"A circle that ever returneth in to the self same spot . . .
Written: Feb 10 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Somewhat interesting.
Cons: Too graphic, poor narration, didn't like the character of Bart and his disturbing tendencies.
The Bottom Line: I would still recommend this novel because some elements in the story were somewhat enjoyable despite the unnerving sequences.
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| countess_eva's Full Review: V. C. Andrews - If There Be Thorns |
And much of madness, and more of Sin, and Horror the soul of the plot." (a quote from "The Conqueror Worm" by Edgar Allan Poe.)
Chris and Cathy are now married with three children and a life filled with promise. It appears that they have finally won over the attic shadows. However, disaster is looming in the future, ready to spread a pall over all Chris and Cathy have struggled to gain. Suddenly a mysterious old woman and her maniacal butler move into the abandoned house next door. Soon, Bart, Cathy's son by her mother's second husband, starts to befriend the haunted woman who hides her face beneath a black veil, showers him with presents, and begs him to call her "grandmother." While she seeks to win his favor, the mysterious old butler seeks to destroy his sanity by telling him about Malcom's warped beliefs, the evil man that started it all. As the novel progresses Bart becomes even more disturbed as he follows Malcom's directions and begins the plot to destroy his family, FOREVER. As the novel hurtles toward a conclusion, Chris and Cathy discover that the woman next door is in actuality Corrine Foxworth, their mother, and that the man that accompanies her is the evil butler from their days of imprisonment. A conflict becomes inevitable and secrets held for years become exposed. The final conflict between a treacherous mother and her children is at hand. Can the surviving Dreseden dolls ever forgive her? Can Malcom's evil spirit be exorcised from Bart or has Bart been destroyed by the evil of the attic? Can happiness ever return to this shattered family or is all lost?
Although there were many good elements to this story, I still rated it relatively low due to several detrimental aspects in the story line. For instance, I did not appreciate the novel being written through Bart's perspective. His writing style was rather tedious due to the fact that the author was trying too hard to make it sound as though the story were written through the perspective of a nine year old boy. I would have preferred to have had the story written through Cathy's viewpoint since I was accustomed to her narration. The main element of the story that displeased me the most was the fact that the book was too macabre. Many of the things that Bart did and talked about were so disturbing that they caused me to feel uneasy, for instance, the way he killed and tortured animals and the cruelness he displayed toward his family. The other novels in the series were not nearly as disturbing or as graphic. I did not appreciate this aspect in this novel. In conclusion, I would still recommend this novel because some elements in the story were somewhat enjoyable despite the unnerving sequences. Also it is essential to the plots of the other novels in this series to have read this book.
Lean N’ Mean at 490 words.
Countess_Eva
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
countess_eva
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 in Movies, Books |
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Member: Frances Carden
Location: Washington DC
Reviews written: 331
Trusted by: 61 members
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