Like Flowers in the Attic, I first read Petals on the Wind, the second in the Dollanganger series, back in middle school. I've been reading it again over the past two weeks, well really more like a quick 5 days! Oh yes, it's good. This one moved faster, was trashier (aka more sex) and had a healthy heaping o' death.

This story picks up where flowers in the attic left off. The story is still told from the perspective of Catherine, the eldest Dollanganger daughter, and details Catherine's career as a ballet dancer and her plans to seek revenge for being locked in her grandparent's attic for so long.

I liked all the stuff about ballet which takes up a good third of the book's 430+ pages. Maybe it's because I have a little daughter and dream about her being a famous dancer someday. The revenge stuff is great too but I won't spoil any of it for folks who may be picking this up for the first time.

What's also interesting about this book is the shift in Catherine's portrayal and the trust that we have in her as narrator of the story. I don't often read books where the narrator makes so many questionable decisions. Well let me take that back, I don't often read books where I start disliking the narrator but still love the story.

Petals on the Wind did just that for me and you can be sure I'll be dipping into the Dollanganger saga a third time with If There Be Thorns.