This was a huge let down, mostly because I grew up reading VC Andrews books. Could not finish. Not really sure what was going on here.

I am a huge fan of V.C. Andrews' books and was so excited to have a chance to revisit Foxworth Hall. In this book, the early beginnings of Corrine Dixon were brought to life. She meets Garland initially at a gala event where she is making her debut. She is immediately drawn to him and spends the evening being regaled by him, She arranges to meet him and is taken advantage of and becomes pregnant. Her father seeks to right this wrong and meets with Garland. He proposes when she and her parents visit their home and finds out that he is not what he seems I really enjoyed the characters and the eerieness of it all. I think this book does a good job of tying into the original books. Thanks for the ARC, Net Galley.

Unfortunately, I stopped reading at 25%. This book was not for me. I strongly disliked the main character, Corrine, and the story didn’t match the time period it was supposed to be set in. I really like the Flowers in the Attic series but this prequel fell a bit flat.

This story is just as secretive and intriguing as the original books in this series!

Corrine Dixon (the original Corinne), is a young, conceited girl who uses her beauty to her advantage. With her friends, her family and even when she meets Garland Foxworth.

What a mystery Garland is! I have been creeped out by that family since Flowers in the Attic...and this just perpetuates it. How deep do the secrets go?

This first novel in the new trilogy, the beginning of the wicked web surrounds the Foxworth family tree. I know I am going to be waiting for the next installment on tenterhooks!

I am a huge fan of the Flowers in the Attic series, and so when I saw this came up for requesting, I had to get it.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book after reading 50% of it. I couldn't relate (or like) any of the characters in this book. The father just doted on his daughter like she was a perfect little angel, the mother was so frigid and cold that you didn't know whether you shouldn't like her or should feel sorry for her, and the main character that thought she was basically god's gift and knew everything about everything in spite of the fact she was only 16 at the time.

Personally I felt that the time frame didn't even come through all that well. It just like they wrote a story in present time but every once in a while mentioned that their were horse and carriages and gas lamps were still being used in order to remind you that this story was taking place in the 1890s.

I'm not sure how many V.C. Andrews books this author has wrote, but I have to say that I am very disappointed in this one and am actually very sad that this is part of the Flowers in the Attic series.

Even though there are a lot of critical reviews about this book I liked it. This was set in the 1890's and some of the situations did not fit that time period but hopefully this will be corrected before publication. I definitely want to read the next two books to find out what happens to cause Corrine to do the things she did.

Thanks Net Galley for allowing me to read this book for my honest review.

Following the usual unimaginative pattern of V.C. Andrew's post-mortem works, Beneath the Attic is highly predictable, nearly comical in its 'male writes young female protagonist' failures, with added flavor gifted by unnecessary nods towards the Confederacy in Corrine's 19th century Virginia and internalized misogyny (are we not supposed to expect better from the nefarious Foxworth grandmother of Flowers in the Attic?)

The first quarter of the book in particular is poorly-written, and required some determination to push through. Unsure if the quality was necessarily below what Andrews' ghostwriter has previously put out, as it's been years since I picked up a new V.C. Andrews novel. Unfortunately, this latest work has been a stellar reminder of why I stopped picking up V.C. Andrews books at my local library, or worse, spending money on them. Despite the problematic aspects of V.C. Andrews' original works (i.e. her own), they obviously were engaging enough to inspire popular intrigue; whereas post-mortem, her ghostwritten works demonstrate a noticeable decline in quality. I've read better fan-fiction online, I'm not so sorry to admit.

Primary takeaway these days from V.C. Andrews books seem to be: all handsome, moderately-intriguing men are rapists, but women will love them anyway. Maybe have their children. Internalize the idea that they are at least partly responsible for being sexually assaulted or deserved it simply for being, like, alive or whatever...and just leave it that.

I managed to finish the copy I received to the end, but can't really give it a 2-star based on that alone. As always, however, appreciate the NetGalley platform for providing me an early inside look into the latest addition to a series I've begrudgingly followed.

**On an added note, I saw on Goodreads that the page count listed for this book is 368 pages. The e-book downloadable format I received through NetGalley was only 207 pages. Not sure if I received the final copy of the book, or if the information listed on Goodreads is mistaken?

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Corrine is a typical sixteen years old girl, who has it all. She's an old child to a wealthy family. The apple of daddy's eyes. Avoiding every single one of her mother's advice, Corrine decided she wanted to grow up overnight, by attracting the attention of a wealthy twenty-three years old, Garland.

This was a hard story to read as I have to keep in mind the time period in which the piece was written. There was no such thing as a career, independent woman. Women were kept as trophies and homemakers. Corrine was a spoil little girl that's not much different from any girls today. As a sixteen years old, she seems to think she knows it all, until one day she actually need her mother. Suddenly, she realized maybe growing up so fast wasn't a great thing, especially since she has to be alone in a huge property, married to a man she barely knows. There is something dark and sinister about the Foxworth's family history as well as the house she's now living in. Corrine's voice and attitude does bug the crap out of me. She was spoiled and entitled to the point when bad things happened to her, I didn't truly feel bad for her.

This was a good story that answered questions for me after many years. There is a link to my blog review.
I give this 3.75 stars,
https://booksgaloremore.blogspot.com/2019/07/beneath-attic-by-vc-andrews-375-stars.html?spref=fb&m=1

This is the prequel to,the prequel. Corinne Dixon is a young, superficial belle who schools her small circle of friends about how to win over men and other normally taboo topics for the last nineteenth century. At her first adult party, she encounters dashing Garland Foxworth. She contrives to win him and becomes pregnant. Corinne is ready to marry Garland and lord over the vast Foxworth Hall estate, but the mansion holds many secrets, especially her Intended's obsession with his deceased mother.
Creepy and sinister.

Beneath the Attic by V.C.Andrews
Ok, I read my first V.C.Andrews when I was a young impressionable girl and I have read if not devoured all of her books over the decades since I read Flowers in The Attic so I pretty much know and love all her books! It is obvious that this was written by a ghost writer as V.C. Andrews passed many years ago, that being said I was still so excited to read this prequel to Flowers in the Attic that I read this in 2 days and I am definitely interested and waiting for the follow-up to this one. I am happy to have finally starting to learn what made Corrine they way she became in the later books and what drove her there. Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for allowing me to read this ARC book and give my opinion!

I read my first VC Andrews book when I was a teenager. I'd guess I was 16 and I clearly remember it was Flowers in the Attic. Perhaps my love of reading started with VC Andrews. She has a way of roping you in, telling you secrets, and somehow you become so entangled with the characters, you lose all judgement for the decisions they make. Flowers in the Attic is the only book I remember vividly reading from VC Andrews. I am sure I read others, after Flowers in the Attic was so difficult to put down. But, as the years passed and I grew more and more busy with things other than reading, I haven't picked up one of her books since then.

When I saw Beneath the Attic by VC Andrews posted on @netgalley s website, I couldn't believe it. What did this book have to do with the characters from Flowers in the Attic? Was VC Andrews still alive? Had I missed other books she had written in the last few years? Would I even still be interested in her type of writing?

Well, I ravenously finished this book in 2 days. I think that speaks for itself. The book quickly transported me back to imagery akin to the Gatsby days with grande staircases and shiny chandeliers. Wealth, prestige, secrets, and desire are all woven into the story with artistry.

In all honesty, the book was predictable for the most part. Until the end. No spoilers here, but as the reader, you will be left hanging. And, you will be so caught up in the oddities and peculiarities of wealth that you won't be concerned that you think you know what is going to happen.

I give this book 5 stars. You don't have to be a fan of VC Andrews to be a fan of this book. Additionally, the book is crafted in such a way that you don't need to know anything about the other books that VC Andrews has written. This is a fantastic summer read. A great distraction and easy to fly through.

A huge thank you to @gallerybooks @netgalley @pocket_books for allowing me to review this amazing book that was ghostwritten by @neidermanandrew . The expected release date will be 8/27/2019.

#netgalley #gallerybooks #pocket_books #andrewneiderman #yournextread #summerreading #suspense #nerdlife #mustlovebooks #readmorebooks #oakcitybooks @oakcitybooks

4 stars--I really liked it.

This is not a good book. In fact, it's pretty terrible. The first-person writing is lazy and historical inaccuracies abound, even to the point where they made me laugh (an example: this book is supposedly set in 1890, but at one point the narrator compares herself to Scarlett O'Hara--even though Gone with the Wind was published in 1936. Oops!).

However, sometimes I enjoy reading something trashy, and this scratched that itch. I'll always have a weakness for V.C. Andrews, thanks to my generation's near-universal love for Flowers in the Attic. And even though this wasn't written by Andrews (and boy does THAT show), it captures that breathless, slightly scandalous feeling of reading something adult and forbidden. All the gothic trappings I love are here, and I was disappointed when the book was over that I'd have to wait for the sequel to know what happened!

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

Sorry ... just couldnt finish it. I was so excited as the Flowers in the Attic series was one of my all time favorites as an adolescent. I started and stopped so many times, I finally gave up. It just didn't capture my attention nor hold my interest.

Thank you #netgalley and #Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Booksn for the eARC.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for Beneath the Attic. I picked this book because I have read VC Andrews books' my entire life so of course i was super excited to see the author name on my screen! However, this book left me confused as to rest of the series. I enjoyed the book DO NOT GET ME WRONG! I missed the writing styles over the years but this book blurred the lines of what i knew to be true in the other books. For example, Foxworth Hall being Corrine's childhood/family home where in this book she herself marries into the home and her parents live elsewhere. I think if i had not read the other books about Corrine and her children I would have loved it more. Just be prepared for things to be a little different than what you think you know about this family, their home and the swan bed. Still a good read and i would read it again.

Fans of V.C, Andrews will really enjoy this prequel to Flowers in the Attic. For romance novel readers this should satisfy; a good escape from every day world.

I am a huge Flowers In The Attic fan. I am in my mid 40's now and read that series in high school. Beneath The Attic does not disappoint! It has that same wronged feeling I had when reading Flowers In The Attic. I love how we get a look at what made Corrine the mother she became. If you are a V.C. Andrews fan you will not want to miss this book!!

I'm really conflicted with this story. I'm a huge huge fan of Flowers in the attic. There were definitely some issues. I guess I will see what the next book brings. Thanks Netgalley for the Arc

I swear, I never get tired of anything to do with the Flowers in the Attic series! It completely captivated me when I was way too young to be reading these type of books! I came across Flowers in the Attic when I was probably 11 or 12. We were there for Christmas or Thanksgiving, and on those days we would be at their house for at least 12 hours. I ended up reading all but the last couple of chapters that day, and I was hooked. I've read every singe one of the VC Andrews books up to The Broken Wings series. I had stopped reading VC Andrews at that time, because it seemed like it was so predictable anymore. Same storyline, different characters. The first books that were written by the actual VC Andrews were by far the best. I've read them all at least 3 times each.
Anyways, Beneath the Attic was another great book in this series. I had always seen the grandmother as a terrible, evil person, so it was really interesting to see where she came from and what she dealt with. Basically how she ended up the way she did, and what drove her. I'm not the same person I was when I was obsessed with reading the Flowers in the Attic series, but I did get into this novel, and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who is a fan of the series.

It's been thirty-two years since I first 'met' the Foxworth family. For me, the most mysterious member of the family was the first Corrine (whose namesake did terrible things for the sake of the family fortune). Very little was said about her, and what information readers do have came from a character whose knowledge may not be wholly accurate. This novel presented an opportunity to (finally) know who she was, and I was unable to resist it. Despite being disappointed by a previous title, I was cautiously optimistic about this novel.

I was excited to read about the enigmatic Corrine and young Garland. My need to know more demanded it, and for that reason I'm glad to have read this book. Unfortunately, Beneath the Attic is plagued with problems that left me feeling frustrated.

The blurb states that Corrine and Garland get married, but the book ends before the marriage takes place. It's an understatement to say I was perplexed that they were still in preparation mode for the wedding when the book ended. No indication is given that this is the first in a series of books, so it felt like the book ended abruptly. I'm sure the final version of the book will inform readers that it's part of a series, but it should have been made clear to early reviewers, as well.

This most maddening, shove-you-right-out-of-the-story problem came when Corrine thinks to herself that she is just as spoiled as Scarlett O'Hara. Gone with the Wind was published in 1936—but this book is set in 1890! If I had been reading a physical book, I would have thrown it across the room. I had to stop reading, and spent the next ten minutes ranting about stupid it was, and seriously considered DNF'ing the book right then and there. How is it possible to make such a ridiculous error?! Google it, for goodness' sake!

Another issue I had is that this doesn't always read like a book set in the late nineteenth century. If you removed all mention of carriages and clothing, it would easily seem to be set in a more modern era. Characters don't address one another or use etiquette consistent with the time period, which is glaringly obvious to anyone who reads historical fiction regularly.

When reading a book that tells the backstory of a maligned character such as Corrine, they are usually portrayed in a favorable light. The youthful version of them is drastically different from the person they became, and the reader can find themselves feeling unexpected sympathy for the character in question. (The young Olivia Foxworth in Garden of Shadows is an excellent example of this.) Corrine, however, is arrogant, spoiled, and selfish—unlikable from the start. It falls in line with how Malcolm (her son) will eventually describe her, and it was not at all what I expected or hoped.

Garland was an imitation of Malcolm, minus the religious fanaticism. Characters in these books are always shown to go through dramatic change, but Garland's character felt completely wrong. He was a nice person in Shadows, but in this book he was a complete jerk. For both main characters to be this unlikable seems a poor choice., and I'm hoping one of them will be redeemed at some point in the series.

Final Thoughts

Despite serious issues I had with certain aspects of the story, I still want to know what happens next. I'd like to see better historical research done (no more references nearly 50 years too early!), with characters behaving in historically-consistent ways regarding their speech, manners, and behaviors.

I've decided to give this book a two star rating, though I was tempted to drop it down to one star due to historical inaccuracies. Being curious about what happens next convinced me to bump it up to two stars.

I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Gallery Books via Netgalley.