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Dollanganger #5
Garden of Shadows
The inspiration behind Lifetime’s new miniseries event, Flowers in the The Origin.
Olivia dreamed of a sun-filled love, a happy life. Then she entered Foxworth Hall...
V.C. Andrews' thrilling new novel spins a tale of dreadful secrets and dark, forbidden passions—of the time before Flowers in the Attic began. Long before terror flowered in the attic, thin, spinsterish Olivia came to Virginia as Malcolm Foxworth's bride. At last, with her tall handsome husband, she would find the joy she had waited for, longed for. But in the gloomy mansion filled with hidden rooms and festering desires, a stain of jealous obsession begins to spread...an evil that will threaten her children, two lovely boys and one very special, beautiful girl. For within one innocent child, a shocking secret lives...a secret that will taint the proud Foxworth name, and haunt all their lives forever!
Olivia dreamed of a sun-filled love, a happy life. Then she entered Foxworth Hall...
V.C. Andrews' thrilling new novel spins a tale of dreadful secrets and dark, forbidden passions—of the time before Flowers in the Attic began. Long before terror flowered in the attic, thin, spinsterish Olivia came to Virginia as Malcolm Foxworth's bride. At last, with her tall handsome husband, she would find the joy she had waited for, longed for. But in the gloomy mansion filled with hidden rooms and festering desires, a stain of jealous obsession begins to spread...an evil that will threaten her children, two lovely boys and one very special, beautiful girl. For within one innocent child, a shocking secret lives...a secret that will taint the proud Foxworth name, and haunt all their lives forever!
327 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
872 people are currently reading
20123 people want to read
About the author
V.C. Andrews
370 books9,205 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 1,233 reviews
March 12, 2019
Estoy shook. Me encanta esta familia tan retorcida, ¡y desde las raíces! Yo podría leer libros de los Dollanganger/Foxworth por siempre y no me cansaría. Es tanto DRAMA y uFFFF. Casi al final tuve que arrojar el libro del coraje que me dio, ESA FAMILIA SIEMPRE ESTUVO DESTINADA A LA DESGRACIA.
August 15, 2007
Ever wonder why Cathy's grandmother was such a bitch? No? Well, I did. Apparently, so did VC Andrews. It turns out, it was because she was so damn tall, wore her hair pulled back sternly, and was so serious! Oh, and because her husband cheated on her with his stepmother. And then he killed his father, and impregnated his stepmother who gets PUT IN THE ATTIC. Geez, they just stuck everyone up there. So does that make him his...stepsister's father? Well, anyway, the stepmother has a daughter who is the most beautiful woman of all! Anyway, the daughter ends up falling in love with who she THINKS is her half uncle...but little does she know...he's her HALF BROTHER! So they get damned to hell by Cathy's grandmother, and then they run away together and have Cathy, her gross brother, and the twins. Confused? I am too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2019
Book Review
3 out of 5 stars to Garden of Shadows, the 5th book in the young adult thriller series written in 1987 by V.C. Andrews. Two key things to note about this book. The author passed away while writing this book, and I'm not clear on how much VC Andrews wrote versus a ghost writer at the publishing firm. Also, it's the fifth book in the series, but it is actually a prequel to Flowers in the Attic, so it should be read first. That said, if you read it first, you'd totally lose the power of the first book... it's better to see someone as bad before you find out they were once good, as well as what pushed them to turn towards the bad life! If you haven't read Flowers in the Attic, stop reading this review and go back to the beginning.
We find out what Olivia, the grandmother, was like as a child. We learn to like her for awhile, seeing how she was broken down by a wicked man and the loss of her parents at a young age. You begin to feel sympathy, but then you remember, it doesn't quite matter what was done to you, you should know better than to repeat the cycle, right?
I loved and hated this book. Took too much to read, pushed in the wrong directions. But it also continued a devastating and complex family saga. I had some different ideas on how it should have come together, but I was barely a few years at this point to be able to say anything. Imagine a young kid saying "Oh, I can write that better." LOL
If you read the series, you owe it to yourself to finish it with this one. If you didn't, don't start with this one even tho it's technically the "first."
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.
3 out of 5 stars to Garden of Shadows, the 5th book in the young adult thriller series written in 1987 by V.C. Andrews. Two key things to note about this book. The author passed away while writing this book, and I'm not clear on how much VC Andrews wrote versus a ghost writer at the publishing firm. Also, it's the fifth book in the series, but it is actually a prequel to Flowers in the Attic, so it should be read first. That said, if you read it first, you'd totally lose the power of the first book... it's better to see someone as bad before you find out they were once good, as well as what pushed them to turn towards the bad life! If you haven't read Flowers in the Attic, stop reading this review and go back to the beginning.
We find out what Olivia, the grandmother, was like as a child. We learn to like her for awhile, seeing how she was broken down by a wicked man and the loss of her parents at a young age. You begin to feel sympathy, but then you remember, it doesn't quite matter what was done to you, you should know better than to repeat the cycle, right?
I loved and hated this book. Took too much to read, pushed in the wrong directions. But it also continued a devastating and complex family saga. I had some different ideas on how it should have come together, but I was barely a few years at this point to be able to say anything. Imagine a young kid saying "Oh, I can write that better." LOL
If you read the series, you owe it to yourself to finish it with this one. If you didn't, don't start with this one even tho it's technically the "first."
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.
February 18, 2019
With all the drama of the Dollanganger saga done, it would seem that everything is as it should be. However, how did it all start and what led to such a fire and brimstone sentimentality that Bart ended up exuding upon reading his great-grandfather’s journals? V.C. Andrews answers this in this final instalment, a prequel of sorts, that takes that story far into the past, before things got out of hand. Olivia Winfield was a quiet girl, though her height and gangly nature made her more wholesome than attractive to many. The daughter of a successful businessman, Olivia was without a mother to guide her as she came of age. When Malcolm Foxworth came calling one day, Olivia was surprised that he would pay her any attention. Their whirlwind romance soon led to a wedding and Olivia’s move from Connecticut to Foxworth Hall in Virginia. When she arrived at this mansion, Olivia was in awe and it took her a while to absorb it all. She began to learn that all the servants and formal processes were only part of what she will have to learn, as Malcolm had a strong affinity for his departed mother, a woman who fled the family when he was all of five years of age. In time, Olivia and Malcolm welcomed two boys into the house, Mal and Joel, though both wished for a daughter. It is only when surprise houseguests arrive that the household got a great deal more interesting. With the arrival of Garland Foxworth, Malcolm is excited to see his father back, though he brought along a new bride of only eighteen. Alicia was young and quite clueless as to the ways of the world. She was also pregnant, meaning that Malcolm would soon have a half-sibling close to his children’s age. As Olivia tried to bond with Alicia, she discovered that there were some troubling aspects to the young woman’s life. It would seem Foxworth men have wiles that cannot be ignored, though their ability to win over the ladies was second to none. After Garland passed away, Malcolm reluctantly agreed to let Alicia stay in the house, now the mother to a little baby boy, Christopher. Given her own wing of the house, Alicia was left to wallow in the memory of her lost husband, all but incapable of caring for her son. When Olivia discovered that Alicia is being taken advantage of by Malcolm, she could not sit idly by, though there was little she could do to stop his antics. Locked away in the attic, Alicia became the first prisoner ever kept there, away from the eyes of others, at least until Olivia could put her plan into action. With a new child in the house, Corinne, the family expanded and Malcolm showed a troubling affinity towards her, favouring Corrine over the other children in the house. As Olivia grew older and watched her children mature, the family suffered other tragedies, hinted at in other books within the series. With this knowledge, Olivia became more jaded and heartless, transforming into the woman series fans came to know throughout the Dollanganger novels. A wonderfully written prequel that does lay the groundwork for much of the series, yet still full of wonderful twists that most readers would not have seen coming.
V.C. Andrews brings this highly controversial series to a close by opening the door to how it all began, if that makes any sense. The series is situated within the ‘young adult horror’ genre, but the plots have been able to hold my attention without getting too corny. In this book, the reader discovers much of the needed foundational information about the Foxworth family and how they came to hold such animosity. There are wonderful vignettes that put much of the concerns from the first two Dollanganger books into perspective here. OIivia finally gets her time in the limelight, giving the reader some time to get to know more about her. While the series fan knows her as The Grandmother, there is much more to her than the ruthless matriarch who wants nothing to do with the Dollangangers. Olivia enters life as a Foxworth with much hope, though it is dashed as soon as she discovers that Malcolm is highly duplicitous. Olivia shows some of her own conniving nature, which she justifies as protecting the family name. The attentive reader will be in for some wonderful and impactful surprises throughout, giving Olivia Foxworth new dimensions. Others who play key roles in the story help to create a wonderful narrative that fills the reader with wonder and confusion, particularly Malcolm Foxworth. His move to being highly religious and moralistic comes over time, though there are certainly some justified occurrences that push him in that direction. With a handful of other characters who reemerge throughout the series, this opening book proves to be highly intriguing. Set as an addendum to Olivia’s will, one can suppose that this novel is both a prequel and later revelation in the series, putting much in order that may not have been known beforehand. The surprises are plentiful and the story flows quite well, without much of the drama embedded in the rest of the series. The reader will be able to piece this all together and enjoy learning about some of the happenings that laid the groundwork for the banishment of the twins to the attic in the opening chapters of Flowers in the Attic. A great read that shows V.C. Andrews plotted this entire series out well before her death soon after this novel’s original publication.
Kudos, Madam Andrews, for allowing me a chance to see how the entire Dollanganger/Foxworth drama began and developed. While I have even surprised myself with how enthused I was to read it, I cannot deny it was an intriguing ride and one I would recommend to the patient reader who can sift through some corny plots.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
V.C. Andrews brings this highly controversial series to a close by opening the door to how it all began, if that makes any sense. The series is situated within the ‘young adult horror’ genre, but the plots have been able to hold my attention without getting too corny. In this book, the reader discovers much of the needed foundational information about the Foxworth family and how they came to hold such animosity. There are wonderful vignettes that put much of the concerns from the first two Dollanganger books into perspective here. OIivia finally gets her time in the limelight, giving the reader some time to get to know more about her. While the series fan knows her as The Grandmother, there is much more to her than the ruthless matriarch who wants nothing to do with the Dollangangers. Olivia enters life as a Foxworth with much hope, though it is dashed as soon as she discovers that Malcolm is highly duplicitous. Olivia shows some of her own conniving nature, which she justifies as protecting the family name. The attentive reader will be in for some wonderful and impactful surprises throughout, giving Olivia Foxworth new dimensions. Others who play key roles in the story help to create a wonderful narrative that fills the reader with wonder and confusion, particularly Malcolm Foxworth. His move to being highly religious and moralistic comes over time, though there are certainly some justified occurrences that push him in that direction. With a handful of other characters who reemerge throughout the series, this opening book proves to be highly intriguing. Set as an addendum to Olivia’s will, one can suppose that this novel is both a prequel and later revelation in the series, putting much in order that may not have been known beforehand. The surprises are plentiful and the story flows quite well, without much of the drama embedded in the rest of the series. The reader will be able to piece this all together and enjoy learning about some of the happenings that laid the groundwork for the banishment of the twins to the attic in the opening chapters of Flowers in the Attic. A great read that shows V.C. Andrews plotted this entire series out well before her death soon after this novel’s original publication.
Kudos, Madam Andrews, for allowing me a chance to see how the entire Dollanganger/Foxworth drama began and developed. While I have even surprised myself with how enthused I was to read it, I cannot deny it was an intriguing ride and one I would recommend to the patient reader who can sift through some corny plots.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
January 22, 2023
Wow, what a twist this story gets and has, I didn't see that one coming. From the beginning you are waiting for the train wreck to happen infront of you. This book will explain a lot of things and behaviours in the Dollganger series. I had a little prejudice because how much was written by the original writer, but I really enjoyed the reading. Every page was worth the time of reading. So its gets 4 points.
April 13, 2014
I read the first four books of the Dollanganger saga two years ago, and since then I've never felt quite emotionally prepared for the fifth book. I finally plucked up the courage to read Garden of Shadows, and it is safe to say V.C. Andrews has not let me down.
Fortunately, I didn't cry reading this book. I remember bawling my eyes out at every one of the first four books. This book, if possible, is even darker than Flowers in the Attic and it left me in a trance whenever I paused to do something else.
The book's plot is somewhat similar to Flowers in the Attic, and has many resemblances to it. I found myself sympathizing with Olivia, and hating Corinne as much as I did two years ago.
Honestly, I don't have much to say because Garden of Shawdows left me speechless. Therefore, I end this review with a gif.
June 20, 2007
The first and most important of the Andrews series. Felt oh so wrong while reading it and yet no girl of my generation could put them down! I enjoyed every page of every book.
December 20, 2011
(Full Review and more on Trashy Tuesday here: http://wp.me/p1Zgyz-8o )
At last, we've arrived at the final installment in the Dollanganger series! I was talking to Becoming Cliche over chat the other day about how thrilled I was to be able to stop reading VC Andrews, and she said something to the effect of "Oh, but Heaven was such a good book! And what about My Sweet Audrina?" I guess this means I will be revisiting this author at some point in the future, but hopefully not any time soon. There's only so many incestuous relationships a girl can handle at one time, you know?
I think it's interesting to note here, that this was the first VC Andrews book to be published after her death in 1986. It seems that it has been questioned as to whether this book was actually written partially by her before she died - and completed by the ghost-writer hired by her estate to continue her "legacy" - or whether the ghost-writer in fact wrote the entire thing himself. Interesting. I think I prefer the notion that he composed every future Andrews book with the assistance of a Ouija Board. It makes things more fun for me.
[heavy sigh]
Thus concludes the Dollanganger saga. It was fun to write about, but I'm pretty glad I'm done with the craziness for now. Up next on the Trashy Tuesday roster: Cave Pr0n!
At last, we've arrived at the final installment in the Dollanganger series! I was talking to Becoming Cliche over chat the other day about how thrilled I was to be able to stop reading VC Andrews, and she said something to the effect of "Oh, but Heaven was such a good book! And what about My Sweet Audrina?" I guess this means I will be revisiting this author at some point in the future, but hopefully not any time soon. There's only so many incestuous relationships a girl can handle at one time, you know?
I think it's interesting to note here, that this was the first VC Andrews book to be published after her death in 1986. It seems that it has been questioned as to whether this book was actually written partially by her before she died - and completed by the ghost-writer hired by her estate to continue her "legacy" - or whether the ghost-writer in fact wrote the entire thing himself. Interesting. I think I prefer the notion that he composed every future Andrews book with the assistance of a Ouija Board. It makes things more fun for me.
[heavy sigh]
Thus concludes the Dollanganger saga. It was fun to write about, but I'm pretty glad I'm done with the craziness for now. Up next on the Trashy Tuesday roster: Cave Pr0n!
March 30, 2018
I'm entertained by this installment of the Dollanganger series, we go back to uncover the 'origin story' of the hateful grandmother, Olivia Foxworth, from the first book. After reading this book, I still don't like Olivia, but at least I can see her reason and where she came from.
Although the plots and turns of events are highly predicable...down to the handsome husband getting abusive part, still I can understand those characters quite well...and despite of all the victim-blaming, melodramas, woman-on-woman-hating, rape and incest, Garden of Shadows is still Gothic horror/soap opera at its finest. Plus Ms. Andrews' writing and her skill of holding her readers' attention always amuses me. So, 4 stars.
PS: I'd just finished re-reading this book in Chinese at 30/03/2018!
List of my favorite V. C. Andrews' books: https://www.goodreads.com/list/user_v...
Although the plots and turns of events are highly predicable...down to the handsome husband getting abusive part, still I can understand those characters quite well...and despite of all the victim-blaming, melodramas, woman-on-woman-hating, rape and incest, Garden of Shadows is still Gothic horror/soap opera at its finest. Plus Ms. Andrews' writing and her skill of holding her readers' attention always amuses me. So, 4 stars.
PS: I'd just finished re-reading this book in Chinese at 30/03/2018!
List of my favorite V. C. Andrews' books: https://www.goodreads.com/list/user_v...
March 8, 2020
This is the prequel to Flowers in The Attic. I could not believe it I read and finished it before I get to college.
Read
July 23, 2011It has been a long while since I finished a book of this length in less than 2 nights. I remember, now, the appeal of V.C. Andrews. Yes, her plots are a little unrealistic and yes, her characters can seem a little falt but both are just fun reading for the beach or whatever. This novel is like reading a good Lifetime movie. Back to the novel itself. _Garden of Shadows_ is fun in its own right but even more fun if you are familiar with _Flowers in the Attic_ as GOS is its prequel and everyone loves prequels. Here, we get to see how that horrible, stern grandmother - played by Louise Fletcher in the movie - comes to be the austere woman she is. It gives pause for the reader to remember that not all cruel women have always been cruel. Rather, there has been incidents in their lives that have made them the way they are. Knowing what Olivia will become, we are introduced to her as a young girl - a girl with hopes and dreams and visions of love. She is robbed of all and becomes trapped in a loveless marriage to a faithless husband. As the novel progresses, we begin to see how a woman with great intelligence and potential begins to use her gifts towards bad instead of good - warping herself into the hateful grandmother and homicidal grandmother we meet in _Flowers in the Attic_. Corrine, however, remains a mystery. In _Flowers in the Attic_ we meet a woman who is incapable of standing up to her mother and, instead, uses her mother's actions as an excuse to rid herself of her children and move on with the life she left behind as a beautiful socialite. In my reading, Corrine was the real villain of _Flowers in the Attic_. In this novel, we don't really get a taste for how Corrine could have succombed to such a fate. Yes, she was spoiled as a girl; yes, she was haughty and a brat; yes, she felt in love with her half uncle that turned out to be her closer than half-brother. But, to abandon her children to the attic? That sociopathic leaning in Corrine just isn't seen in this novel at all. It would have been better, in my opinion, if we had seen a hint of it here. Perhaps if we had seen evidence that she loved her father for only what he would give her; perhaps if we had seen her show cruelty towards Christopher for failing to give into one of her whims. But, no. In Corrine, we see a rather beautiful and perfect woman - nothing of the monster she becomes in the follow up novel. So, while this novel was a delightful read, it did have its character flaws. But...what a ride. If you've got a day to spare and wouldn't mind some fluff that requires very little thought, why the heck not?
August 7, 2007
Takes you back to the beginning and makes the Dollanganger story even MORE twisted...
June 18, 2009
"Garden of Shadows", the prequel to "Flowers in the Attic", goes back to unchartered territory and succeeds in giving a new twist to the Dollangager saga.
"Garden" is the story of Olivia (the Grandmother) - - a few pages about her upbringing by her loving father, before we are taken right into her "arranged" marriage to Malcolm Foxworth, a good looking young man whom she feels love for, but that quickly turns on her wedding night when she is raped. Olivia comes to find out what a horrible, cruel and manipulative man her husband is - - he married her specifically because she wasn't pretty and attractive, a woman as opposite from his own mother as imaginable.
Olivia quickly supplies Malcolm with the heirs he requires and her life becomes a sad day after day of a loveless marriage. She is only spared by the arrival of her cousin, John Amos Jackson, who begins preaching religion to her, giving her a new place to turn.
And such would her life have been, had Malcolm's father Garland not arrived with his new teenaged bride, Alicia.
Without giving away too much of the story, or the spectacular twist that is revealed, I found "Garden" to be an absolute engrossing read. I even found sympathy with Olivia, despite her future actions in "Flowers" -- her coldness and seeming indifference is somewhat explained in "Garden". The character of Malcolm is shown in an even clearer light as manipulative, depraved and suffering from severely dysfunctional mother love/adulation/hatred.
Prequels often tend to fail, but "Garden" succeeds in being a fascinating story and giving a new twist on the old familiar Dollanganger saga.
"Garden" is the story of Olivia (the Grandmother) - - a few pages about her upbringing by her loving father, before we are taken right into her "arranged" marriage to Malcolm Foxworth, a good looking young man whom she feels love for, but that quickly turns on her wedding night when she is raped. Olivia comes to find out what a horrible, cruel and manipulative man her husband is - - he married her specifically because she wasn't pretty and attractive, a woman as opposite from his own mother as imaginable.
Olivia quickly supplies Malcolm with the heirs he requires and her life becomes a sad day after day of a loveless marriage. She is only spared by the arrival of her cousin, John Amos Jackson, who begins preaching religion to her, giving her a new place to turn.
And such would her life have been, had Malcolm's father Garland not arrived with his new teenaged bride, Alicia.
Without giving away too much of the story, or the spectacular twist that is revealed, I found "Garden" to be an absolute engrossing read. I even found sympathy with Olivia, despite her future actions in "Flowers" -- her coldness and seeming indifference is somewhat explained in "Garden". The character of Malcolm is shown in an even clearer light as manipulative, depraved and suffering from severely dysfunctional mother love/adulation/hatred.
Prequels often tend to fail, but "Garden" succeeds in being a fascinating story and giving a new twist on the old familiar Dollanganger saga.
April 16, 2020
This book did not disappoint me at all. In fact it was way better that what I thought it would be like. The Flowers in the Attic series is so good. This book kind of changed my view on how I saw things in Flowers in the Attic but in a good way.
I loved reading about Olivia's story. It was so different than what I had expected. I had expected that Olivia was an evil old woman her whole entire life but no that is not the case. Years of Foxworth Hall and years of Malcolm and being fed up did all that to her. But inside of her from the very beginning she was just a girl who wanted to be loved and be treated like one of those other girls despite her looks. She wanted to fall in love and she wanted to have Malcolm there for her and the children. I was surprised that she even loved the children. I really did think she was completely evil considering everything she did to Corrine's children. She had love in her heart for all children and just all those grey years changed her. She was a good person. And I feel so bad that her two sons in which she loved dearly died.
We do see sometimes that she had these acts of where she was changing a bit. Like when she wanted to kill Alicia's baby and when she keeps her locked up in the North Wing. There could have been other ways. I wish things could have been different for her.
I had no idea that Christopher and Corrine were not only half-uncle and niece but also brother and sister. It never did mention that in Flowers in the Attic if I recall correctly. That's just crazy though. They knew they were related but brother and sister is extreme. And plus they had children together. I'm surprised they weren't deformed or anything. How does that work actually? I'm not really sure.
I was surprised when it said Malcolm would have welcomed Corrine's children with welcome arms. And here I was thinking he was a bad guy mostly but in part it was mostly that grandmother of theres. John Amos also had a big impact on how things were going. He deeply believe in God and things were major sins to him. Soon passed on to Olivia. Life would have been so good for everyone even Malcolm and Olivia if Chris and Corrine never fell in love with each other. Malcolm was cruel from the start. He never loved Olivia. He just wanted someone who was opposite of his own mother. I was so proud of Olivia when she finally took up for herself and her children. They didn't deserve that.
Yet again this book series has not failed to impress me. And I do not hesitate to say that this is one of my favorite series. The author does an amazing job and it's brilliantly written. There is such great detail and that's what I love about it and it captures your interest.
I loved reading about Olivia's story. It was so different than what I had expected. I had expected that Olivia was an evil old woman her whole entire life but no that is not the case. Years of Foxworth Hall and years of Malcolm and being fed up did all that to her. But inside of her from the very beginning she was just a girl who wanted to be loved and be treated like one of those other girls despite her looks. She wanted to fall in love and she wanted to have Malcolm there for her and the children. I was surprised that she even loved the children. I really did think she was completely evil considering everything she did to Corrine's children. She had love in her heart for all children and just all those grey years changed her. She was a good person. And I feel so bad that her two sons in which she loved dearly died.
We do see sometimes that she had these acts of where she was changing a bit. Like when she wanted to kill Alicia's baby and when she keeps her locked up in the North Wing. There could have been other ways. I wish things could have been different for her.
I had no idea that Christopher and Corrine were not only half-uncle and niece but also brother and sister. It never did mention that in Flowers in the Attic if I recall correctly. That's just crazy though. They knew they were related but brother and sister is extreme. And plus they had children together. I'm surprised they weren't deformed or anything. How does that work actually? I'm not really sure.
I was surprised when it said Malcolm would have welcomed Corrine's children with welcome arms. And here I was thinking he was a bad guy mostly but in part it was mostly that grandmother of theres. John Amos also had a big impact on how things were going. He deeply believe in God and things were major sins to him. Soon passed on to Olivia. Life would have been so good for everyone even Malcolm and Olivia if Chris and Corrine never fell in love with each other. Malcolm was cruel from the start. He never loved Olivia. He just wanted someone who was opposite of his own mother. I was so proud of Olivia when she finally took up for herself and her children. They didn't deserve that.
Yet again this book series has not failed to impress me. And I do not hesitate to say that this is one of my favorite series. The author does an amazing job and it's brilliantly written. There is such great detail and that's what I love about it and it captures your interest.
January 1, 2020
After the last 2 dismal (but strong selling) outings.. what we really wanted and needed was a prequel? Well apparently this is what the publisher and writer(?) decided. Ultimately book selling is a business so I suppose we can't be that surprised... look how this has worked so well for the best selling writer in the world... Mr James Patterson!
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Dismal - 2 out of 12... and it gets more than 1, since I managed to finish it! One Star Read!
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Dismal - 2 out of 12... and it gets more than 1, since I managed to finish it! One Star Read!
November 9, 2015
Maldito drama y maldito seas Malcom.
Al fin obtuve mis ansiadas respuestas.
Al fin obtuve mis ansiadas respuestas.
September 24, 2014
I'm not going to say that Olivia Foxworth didn't have it bad, but nothing NOTHING that happened to her, in my opinion, is as bad as what she did to those children! And to think she knew, knew what would happen them; being up in that attic for so long. After all, she did watch Alicia Foxworth go nearly mad from being locked away in that room/attic for almost a year.
This book was probably the most shocking out of all of them, because after reading the first four you are always led to believe that Corrine married her half-uncle. Then come to find out that, that was not the case. That they were in fact of closer relation.
It turns out that Malcolm Foxworth was far sicker than I could have ever imagined! Always pining away for the mother that left him when he was a child. Wanting his own fathers wife because Alicia reminded him of her. Naming his own daughter after her; Corrine. CRAZY MAD SICK!
Then of course the dreaded John Amos! Oh yes, it's true he was right to warn Olivia that Corrine and Christopher where "too close." For indeed they were, but I also think that it weren't for him Olivia would have gotten past Corrine and Christopher's "unique relationship" and excepted her grandchild with open arms. Before she spoke to John about it, she had said she wanted grandchild. She even grieved Christopher's death, said that she would never have wish that sort of thing to happen to them, no matter what they'd done. It was John Amos who told her to lock those children away and harden her heart against them, because they were devils issue. Which leaves me to wonder just how much of what happen to those children where the ideas of John Amos? Did he suggest that Olivia put tar in Cathy hair when she refused to cut it? Did he suggest that she beat them bloody with a switch when they disobeyed? Which of course doesn't make Olivia blameless, because even if they were his suggestions she didn't have to listen.
Did John Amos suggest to Malcolm that he and Olivia should take the switch to Corrine's back as punishment for her sins? To my understanding even though Malcolm had whipped his sons he had never laid a hand on Corrine before, because he had dotted on her, spoiled her. And as far as I know Olivia had never laid a hand on any of her children. So it is just suspicious to me is all, because perhaps John Amos was the main reason for them acting the way they did.
This book was probably the most shocking out of all of them, because after reading the first four you are always led to believe that Corrine married her half-uncle. Then come to find out that, that was not the case. That they were in fact of closer relation.
It turns out that Malcolm Foxworth was far sicker than I could have ever imagined! Always pining away for the mother that left him when he was a child. Wanting his own fathers wife because Alicia reminded him of her. Naming his own daughter after her; Corrine. CRAZY MAD SICK!
Then of course the dreaded John Amos! Oh yes, it's true he was right to warn Olivia that Corrine and Christopher where "too close." For indeed they were, but I also think that it weren't for him Olivia would have gotten past Corrine and Christopher's "unique relationship" and excepted her grandchild with open arms. Before she spoke to John about it, she had said she wanted grandchild. She even grieved Christopher's death, said that she would never have wish that sort of thing to happen to them, no matter what they'd done. It was John Amos who told her to lock those children away and harden her heart against them, because they were devils issue. Which leaves me to wonder just how much of what happen to those children where the ideas of John Amos? Did he suggest that Olivia put tar in Cathy hair when she refused to cut it? Did he suggest that she beat them bloody with a switch when they disobeyed? Which of course doesn't make Olivia blameless, because even if they were his suggestions she didn't have to listen.
Did John Amos suggest to Malcolm that he and Olivia should take the switch to Corrine's back as punishment for her sins? To my understanding even though Malcolm had whipped his sons he had never laid a hand on Corrine before, because he had dotted on her, spoiled her. And as far as I know Olivia had never laid a hand on any of her children. So it is just suspicious to me is all, because perhaps John Amos was the main reason for them acting the way they did.
February 16, 2009
I think it's hard to spend 4 books hating on a character and then going back in the 5th and trying to work up some boo-hoo for the character you have been hating on for so long. Plus I wasn't 13 when I read this one so it made it alot harder to read.
I feel like someone should have stepped in at some point and nudged the ghost-writers for V.C. Andrews and told them that humping relatives is actually kinda looked down upon. Of course the formula works - The estate of V.C. Andrews is still pumping out incest laden novel after novel. I haven't read one in years but I am betting they are still filled with abuse and twisted family humping situations.
I feel like someone should have stepped in at some point and nudged the ghost-writers for V.C. Andrews and told them that humping relatives is actually kinda looked down upon. Of course the formula works - The estate of V.C. Andrews is still pumping out incest laden novel after novel. I haven't read one in years but I am betting they are still filled with abuse and twisted family humping situations.
March 25, 2012
If There Be Thorns gives us a peek into the life of Malcolm, the haunting figure who's omnipresent throughout the Dollanganger books but only seen once, and then from afar. Bart Jr. reads Malcolm's old diary and through that, we learn about Malcolm's womanizing ways, and a bit more of the family history.
Why the existence of this book, then, after all has been said and done already? The purpose is to experience through Olivia's eyes all that's happened from her marriage to the night she first locks the door behind which conceals those four doomed children. This book opens with a forenote from Olivia's will, bidding us to "judge her if we dare" once we learn the full story, which implies that her re-telling is supposed to engender pity for whom we've come to know as "the evil grandmother".
Yes, at the core, Olivia's circumstances were pitiable. It seems her hard looks--something she couldn't change no matter how much she tried--led her into her dark fate. She's not considered marriageable because of them, and it's assumed she'll be a spinster for the rest of her life (need I say that in those days, a woman was considered a failure unless she could secure a marriage?) until Malcolm comes along. She can't believe the miracle of a handsome, charming, and wealthy man being interested in someone like her...and she shouldn't have believed it. Malcolm basically hired her for the job of being a wife, rather than marry her because he loved her. The first time he meets her is more like a job interview, in his eyes, and Malcolm treats her like he does any servant in his house because like the servants, Olivia has duties he expects her to complete: keep the house in order and give him children. He never gives her tenderness. The only times they share a bed together are when he rapes her for hope of impregnating her, and when the doctor says it'd be dangerous for Olivia to have any more children, Malcolm takes it out on her as if it was her choice to be unable to give birth anymore.
It's not hard to imagine a woman treated so terribly would turn coldhearted. But what she went through does NOT excuse her cruel actions...it just serves to make us understand how she became that way.
The book starts with what came to be the usual V.C. Andrews cliche talk about rose-colored hopes and dollhouse dreams. I guess Olivia had to be depicted as a hopeful girl just like any other, because that makes Malcolm's deception all the more unforgiveable, but showing Olivia to be this way at the beginning made me skeptical. The grandmother's severity in the first book was such that I assumed Olivia would have to have had some cruel tendencies earlier on in her life, but that wasn't so. Making this character, so full of dreams and wishes for love at the beginning, turn malicious by the end...I had to wonder if the author would be able to carry out that transformation believably.
There was one moment in the book where Olivia does something cruel, but it seemed inconsistent with her behavior before. Olivia was motivated by jealousy but there was nothing beforehand to insinuate that Olivia was capable of such cruelty, especially after just admitting that the person she was jealous of also happened to inspire happy feelings in Olivia at the same time. And besides that one random moment, there's no other instance of cruelty in Olivia. In fact, even right to the last page of the book, Olivia says she feels love in her heart for Corinne and even Corinne's grandchildren! This doesn't mesh well with the idea perpetuated that Olivia only loved her sons, and disliked Corinne. In the first book, Corinne even implies to the children that Olivia never was capable of loving Corinne, but in this book, Olivia is very doting on Corinne. None of it adds up, despite the author using religious fervor as the only motivator for Olivia's cruelty (John Amos having brainwashed Olivia into believing it's her religious duty to punish the grandchildren for having been born out of incest).
Garden of Shadows also has the disadvantage of being a story we already know at its foundation...mostly. For example, when Malcolm's new stepmother arrives with his father at the house, we already know what's going to happen because he talks about it in the diary from the third book. Readers might get bored at times like that. But~ there's a whole new twist added to the family history that we never knew about, and it makes the whole Foxworth saga all the more disturbing. Let's just say Christopher and Cathy had more in common with their parents than we even imagined. (Although I see from the first review on this book's page that someone delighted in spoiling that surprise so by the time anyone's gotten to THIS review, she or he may already have that ruined for them. Sigh, regardless...)
I'm not sure at this point whether V.C. Andrews herself wrote most of this, or none of this, and it doesn't really matter. Even the third book in the series already seemed exactly like those of the ghostwriter's in style, and I know V.C. Andrews would've written the whole of that book, so. Characterization isn't good and cliches abound so I was pretty bored with this one.
There's one aspect to the book that I do find interesting. Beneath the trashy surface, there's a lot to be observed in the human character. Malcolm was abandoned by his mother when he was a child, which is what lead to him having such a distorted view on women in the future. It's an example of just how deeply our parents affect us, how someone who's not ready for that responsibility can really ruin a child. His own mother left him, so Malcolm had no reason to assume other women wouldn't hurt him in the future. He develops an Oedipus complex, and uses women for sex as a form of revenge and as a way to make sure they're under his control so he can't be hurt again. Ironically, the type of women he proclaims to hate are the ones he actually cares about, but they all end up hurting him, too, as if in divine punishment for his treatment of other women. Even though he is the one who seeks to control women, in actuality the women have power over him, because he's so consumed with his love/hate for the female gender that it's taken over his entire being. It also shows a conflict over what is "right" and how religion can be distorted into something the opposite of what it stands for. Olivia and John Amos wanted to play God themselves, handing out redemption for what they saw as wrong, but it's up to God to do that as He sees fit. So while they thought they were being pious, they were true sinners.
That's what keeps me going back to the V.C. Andrews books. They don't shy away from those aspects to human character that we all try to cover up. There's thousands of books about terrible killings and monsters, but barely few that showcase the kind of secrets that V.C. Andrews books do, even though the latter are more prevalent than we can probably guess. Show all the murders you can come up with and we can handle that no problem, but we'll collectively balk at certain topics like those that come up in V.C.A. books. That shows what's more disturbing to the public at large...
Why the existence of this book, then, after all has been said and done already? The purpose is to experience through Olivia's eyes all that's happened from her marriage to the night she first locks the door behind which conceals those four doomed children. This book opens with a forenote from Olivia's will, bidding us to "judge her if we dare" once we learn the full story, which implies that her re-telling is supposed to engender pity for whom we've come to know as "the evil grandmother".
Yes, at the core, Olivia's circumstances were pitiable. It seems her hard looks--something she couldn't change no matter how much she tried--led her into her dark fate. She's not considered marriageable because of them, and it's assumed she'll be a spinster for the rest of her life (need I say that in those days, a woman was considered a failure unless she could secure a marriage?) until Malcolm comes along. She can't believe the miracle of a handsome, charming, and wealthy man being interested in someone like her...and she shouldn't have believed it. Malcolm basically hired her for the job of being a wife, rather than marry her because he loved her. The first time he meets her is more like a job interview, in his eyes, and Malcolm treats her like he does any servant in his house because like the servants, Olivia has duties he expects her to complete: keep the house in order and give him children. He never gives her tenderness. The only times they share a bed together are when he rapes her for hope of impregnating her, and when the doctor says it'd be dangerous for Olivia to have any more children, Malcolm takes it out on her as if it was her choice to be unable to give birth anymore.
It's not hard to imagine a woman treated so terribly would turn coldhearted. But what she went through does NOT excuse her cruel actions...it just serves to make us understand how she became that way.
The book starts with what came to be the usual V.C. Andrews cliche talk about rose-colored hopes and dollhouse dreams. I guess Olivia had to be depicted as a hopeful girl just like any other, because that makes Malcolm's deception all the more unforgiveable, but showing Olivia to be this way at the beginning made me skeptical. The grandmother's severity in the first book was such that I assumed Olivia would have to have had some cruel tendencies earlier on in her life, but that wasn't so. Making this character, so full of dreams and wishes for love at the beginning, turn malicious by the end...I had to wonder if the author would be able to carry out that transformation believably.
There was one moment in the book where Olivia does something cruel, but it seemed inconsistent with her behavior before. Olivia was motivated by jealousy but there was nothing beforehand to insinuate that Olivia was capable of such cruelty, especially after just admitting that the person she was jealous of also happened to inspire happy feelings in Olivia at the same time. And besides that one random moment, there's no other instance of cruelty in Olivia. In fact, even right to the last page of the book, Olivia says she feels love in her heart for Corinne and even Corinne's grandchildren! This doesn't mesh well with the idea perpetuated that Olivia only loved her sons, and disliked Corinne. In the first book, Corinne even implies to the children that Olivia never was capable of loving Corinne, but in this book, Olivia is very doting on Corinne. None of it adds up, despite the author using religious fervor as the only motivator for Olivia's cruelty (John Amos having brainwashed Olivia into believing it's her religious duty to punish the grandchildren for having been born out of incest).
Garden of Shadows also has the disadvantage of being a story we already know at its foundation...mostly. For example, when Malcolm's new stepmother arrives with his father at the house, we already know what's going to happen because he talks about it in the diary from the third book. Readers might get bored at times like that. But~ there's a whole new twist added to the family history that we never knew about, and it makes the whole Foxworth saga all the more disturbing. Let's just say Christopher and Cathy had more in common with their parents than we even imagined. (Although I see from the first review on this book's page that someone delighted in spoiling that surprise so by the time anyone's gotten to THIS review, she or he may already have that ruined for them. Sigh, regardless...)
I'm not sure at this point whether V.C. Andrews herself wrote most of this, or none of this, and it doesn't really matter. Even the third book in the series already seemed exactly like those of the ghostwriter's in style, and I know V.C. Andrews would've written the whole of that book, so. Characterization isn't good and cliches abound so I was pretty bored with this one.
There's one aspect to the book that I do find interesting. Beneath the trashy surface, there's a lot to be observed in the human character. Malcolm was abandoned by his mother when he was a child, which is what lead to him having such a distorted view on women in the future. It's an example of just how deeply our parents affect us, how someone who's not ready for that responsibility can really ruin a child. His own mother left him, so Malcolm had no reason to assume other women wouldn't hurt him in the future. He develops an Oedipus complex, and uses women for sex as a form of revenge and as a way to make sure they're under his control so he can't be hurt again. Ironically, the type of women he proclaims to hate are the ones he actually cares about, but they all end up hurting him, too, as if in divine punishment for his treatment of other women. Even though he is the one who seeks to control women, in actuality the women have power over him, because he's so consumed with his love/hate for the female gender that it's taken over his entire being. It also shows a conflict over what is "right" and how religion can be distorted into something the opposite of what it stands for. Olivia and John Amos wanted to play God themselves, handing out redemption for what they saw as wrong, but it's up to God to do that as He sees fit. So while they thought they were being pious, they were true sinners.
That's what keeps me going back to the V.C. Andrews books. They don't shy away from those aspects to human character that we all try to cover up. There's thousands of books about terrible killings and monsters, but barely few that showcase the kind of secrets that V.C. Andrews books do, even though the latter are more prevalent than we can probably guess. Show all the murders you can come up with and we can handle that no problem, but we'll collectively balk at certain topics like those that come up in V.C.A. books. That shows what's more disturbing to the public at large...
November 11, 2025
Mediocre Hangers-On Culling note:
Not awful by VCA Ghostwriter standards, but very little you can’t glean from hints + backstory in books 1-2. I’m not sorry I read it, but I’m never gonna pick it up again. *shrug* Farewell, Evil Grandmother! You’re free to entertain someone else for .99 cents.
Not awful by VCA Ghostwriter standards, but very little you can’t glean from hints + backstory in books 1-2. I’m not sorry I read it, but I’m never gonna pick it up again. *shrug* Farewell, Evil Grandmother! You’re free to entertain someone else for .99 cents.
September 29, 2007
OMG. Makes complete sence!
March 21, 2026
4,5*
Es igual de retorcido que la saga principal, lleno de traiciones, personajes muy oscuros y moralmente cuestionables. Resuelve ciertos aspectos que hacen que la historia en su conjunto sea todavía más turbia.
Es igual de retorcido que la saga principal, lleno de traiciones, personajes muy oscuros y moralmente cuestionables. Resuelve ciertos aspectos que hacen que la historia en su conjunto sea todavía más turbia.
June 30, 2014
Note: If you hated Olivia, Corrine's mother and Cathy's grandmother as much as I did in the first and previous novels of the series, then maybe this prequel will give you a little more insight on her aspect and will help you change your mind on this poor woman who went through so much hatred and unfairness in her life.
I was ready to hate this book; I never liked Olivia and you think I want to read her POV when she was a "bratty young lady?" No thanks. But having this be the last of V.C. Andrews's highly acclaimed and raved Dollanganger series, I just had to end it off with this prequel. But I never expected to like this, especially after watching the 'Flowers in the Attic' new film. *shivers*
But all in all, everyone has a reason for everything; that also includes their actions and behaviour. Olivia did have a reason for everything, even if Corrine surprisingly wasn't even her daughter by blood.
This is about the main "beginning" of Olivia's life. She gets married to Malcolm, who she fears isn't even in love and her and just is using her for fortune and good "Foxworth pure blood." She has three children-- two boys and a young girl. There's a curse and there's a secret behind everything, even behind the home that everyone's known forever.
This book taught me so much about the Foxworth family, even more than what I knew before from the previous books. Olivia has her reasons. And I kind of support her for everything she did and felt. Olivia didn't really do anything in the books, except some kind of cruel things to Corrine's kids. It was all of CORRINE'S FAULT FOR EVERYTHING. That stupid brat was spoiled and everything happened because of her "too perfect brain and pettiness." It's just so CRAZY.
So by the end of the book, I felt a lot of sympathy for Olivia. She was a great MC and it changed the way I felt for her before. V.C. Andrews made a great decision to show the thoughts and past life of Olivia and the past truth of the Foxworths.
This book was very moving. It was fast-paced and not really boring, despite the confusion of who was who in the beginning to late middle. I forgot a lot of the characters and as usual, V.C. Andrews didn't seem the type to create some light for us and make us understand what was going on. But other than that, this book was great and the perfect ending and beginning to everything, in a way.
Let's give a round of applause to V.C. Andrews (RIP) for creating an amazing series. What an enjoyable ride.
I was ready to hate this book; I never liked Olivia and you think I want to read her POV when she was a "bratty young lady?" No thanks. But having this be the last of V.C. Andrews's highly acclaimed and raved Dollanganger series, I just had to end it off with this prequel. But I never expected to like this, especially after watching the 'Flowers in the Attic' new film. *shivers*
But all in all, everyone has a reason for everything; that also includes their actions and behaviour. Olivia did have a reason for everything, even if Corrine surprisingly wasn't even her daughter by blood.
This is about the main "beginning" of Olivia's life. She gets married to Malcolm, who she fears isn't even in love and her and just is using her for fortune and good "Foxworth pure blood." She has three children-- two boys and a young girl. There's a curse and there's a secret behind everything, even behind the home that everyone's known forever.
This book taught me so much about the Foxworth family, even more than what I knew before from the previous books. Olivia has her reasons. And I kind of support her for everything she did and felt. Olivia didn't really do anything in the books, except some kind of cruel things to Corrine's kids. It was all of CORRINE'S FAULT FOR EVERYTHING. That stupid brat was spoiled and everything happened because of her "too perfect brain and pettiness." It's just so CRAZY.
So by the end of the book, I felt a lot of sympathy for Olivia. She was a great MC and it changed the way I felt for her before. V.C. Andrews made a great decision to show the thoughts and past life of Olivia and the past truth of the Foxworths.
This book was very moving. It was fast-paced and not really boring, despite the confusion of who was who in the beginning to late middle. I forgot a lot of the characters and as usual, V.C. Andrews didn't seem the type to create some light for us and make us understand what was going on. But other than that, this book was great and the perfect ending and beginning to everything, in a way.
Let's give a round of applause to V.C. Andrews (RIP) for creating an amazing series. What an enjoyable ride.
June 19, 2011
Well, I have to admit I wasn't too excited about reading this book. It is a prequel, and usually those aren't too great, and by this point I was a little bit over the Dollangangers. But, upon finishing this book I came to three conclusions:
1.) This was one of the better books in the series.
2.) Although this is a prequel, and some suggest to read it first, please read it last. It has a shocker of an ending that makes the whole series worth it.
3.) And lastly, you have to read it to finally understand all of what just happened in the previous books. What the hell!
This book is told from the grandmother's viewpoint and follows her courtship and marriage with Malcalm. They have children, and Malcolm becomes a real douche bag and cheats on her with his stepmother (oh, yes there is incest all around, and it only gets worse!). During this affair, or let's be honest, rape of his stepmother, she conceives a child named Corrine. She already has an older child named Christopher, and things start falling into place. Grandmother raises Corrine as her own to cover up the affair, and never lets anyone know that Christopher and Corrine are actually brother and sister rather than uncle and niece. Confusing, yes, but once it sinks in these books take on a whole new meaning.
Poor Corrine and Christopher who started the endless cycle of sin that wove its way throughout generations of children to come after, all because of a secret that was kept from them because of a mother's shame. And after all, we learn that although Malcolm is a sleazeball, he had room in his heart for Corrine and her children after all, but it was Grandma that refused to let them in, jealous of Malcalm's love for his daughter, forcing them to spend their days locked in the attic. Ahhhh, it all makes sense now.
There were times I felt sorry for Olivia (aka Grandma) because she really was dealt a shitty hand of cards, but she didn't have the strength to overcome it, but rather became a spiteful bitch. Overall, I enjoyed this series and would recommend it to anyone who likes things a little bit on the strange side.
1.) This was one of the better books in the series.
2.) Although this is a prequel, and some suggest to read it first, please read it last. It has a shocker of an ending that makes the whole series worth it.
3.) And lastly, you have to read it to finally understand all of what just happened in the previous books. What the hell!
This book is told from the grandmother's viewpoint and follows her courtship and marriage with Malcalm. They have children, and Malcolm becomes a real douche bag and cheats on her with his stepmother (oh, yes there is incest all around, and it only gets worse!). During this affair, or let's be honest, rape of his stepmother, she conceives a child named Corrine. She already has an older child named Christopher, and things start falling into place. Grandmother raises Corrine as her own to cover up the affair, and never lets anyone know that Christopher and Corrine are actually brother and sister rather than uncle and niece. Confusing, yes, but once it sinks in these books take on a whole new meaning.
Poor Corrine and Christopher who started the endless cycle of sin that wove its way throughout generations of children to come after, all because of a secret that was kept from them because of a mother's shame. And after all, we learn that although Malcolm is a sleazeball, he had room in his heart for Corrine and her children after all, but it was Grandma that refused to let them in, jealous of Malcalm's love for his daughter, forcing them to spend their days locked in the attic. Ahhhh, it all makes sense now.
There were times I felt sorry for Olivia (aka Grandma) because she really was dealt a shitty hand of cards, but she didn't have the strength to overcome it, but rather became a spiteful bitch. Overall, I enjoyed this series and would recommend it to anyone who likes things a little bit on the strange side.
October 5, 2016
Oh wow. Well I just flew through this. I can't not give it 5 stars because it kept me hooked and horrified at every turn. The ending had me gasping, for something that was SO obvious and critical to the Dollanganger novels, it didn't even occur to me until I read it at the last page.
I love VC Andrews books, they just flow so easily. This one had everything, and I definitely even feel haunted now after I've closed the book.
I love VC Andrews books, they just flow so easily. This one had everything, and I definitely even feel haunted now after I've closed the book.
April 17, 2022
this is one of the books that have really changed my character and my overall view in life and the people i meet throughout. this book really gets you thinking about what the people around you has been through, where their lives took them, and why they are the way they are.
June 29, 2021
Honestamente, cuando terminé Semillas del ayer, estaba tan aliviada de poder darle una conclusión a la historia de Cathy y Chris, que de no ser porque el book set que compré incluía este libro, no lo hubiera leído... pero DIOS... estoy tan feliz de haberlo hecho.
Este libro tiene ese mismo algo que tiene Flores en el ático y que al resto de los libros de la saga les faltó. Tiene oscuridad y sentimientos reales, y sí, hay drama digno de una telenovela, pero no se siente así.
Tenemos la historia de Olivia Foxworth, la historia de cómo conoció a Malcom y cómo es que llegó a convertirse en la abuela que tanto odiamos el resto de los libros.
Y sí, Olivia hizo cosas horribles de las que no me puedo olvidar, pero me sorprendió mucho descubrir que tampoco es la villana que creí que sería, incluso, más de una vez simpaticé con ella, al ver todo lo que vivió, todo lo que le tuvo que soportar a Malcom y a pesar de eso se mantuvo como una mujer fuerte que amaba a sus hijos con todo su corazón e intentaba sacar el mayor provecho de las situaciones que enfrentaba. No esperaba para nada que me agradara el personaje, pero la verdad es que sí.
Malcom por otra parte, tampoco fue quién creí que sería. Si bien, fue un mal padre para sus dos primeros hijos, violó a Olivia y Alicia (cosa que no me sorprende en lo más mínimo tratándose de la saga de la que se trata) y era un hombre frio y manipulador que solo se preocupaba por el dinero... realmente me sorprendió leer esas ultimas páginas donde Olivia decide no decirle que Corinne tuvo hijos porque sabía que él iba a ceder ante ellos y a quererlos. Siempre pensé que realmente no le dijeron porque no podría perdonar la traición de Corinne y porque odiaba Christopher, siempre pensé que lo odiaba, no que lo apreciaba como si fuera su hijo. Realmente me sorprendió mucho imaginar lo que pudo haber pasado si las cosas hubieran sido diferentes. Aún así maldito Malcom, lo odio.
También eso de que Corinne y Christopher eran hermanos de la misma madre... que turbio, no me lo esperaba para nada, pero la verdad es que no me sorprendió. No creí que hubiera una forma de agregarle aún más drama a la historia, pero la hubo, y pensándolo bien, tratándose de V.C. Andrews, no me sorprende.
Con respecto a Corinne, a ella la seguí odiando, mugre chiquilla privilegiada y mimada, trató de matar a sus hijos por dinero y eso no se me olvida tan rápido; y no justifico a Olivia, pero al menos las razones de ella era que sabía que sus padres eran hermanos, no dinero.
Creo que la mayor conclusión a la que llegué es que el verdadero malo de la historia es John Amos. Maldito viejo fanático horroroso. Lo odio con todo mi corazón, de no ser por él las cosas hubieran sido muy muy diferentes. Existe un lugar especial en el infierno para tipos como él.
En fin, este libro me gustó mucho, no fue para nada lo que esperaba y me alegro mucho de poder terminar esta saga de una vez por todas.
Mi orden final de los libros es el siguiente:
1.- Flores en el ático (#1).
2.- Jardín Sombrío (#5)
3.- Si hubiera espinas (#3)
4.- Pétalos al viento (#2)
5.- Semillas del ayer (#4)
Este libro tiene ese mismo algo que tiene Flores en el ático y que al resto de los libros de la saga les faltó. Tiene oscuridad y sentimientos reales, y sí, hay drama digno de una telenovela, pero no se siente así.
Tenemos la historia de Olivia Foxworth, la historia de cómo conoció a Malcom y cómo es que llegó a convertirse en la abuela que tanto odiamos el resto de los libros.
Y sí, Olivia hizo cosas horribles de las que no me puedo olvidar, pero me sorprendió mucho descubrir que tampoco es la villana que creí que sería, incluso, más de una vez simpaticé con ella, al ver todo lo que vivió, todo lo que le tuvo que soportar a Malcom y a pesar de eso se mantuvo como una mujer fuerte que amaba a sus hijos con todo su corazón e intentaba sacar el mayor provecho de las situaciones que enfrentaba. No esperaba para nada que me agradara el personaje, pero la verdad es que sí.
Malcom por otra parte, tampoco fue quién creí que sería. Si bien, fue un mal padre para sus dos primeros hijos, violó a Olivia y Alicia (cosa que no me sorprende en lo más mínimo tratándose de la saga de la que se trata) y era un hombre frio y manipulador que solo se preocupaba por el dinero... realmente me sorprendió leer esas ultimas páginas donde Olivia decide no decirle que Corinne tuvo hijos porque sabía que él iba a ceder ante ellos y a quererlos. Siempre pensé que realmente no le dijeron porque no podría perdonar la traición de Corinne y porque odiaba Christopher, siempre pensé que lo odiaba, no que lo apreciaba como si fuera su hijo. Realmente me sorprendió mucho imaginar lo que pudo haber pasado si las cosas hubieran sido diferentes. Aún así maldito Malcom, lo odio.
También eso de que Corinne y Christopher eran hermanos de la misma madre... que turbio, no me lo esperaba para nada, pero la verdad es que no me sorprendió. No creí que hubiera una forma de agregarle aún más drama a la historia, pero la hubo, y pensándolo bien, tratándose de V.C. Andrews, no me sorprende.
Con respecto a Corinne, a ella la seguí odiando, mugre chiquilla privilegiada y mimada, trató de matar a sus hijos por dinero y eso no se me olvida tan rápido; y no justifico a Olivia, pero al menos las razones de ella era que sabía que sus padres eran hermanos, no dinero.
Creo que la mayor conclusión a la que llegué es que el verdadero malo de la historia es John Amos. Maldito viejo fanático horroroso. Lo odio con todo mi corazón, de no ser por él las cosas hubieran sido muy muy diferentes. Existe un lugar especial en el infierno para tipos como él.
En fin, este libro me gustó mucho, no fue para nada lo que esperaba y me alegro mucho de poder terminar esta saga de una vez por todas.
Mi orden final de los libros es el siguiente:
1.- Flores en el ático (#1).
2.- Jardín Sombrío (#5)
3.- Si hubiera espinas (#3)
4.- Pétalos al viento (#2)
5.- Semillas del ayer (#4)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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December 26, 2023I don't know how I finished reading this. It is so dark and tragic. 😫
![](https://media.tenor.co/images/e87d01bb8fcc8c506a0449dfdc3366a0/raw"description"/)
This is the story of how Olivia became the person she is in that famous book.
This is the story of how Olivia became the person she is in that famous book.
June 15, 2010
Garden of Shadows by V.C. Andrews is the final installment of the Dollanganger Family Series. A prequel to Flowers in the Attic, it explains the story behind the grandmother’s harsh ways. Like Flowers in the Attic, Garden of Shadows presents a series of horrifying events that make you want to cringe, yet entices you to read more. We learn how the grandmother, Olivia, met Malcolm and discover their marriage was more of a business arrangement than act of love and commitment. Malcolm makes it known that he “prefer[s:] intelligent women who know how to think for themselves, women who can be real assets to their husbands” (Andrews, 1989). Prior to marrying Malcolm, Olivia worked as her wealthy father’s personal accountant. She is described as rather plain and ordinary, spending little time on maintaining her physical appearance. Once Olivia moves in with her husband, the plot weaves a series of shocking family secrets. We discover that Corrine is not biologically Olivia’s daughter and is actually Christopher’s half-sister instead of half-niece. The story leads readers to fell sympathy for Olivia despite her cruel personality that was portrayed in Flowers in the Attic. On the other hand, Malcolm’s appalling behaviors causes extreme disgust. The suspenseful twists throughout the plot make it difficult to put the book down. By the end of the story, I felt compelled to re-read Flowers in the Attic all over again.
February 2, 2019
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.
This is a prequel to the author's most famous book Flowers in the Attic. This is a stand alone novel but if you haven't read the original book of this series you will miss the foreshadowing that is throughout this novel. Do you remember the evil grandmother who forced her grandchildren to live in the attic? This is her story.
I enjoyed Flowers in the Attic but I did think each subsequent book was worse and worse with hating the last book of the series. With that being said, I was a little weary about the prelude of the series. Right away my worries were dismissed. I liked the look into Olivia and Malcolm and their loveless marriage. At times, I sided with each character as I went back and forth on whose side I was on. As the story progressed I had no problem envisioning how these characters become the ones I know from the first book of the series. What really sold me on this book was the foreshadowing. Sometimes, when I read a prelude it seems like aspects and scenes are forced in for the foreshadowing and the easter eggs. It never felt that way in this one.
I am glad that this series ended on a positive note. The books from this author are known for the melodrama and the despicable acts of characters. This book follows that reputation and this book is a good example of why I enjoy her novels.
This is a prequel to the author's most famous book Flowers in the Attic. This is a stand alone novel but if you haven't read the original book of this series you will miss the foreshadowing that is throughout this novel. Do you remember the evil grandmother who forced her grandchildren to live in the attic? This is her story.
I enjoyed Flowers in the Attic but I did think each subsequent book was worse and worse with hating the last book of the series. With that being said, I was a little weary about the prelude of the series. Right away my worries were dismissed. I liked the look into Olivia and Malcolm and their loveless marriage. At times, I sided with each character as I went back and forth on whose side I was on. As the story progressed I had no problem envisioning how these characters become the ones I know from the first book of the series. What really sold me on this book was the foreshadowing. Sometimes, when I read a prelude it seems like aspects and scenes are forced in for the foreshadowing and the easter eggs. It never felt that way in this one.
I am glad that this series ended on a positive note. The books from this author are known for the melodrama and the despicable acts of characters. This book follows that reputation and this book is a good example of why I enjoy her novels.
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