Flowers in the Attic (Dollanganger #1)

I have to say that Flowers in the Attic is a masterpiece. V.C Andrews was a genius, she presents flawless imagery and circumstances that really draw you in.

Reader reviewed by Amanda

Another great book from VC Andrews! It seems like alot of her series include an evil grandmother, but yet it still makes for a great story.

A tale of incest, betrayal, characters finding themselves, love, hate, etc. It's excellent! I really liked it.

Reader reviewed by c-alexis

This book... is going to haunt me. And here's the thing, this book isn't a suspence, thriller or horror. But the notions and plot that runs throughout it makes you question everything you know it to be. In a way, the children are like feral children. Difference is that they were treated right for the first years of their life before they are abandoned and left to survive on their own. I think some may say that "It is better to have loved and lost, than never loved at all." But in this case, the love they felt and received as children only showed that their circumstances are that far away from it. It is simply said, a haunting novel that you should read for yourself and make judgements of your own. The reason I say this is because right off the bat, we can say that incest is wrong... but in this story... you question what happens to rationality when we're isolated from humanity.

Reprinted here with author's permission.

Reader reviewed by Sam

This book, i read it years ago, but i can never forget it. V.C Andrews is a master. even though i know she is dead, and most of the books that came out were someone else writting as her etc etc.

NO ONE could have guessed when they started out reading this book that the mother was the half niece of the dad. No one would have guessed that the twin boy was going to die from arensic posion the mother gives them (grandmother but who cares).

Or that the brother would love his sister....well i will leave this blank, if you read you know what goes here.

Even though those things happened i liked the book, this is what i call a classic.

Reader reviewed by rachpaige11

This book is great and terrible, but mostly disturbing. Flowers in the attic is about four children, whose father was their mother's half-uncle. Upon their father's death their mother is forced to take them back to her childhood home. They arive in the middle of the night and are sent to the attic room to stay. What is supposed to be a one night stay turns into a couple of weeks, then maybe a few months, then before they know it, it has been three years. What started out as weekly visits from their mother turned into monthly then turned unpredictible. The four children, Cathy, Chris, Cory, and Carrie suffer many hard-ships. Then Cory gets very sick and dies. Cathy and Chris know they have to get out of there if Carrie and them are to live.

I liked reading this book though it was disturbing with the whole evil grandparents and the incest. I liked how the children never gave up. This is a good read.

Reader reviewed by Nis

Andrews first book 'Flowers in the Attic' was by far her best. The torture and passion in this book kept me going. I have read all the books in the Dollanger series. All of them were and are page turners. Andrews is my favorite author, all of her books keep me on the edge of my seat. Who ever said her books are the same plot just different times and places is somewhat write, but it doesn't matter because Andrews still adds in many differnt events and problems. The Orphan series was another very well written series. If you like drama,and tragedy books V.C. Andrews is the woman for you.

Reader reviewed by Natalie

This book is very hard to explain because of all the details this book contains. there are sequels to this book and throughout the series you find out shocking family secrets.

Catherine, her older brother Christopher and twins Carrie and Cory are forced to live in the attic of their estranced grandparents mansion.
their grandfather disowned thir mother for marrying thir father who happens to be her half uncle(their dad is their maternal grandpa's half brother). now 14 years later their father dies leaving them in debt forcing their mother to beg her parents for help.

their grandmother lets them stay in the attic under the condition that no one know that they are there. if their extremely religious grandfather finds out they exists he will kill them.

at first they were only going to stay there a few weeks but then weeks turned into months and months into 3 years! Little by little their mom stopped visiting them and their grandmother mistreated them telling them that they are the devil's spawn and beating them(cathy and chris). there came a time that the grandmother stopeed feeding them causing them to starve for a week.
in order to survive they had to eat mice and chris, who want to be a doctor, cut himself so he could feed his blood to the twins.

throughout this torture chris and cathy becom like parents to the twins. they are growing alone and going through puberty. Because of that chris starts feeling things for cathy and vise versa. those feelings get strong causing chris to rape cathy. felling llike they bothe have sinned and their grandmother if ever she found out they decide to escape.

eventually they escape and cathy vows to get revenge on her mom and grand mother thus the 2nd book, petals n the wind, begins.

there alot more details to this book that i couldnt write abut but i definetly recommend it!!

Reader reviewed by sara

THis book took a little to get into.but one i got into it i couldn't put it down.I don't like how the mother could just leave her kids up in the attic for so long.I found this book to be kinda sad with everything that happened to the kids.BUt I couldn't wait to find out if things got better for them.

Reader reviewed by lookwhaticando

OMG!! I love this book. Its about Carrie, Cathy, Chris, and Cory who are all brothers and sisters. Their father dies, so their the kids and the mother go and live with their strict grandmother. The grandmother and the mom make the kids live in the attic because they don't want the grandfather to know the mother had kids because of a shocking thing that the mother did when she was a teenager. The kids get beaten, starved, and neglected by their mother and grandmother. The older kids, Cathy and Chris, get pretty intimate. This book is a classic that shock the billions who've read it. Their is also many sequals to the book.

Reader reviewed by Kara

Cathy and her sister and two brothers loved their father so much and their mother to.One night on her fathers birthbay the police come to the door to tell them their father died in a reck.the are all devistated by it .Their mother sends their grandmother who the children have never met a letter to come live with them the grandmother agrees so they leave to live with them.Their room is altogerther.They get locked in their mother barly visits.reas the book to find what else happens.I really like this book I like all of the V.C Andrews books.If you like to read read these.