Reviews with content warning for Rape - Flowers in the Attic

I can see why, when published in 1979 ‘Flowers in the attic’ had shock value. It certainly makes for uncomfortable reading with its dark topics, including the underlying theme of incest.

I assumed a story about four children locked in an attic for years on end, would offer dull & lethargic pacing but V.C Andrews writing was compelling. I’d never read anything quite like it before.

Taboo subjects aside, there’s betrayal, tragedy, tension & constant twists and turns. I was enthralled by the mother, how she turned from damsel in distress to villain. Poisoned by greed, her powers of manipulation & guilt were truly horrific. The Grandmother was evil incarnated, with her extreme religious views, her demonic, callous nature & sadistic tendencies for brutality, she made the ultimate evil sidekick.

As is natures way, where there is dark, there is light to be found. The creativity of the children was magical, they turned that dingy attic in to a safe place full of colour and play. Their determination to survive despite their daily horror, gave them a sense of purpose.

I wondered if Cathy & Chris were pushed in to a scenario that would never have occurred if they weren’t prisoners? or if their parents relationship & the shared bloodline, made it inevitable they were doomed to repeat family history?

I’m definitely reading the next book in this series.

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kira20's review against another edition

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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? It's complicated

3.75

I was surprised how much this reminded me of classic Gothic novels, Jane eyre, wuthering heights, poe... that dark tension, secrets everywhere and sexual desire. Definitely still shocking today.

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madelinequinnee's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad 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

5.0

Utterly heartbreaking and truly disturbing.

I decided to read this book because i’m a big fan of Nicole Dollanganger and i know she takes a lot of inspiration from this series. I knew what to expect when going into this, but it didn’t make it any less horrific. I didn’t, however, anticipate this to be so sad. I ended up feeling really connected to the characters by the end, and Cory’s death made me cry.

I think this book can go in the same category as Lolita, they’re both beautifully written but contain dark content

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