Should I read 'If There be Thorns'

I would recommend to read it. It'll give you insight into the characters of Cathy's sons and how they'll be in the last book, and into Corrine. I'd just recommend reading all of the books.

Definitely read it. The events of the book are crucial to Cathy and Chris' story. It's about their family dynamic, once they've settled down (under a false name) and become a family. When one of their sons learns the truth about their relationship that alters his relationship with both of them (which in some ways was already strained) and it also brings about another face to face encounter with Cathy and Corrine which is important to both characters for very different reasons! I liked the switch in narrators because a) it's always nice to have another perspective and b)having a child's perspective is very informative because of his limited understanding and the ease with which he can be manipulated by those with ulterior motives.


Also if you intend to read the final novel in the series, Seeds of Yesterday,(which is narrated by Cathy) then what happens in If There Be Thorns will inform your understanding of that. If you haven't read it you won't understand the characters motivations, decisions and development nearly as well. In fact some character may seem to have appeared out of nowhere!

And don't forget to read Garden of Shadows, the last one/the prequel. I think it's the best one after Flowers.

If there be thorns is my least favorite of the series but I think it's important to read it if you want to read the next book before the prequel. ITBT sets up Seeds of Yesterday pretty well. And of course read Garden of Shadows after that.

You should definitely read it.

While others complain of the shifting of POVs from Cathy to the two children, I found that it actually revealed more about Cathy's character than the 2nd book. It's interesting to look at Cathy's actions free from Cathy's somewhat biased narrative.

You can also see how Cathy is so similar to Corrine as a wife and mother.

And as others have said, if you plan on reading the fourth book, then you really need to read Thorns. Alot of the issues and strained relationships in Seeds of Yesterday started from the third book.

I really dislike it. There is some animal cruelty stuff in it so if you are sensitive at all to stuff like that I do not recommend it. I've been quite content with rereading Garden of Shadows, Flowers, and Petals over the years. I like to just stop there. I hated Thorns and Seeds really isn't that great either compared to the others. But they are probably worth reading once if you want to see how everything turns out.