Flowers in the Attic - Virginia Andrews

Advantages: An addictive read, emotive, insightful and good character growth.
Disadvantages: Some dark themes and quite depressing.

...name of Virginia Andrews. Flowers in the Attic was published in 1979 and followed over the next six years by four other books in the series. The books focus on the Dollanganger family and are told from the viewpoint of Cathy Dollanganger, the eldest daughter of the family. The books were quite controversial at their time of publication, and still are now to a certain extent, due to the strong themes of child abuse, child neglect and incest that ...
...books following the tale that Flowers in the Attic portrays, Petals on the Wind, If there be Thorns and Seeds of Yesterday. As you can probably tell the titles of the books have the common imagery of flowers running throughout them, meant to link the five stories together and also the recurring image in the Flowers in the Attic book of a flower growing just as a child should grow. The Plot The plot of Flowers in the Attic sees the Dollanganger family ... Read review

Advantages: Wonderfully written, emotional, and compelling
Disadvantages: Upsetting, not one for the guys.

...share it with you. Flowers in the Attic is based on a true story, and is written in the first person. This, coupled with a brilliant writing style of Virginia Andrews makes the story seem so very real, even though the plot seems so unlikely. The story begins in a small town in America where a happy family live seemingly perfect lives. Cathy and her siblings, Chris, Cory and Carrie are waiting with thier mother Corrine for their father to come home ...
...All are equally good, although Flowers in the attic can easily be read as a novel on its own. Virginia Andrews wrote a second series of books and a single novel as well as this set, and her unfinished works were completed and published after her death. In my opinion the books published before she died are much better than the ones she didn't not complete herself. ... Read review

Advantages: See opinion
Disadvantages: See opinion

This powerful, moving and compelling novel is the story of Cathy, Chris, Cory and Carrie, four innocent children with a horrifying story to tell. The ‘Dresden Dolls’, as they are nicknamed, are beautiful, happy and have a seemingly perfect life. This all changes when their beloved father is killed in a car crash. After, their Mother suddenly announces they cannot pay their debts and must leave immediately to go to her parent’s house. They are wealthy, ...
...her ‘darlings’ there. Later their mother reveals her secret, that her late husband Christopher was in fact her half-uncle, and because of their incest, they were long ago cast out from the family and removed from her father’s will. She intends to win back his trust, but in the meantime insists the children are hidden away in a distant quarter of the magnificent house until she receives her inheritance. Over the three year period they are locked away ... Read review

Advantages: A truly amazing story based on real life
Disadvantages: Very sad in places

Ever read a story that includes cruelty, death, incest and greed. This is one of the saddest books I have ever read as the recipients of all the above are four children. What makes it even worse is it is based on a true story. Once picked up you will find it almost impossible to put down again. The most compelling novel that I have ever read and although three more books about the Dollanger family followed it, they did not catch the drama in the ...
...their father Christopher Garland Dollanger who had always called them his Dresden Dolls as they all looked like porcelain dolls suddenly dying in a tragic car accident, and their mother’s decision to return to her rich parents house, as she couldn’t pay their debts. As she sat Cathy 12, Chris 14, and five year old twins Cory and Carrie down to explain the move she promised untold riches once her father had forgiven her and returned her to his will. ... Read review

Advantages: Very well written - fantastic gripping storyline
Disadvantages: dragged a tiny bit in the middle

****Book Synopsis*** Flowers in the wind centres around the children of Dollanganger family - 4 children Chris 15 Cathy 12 Cory and Carrie 4. The book starts off with the most perfect idealistic family - the family everybody wants. The mother who stays at home and looks after the children - she is naturally beautifuly in every way and the father who adores the ground his family walk on. Until one failthful day. The mother prepares a party in preperation ...
...police officers. The father is dead, and they are now in financial ruin having not prepared for either of them to die at such a young age. The mother informs the children of their situation and also that they are going to live with their grandparents who up to now the children have been led to believe were dead. The mother looks worried and the daughter becomes suspicious - but out of their love for their mother they agree to do anything in their ... Read review

Advantages: You won't be able to stop reading, gripping, great plot, beautiful imagery.
Disadvantages: You won't be able to stop reading, could find Cathy's decisions a bit frustrating at times.

...Petals in the wind follows on from the gripping Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews. It had a lot to live up to…but I'm happy to say it did. It was a thrilling read, and I couldn't put it down. Andrews takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotional turmoil - love, hate, rage, regret and sadness. The characters are developed wonderfully and you'll relish in following their journey - both physical and emotional. I'm not going to reveal much of the plot as I don't want to spoil it for you. It's told from the point of view of Cathy, and her character is developed to great depths. I found I understood her at first but as the story developed, I found her actions slightly unbelievable, but yet still found myself being completely swept away by her and her thoughts through each situation. The book begins with the children escaping on a bus... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: A brillent story
Disadvantages: None

...This is the prequel to Flowers In the Attic and is a must for Virginia Andrew fans. Olivia Windfield marries the dashing Malcolm Foxworth and dreams of a wonderful life with her new husband. Instead of making love to his new wife he brutally assaults her. His father takes a second wife and she gives birth to a son,Christopher. Malcom rapes his fathers wife Alicia, and his father is a witness to this causing him to have a heart attack and die. Due to this rape a child is born and is named Corinne after Malcom's mother, who desserted him as a child. Corinne is brought up to believe that Olivia is her mother and many years later she falls in love with Christopher, even though she has grown up thinking he is her half Uncle, who in fact is her half brother. Confused, read the book, it's a fantastic read, and four other books follow this saga.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Continuing the monumental Flowers in the Attic, Petals on the Wind is a formidable sequel that is definitely worth picking up and reading through the night!
Disadvantages: Cathy's strange ability to ruin everyone who loves her. You may well get annoyed with her!

...The second book in the Dollanganger series and the sequel to Flowers in the Attic, Petals on the Wind continues Virginia Andrews' excellent handling of Cathy, Chris and Carrie's story. The book spans a longer length of time than Flowers in the Attic and we see big changes in all three children's lives and a great deal of growing up. The story is vivid and addictive. The childhood innocence of Flowers in the Attic has been somewhat lost and the adult lives of the Dollangangers progress with drama, love, loss and energy. The only thing I begin to doubt during the story is Cathy's ability to ruin every man who steps into her path, except the stone pillar that is Chris. She becomes a little soap-opera after a while and I found myself getting annoyed with her, but this is only due to Ms Andrews' fantastic powers of creation and the way... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful