Lifetime's 'Petals on the Wind'.

As i've already said, i was willing to watch Lifetime's adaptation of 'Flowers in the Attic's sequel 'Petals on the wind', but only having in mind that it was not going to be something really great. I mean, both tv adaptations have been entertaining but it's frustrating to see how much potential these stories have and how cheap the results look.

Anyway, as a novel, 'Petals on the wind' lives up to the hype of the story of 'Flowers in the Attic', of course it's not as good but stands out from the rest of the follow up novels. In Lifetime's adaptation, they speed up time and you don't get to see how the three remaining Dollanganger dolls, Chris, Cathy and Carrie, manage to survive after leaving the attic for good. I think that was a huge mistake because that was an important part, how they met their guardian Paul and how he provided for them and almost marries Cathy to the dismay of her loving brother.In fact, if i'm not wrong, they get married at the end of the book so he doesn't die in the beginning as the Lifetime movie shows (even though, he dies towards the end of the novel).

Another thing that was wrong in the tv adaptation was how Cathy entered the ballet company, it wasn't thanks to Julian but because she was good, and also, he's involved in a car accident but Cathy is not with him in that moment. And most importantly, he doesn't die because of his injuries, he commits suicide because of them and because he won't be able to dance again, which is a really dramatic chapter which has been lost in the adaptation. I really missed that part because even though he was pretty abusive towards Cathy, i liked that story and wish they had been faithful to the book.

As many of those who have read the novels know, i could go on and on about how it wasn't well adapted, but those two parts are the ones that i missed the most. And as if that wasn't enough word is out that both follow up novels 'If There Be Thorns' and 'Seeds of Yesterday' will have its adaptation as well, but not 'Flowers in the Attic's prequel 'Garden of Shadows', which tells the story of the evil grandmother from her youth and why she becomes as mean and cruel as she is later in life. Which i think it's a mistake because it's the most interesting novel after 'Petals on the Wind' and you get to see the beginning of it all and know a few more family secrets.

Also, another one of V.C. novels' 'My Sweet Audrina' is going to be adapted as well, book which i've just read, and good lord how are they going to adapt such a strange story. I didn't like it as much as the 'Flowers in the Attic' saga, i really thought it was just ok, but as with all the other adaptations coming from Lifetime, i will watch it, i don't know if it will talk about them here, though. Anyway, enjoy Lifetime's fuckfest with these novels and take them lightly, such a shame they weren't adapted to the cinema by a good director because the story was really worth it.

sources: ibtimes