Secret Brother by V.C. Andrews | Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

"The most unexpected Dollanganger story of them all, new from the author of Flowers in the Attic and Petals on the Wind..." I think you meant the most unnecessary Dollanganger story of them all, new from the man who's been using the author of Flowers in the Attic and Petals on the Wind's name for the last few decades. When I picked up the Diaries series, I knew it was going to be disastrous but I hadn't the slightest idea just how bad it would get.

If I were a dramatic person (which frankly I am, but I'd like to pretend I'm not) I would say that after reading these books, I am not the same person. But to be fair, that has no sense behind it beyond a bit of anger and annoyance. Again, I can't help but to wonder why we can't leave V.C. Andrews' legacy alone. Regardless, we're here. We're bored. We're about to cry. Okay--I won't cry but I'm mostly stalling in my review because I can't figure out how to describe how bloody awful this book--and the previous two installments--and I don't want to approach it too rudely.

I should say this: Flowers in the Attic is an iconic property and I do--on some levels--get the reasoning behind continuing to publish these new installments. They are nothing more than glorified fan-fiction (an insult to FF) and won't affect the original series if you don't want to consider it canon.


Fans of V.C. Andrews have always been pretty split when it comes down to things and I do think that a majority will agree with me when I say that this series is not only unnecessary it's just bad.

There's no sense behind it and no V.C. Andrews feel to it whatsoever. There's the whole bullsh*t retcon situation we've got in Cory being alive, much like the other books in the series the only connections between Flowers in the Attic, the diaries and this series are blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments of all questions and no answers. I can't stress enough how forgettable (yet frustrating) this story is and can promise you that it is one of the worst books I've ever read. Between the Diaries series and Whitefern, it's in my opinion that Neiderman really needs ditch the boat before it sinks.

Bad. Bad. Bad.

(Did I mention bad?)