Heaven

Written by Angela Johnson

Narrated by Andrea Johnson

Heaven is the perfect name for the small Ohio town where 14-year-old Marley lives. Or at least she thought so until the fateful day when the mysterious letter arrived. Now her life has been turned upside down. Twelve years ago Momma chose to live in Heaven because she liked the name of the town and the white picket fences and the little schoolhouse by the river. Pops agreed that it was a good place after he made sure it had a Western Union office. Ever since she can remember, Marley's been sent to Western Union to wire money to Uncle Jack. Now that she's learned the significance of those errands, life will never be the same. This award-winning author introduces a likeable, believable young character. Listeners empathize with her search for identity and are edified by her choice to forgive the family who hid her adoption from her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 22, 2009
• ISBN: 9781436188302

Reviews for Heaven

[jennysbookbag.com · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book got me into reading as a kid. I love the entire series.

[penguinburger · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was actually one of my favorites of all the classic Andrews books. It's a pretty controversial story, but nothing you don't see on TV these days. This was the only Casteel series book where I actually really liked Heaven.

[booklover3258 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a page turner for me. I couldn't put it down! What a great story, to follow Heaven from when she was little to the end when she was a teenager and all of the pitfalls that happened in her life at that time. I cannot wait to start Dark Angel.

[anagarika0sean · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A twisted story, but good. The best of this series.

[shesinplainview · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this when I was in my late teens/earlier twenties right after finishing the Dollenganger series. I liked it okay at the time but not enought to finish the series.

[joyeuxbelle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I feel so ashamed to allocate four stars to this trashy, completely unrealistic, and occasionally disturbing novel. However, if I didn't, I'd just be lying to myself.

V.C Andrews is the absolute Queen of Trash, Queen of Ethereal-Beauties-Who-are-Constantly-in-Fear-of-Getting-Raped, Queen of Handsome-Evil-Rich Men, and Queen of What-the-Hell! I've never read (or even heard) of another author mass-producing such drivel for the eagerly waiting masses to lap up. If another such author exists - please, let me know!

Heaven is a young girl who lives in the hills of West Virginia with her bad ol' Pa, who hates her because she killed his one true love being born - Angel. Her and her siblings are sold off one by one. Heaven to a psychopathically unstable woman who clearly needs to get over her past. Cue dalliances with nutters husband. Anguish ensues.

Essentially, Heaven is Cinderella-porn at it's best (worst?), set among a backdrop of hillbilly shin-digs, mean and nasty townspeople, evil step-mothers, severe abuse, and shining heros without horses.

[dandelion_cottage · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Reading this for a book club. One of the worst books I've ever read! So bad it's almost funny.

[tequap_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

this is my all time favorite story from the author. i read it first when i was 13 and it remains to intrigue me, years later

[eightambliss · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Heaven is one of V.C. Andrews' original works (as opposed to the later work done by her ghostwriter). It tells the story of Heaven Casteel, a young girl living in the mountains of West Virginia, who is decidedly smarter than the other hill folk who live there. In typical Andrews fashion, Heaven uncovers secrets about how long-dead mother, is uprooted from her family, and moved to Atlanta with a new adoptive family, along the way pursuing her dreams and uncovering dark family secrets. This is the first in a series of five books.Although this isn't my favorite series (since it was later finished by the Ghostwriter), Heaven does stand out in the Casteel series and is an interesting book since it takes place in several different locations.

[jennmurphy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story of a poor hillbilly girl sold by her own family. Not one of my favorite Andrew's books, but still an interesting read if you aren't expecting too much. A bit of reality suspending is necessary when reading about the trials of Heaven.

[rubyslippersreads · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Reading this for a book club. One of the worst books I've ever read! So bad it's almost funny.

[desilu42 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was my first V.C. book and I gave it 5 stars because no book besides Flowers in the attic can measure up to it. The story of Heaven Leigh was a tragic one and I cried at certain parts of the book. I decided to name my daughter Heaven Leigh after the book and it will always have a special place in my heart.

[eljabo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, but it brings back such fun memories! I was about 14 when I first read this book, giggling with my girlfriends over all the dirty parts. Re-reading it as a "grown-up" cemented my love for the book - it's horrible, tasteless, trashy and loads of fun!I see it as a poor man's Little House on the Prairie (if they had lived in West Virginia) You've got Ma, Pa and a bunch of unkempt children sharing a one bedroom house. Of course, there are a few parts that are different. In this book, Pa gets an STD and sells all his kids at $500 a pop. Plus, some of the brothers and sisters aren't exactly appropriate with each other. And at one point, the kids contemplate eating the family dog because they're hungry. But other than that, it's EXACTLY the same...

[fingerpost_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Marley is a 14-year-old girl who lives with her parents and brother in the small town of Heaven, Ohio. Her two good friends are Shoogy Maple, a rebellious teenager in a seemingly perfect family, and Bobby, a young man not a whole lot older than herself, who is raising a daughter on his own. Marley's other important person in her life is Uncle Jack, who she's never met, but with whom she's corresponded by mail for many years. He seems to just travel around the country with his dog, Boy, as a semi-vagrant.But Marley's whole world is shaken to it's core when she learns that Uncle Jack is not her uncle, but her father. And her parents are actually her aunt and uncle. She has a difficult time coming to terms with this new reality.I loved this short little book. It's got some powerful stuff in in it. Side note: I did find it odd that it won the Coretta Scott King award. Although Marley and her family are black, there doesn't seem to be anything at all about the black experience in the book. If the characters had all been white, it could have been exactly the same tale. There was mention several times about black churches in around America being burned. This was odd. It didn't play a part in the story in any way. I couldn't figure out why it was mentioned at all.

[whisper1_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

When 12 year old Marley discovers that she is adopted, her perception of who she is and the parents who raised her is turned upside down.Learning that her uncle is her biological father, she struggles to define truth.This book is well written and the characters are all very likeable. As a parent of an adopted daughter I didn't feel the issues were depicted as in depth as they should/could have been.Edit | More

[kairstream · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

 Marley finds out she's adopted and her whole life turns upside down. Nothing seems right. But, in the end she finds that love is the most important thing. No drugs, violence or race.

[crimson_idealist · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Summary: Marley thought she knew her family until a secret about her past comes to light.Evaluation: This story moved rather slowly and took place mostly in Marley's head. The reader sees how Marley deals with learning the secret and learning all about family. It's very well-written, but it does move slowly.

[joannachilders · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Angela Johnson's concise, poetic narrative gives weight to Marley's search for her identity. When she finds out that the parents she has always known are actually her aunt and uncle, Marley struggles to come to terms with whether her birth parents or the parents that raised her shaped her identity more. As Marley matures, she begins to see that it is ok to love and be loved by both her Momma and Daddy and her Uncle Jack (her absentee biological father)- "I love the people who raised me by that river and...I love the man who finally came back to tell me the stories I needed to hear from so long ago." Marley's story is short, poignant, and beautiful.

[amcguinn_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Marley learns the truth about her "parents" one summer afternoon. Marely discovers that she is adopted and she feels like the world she has known has been a lie. Can she trust these people any longer? What about Uncle Jack? Who is he really? Johnson's characters come to life and make the story seem real. This story teaches the reader that those who love us sometimes lie to protect us from the truth. Marley discovers that she hasn't lost her parents, but has gained new information that helps her understand who she is. Awards and Honors: Coretta Scott King

[jnfalvey · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Marley (named after Bob Marley) has lived in Heaven, OH since she was two years old, and everything has been--heavenly. The only difference between her and the other kids she knows is that she makes weekly trips to Ma's Superette to send money to her Uncle Jack via Western Union. Uncle Jack writes letters to her regularly, telling all about his travels. She also has a best friend, Shoogy Maple, who has a strangely perfect family, and she loves to babysit baby Feather while her friend Bobby paints. One day Marley's world shifts suddenly, however, when she learns that she is actually her Uncle Jack's daughter, and that the people she thought were her parents are actually her aunt and uncle. her name isn't even Marley--it's Monna. Marley struggles to come to grips with this new information, even as Uncle Jack decides it's time to come home and meet Marley.This was a disappointing book. Marley remained a mostly flat character, and her cadre of friends seem like standard characters trotted out according to a formula: the troubled friend from the too-perfect family; the mysterious Uncle who writes loving letters to a niece he's supposedly never met; the lonely, sensitive artist with the darling child he adores. The letter which precipitates Marley's knowledge about her birth seems contrived, and her reaction to it somehow doesn't ring true. Part of the problem may be that the book just moves too quickly. At only 138 (small) pages, events seem to move too quickly to really get to know Marley and understand why this betrayal is so significant for her. Though it makes sense that she would be confused and hurt, and young readers will be able to identify with those feelings, she is never developed enough to completely engage the reader, and in the end the story just seems a bit trite. "Even though some of the stories will hurt my heart and sometimes make me afraid of losing more of what I have; I want her to know that it's been a fine life, for a girl like me, in Heaven."

[lindalundeen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Marley lives in Heaven, Ohio with her mom, dad, and brother Butchy. She gets occasional letters from her dad's twin brother, Jack and her best friend in Shoogy Maple whose family is perfect. Fourteen year-old Marley's world is perfect until one day when she learns a family secret. Johnson tells the story, Heaven, in first person through Marley the main character. The author hooks you from the very beginning of the story because you want to know about a town named Heaven and just why Uncle Jack is writing letters to Marley. It is a letter from Deacon James David Major concerning the burning of the Our First Mission Church in Alabama and how the records in that church were destroyed and how it affects Marley and her family.Johnson does a wonderful job of bringing her characters to life and giving the reader people that they can relate with. You want to know about the relationship between Marley and Uncle Jack, who has not seen her since her birth. Why do Marley's parent's send Uncle Jack money through Western Union? I believe that this story will appeal to teenage readers between the ages of 12 to 14 and they will appreciate the theme of the story which is that it is the family that loves and surrounds you everyday who let you know you are loved.Heaven is a Coretta Scott King Award winner

[owensmj · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fourteen year-old Marley's happy life is shattered when she discovers that her uncle is actually her father. She struggles to accept this revelation, and gradually begins to understand and trust her adoptive parents again.Marley's present-tense narration really helps the reader sympathize with her and feel something of the pain she experiences, like when she is basically in shock immediately after finding out the truth about her parentage.

[ermsmediacenter · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fourteen-year-old Marley's seemingly perfect life in the small town of Heaven is disrupted when she discovers that her father and mother are not her real parents.