If you ignore the name on the cover and the fact that it's marketed as adult fiction instead of YA as it should be, this is a decent book. However, it does not have the darkness and disturbed nature that one expects from V.C. Andrews. April is a girl who finds herself in quite a few tragic and unpleasant situations, but not anything near the horror related in "Flowers in the Attic" or even more recent works like "Melody." Sadly, V.C. (or the ghost writer, rather) has completely lost her edge. It makes me sad. ( )

I am a huge V. C. Andrews fan, but I had trouble finishing this book. I didn't think the dialogue was realistic and I didn't feel a connection with any of the characters. I found myself just not caring what happened. ( )

I hadn't read a V.C. Andrews book since I was in middle school so when I came upon this at the grocery store the other day, I picked it up. Wow...if I needed a reminder of how awful people can be to each other, then this book did the trick perfectly. Anything bad that could happen to a person, happened to April all before she hit adulthood. Oh wait....except incest, which is a typical Andrews plotline and I imagine might make a comeback in the next book? And of course, you have the standard overall creepiness of general atmosphere. Uncle Palaver? I'd like to know a bit more about that situation. *shudder* Anyway, a poorly written novel that might as well have been penned by a sixteen year-old for all of it's skill and depth of emotion. But you know, I've known plenty of sixteen year-olds that had much more talent than this, so I shouldn't make such a generalization. I'll just end by saying that if you are feeling nostalgic for your middle school days when yourself and your friends gathered together to giggle at the naughty parts then, by all means, indulge yourself. But chances are you'll tire of it halfway through (if you make it that far) and toss it in the trash where it belongs. ( )