Seeds of Yesterday - Full Review

           
               I recently finished this book and am disappointed by the ending and how the plot progressed. Overall, I would rate Seeds of Yesterday a 2/5 stars. I thought of taking a break from the story multiple times as it los. t my interest. The plot was slow, the characters were unlikeable, and the ending was well.... predictable. I feel that the further I got into the Dollanganger Series, the less I enjoyed the books.

               The character Joel had potential to be developed and give more insight as to what it was like to live with Malcolm Foxworth. Joel was a monk that returned to Foxworth Hall after it was rebuilt for reasons never fully explained. He also acts as an important influence in Bart's decisions and is one of the main suspects for the wet sand incident of Book 1 that was never brought up again. Joel constantly is in Bart's ear, telling him what he should and should not do but we never get an explanation as to why Joel became who he was. Who influenced Joel? Why does Joel feel the need to influence Bart's decisions? These questions were never answered.

                Chris was a main character throughout the series but in this novel he only appeared when convenient to the plot. This was a shame since I found Chris to be one of the most likeable characters in the book. Also, in Book 2 when Chris had taken a job that would require him to stay at work Monday through Friday, only coming home on the weekends, that provided a huge clue as to what would happen to him in the end. Chris' work habits and schedules were almost identical to the one his father had. Knowing the series this far, I had a feeling history would repeat itself.

                 I did not like this book as much as I enjoyed the ones before it. But, if you have read the other books in the series, I would recommend reading this too. Although it was difficult to stick with and did not have as much action and description as the other books did, I did feel satisfaction that I stuck with it until the end.

IMDB Rating of Seeds of Yesterday Movie

Seeds of Yesterday - Book 1 and 2 Review

             
              V.C. Andrews' Seeds of Yesterday is split into 3 books. In this post, I will be reviewing books 1 and 2. I would give these two books a 2.5/5 Stars. So far Seeds of Yesterday cannot compare to the first book in the series Flowers in the Attic.


              Why would I give such a low rating? Well, the characters I feel are now unlikeable and somewhat annoying. The character that I find the most irritating is Cathy, who constantly changes from siding with someone to turning against them in the matter of pages. Her stance on certain issues changes so often that it's difficult to remember whether she was for or against an idea. The once independent girl that I enjoyed watching grow had turned into a character that couldn't make any decision without doubting herself 2 minutes afterwards.


              Another reason I gave this such a low rating is how some issues and topics are brought up and never addressed again. One example of this is when someone caused Jory, Cathy's first born son, to break his back during an accident. During the ballet he was performed in, pillars were supposed to fall on him and kill the character he was playing. As the pillars fell, a stage hand would release the sand in the pillars, causing the effect without any harm to Jory. Someone wet the sand and caused Jory to be injured. V.C. Andrews drops the issue of who wet the sand entirely in the second book, and it is not brought up again. Unless we find out who wet the sand in the third book, this will bother me to no end.


             But, on a positive note, Seeds of Yesterday contained some vocabulary that is used in the dancing industry that I did not know, and had to look up. Throughout the book, they use higher leveled diction more suitable for high school students and older. I do hope that the story improves in the third book and we find out more answers.


Seeds of Yesterday Goodreads Page

Seeds of Yesterday Chapter 1-6

                                                      Seeds of Yesterday Chapters 1-6

          Many years after the events of V.C. Andrews' If There Be Thorns, Jory and Bart have grown to be functioning adults and Cindy is in her mid teens. Cathy and Chris are now in there 50's and thought they had escaped their childhood and Foxworth Hall along with it. Much to Cathy's displeasure, Bart had decided to rebuild the mansion with the money he inherited. The two former prisoners of the attic must return to the grand building to celebrate Bart's birthday. Upon arriving to Foxworth, the met someone who they would have never imagined would appear. Cathy and Chris' uncle, Joel, had supposedly died in a skiing accident before they were born, but he appeared in Foxworth right before them. Joel explained he was hired by Bart to help take care of the mansion in return for a place to sleep and food to eat. He also explained monks had saved him from the skiing accident and he hid away, becoming a monk, and devoted his life to God.

          I find the entire story with Joel interesting. The fact that he could hide away from society for about 50 years in unbelievable. Andrews did an amazing job describing Joel and the way he looks at the other residents of Foxworth Hall.

"I stared at the lean old man who was bent forward so that his head projected unbecomingly, making him seem to be climbing hills even while standing on a flat surface. His hair was faded, not gray and not blond. His eyes were a watery pale blue, his cheeks gaunt, his eyes hollowed out, as if he'd suffered greatly for many, many years."

         Unlike his behavior in If There Be Thorns, Bart is no longer the violent boy he used to be.  Cathy claims the psychologists fixed his behavior, that his immature tendencies were in the past. But, the older he grows, the more he is starting to resemble the late Malcolm Foxworth in behavior. Bart is turning in to a manipulative man who will do anything to achieve the wealth that he desires.

If There Be Thorns - Review

                                                       If There Be Thorns
                                                           V.C. Andrews




     In the 3rd installment of V.C. Andrews' Dollanganger Series, the central plot focuses around Cathy's life now that she is an adult with children. Although Cathy is still a main character, Andrews never tell the story from her point of view. Andrews writes from the perspective of J

Jory, a fourteen-year-old boy who whishes to follow in his mother's and late father's footsteps and become a well known dancer, and Bart, a ten-year-old boy with an active imagination who seems to be blamed for everything.

      Although telling the story from the children's point of view is an unique way of seeing how certain events affect someone other than Cathy, it caused some areas of the book to seem slow. Some parts of the book focused on Bart imagining that he was hunting in his backyard or pretending to be a dog. These events seem strange at first, but after a while, seem repetitive and quickly lose your interest. Other areas include Jory and Cathy dancing or practicing in there home.

If There Be Thorns book cover
Amazon Summary

     Another area in which the book could have been improved was how little recap they gave you from the last novel. In some stories, no recap is necessary. But in If There Be Thorns, you must remember a large amount of events from Petals on the Wind. For example you must remember that Cathy has been married four times; to Julian Marquet, Bartholomew Winslow, and Dr. Paul Sheffield, and Chris Dollanganger. Something else to keep in mind is that Julian, Bartholomew, and Paul have all died in various ways, Julian by car accident, Bartholomew by a house fire, and Paul by a heart attack. But what makes it more confusing is the situation with the children. Jory was the son of Julian and Bart was the son of Bartholomew but believed he was the son of Paul. Overall, I would not suggest reading this book before reading the first two due to the lack of information given of the other two.

      Other than some confusing areas and some slow areas, I would highly suggest this series and this book. Although some areas in the plot did not have a lot of action, I felt they were important to the reader's comprehension and to the plot nonetheless. If you enjoy horror and suspense, you may enjoy the Dollanganger Series.

      The channel Lifetime will also be creating a television show based off of this book later this year.

                                                Lifetime Cast List 

If There Be Thorns

                                                      If There Be Thorns by V.C. Andrews


Although the name sounds like a cheesy pirate romance novel, I can guarantee you that it is not. So far, this book is very dark. In the third book in the Flowers in the Attic series , we are introduced to Cathy's two children, Jory and Bart. Jory aspires to be a famous ballet dancer and become as great as his late father was. Bart on the other hand, doesn't know what he wants to do. He is only a child with an active imagination. Cowboys, dragons, and adventure fill his thoughts. It sounds normal, right? Well... not exactly. Bart has a condition where his nerve endings don't reach his skin, so he can't feel pain. The boy squishes bugs, hates tears and weak people, and wants one thing- to feel normal. Bart seems to have a lack of empathy towards other living creatures, which leads to a question. Can the lack of pain be one cause of sociopathy? A sociopath is determined by multiple things, some that Bart shows throughout the story so far. One characteristic of a sociopath is if the person lies or makes outlandish untruthful statements. More than once, someone has found a dead cat or animal buried in the yard by Bart who only says, "Last night, a tiger attacked me". This can lead the readers to think that he is making up the story about the tiger, and didn't want to be blamed about the cat's death. Another sign of a sociopath is the inability to feel guilt. Bart does some horrible things to those around him, but he never once apologizes or feels guilty from when we are reading from his point to view. Does his lack of pain cause him to feel less empathy for others?  Although he wishes to feel "normal", would he be able to because of his outlandish lies and his manipulating others? Although, the book has not connected Bart's medical condition to his behavior so far, it may be something to look into or expect in the novel later.

Misery

Misery by Stephen King

 

 

       

        Paul Sheldon, a famous historical romance author, was saved by a former nurse named Annie Wilkes when seriously injured in a car accident. But was he truly saved, or could this be his living nightmare? Annie Wilkes isn't the nice, caring nurse she seems to be after all. Why exactly is she a former nurse at her young age? Paul Sheldon must try to figure out all these questions while surviving in her home.

 

        Stephen King is known for writing dark horror novels with a meaning behind them. For example, Pet Sematary, shows his fear of cats. It isn't the deepest meaning behind a book, but, whatever gives him inspiration, I suppose. Misery also has a meaning behind it that isn't so thought provoking. King had written this book to show his writer's block. In my opinion, it's interesting how King can take something so normal as writer's block and turn it into a 370 page novel about a man who is kidnapped and forced to continue his series of books. I believe it is very creative to rid yourself of writer's block by writing a book about writer's block.

 

        I would rate this book 5/5 stars, being one of my favorite books. I would give it its first star for the amount of imagery used in the story. King really helps you imagine what it is like to be Paul Sheldon, whether you want to or not. He describes everything from Annie Wilkes' smell to the pain he goes through during his time there. This helps the readers connect more with the story and the characters than if he left most of it out. I would give this book its second star due to the character development. King does an excellent job of showing the thought process of Paul Sheldon and what he plans to do. It also shows his past, allowing you to see why he makes some of the decisions he does and why exactly he compares himself to an "African bird in a zoo". King also shows Annie's development via a scrapbook that she leaves out on a coffee table that Sheldon eventually finds. Although her leaving out the scrapbook was no coincidence, this still helps show Annie's past and why she lost her job as a nurse. I would give the book its third star because of its plot. There have been many books and movies where the main character is kidnapped for one reason or another. This book is different because of each character's situation and what they choose to do. Even small things such as Annie's "happy place" in the woods miles away have an important impact. King seems to make everything have a bigger impact in this novel. The "happy place" may show Annie's mental instability but something as small as glass figurines Annie collects could mean life or death for Paul. I would give this book a fourth star because of its conclusion. I can't explain this one too in detail without spoiling the ending. But, King does not leave you wondering what happened next and he has an ending that is very fitting for the book. Lastly, I would give this book its fifth star because of its beginning. It captured your attention right away and had suspense right from the get go. The book started with him waking up in Annie's house and figuring out what happened for him to get here. Overall, I would recommend this book to any horror or suspense fan. 

 

 



Petals on the Wind

     The current book I am reading is Petals on the Wind by V.C. Andrews. Before reading this book, I suggest reading the first book in the Dollanganger series, Flowers in the Attic. Without reading the first book, there will be a lot of confusion and cause a lot of questions, due to where the story starts off. So far, I enjoy Petals on the Wind but it can be confusing without a recap from the previous book.

     The story starts off with three runaways named Carrie, Cathy, and Chris. These three plan to join the circus until Chris can earn enough money to be able to pay for medical school to become a doctor and support his younger siblings. They are not able to continue their bus ride to Florida due to Carrie's worsening fever and other symptoms that Cory had been observed with shortly before he died. They needed to get off the bus and quickly, but, there were no hospitals for miles and they had no way to pay for medical care. Luckily, they meet Henrietta Beech, a mute cook, who can direct them to a nearby doctor.


Petals on the Wind cover

"My name Henrietta Beech,  she'd written, Can hear, but no talk. Little girl is very, very sick and need good doctor. I read this, then looked at her hoping she'd have more information. "Do you know of a good doctor?" I asked. She nodded vigorously, then quickly dashed off another green note. Your good fortune I be on your bus, and can take you to my own doctor-son, who is very best doctor."

      After reaching the doctor's house, Carrie was diagnosed of arsenic poisoning, and was lucky they found Henrietta. Chris and Cathy both had arsenic poisoning also, but, they didn't have as much in their system as Carrie did. Due to their situation and Carrie's terrible condition, the doctor decides to take the three children in as his wards.



 Amazon Summary