Reviews

Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

Only show reviews with written explanations

cameroneader's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

melannsbookshelf's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

3.5

emjm's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Well, well, well. At the risk of embarrassing myself and exposing myself to what would be completely justified judgment, I'm just going to say it. At my core, for whatever reason(s), of which I would rather not think about, I really, genuinely enjoyed this. If I'd been a gal in the 80s when this took a chokehold on the "masses" of... well, I'm not really sure what demographic? I imagine that it did well with specific groups of all ages, and seeing as how it was made into a Lifetime blockbuster not once, but twice (!!!), we know the middle-aged people were waiting with bated breath whether they admitted so or not. Apparently, lots of preteens were absolutely enthralled by these books at the time, and I don't even have to think hard to know that I would have been one of them.

Anyway... what was I saying? I don't even know. Stories about the forbidden, the taboo... I won't even pretend to not eat it up. As far back as Caligula, and most certainly farther back, it's been a thing. The trauma and underlying psychology behind taboo relationships, and why we, as in the collective "we", tend to devour stories about it, is predictably and incredibly interesting to me. It's as simple as that, really. You must know by now that this is the book about the crazy grandma and the brother/sister lovers, right? If you somehow made this far in life and didn't know already, I'll have some of whatever you're having, please.

Having all that said (did I really even say anything? excuse me, I'm tipsy at the moment), I will not read the rest of the series. It does not feel necessary, and I've already looked up what happens online. I think, if you want to read a truly good book about an incestuous relationship that, to oversimplify, stems from an abusive situation, read Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. Unless, of course, you're a close-minded nitwit that cannot discern the complicated morally gray amidst the sea of black and white. In that case, grow up... or just read whatever you want.