Petals on the Wind: Dollanganger, Book 2

This book focuses more on Catherine's husbands and lovers, and on her revenge against her mother. Both make for great, entertaining reading.Love story #1: Cathy's forbidden love for Chris. I think it was fitting Chris's full name means Christ-bearer because he really is Christlike when it comes to forgiveness. He doesn't even hate his mother for being responsible for the death of his only brother, neither for Carrie's stunted growth, which, I believe, in part, leads to her dying so young, and his own loss of trust in the woman who gave him life, not to mention the three years, four months and sixteen days of his childhood lost, lost to him forever.It did take Cathy a long time to finally execute her revenge, but I think she wanted to prove to her mother that she could make something of herself first, which she did, by becoming a prima ballerina, who, sadly, would have been a superstar if only Julian (her first husband and dance partner) hadn't been such a jerk.I think Cathy's love affair with Paul Sheffield, the doctor who took her and her siblings in, was genuine, and though I believe she really did love him, part of that love was gratitude. I also think his age played a role (Paul was twenty four years and some months older than she, just like her father was, for when she was twelve, Chris Sr. was thirty-six). Paul represented stability, the kind of life she knew with her father, and that was partly why he was so attractive to her. Like Chris, Paul was always there for her because her love life went in this order: Chris, Paul, Julian, Paul, Bart, Paul, Chris. I liked all of Cathy's beaus but Julian, who was in love with Cathy, but she just didn't feel that way about him. I think she only thought she loved him at the end. I know some readers thought Cathy promiscuous, but I didn't get that at all. Chris was a mistake, and it wasn't her who initiated it, Paul and Julian she married, and Bart was part of her revenge plan, but all along, I don't think she realized it until the end that it was Bart who was her true love, ever since she was fifteen when she first kissed him and he thought she was part of a dream. I also don't think Bart realized Cathy was his true love either until the end (though I do believe he did love his wife, Corinne, Cathy's mother), when she revealed to him who she was, the dream that had stayed with him all those many years.CAUTION: SPOILER'S AHEAD!!!What's heartbreaking is that just as they realized this, Bart dies, leaving Cathy to go back to Paul carrying Bart's child. Cathy's one true love was the one man she didn't marry.I think Cathy slept with Paul at first only to get Christopher out of her system ("Good-bye, my Christopher Doll", I think she said, as soon as Paul had, um, done the deed), and though her feelings towards her brother that were less than sisterly remained dormant through all her romances, I think she finally accepted at the end that Chris was the one constant in her life. All the rest of the men in it had died on her. I think she was just tired of fighting him, deciding to make a life together with him and her two sons.I advise against reading, or at least accepting the three latter books of this series. Ms. Andrews totally veered off the path by using Bart and Jory's (Cathy's sons) first person voices, especially when they are still children. I have never been a fan of switching points-of-view. I was used to seeing everything through Cathy's eyes and this totally jarred me. It wouldn't have been so bad if the story had went in a different direction, but, well, I won't spoil it for you. "Petals" ended nicely (Foxworth Hall burns down and Corinne is in a convalescent home for the insane), and could have been left alone (which would have been better than having "Thorns" published), letting Cathy and Chris to just live happily ever after, maybe even going back to Gladstone, Pennsylvania, to visit, and raising two nice, normal sons, with Corinne perhaps redeeming herself at the end by saving one of the boys or something and Cathy finally being able to forgive her. As far as I'm concerned, that's what happened. "Thorns" and "Seeds" is V.C.'s version of what happened to Chris and Cathy after they go to Calfornia (I would have liked it better if they had stayed on the East Coast), but I have my own, where they decide to go to Sarasota after all. Though V.C. created the Dresden dolls, I made them mine.This book covers a lot more time than the first, which I think metaphorically illustrates how fast life flew by when they had their freedom and were no longer locked in the attic.Read this wonderful novel.Note to Amazon: The name's Dollanganger, not Dollanger.

***UPDATED REVIEW*****I just started the third book If There Be Thorns. I must say, one must without a doubt read Petals on the Wind in order for the storyline to knit together. I stand by my review of this book, but it fits together without much confusion since I've began If There be Thorns. Don't become discouraged with Petals on the Wind if it seems confusing. You'll need the background for it all to blend.** Flowers In a The Attic, even after 30 yrs and reading it twice, still remains among my list of favorites. Petals On The Wind is a book full of twisted revenge, yet suspenseful. You must stick with this book and not become discouraged if it seems as if it's going nowhere. It can be confusing at times, which led to me going back to re-read some parts. The main focus of this book is Cathy seeking revenge on her mother while trying to fulfill her dreams of becoming a primaballerina. It doesn't focus much on Christopher or on Carrie. The confusion is Cathy herself. A confused teen who, in my opinion, doesn't know how to let go of the past while growing into adulthood. This sets her on a path of self-destruction in a way. She's smart and beautiful, but will not let go of the revenge towards her mother. She's also caught up in a tangled web of men fighting for her attention and her giving into the attention. Seducing her mothers new husband, Bart, is part of the revenge, but Cathy falls in love with him. There's Julian, her dance partner, who she's convinced she loves and marries...stays married to him although he's abusive and she justifies his actions in one way or another. Then there's her brother who still loves her and won't let go of the idea that they were meant to be together, sinful or not. Dr Paul, who took the 3 of them in and became a "father figure", made sure they didn't go without, including an education...but somehow Cathy manages to seduce him and a love affair develops between them. The book is scattered and, as I said, it focused on Cathy and the way she goes about life as she sees it and is consumed full of revenge and she continues to plot against her mother. Christopher and Carrie are mentioned, but clearly aren't the main focus. I'll have to admit, the revenge towards her mother at the end did indeed make a wonderful grand entrance. But it seemed after that, the author made a mad dash to tie up the loose ends of the novel which seemed scattered and not well written. However, in order to continue with the series, one must read this book. I'm still left with questions as why the book was written in such a confusing manner. Perhaps the next book in the series will clarify the confusion and this book will become clear as to the way it was put together. I don't regret reading this book and yes, I do recommend it.

The description said it was a used book, normal wear and tear etc., but looks in practically brand new condition. Thank you as it was the only book I was missing from this much loved series I have.

Great sequel, enjoed reading it, I read flowers in the attic many years ago I only just found there were more in the series

テンポが遅く，じっくりと楽しめた「屋根裏部屋の花達」と違って，「炎に舞う花びら」はテンポがはやく，次から次へと話が進みます。ポールやジュリアン，そしてまたあの弁護士と…ドロドロです。キャリーに起きた悲劇や，母への復讐など，変化の少ない前巻とは大違いですね。じっくりと読みたい人には，少し物足りないかも……。私自身，「もう終わり？」という感じでした。それにしても，「キャシーすごい！」の一言です。

Excellent book great read

I found Cathy extremely annoying. Couldn't get past that...sorry!

Waaaay too long. The book should be maybe half the length it was.