Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

8 reviews

moony__3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Violence, Grief, Incest, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Cannibalism

stars_and_stags's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I really enjoyed this book. I understand why it is controversial, but the main characters were making the best of a horrific situation. 

Generational trauma is a curse that plagues so many families. 

Overall, well written and very accurate to how teenagers would speak. I am glad I read it though parts were hard to get through. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Animal death, Death of parent, Blood, Grief, Incest, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Child death, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Violence, and Torture

turpial23's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

1.0

Basically a narrative of many types of child abuse, in graphic detail. No actual plot, no character growth, not even exceptional writing - just misery and terror. Not apt for children. I would never recommend this series to anyone.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Body shaming, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Grief, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Rape

fe_aye's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

I have extremely mixed feelings on this one. Andrew’s is clearly a good writer and their skill shows very plainly in the text and was the main reason I read all the way through despite knowing I wouldn’t like where the story was headed. 

There’s a sense of complete bleakness here, no escape just a constant headfirst plunge into the depravity and darkness of the world. Even the lightheaded scenes are tainted with this horrible oppressive feeling, and Chris and Cathy’s ‘relationship’ only makes things worse. I am also not a fan of how Andrews chose to portray any of the relationships in this book beyond the bond the siblings share as siblings. Their family bond was precious to see and kept me going through the slog of selfish decision after selfish decision that the adults around them kept making. 

I am extremely disturbed by how casually incest is portrayed in this, the only person who ever speaks out against the incest is an utter bigot and only revealed to have some semblance of a conscience  right at the very end of this book. The mother is deified for her ‘brave relationship despite all odds’ with her uncle, which is never corrected by any of the children. Chris and Cathy also struggle with this until it escalated to him raping her, and yes he does rape her she is fighting him off, I don’t care what the conversation afterwards says. In that moment she was telling him no. And she blames herself for it too. I think that that whole plot thread really could have been left in the first draft and didn’t need to be here at all.

 

All in all wasn’t an fan and don’t recommend this to people unless they know what they’re getting into. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Animal death, Child abuse, Grief, Incest, and Child death

Moderate: Blood, Sexual content, Violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail

bubblepricks's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Mental illness, Incest, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Death, Child death, Child abuse, and Confinement

mbryo's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

The author wrote so passionately in defense of incest you'd think they were incestuous themself 😭 VERY well-written though, and a compelling (albeit nauseating) read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Violence, Emotional abuse, Incest, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Child death, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Torture, Abandonment, Murder, and Cannibalism

Minor: Ableism, Medical content, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Death of parent, Excrement, Pregnancy, Sexism, Body shaming, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

dontforgetthelights's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Incest, Car accident, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

hayleyvharrington's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Death