Warped, but good. ( )

"If There Be Thorns" is the third installment in the Dollanganger series and, in my opinion, the weakest link of the saga.

My main problem with the book is not so much the storyline, but the fact that the story is told from the perspectives of fourteen-year-old Jory (Cathy's son with Julian) and nine year-old Bart (Cathy's son with Bart Winslow). While it's easy to sympathize with Jory - - his confusion over finding out his parents' true identities and the true character of his biological father, it is almost impossible to relate to Bart. His character is nothing short of depraved.

When you cannot relate to your narrator, you know you're going to have problems.

Overall, the story is passable. Chris and Cathy are now in their late thirties, some years after leaving South Carolina, at the end of "Petals on the Wind". They live in California, under the guise of a doctor and his wife, raising her two children. One day, the lights in the abandoned mansion "next door" go on and a mysterious woman in black appears. This is where the story seems to go downhill.

It's obvious that the woman is the much hated mother of Chris and Cathy - - and why neither of them figure it out until the end is questionable. Having the character of John Amos Jackson reappear from "Flowers in the Attic" as working for the mystery woman seems just an excuse to bring more lunacy into the story. Jory seems to be the only grounding in the story, but how much excitement can a fourteen-year-old generate?

I think the story might have been better served if it had been told from Cathy and Chris' viewpoints, as the previous tales were.

I have to give it three stars for the effort and for continuing a beloved series. But compared to the previous two books, it's somewhat of a letdown. ( )

If There Be Thorns is my least favorite book of the Dollanger Saga. The narration switched from Cathy to her children Jory, and Bart. That, I was personally unhappy about. ( )

Written by the author of 'Flowers in the Attic', the story continues with the family now living as far as possible from the haunting scenes of their past, in the sunshine and joy of their new life. However the hidden secrets of the past rise up to trouble them again.

This was my least favorite of the Dollanganger Series. I hated the story being narrated from the boy's point of view. While it was a unique way of telling the story, I preferred the first 2 books to this one. ( )