I think maybe this is the kind of thing that people refer to when they say "guilty pleasure" (why do so many people feel guilty about liking something?). I loved the Flowers in the Attic series when I was just getting into the double digits (10-12-ish). Now, 30-ish years after first reading V.C. Andrews, my literary tastes have definitely changed. This is probably pretty awesome for a 10 or 11 year old to read. It's sort of salacious, and definitely has that grown-ups (horrid people with too much power) vs teens (just trying to figure stuff out!) dichotomy that was so appealing with the original V.C. Andrews books, but is, ultimately, crap. But I read it all the way through to the crappy end, and couldn't put the crappy thing down and wonder what the characters got up to after, so …. yeah. I loved/hated it and felt a little dirty after. ( )

Three bratty teen girls are sent to a rehabilitation camp run by Dr. Foreman after having gotten in more trouble with the law than they had intended.
Still nothing like the heyday of V.C. Andrews, but if one manages expectations and ignores the name of the "author" on the cover, it's quite a good book. My perspective may be skewed as someone who's spent many years working with "troubled" youth, and I know I'm not supposed to actually approve of the methods used by Dr. Foreman. I thought for the most part good techniques were employed. If I were Dr. Foreman, I'd have kept the 'buddies" more in line and not forced the girls to call them "M'lady" because that was just lame, but the idea of earning everything and having to contribute to the production of the food, clothing, and eating utensils was a good plan. I wouldn't have tried to pit the girls against each other as much, or spoken to them about each other's confidential issues outside of group therapy, either. Dr Foreman is supposed to come off as sadistic, but of course is a far cry from the evil grandmothers of Andrews' earlier novels.
Also, the previous book in the series, Broken Wings, was written from the perspective of all three girls in turn. I feel this volume could have continued that split perspective instead of focusing solely on Phoebe. ( )

I have the entire collection of V.C. Andrews and was never disappointed with any of them. ( )