Ashley

Ashley's Book Review


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Most teenagers look forward to their summer all year long through long days at school. No more school, homework and you just get to stay home all day and sleep in.And of course get to be with your friends. **Sarah Dessen** explains **that summer** a whole different way full of drama and problems with family. Haven and Ashley sisters are going through a rough summer.People don't really imagine their parents getting divorced. But not only that but one of them is getting remarried. Imagine all those mixed feelings either if there ok with it or against it. I can imagaine whats going through there head because I have a somewhat similar situation with my family. That's why I would say this book is an ok book, and I dislike reading a book very much. I wouldn't say that I would read it again but I do recommened it for people that are going through the same kind of situation.Having a parent getting remarried seems like somthing hard to deal with and also your older sister getting married pretty young after going out with a lot of guys. Haven and Ashley have a unique relationship with eachother. I don't have a sister but I have friends that do and there constantly always fighting and arguing but always end up being friends again.This book shows no matter what a family is going through there is always someone there that will listen to what you have to say.You would probally enjoy this book because it doesn't really get boring but there are parts that are because it just keeps on explaining about one thing.I think teenage girls would be more interested in this book then a guy but you never know.

Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews is a heartbreaking tale about four children facing terrors at the hands of their grandmother and mother while locked away in one room for over three years after the death of their father. The children are told they must hide for only a little while. Believing that their mother would let them out soon, they tried to follow their grandmother’s strict rules. During the course of their imprisonment Momma stops visiting, they are beaten, starved, and poisoned. When a child dies, the narrator realizes they can only depend on themselves an they make plans to escape even if it means giving up on the goals that has helped them find comfort during the last 3 years. This is well written; however, V. C. Andrews tended to draw this out a bit at times. You are left wondering the motives of the grandmother, Mother’s motives are easier to understand but her actions don’t always make sense. You are often frustrated with the naivety of the 2 older children and their failure to act sooner. However, you must remember these are only children of 15, 12, and 5 who believe their mother loves them and will protect them. Those wanting the “bad guys” punished and the “good guys” to live happily ever after will be disappointed as there is little confrontation in this book. The good news is this is only the first book in a series and answers will be given in V. C. Andrews’ subsequent novels (Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, and Garden of Shadows) I would recommend these books to others that enjoy this type of horror story that causes the reader to argue with the characters and themselves, but I feel compelled to warn about the incestuous relationships and the lack of any true happy ending which may be too disturbing to some readers.