina is the narrator and protagonist of the story, living under the shadow of her brighter and better older sister, now diseased. It is a dark atmosphere indeed that Andrews created, perfect for the Gothic genre. Audrina's living in a mansion, known as Whitefern, but far from luxurious, it is run down from neglect, full of inadequate lighting, a dangerous staircase, and—in the case of her dead sister's bedroom—creepy dolls and spider webs. If that weren't enough, there's always the stormy weather happening in key moments throughout the book.

The major conflict for Audrina is one of memory and identity, with Audrina lacking a sense of her past and always wishing to be like her older sister, Audrina, who family speaks of as being so “special.” Unaware she is the victim of, among other things, a huge gaslighting plot, she never even knows the time, the day, nor is she allowed to attend school (Unsubtly, the main rooms in Whitefern are lit by gaslight.)

“There were shadows in the corners and whispers on the stairs and time was as irrelevant as honesty.”

In retrospect, the big reveal of the book seems obvious. Did Audrina not think it was weird that she had the same birthday, same name, same appearance as her long dead sister? The first time I read this, I admit I accepted it entirely, so complete was the gaslighting and so sympathetic was young Audrina's narration. The main mystery of the book is psychologically fascinating, if you can suspend your disbelief.

Adding to Aurdina's problems is the dynamic of constant tension between her parents, between her mom and her aunt, and between everyone and Audrina's wild and willful cousin, Vera. High, overwrought emotions, secrets and revenge add to the gothic atmosphere and romantic and sexual jealousy, as well as a general obsession/repulsion about sex give My Sweet Audrina its spice. A lot of this is man/woman battle of the sexes stuff: Mom gave up her career to be a wife, Aunt Elspeth has secret feelings for Dad, and just who is Vera's father anyway? Kinda soapy but compulsively readable.

“There was a war going on in our house, a silent war that sounded no guns, and the bodies that fell were only wishes that died and the bullets were only words and the blood that was spilled was always called pride.”

The secondary revenge plot is pretty good too, and Andrews plays a long game with it, including a bit of misdirection. Audrina's father is apparently the heavy, pitting all the women against each other for his love and keeping Audrina tightly under his control through fear, guilt, and affection. Yet, it all comes down to the women making decisions and taking action—and since this is a bit of a melodrama, a bit of a dark fantasy—they mostly make the wrong ones. It's notable that nothing big happens in this book that wasn't the result of action or machinations of one of the female characters. Maybe that was another reason that this and all VC Andrews works meant so much to me at the time.