Forbidden Sister

Forbidden Sister I haven't read a V.C. Andrews book in many years, so I was very excited to be offered Forbidden Sister for review. It took me a little while to get into the grove of this book, as it moves a slower than what I've been reading lately. Andrews does what she does best, and gives the reader a window into a flawed family and their hidden lives. A father that is military in his parenting style, a mother that is a wilting flower, and two daughters who are as different as night and day make up our cast of characters. I settled into the book, and hoped to learn more about them.
 
It took me a while to warm up to Emmie. Living in the shadow of her older sister Roxy, her father micro manages her life to keep her out of trouble. What is surprising, or at least was to me, is that Emmie isn't more upset about her situation. In fact, she almost thrives on it. Truthfully, this does make the tragedy that occurs even more devastating. The end of her innocence, and the need to grow up in a hurry, end up being what really drive this book forward.
 
Which of course brings Roxy into the picture. Although she comes across as extremely cold, it's hard not to see underneath the frosty shell. I met a young woman who was so tired of being held under her father's thumb, that she fought back the only way she knew how. By escape. Turning to the world of high-priced escorting was the means to an end. Emmie thinks it must be a glamorous life filled with money and clothes, but is it? This book doesn't just touch on growing up, it touches on the difficult choices we have to make to survive.
 
My biggest problem with this book, and the reason I didn't rate it higher, is just that it moves so slowly. I'll also admit that I also didn't always agree with Emmie's decisions. It's tough to love these sisters when you really look at the lives that they've built for themselves. Nonetheless, this is a definite V.C. Andrews book. I can see fans of her work adoring this slightly dark story.