Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

27 reviews

books_hay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.5

I first read this book some where around 8th grade and just now 30ish years later. 
I'm 8th grade it seamed a bit of a love story. This time is was a tale of horrible abuse and imprisonment.

This book takes on shocking turns. It's a good read, but it's horrifying at times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Child death, Incest, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Blood, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Torture, Religious bigotry, and Physical abuse

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

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

saraellenme's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Child death, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Abandonment, Confinement, Sexual content, and Death of parent

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Torture and Animal death

maggiemaryamos's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Torture, Physical abuse, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, Hate crime, Grief, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Death

eyrechrysalis's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Death, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Animal death

Moderate: Gaslighting and Violence

ekmoore11's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexual violence, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Torture, Sexual assault, Incest, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abandonment

bookrecsanddnfs's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

2.0

At first, after seeing that my library only had the first book on Libby and not the entire series, I was sad. I wanted to re-read the entire series that I loved so much at 11 years old. 

After re-reading the first book as an adult, I am very grateful that my library only had the first book on Libby. 

Marked safe. 2 stars for nostalgia.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, Confinement, Religious bigotry, Incest, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Child death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Death of parent

Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Misogyny, Rape, Torture, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

ellilo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Vomit, Sexual content, Grief, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Animal cruelty, Murder, Incest, Child death, Torture, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse

manonschuur's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

5.0

I have no words. This book is just disgusting and horrible that at some point I really wanted to puke. It is so traumatizing that I give it 5 stars. I will never forget this book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Confinement, Abandonment, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Rape, and Torture

jessicafacchinigould's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Rape, Death of parent, Incest, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture