Flowers in the Attic (Dollanganger #1) by V.C. Andrews

 

 

Summary:

A major Lifetime movie event--the novel that captured the world's imagination and earned V.C. Andrews a fiercely devoted fanbase. Book One of the Dollanganger Family series.
At the top of the stairs there are four secrets hidden. Blond, beautiful, innocent, and struggling to stay alive...
They were a perfect family, golden and carefree--until a heartbreaking tragedy shattered their happiness. Now, for the sake of an inheritance that will ensure their future, the children must be hidden away out of sight, as if they never existed. Kept on the top floor of their grandmother's vast mansion, their loving mother assures them it will be just for a little while. But as brutal days swell into agonizing months and years, Cathy, Chris, and twins Cory and Carrie realize their survival is at the mercy of their cruel and superstitious grandmother...and this cramped and helpless world may be the only one they ever know.
Book One of the Dollanganger series, followed by "Petals in the Wind," "If There be Thorns," "Seeds of Yesterday," and "Garden of Shadows."
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 389 pages (Paperback)
Source: Toronto Public Library
Available Formats: Print/E-book/Audio
Publication Date: August 2nd 2005 by Pocket Books (First Published in 1979)

Some of you may be aware of the recent made for television remake of Flowers in the Attic that aired on Lifetime back on January 18th of this year which in fact prompted me to read the novel that inspired it.

I had my first experience reading V.C. Andrews about twelve years ago when I was eleven years old but I can't for the life of me remember which book it was so I look at Flowers in the Attic as being my one true exposure to the author because I'm of an age to actually comprehend what exactly I'm reading.

 Since I was curious about the upcoming remake I decided to give the novel that inspired it a try and had high hopes because I love weird and disturbing tales and the cult following that this author and this novel in particular has received made me confident that I would enjoy it.

I was dead wrong.

Now I understand that writing has evolved greatly since 1979 but honestly I can't understand the appeal of this authors work. To me the writing was atrocious. I know I may hurt some die hard fans out there but I'm sorry it's just how I feel. I felt as if the author over simplified EVERYTHING in the way she composed her sentences, I also found myself irrationally angry at the tone that she set. Yes it was disturbing I mean seriously the family is completely insane and believe me that comes across loud and clear, I just think that the writing was to simplistic to really capture the true awfulness of the situation that the characters were put in and to me the woman wrote like an old woman in her 80s trying to be current.

The characters were another issue Corrine the mother deserves to die horribly along with her mother Yes, I know I'm being really mean in this review but the book gave me some really angry book feels and I've been waiting to get out of my reviewing slump to let all this out. She treated her children that she clearly loved dearly for the first part of the book so horribly that a tragedy occurs because of her inaction as a mother. She willingly gave up her babies for wealth, and a man leaving them to suffer at the hand of her religiously oppressive mother who loved neither her nor her children because she hated the fact that Corinne married, and birthed her half-uncle 4 children.

Cathy and Christopher- where to begin. How about with: IT'S NEVER OKAY TO DIDDLE YOUR SIBLINGS. Yes, they were trapped in an attic for years going through puberty but still, that's not cool. Plus, the way that the author wrote about it was so awkward (not that it could be anything but disturbing or awkward) but it could have been handled more delicately. The word use just didn't make the scene any more bearable. I really felt for Cathy and Chris though because they had to be come the parents to their younger twin siblings when they themselves were starving for love and attention after the death of their father, absence of their mother and cruelty their grandmother subjected them too. Unfortunately my pity for them didn't make the novel easier to like.

Overall, I didn't care for this read much. The writing was poor, the pacing sucked, the plot about 4 children living in an attic to the complete obliviousness of the staff of the household made everything all the more outrageous and therefore unlikable to me. I wanted to stop reading the book many times during the couple days that I read it but I just couldn't stop myself from reading on. I would liken the experience of reading Flowers in the Attic to that of seeing a train wreck. I just couldn't look away.

However, despite all of those issues I will be reading the next novel in the Dollanganger series because of the way this first book left off. It has me curious as to see where the author is willing to go in the next installment but I am not going into it expecting it to be better than this one was. I'm just doing it because something is telling me to continue on reading this just to see where it all ends up. Not sure what prompted the author to write this one but I guess in her mind incest was best kept relative (see what I did there?). It wasn't as shocking as I thought but I can see why, for the time that it was published that it was such a cult like hit.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone except people who are already fans of this author but haven't read this one yet. Also, if you're a fan tell me what you did like about this book. I know I was mean in my review but I was saying what I felt and while I detested this novel, I'm not going to criticize the people that do enjoy it. Different strokes for different folks. I'm just happy to see people reading no matter what my feelings for the book are.

Not For Me!
★

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Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Summary:

She is pretty and talented - sweet sixteen and never been kissed. He is seventeen; gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future. And now they have fallen in love. But... they are brother and sister.

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending.

Summary taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 454 pages (hardcover edition)

Source: Toronto Public Library

Publication Date: May 1st 2010

Okay I finished this book over a week ago and I am just now getting to my review. The book was such an intense read I needed time to let my thoughts simmer before I attempted to write a coherent review on it. This is probably one of the most uncomfortable reviews I've had to write simply because of the subject matter. Also, let me just say that I in no way approve of incest.

This book is about incest.

Seriously.

Brother & Sister = Love right? Sure, that makes sense. But not this kind of love. Well it makes sense how they fell in love but because of societal views it is wrong that they did. This book does not glorify incest in anway. I had to put that in there to be clear. It is not like other books that have incest in them such as How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff or books written by V.C. Andrews which I see it being compared to a lot.

Tabitha wrote an incredible love story, one that despite the whole incest issue I found myself hoping that through it all they would find they're happy ending. I was surprised at how good the book was. The author wrote it in such an awesome way it was as if I was really there in the book watching the scenes play out.

The way the author created the characters was great. They were well written and well rounded. They didn't fall flat. I really liked Maya and Lochan. They were such strong kids. It's unfortunate that they're mother was such a complete *beep* throughout the whole book. She abandons her children and starts acting like she doesn't have 5 mouths to feed alone and depends on Maya and Lochan to raise their siblings that she and their father laid down and made. I hate REAL people like that so it only seems fitting that I wanted to bash their mother's face into a brick wall and make her take care of the kids she made. *takes a deep breath*

That's what I loved about this book. It made me laugh, cry and fill me with rage and at the end filled me with anguish. To me that is a sign of an excellent writer. For me if a writer can make me feel so strongly and in so many different ways the book is that much more special. Whether or not this book is controversial means no never mind to me. All I was looking for was a great read and that's exactly what I got. Suzuma wrote a great novel about a controversial issue but she made me love the characters and feel their sadness and angst. It's a powerful read and one that made me feel disturbed, but happy that I read it. I even had tears at the end it was so moving, but I don't want to spoil it for you so you'll have to read it yourself.

I would definetly 100% recommend this book to YA lovers especially those who like realistic YA novels but I have to say that you have to go into reading this with an open mind. I personally loved it an am looking forward to reading this author's other books. This book is definately in my top 75 books of all time which says something since I generally don't like realistic YA novels.

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★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Prey by Lurlene Mcdaniel

 

Summary:
A teacher is supposed to impart a love of learning and a thirst for knowledge. It’s a bit different with Ms. Lori Settles. All the kids are talking about how hot she is–and she is especially interested in Ryan Piccoli. When she starts giving Ryan extra attention, he’s feeling more than happy–at first. He’s used to being the class clown, but really he’s a loner. One day after school, the friendship with Lori Settles goes farther than he ever expected. She’s his teacher. She’s at least twice his age. Intimacy with a teacher is wrong, yet it feels so good in every way. Soon, Lori is making demands and Ryan begins to feel overwhelmed, but Ryan refuses to even admit anything is going on. Something immoral is going on and before too long the choices made will change lives forever.
Summary taken from Goodreads.com

W.O.W. that was my first reaction after reading this book. The author has really evolved in her writing. The topics she's choosing the last few years seems to mirror the changes in the things that teens face in this ever changing world.

This book is told from the POV of three characters, Ryan, Lori (his teacher) and Honey his friend. It seems to me that she is using this style more and more in her newer books and I enjoy it because we get a feel for the other characters from the way the others see them and think about them.

While I found this book to be very thought provoking I didn't connect to her characters as much, Maybe it's because traditionally the main characters in her novels are female. For me its hard to let go of the way she used to write her books. I didn't like Ryan at all and I didn't care for Lori which is a given since she was having sex with Ryan her student I couldn't like her. The only person I did like was Honey who I felt deserved more attention she really cared about Ryan and he shoved her to the side like an unwanted toy. I know that Ryan was messed up because of his relationship with Lori but even before it began I found him difficult to connect to and that became even more evident as the book wore on I just couldn't stand him talk about whiney.

Despite all my issues with the characters I still think this was a powerful book written at the perfect level for younger teens about the taboo student/teacher relationship and that it still felt like the author's writing. Just because this isn't one of my favourites that she's written I can appreciate it for what she was trying to and in my opinion did accomplish and that is raising awareness that this kind of sick thing does happen. Once again I strongly urge you to give her writing a try.

★★★★