I thought that this book was okay. I decided to pick this book up largely because of nostalgia. I was a fan of V.C. Andrews back in the days when it was actually V.C. Andrews writing the books. I have read quite a few of the books penned by the ghostwriter as well but those just quit appealing to me at some point. This book wasn’t bad but I was never completely hooked by it either.

Sage seems to know things. She lives with her adoptive parents who are very strict. She is trying to make friends at school and the fact that she has some pretty insightful advice seems to be helping. When a new boy comes to school, they seem to click right away. Before long, Sage and Summer are spending quite a bit of time together. I was very curious about what was going on with Sage but when everything was finally revealed it felt very anti-climatic.

I thought that the narrator did a wonderful job with this book. I am honestly not sure if I would have finished the book if it wasn’t for the quality of the narration. I thought that the various character voices that she used added a lot to the story. She has a very pleasant voice that was easy to listen to for hours at a time.

I think that some readers will have more luck with this one than I did. It was a nice way to pass the time even if it wasn’t a favorite. I think that the next time I pick up a V.C. Andrews book, I will make sure that it is one that she actually wrote.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books via NetGalley and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.

I have been a longtime fan of V.C. Andrews and while the book was a good read, I found it could have been a lot more captivating. I was expecting a bit more intrigue, thrills, and suspense. It felt like the plot was not fully fleshed out and some of the history of the subject could have been developed a little bit better.

Sage feels out of place. She is constantly under the microscope of her parents--who adopted her.
She seems to know things that she shouldn't. She has a gift, one that she feels is going to set her apart even more. So when she does find one person who might understand her, she puts herself into even more danger. And has the potential to put even more people in dangers.
This is the fourth book in the VC Andrews 'The Forbidden' series. This is an odd read, and I was hoping there would be more in this series, but so far, it looks like this is the last one.

Sage is a 16 year old who lives with her adoptive parents. They watch her constantly. Sage actually hears ghosts whispering to her at nighttime, but her parents tell her it's not real. She meets a new student in school, and they have a lot in common. This was much more based on fantasy than anything else. It started out great but then fizzled out, and I lost interest.

Okay so I saw V.C. Andrews and pulled the trigger. Then I did some digging and for the purposes of full disclosure I must say Mrs. Andrews is passed away. Suddenly I was even more intrigued by this book. I read this in about 3 sittings throughout two days it was a great read. There was a lot of mystery sometimes I felt like there was too much mystery. The only problem with too much mystery is once the mystery is finally revealed it seems anticlimactic. I kind of knew what was going on as I’m sure every reader will but there was always something just outside of my grasp. The “mystery” wasn’t as jaw dropping as I’d hoped but none the less the author certainly packs quite the punch towards the end.

The Story, a little girl is adopted and is odd. Her adoptive parents aren’t very nice to her and she is just a peach. I could not understand why her adoptive mother was so cold. Even when everything is revealed I still had a tough time reconciling the reasoning with her actions. I’m still scratching my head over it. Later once Sage becomes older and more assertive my heart broke for her all the more. Once she finds someone whom she can relate to she is let down again and again. Sage begins to piece things together and very soon all the cards will be drawn.

The Characters, Sage was my favorite along with her uncle and her adoptive father. I felt like Sage was always under attack which I didn’t understand because she was a wonderful daughter. I wish her family had been more open and forward with her. The relationship she had with her uncle was my favorite he was always looking out for her and trying to take care of her even from far away. The ugly people she went to school with were vile and could not appreciate what a gift they had. Sage’s character definitely stood above the rest.

The End, okay so I mentioned a bit of an anticlimactic revelation towards the end. Well that just has to deal with all of the family secrets. I felt as though they really weren’t that serious to where Sage could not know the truth. I wish her family would have trusted her more. Okay…So that punch the author packs at the end is like a punch in the face! I did not see that coming so I did enjoy the jaw dropping twist and I especially enjoyed the way Sage handled the situation. I’m happy I picked this one up it was quite enjoyable. I wish the author would have given us more details about all of the secrets but hey that’s okay it was still a good read. I do love the very, very end Sage gets the one thing she has wanted for a very long time. I was happy to see her finally blossom into the bright beautiful girl that was in hiding all along.

My Rating
3.5 Eerie, Mysterious, and sometimes disturbing, I wish the ending was more detailed Stars

Not a bad read, but definitely not a typical VC Andrews novel. The beginning dragged a bit but picked up after the first couple of chapters. Good book for fans of teen reads with a paranormal mystery at the center.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing this review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have read so many of Virginia Andrews novels I forget what I have read and what I haven’t! I loved the original books, Flowers In the Attic etc. Unfortunately since the great woman herself died, and her writing was taken over by ghost writers, writing under her name, the books just haven’t been the same. Anyhow, I’m still a sucker for these kind of books so decided to give this one a go!

Sage is 16 years old and adopted. She can see things which no one else sees. Because of this unique and dark talent, her parents keep her under tight control – she has no friends and no social life. She meets the new boy at school, who understands and believes her power, and she tries to put it to some good use.

This was your typical ‘VC Andrews’ novel, and unfortunately as time goes on these books don’t seem to be getting any better. It was an okay read, but I couldn’t really get into the story and it moved far too slowly for my liking. It did seem, by the ending, that there is going to be a follow up to this one. I hope so anyway, else this ending was very abrupt! If there is a sequel, I will no doubt give it a try as I’m sure it will reel me in somehow!