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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Rape
This book was the perfect conclusion to the series (although it is the prequel). Getting to see inside the mindsets of some of the biggest antagonists of the series was incredibly enlightening and masterfully done.
John Amos was sympathetic and kind at first but began to show his insanity towards the end of the book. Religion was both a positive and negative force in this book, the most balanced it’s been in the series, and John Amos was the pinnacle of this conflict.
Malcom in this book was both familiar and a total stranger. His obsession with his mother, as well as his initial love for his daughter were there - but the true depths of his obsession were revealed, and the most shocking plot twist of the book took place in his mindset. It wasn’t him who hated Corrine’s children, but his wife. He would have allowed the children to live freely and in splendor despite their “sins.” That forced me to rethink my entire viewpoint on the series, something I’ve never had to do during a prequel before. He was a little too flat as a character, though - everything he did was driven in some way by his hatred for women and ultimately his love/hate relationship with his mother. However, this isn’t good justification for his actions - not every abandoned child grows up to be a cold, manipulative rapist, after all - and readers don’t really find a way to sympathize with him at all until the end of his life. And by then, I felt that it was too late - he got what he deserved.
Olivia was a masterful character. Before this, we knew her only to hate her - after all, she was the children’s cruel jailor. In this book, though, we get to see her in her youth: hopeful, innocent, insecure, and praying that someday she will find love. It was heartbreaking to read about Malcom’s rapidly decreasing interest in her and how he truly viewed her only as an object until she displayed her manipulative competence in dealing with his affair. Her shift in character was slow and believable, with heartache after tragedy chipping away at her ability to feel kindness until she became the grey-clad woman we met in the first book of the series. Showing her and her love for her children was eye-opening, especially when put into contrast next to her cruelty to the Dresden dolls.
This was a welcome bit of backstory and insight that only served to add more layers to the twisted tale. All the plot twists and reveals enhanced the other books so much and the insight into the characters truly built up the world of the Dresden dolls.
John Amos was sympathetic and kind at first but began to show his insanity towards the end of the book. Religion was both a positive and negative force in this book, the most balanced it’s been in the series, and John Amos was the pinnacle of this conflict.
Malcom in this book was both familiar and a total stranger. His obsession with his mother, as well as his initial love for his daughter were there - but the true depths of his obsession were revealed, and the most shocking plot twist of the book took place in his mindset. It wasn’t him who hated Corrine’s children, but his wife. He would have allowed the children to live freely and in splendor despite their “sins.” That forced me to rethink my entire viewpoint on the series, something I’ve never had to do during a prequel before. He was a little too flat as a character, though - everything he did was driven in some way by his hatred for women and ultimately his love/hate relationship with his mother. However, this isn’t good justification for his actions - not every abandoned child grows up to be a cold, manipulative rapist, after all - and readers don’t really find a way to sympathize with him at all until the end of his life. And by then, I felt that it was too late - he got what he deserved.
Olivia was a masterful character. Before this, we knew her only to hate her - after all, she was the children’s cruel jailor. In this book, though, we get to see her in her youth: hopeful, innocent, insecure, and praying that someday she will find love. It was heartbreaking to read about Malcom’s rapidly decreasing interest in her and how he truly viewed her only as an object until she displayed her manipulative competence in dealing with his affair. Her shift in character was slow and believable, with heartache after tragedy chipping away at her ability to feel kindness until she became the grey-clad woman we met in the first book of the series. Showing her and her love for her children was eye-opening, especially when put into contrast next to her cruelty to the Dresden dolls.
This was a welcome bit of backstory and insight that only served to add more layers to the twisted tale. All the plot twists and reveals enhanced the other books so much and the insight into the characters truly built up the world of the Dresden dolls.
Great prequel to a great series! Provides some interesting plot twists that change how you look at the rest of the series. Definitely recommend it !
Ironically, this is probably the best book of the series. I would actually recommend for curious adults with other things to read just sticking with this one and the OG Flowers in the Attic. Maybe Petals on the Wind, if you're really into it. If There Be Thorns is frustratingly redundant, just repeating the last two books without any addition to the story beyond teaching small children about incest, with bonus animal harm, while Seeds of Yesterday is offensive drivel that serves only to refine and magnify the misogyny and cruelty that's always been at the heart of the series, only to wrap it all up as having led everyone to The Lorp in the end.
Basically one of those teenage reads that didn't really need revisiting, but here we are.
Basically one of those teenage reads that didn't really need revisiting, but here we are.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love Olivia's story and it has been a long time ago since I read this book. Now, I wonder why it is number 5.
I guess it is so that you can learn to hate Olivia throughout the book. As I read the series again I had forgotten the big secret and was floored because I had forgotten it to this point.
This book was amazing I loved all the characters and I loved reading about Olivia and Malcolm. I would recommend this to any V.C. Andrews fan who has read the first four in the Dollanganger series!
I guess it is so that you can learn to hate Olivia throughout the book. As I read the series again I had forgotten the big secret and was floored because I had forgotten it to this point.
This book was amazing I loved all the characters and I loved reading about Olivia and Malcolm. I would recommend this to any V.C. Andrews fan who has read the first four in the Dollanganger series!
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can see some hints of the grandmother but didn't feel like she was that sane person. Kind of felt unnecessary to the overall dollanganger story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry
Well-paced, sympathetic, and reasonably well-written. It was good to end this largely lame series on such a note.
Sometimes I like to re-read the crappy books I read as a teenager for nostalgia and laughter.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced