I thought it was time to revisit an old "friend" and when given the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of Beneath the Attic - I jumped at it. Yes, I know it's a ghost writer and I also know I probably shouldn't have been reading these books when I was 10 and 12. I reread them as an adult and nostalgia pulled me back into the world of V.C. Andrews.
Beneath the Attic takes place decades before Dollanganger's existed. It is the 1890's and Corrine is our main character. I need to explain that is about Garland's wife Corrine and not Chris and Catherine mother, Corrine. I need to point this out because while the book takes place in the late 1890's is reads more modern as the character(s) do things that the never would have done during that time period. I had to keep reminding myself this is Garland's wife!

There is quite a bit of historical inaccuracies but I was able to brush them aside and keep on reading despite me expecting Corrine to pull out a cell phone and start texting. Corrine is absolutely nothing like I imagined but it does relate to and add to the actions of later generations and the way they use their beauty, which is then in turn used against them to bring them harm.

I am neither disappointed or thrilled about this book. It's a fast read and didn't take up too much of my time. If your curious pick it up because why not?

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ahhhhhhh Beneath the Attic was just such a wonderful book and I just thoroughly enjoyed myself. I didn’t want to put this book down. I just fell in love with this wonderful story and it’s wonderful characters. I will most definitely be reading more stories from this wonderful author.

The story takes place in the 1800's which the author does not have the grasp of how to portray.
The book seemed liked modern times with a few mentions of the year 1890 sprinkled in.
I have been reading V.C. Andrews book since I was 12 years old and yes I really do wish it was the original author still writing them.
They all revolve around teenage girls, rich guys they are overwhelmed with and fall madly in love with and the guy is always older than them.
Opulent mansions hold dark secrets in shadowy corners and footsteps of the unknown echo from the dimly lit corridors. Gothic and mysterious!
The book did end rather abruptly so I would be led to believe this is the start of a new series.
Published August 27th 2019 by Gallery Books.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved the fact that one of my favorite series of all time has a sequel finally! I loved learning how this family came to be and it was what was exactly what I expected. Drama and a mess from the beginning. I love it! The ending creeped me out in the best possible way. Can’t wait for the next book.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
To be honest, those in my age group and older, we're all reading these novels from a nostalgic standpoint, where all will be biased, either upset because the books aren't the same/can't be the same, or those like me, who are just happy that the legacy lives on.

While there is no doubt controversy over how these novels are listed as written by VC Andrews yet written by a ghost writer, Andrew Neiderman, I tend to see VC Andrews more as an entity than the writer herself. Many of today's bestsellers are written by ghost writers for well-known authors, with not many readers in the know of this practice. There is no bait and switch in the case of these novels, as it is common knowledge there has been the same ghost writer since I began reading as an adolescent, as our beloved VC Andrews is no longer with us.

With all that being said, I decided to rate this novel by whether or not the Gothic, dark and twisted vibe felt of similar vein of Ms. Andrews. Obviously, no two writers’ voices can ever be the same, but I do feel Andrew Neiderman is doing an admirable job with the legacy passed on. Ms. Andrews' shoes were impossible to fill, so I appreciate novels of a similar vibe, instead of allowing the legacy to stop with her passing.

The Flowers in the Attic series was the first adult series I read when I was only 10 years old. It wasn't my favorite, as that will forever belong to My Sweet Audrina, with Heaven as a runner-up. Dawn is definitely holding strong in the #3 spot.

In Flowers in the Attic, we saw Corrine's actions through her daughter, Cathy. Corrine was most certainly the antagonist of the Flowers in the Attic series – flighty, careless, and cruel. Materialistic. Self-serving. I'd always wondered what made a woman become the mother who essentially locked her children in an attic and pretended they ceased to exist, all to gain access to her inheritance. But was Corrine the first to go to such lengths?

Beneath the Attic features the original Corrine – Corrine's grandmother and namesake, the children's great-grandmother. A torturous look at how a confident, sixteen-year-old is reduced and broken down due to the circumstances of her life. Showcasing how the darkness at Foxworth hall didn't begin with the children in the attic.

Foxworth Hall came to life in its Gothic, sinister splendor, closets filled with skeletons and twisted secrets hidden in every corner. While the writing may not be the same voice as originally written by VC Andrews herself, the vibe felt the same.

Reading Beneath the Attic would give a new perspective to rereading the Flowers in the Attic series. While I try to not give spoilers away, by avoiding the plot itself, I will say there were a few passages that were difficult to read, on the darker side. Added in with the historical time period in the late 1800s, women's rights weren't even on the horizon, which made it difficult to swallow some of the events that occurred, while most likely an accurate depiction.

With an easy to breeze through plot, the emotions weren't as deep as I wished they would have been, especially with the darker content, needing more emotional exploration for character development, but it did lend to a faster pace.

As I said, I'm in the biased camp, because I was thrilled simply to revisit a series from my childhood, seeking that sense of nostalgia, where I would have been happy with anything, no matter what I received. In this case, I will admit that I was pleased with the insight into Corrine's character, adding another layer to events that happened during the next generations.

I admit it has been more years than I care to admit since I first read Flowers in the Attic and even at the time I felt the latter books did not live up to the first two.
“ Beneath the Attic” is told from the POV from Corrine who is the grandmother. (?) of where this twisted family saga began. She is portrayed as a vain, selfish girl who spends all her time obsessing on how everyone is either lusting after or jealous of her. On the night of her very first gala as a young debutante she meets Garland Foxworth, a handsome and wealthy man who she is immediately attracted to. She contrives a visit to an elderly aunt with the purpose of meeting with Garland again and shortly after her return home discovers she is pregnant. Basically the whole story is told in the book blurb and seems to be a long set up for book two. I
Was tempted to put this aside after the first few chapters of Corrine’s odes to her own beauty but if you skip through I think it might be suitable for readers who are looking for light reading or maybe teens who are fans of the original series.
If you are expecting historical accuracy or a great writing this is not the book for you.
Thanks to #netgalley and the publishers for the free ebook in exchange fir my honest opinion.

My first V. C. Andrews book was MY SWEET AUDRINA. I was immediately hooked. I had to get my hands on everything Andrews had written and eagerly anticipated future writings. I loved the FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC series and desperately wanted this book to be SO much more. I truly believe the greatness of the Andrews' novels was lost following her death. I'm not as impressed with the ghostwriters work.

I devoured the gothic fiction of VC Andrews as a young teen, and I am not ashamed to admit I have revisited several of her books as an adult. Younger me loved the settings and dreadful villains Andrews created, and the crazy sagas of her poor protagonists and their offspring were everything I loved to page-turn my way through at the age of 13.

I understand that when Andrews passed away, a ghostwriter worked with her editor and publishing company to continue the stories she left unfinished. I found several of these to still be enjoyable. That being said...

This installation in the Dollanganger series is PURE RUBBISH. The writing is perverse and unsettling, the protagonist is someone I cannot at all root for because she is such a self-centered and terrible person, and the author clearly made ZERO ATTEMPTS at staying true to the time period of this story (pre-1900 and yet the main character references Scarlett O'Hara, for one). People do not act as they would have acted in 1890, women would not have behaved as some of these characters behave, and overall, it is just AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL. The writing is sooooo bad. This book is lazy, the author is lazy, and an author so many women my age remember from youth should not be disserviced by such a money grab.

VC Andrews is probably turning in her grave, and I am so sorry that her legacy is tainted by someone writing such garbage under her name.

I have been curious about Flowers in the Attic since I was a child. I remember one of my older cousins admitting that she had stolen her copy from her older sister and that the author was now her favorite. But being a rule-following only child, I didn't even dare buy a copy until. I was an adult. And by that time, I knew the general plot and wasn't as curious. Years later, I watched the updated Lifetime movies, but still wasn't motivated to brush the dust off my copies. And then a month ago, I saw that a pre-prequel was being released. Deciding that this was the perfect place to start, I excitedly dove in.

And almost immediately wondered if I had made a terrible mistake... the historical editing here is atrocious. The book is set mainly in 1890 and in the very beginning, twelve year old Corrine proudly presents her menstrual-bloodstained undergarments to her mother. When Corrine dismisses her mother's horror at her pride in joining womanhood, she states that it's just because her mother is. child of the Victorian era... and yet, Corrine herself is also a daughter of the Victorian era as Queen Victoria will reign until 1901... the frank sexuality also is completely unbelievable. But the peak of the historical inaccuracies is the mention of Scarlett O'Hara - before Margaret Mitchell's own birth!!

But, if you are able to overlook all of that, this book is actually quite entertaining (if at times more tongue-in-cheek). Corrine is sickeningly self-centered and vain, so much so that the inevitable horror that awaits for her is almost satisfying. But, this is only the first half of the story... the ending is so abrupt that I can't believe how much I am looking forward to the next book. I really shouldn't be - this is a terrible book with lazy writing and even lazier editing... and yet, there is still something nostalgic about reading this, even though I didn't grow up on the series. Maybe V.C. Andrews' ghostwriting pool is the same as the Sweet Valley one?? Either way, this held my attention from start to finish and I actually am looking foward to the sequel, which makes this impressive in its own way!

"Forbidden passions have shaped and haunted the Dollanganger family since their first novel - Flowers in the Attic - debuted forty years ago. Now discover how twisted the family roots truly are, and witness the clan’s origins as a result of one wild and complicated relationship. In this evocative and thrilling tale from New York Times bestselling author V.C. Andrews, see Corrine Dixon as a young girl and discover the fascinating family history of the Dollanganger clan.

Two generations before Corinne Foxworth locked her children in an attic, her grandmother, a gorgeous young girl named Corrine Dixon, is swept away by the charms of rich, sophisticated, and handsome Garland Foxworth. After discovering that she’s pregnant, Garland does what appears to be the honorable thing and marries her in a huge ceremony on the luxurious Foxworth Hall grounds. Both families fervently overlook the pregnancy, happy for a suitable resolution.

Now the mistress of a labyrinthine estate, Corrine discovers that nothing is what is seems. Garland is not the man once captivated by her charms, and she’s increasingly troubled by his infatuation with memories of his departed mother.

Can Corrine survive this strange new life? Or is her fate already sealed?

Explore the origins of the legendary Dollanganger family in this page-turning, gripping gothic thriller."

If anyone else is suffering from V.C. Andrews withdrawal after the final Lifetime movie adaptation aired on Saturday here's your cure!

Of course, everyone knows by now that the new VC Andrews books are not written by VC Andrews. Instead, they are written by a ghost writer. Even knowing this, I could not help myself when I found out “ Beneath the Attic” was being released. I don’t know what I was hoping for but ultimately, I didn’t get it. The book had numerous inaccuracies. It was just super outrageous, and I could not finish it. I do hope that VC Andrew’s legacy is not ruined by these ghost-written books. It was a huge disappointment in my opinion.

* I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.*

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.\

I have to say I expected and wanted so much more from this book than i got. It seemed a tad repetitive of other books. It fed some of my curiouisity but not all. ;/ just an okay read.

I’ve always wondered how this well-known (literary) family turned out the way they did and now I know more. Not enough to completely satisfy my curiosity but another layer has been peeled off.

Beneath th the Attic tells the story of Corrine, a precocious teen who finds herself on the cusp of marrying into the cursed Foxworth family in 1890. If my math is right, that makes her the great-grandmother of Cathy Dollanganger, the protagonist of Flowers in the Attic.

The plot is pretty much a rewrite of the first few chapters of Gone with the Wind, with Corrine filling in for Scarlett O’Hara, Garland Foxworth doing double-duty as a split personality mashup of Rhett Butler and Ashley Wilkes, and no Civil War to provide gravitas to the thin storyline.

A summary of the action: 16-year-old Southern belle Corrine/Scarlett is blessed with the kind of beauty that drives men wild. Her old-fashioned mother disapproves of her immodest inclinations, but her father dotes on her. Girls her own age are jealous, of course. When Corrine/Scarlett encounters Garland/Rhett at a high-society shindig, it seems she might have finally met her match. She is both provoked by and attracted to him.

Corrine/Scarlett pines for Garland/Ashley and is determined to make him fall in love with her. Through an unfortunate series of events, she finds herself socially obligated to marry and marry fast for appearances’ sake. Lucky for her, Garland/Rhett is amenable. She journeys to Charlottesville/Atlanta to take up residence in his family home. Then, kaboom! Before the wedding can take place, the book is suddenly over.

But the copycat plot and abrupt ending aren’t the real problem with Beneath the Attic.

Read the full review at https://the-delve.com/2019/08/22/what-the-new-flowers-in-the-attic-book-gets-completely-wrong/

I was very excited to receive an early copy of Beneath the Attic from Netgalley but I was sadly disappointed by much of the book.

Beneath the Attic is a prequel to Flowers in the Attic which is a very memorable series to many teenage girls. The story is told by Corrine Dixon. She is a very vain and selfish girl who likes to manipulate people. At the age of 16 she finds herself in a very uncomfortable and delicate situation due to her behavior.

I wanted so much more from this book. It did make me curious as to whether Corrine ever meets her granddaughter and namesake who seems to have some of the very same vain and selfish behaviors in Flowers in the Attic.

Possible Spoilers below....

I had trouble getting past a few timeline discrepancies. The references to Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler didn't work due to the fact that Gone With the Wind was not published in 1890.

I wanted to love it but I didn't. I will read the next book which is scheduled to come out in 2020 and hope that it is better and more accurate.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

General Fiction (adult)
Release Date: August 27, 2019

So let me start by saying, this made think when my Dad would take me to the bookstore and buy me tons of V.C. Andrews books when we would have snow days (I am pretty sure if he knew what these books were about he would have never bought them for me). I would not leave my room, as I devoured each of her books. When I saw this was coming out, I had to request to read this.

Let me start by saying this book is so not good, but amazing all that same time. The writing is horrid, and the historical markers are just wrong, but it gave me this tinge of my youth, which is exactly what I wanted. This is trademark Andrews in every way.

This story takes place in 1890 and is about Corrine Foxworth who is the Grandmother to Corrine in Flowers in the Attic. She is 16 for much of the book. This book centers around her marriage to Garland when she becomes pregnant. Garland is obsessed with his deceased mother, and Corrine quickly realizes that not everything she thinks is true. I don't want to say too much as it would give the plot away.

All I will say if you want nostalgia and not great writing, go out and buy this one. Just take it for what it's worth.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Man.......this is bad.

I love the Dollanganger series. So much that I sat through the Lifetime TV movie versions. Christopher, Cathy, Corrine....I grew up reading these book.

Beneath the Attic is...not good. The book reads as a cash grab and clearly written by a man. Many writers are able to get into the mind of characters and this just feels perverted.

VC Andrews is spinning in her grave.

1.5 stars

This book was pretty terrible. The heroine, Corrine, has not one redeeming quality to her. Garland, the romantic interest, comes across as just kinda creepy and gross. I really don't think this is how it was in 1890. Did the author, who is not V.C. Andrews obviously, not research the time period at all? And then he ended it on a sort of cliff hanger. Well definitely not reading the next one, so mission not accomplished! Just write your own stuff dude and let this series die!

Sadly not the best. This is unfortunately what happens when the names of long-deceased (in this case, in 1986) authors' names are "leased" to other writers.

This book is by Andrew Neiderman, and I wish that had been made more clear. That being said, I wasn't around for when the original scandalizing novels by Ms. Andrews made their rounds, but those lifetime movies are a good comparison to this rendition.