Review: The Unwelcomed Child by V.C. Andrews

In 1979, readers were engulfed in the one of the most guiltiest pleasure novels ever written - Flowers in the Attic, followed by three sequels and a prequel. Even teenagers became interested in the novel, though they most likely hid their copy under their mattress. Sadly, V.C. Andrews passed away just over twenty-seven years ago, and ever since then a ghost writer has taken over series. At first nobody knew who the writer was, but now it is public knowledge that author Andrew Neiderman is the ghost writer.

Unlike most readers my age, I didn't start reading V.C. Andrews until I was around twenty-years-old, when I bought a hardback copy of Flowers in the Attic (missing a few page though) at a thrift store. Shortly after, I was given my grandmother's (Sadly, she passed away in 2009.) V.C. Andrews collection, as she had lost all interest in the books. The collection was missing a few books, which I quickly bought the missing books at a book store and on eBay. I have continued to collect each new release, though I haven't read the most recent series'.

The newest novel, The Unwelcomed Child, was released last week, just a few weeks after television version of Flowers In the Attic broke rating records on Lifetime. After recently rereading Flowers in the Attic (here is my review for it), I became eagerly excited about reading The Unwelcomed Child, which is a stand-alone novel.

Similar to Flowers in the Attic, this tale has a young girl, Elle Edwards, living with her grandparents, but, no, she isn't being forced to hide in an attic. Elle's rebellious mother left her to be raised my Grandmother Myra and Grandfather Prescott. She's doesn't know much about her father, except for the fact he had raped her mother, resulting in her conception.

Grandmother Myra is very religious and believes because of her daughter's sinful life, Elle was born without a soul. She doesn't want Elle to be influenced by the wicked ways of the world and has sheltered her from everything. Elle doesn't attend public school, but instead she is home schooled. She isn't allowed to listen to any current music and is only allowed to watch television programs that her grandparents approve of.

Elle life's changes after she turns fifteen and Grandfather Prescott lets her venture out near the lake to draw. She meets the seventeen-year-old twins, Mason and Claudine, and befriends them; she even starts to have romantic feelings for Mason. Life takes a twisted turn when her mother returns.

V.C. Andrew's original books and the earlier ghost writer's books both had teenage characters, but the plots were written for adult readers. Times have change, and so has the publishing industry, and it seems most of the last several year's V.C. Andrews' titles are written for teenagers, leaving us adults wanting a more Gothic touch. Once again, the plot here has a young girl being raised by her religious grandparents, which neither of them ever felt evil to me; one thing the plot was missing was an actual villain. In the eyes of Elle, the grandmother seems evil, but the grandmother is just protecting her from becoming just like her mother. By looking at the cover I was expecting an eerie, throwback Gothic tale, but all I got was another young adult tale with the V.C. Andrews' name forced upon it. I'm not saying the book is bad, I did find myself interested in Elle's journey and it is a lot better than the e-book Capturing Angels (Yes, I  hand almost forgot I had read it.) I personally think there needs to be a new ghost writer, someone who can write a true Gothic tale, but until then, I guess I'll have to accept what is released under the V.C. Andrews' name. Despite my distaste for the way Andrew Neiderman has written the most recent installments, the preview for the upcoming Bittersweet Dreams has caught my interest. Overall, The Unwelcomed Child has a quite a few flaws, but with a likeable main character, Elle, and a gentle narration, the novel is a decent read at best.

*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.