Christopher's Diary: Echoes of Dollanganger

For most old school fans of the series they are mad and I get it. But as someone who stumbled upon the series thanks to previews for FITA movie on lifetime I had questioned Cory's death. I liked how it's a more modern take on the story. At 34 in 2014 reading the series it was nice to see a difference in perspective. I wondered if Christopher had impure thoughts and how could he believe his mother. This cleared it up much more. People didn't like SOY either because they wanted to keep the grandparents a mystery. I saw it as a good continuation of a story out of a renewed interest in the classic. Older fans of FITA need to get over themselves.

The story was told at Christine's Plainview she focus on her own life in the things going on in it more than the actual diary I give it at 3 because it doesn't tell much of the story they went through in the Attic the author of this book need to reread the original Flowers in the Attic and maybe try again

As always, these books never disappoint me. This author has been my favorite for years now. I will always order her books regardless of how busy life is. I am now working on getting her entire collection oN my digital media file.

Why? Reading this book will make you ask why? Why are the charterers doing this? Why is Kane so interested and invested? Why am I reading this? I could not put this book down. A lot of Christopher's diary is reminders of flowers in the attic, but I love knowing what Christopher is thinking and dealing with. His attraction to his sister, his love/hatred for his mother. The ending was crazy and I can't wait for the next book!

i was actually surprised at how much i liked this book. it moved quickly, but still kept with the style that VC Andrews used when she wrote Flowers in the Attic. And seeing how the narrating characters changed and adapted while reading the diary really brings in a whole other aspect. you really actually feel like you're inside the diary, and the main characters as well.

Just as bad as the one before, with the same inconsistent, nonsensical plot. It doesn't even make sense at all. You would (as I did) that the sociopathic/psychopathic tendicies would be made more to light as to why things became as they did in the original series. Grave disappointment.

The diery part keep me reading. But the second story had me creeped out. But the ending had me shocked and mad. The lovers of the dollanganer series will know why when they get to the ending of this book. I say pick it up if you read the first one and at the same time pick up the third one as well...

I was so happy to see more books about the Dollanger family. The book was better than I thought it would be. I think it's good that she had the kids act the scenes out rather than having Chris tell the story because I think it would have been too similar to Cathy's story. I'm hoping for a book with Corrine giving her side of the story, but I think it should be written differently than this story. I think it should be written more like the Garden of Shadows was written.

i was actually surprised at how much i liked this book. it moved quickly, but still kept with the style that VC Andrews used when she wrote Flowers in the Attic. And seeing how the narrating characters changed and adapted while reading the diary really brings in a whole other aspect. you really actually feel like you're inside the diary, and the main characters as well.

Christopher's Diary: Echoes of Dollanger
V.C Andrews
Pocket Books, Jan 27 2015, $7.99
ISBN: 9781476790626

In Charlottesville, construction company owner Burt Masterwood’s teenage daughter Kristin accompanied him to his latest job; inspecting twice burned down Foxworth Hall. A fourth cousin on her late mother’s side to the lunatic Dollanger family who lived in the mansion, Kristin found the diary of oldest child Christopher. She read his account of being locked away in the attic for years with his three younger siblings until one died and the survivors eventually escaped (see Christopher’s Diary: Secrets of Foxworth).

Obsessed with the then teenage diarist, Kristin wonders if her school peers are right that she inherited the family insanity taint; especially with as her fixated fascination growing with every page. However, her Dollanger passion seems harmless compared to her boyfriend Kane Hill’s preoccupation with the tragic family. He wants to reenact the Dollanger incarceration by pretending to be Chris to Kristin’s Cathy and have sex with her while role-playing.

The second Christopher’s Diary entry continues the retelling of the Dollanger family drama but from the viewpoint of Christopher instead of Cathy. The intense psychological thriller contains a present day lead couple as mentally disturbing as Grandma Dearest. However, a radical departure from Cathy’s journals comes across as a shocking forced attempt at freshness that instead takes fans out of the storyline. Those able to quickly embrace the change will enjoy the journal; while purists will suffer strokes.

Harriet Klausner

In the past I have been quite disappointed with the ghost writer books. That was not the case for this book. I was actually so engrossed ! The characters were like able and it wasn't as dramatic and doom and gloom as other VC Andrews books. The storyline was different and realistic while tying in the Dollanganger story well. I would love a follow up!

This is a waste of money. These new 3 books that has come out are not worth a cent in my opinion. Waste of my money and my time. I will never buy any of this persons new books. The old ones are very good.

Book 2 in "The Diaries" series by V.C. Andrews makes good on its promise to reveal new secrets in the Dollanganger universe, and it does so effectively with a well-crafted retcon, revealed as climax in the epilogue.

Essentially, this entry is the second act in what is to be a three act story. Act One (Secrets of Foxworth) was all introduction, establishing the setup, and building the foundation. In essence, the story parallels the construction of the new Foxworth estate...and Act Two (Echoes of Dollanganger) follows through with the framework and the walls, pulling things into focus and giving us a peak into what the finished product will become.

In Echoes, we are given deeper motivations for the characters, explore character connections more thoroughly, and a clearer driving conflict comes into focus.

The main conflict is Kane's ambiguity as a character. Is he "good" or "bad?" Is he just manipulating Kristin in an attempt to bed her or does he truly care about her? Most of this volume's tension and suspense derives from this conflict. Character ambiguity was one of Andrews's hallmarks as a writer, I am happy to see it put to good use here.

The story's only true antagonists (besides Kristin's irritating classmates) lie in the past within the pages of Christopher's diary. Creepiness is plentiful here with the truly bizarre role-playing that Kristin and Kane engage in. The attic furniture rearranging, the wearing of the wig and the scarf, the reenactments of the passages, their arousal from Christopher and Cathy's incest, etc. It is all disturbing, and uncomfortable to read...and that's a good thing. A contemporary gothic tale making a solid effort to reconnect with the roots of V.C.'s success and fandom.

I found the relationship between Kristin and her dad to be very authentic, I truly felt the affection between the two of them was palpable and real. I also found the selections read from the diary particularly effective...they actually drove the plot more this time around, and mirrored the budding relationship between Kristin and Kane much like the books themselves are mirroring the construction of the Foxworth estate.

One diary passage in particular involves Corrine talking about her "dead" brother Joel, who fans will remember turned out to be very much alive in a later novel. This is the single most important diary passage. Why? It not only reminds us that V.C. herself was no stranger to penning retcons into her novels, but it foreshadows the bombshell climactic retcon that comes at the end.

It is the single ballsiest, gutsiest, and riskiest move to date by the ghostwriter and I admire him for it. I was left excited for the final book of this trilogy...the final act. I hope it doesn't disappoint.

Why? Reading this book will make you ask why? Why are the charterers doing this? Why is Kane so interested and invested? Why am I reading this? I could not put this book down. A lot of Christopher's diary is reminders of flowers in the attic, but I love knowing what Christopher is thinking and dealing with. His attraction to his sister, his love/hatred for his mother. The ending was crazy and I can't wait for the next book!

I've ben a fan of V. C. Andrews now for over 2 decades, and as the franchise of books have grown so has my appreciation for the gifted storyteller and the lives she has touched through her work.

In Christopher's Diary: Echos of Dollanganger we are taken back into the decision that Kristin Masterwood and her boyfriend Kane made to read Christopher's diary together---knowing how her father felt about it and the pandora's box it could open.

What I appreciated from this book the most was having another perspective of the events that occurred in the attic. Us guys can relate to this in that though I loved Flowers In the Attic I always wondered what Chris was really thinking during some of the times where he seemed to be so eager to trust his mother about their situation. I think the larger point for me was that Kristin, Kane and we are readers were taken back into the story and the attic which had us so spellbound---and it allowed us to remember exactly why the books in the Dollanganger series were so powerful.

As they read on Kristin and Kane discover more about themselves as well, drawing closer because of the young people they were reading about and realizing just how powerful the human can be to another. It is the latter part of the book that I believe some die-hard fans may have a problem with----but I actually enjoyed. Not giving any spoilers here, but it does make you think about what could have happened and what happens today in so many grim circumstances.

Sometimes even out of the darkest of evil there is a sliver of good that is able to get through. For me that is what made this book perfect.

This book is as captivating as all 5 of the other books in the series despite what some purists of the story have said in other reviews. The ghost writer for Andrews has done an amazing job holding peoples interest in this story for the decades since her death. You have to have an open mind to appreciate it that way.

Wow!! What an ending!! I found myself getting drawn into the diary with the main characters. Excellent read but you must read the first Christopher's Diary first for this to make sense. Reading the original Flowers in the Attic books then reading these makes them really creepy and sad.