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 for the fathers return only to be greeted by two 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 power to help their mother - this turns out to be the biggest mistake of their lives.
The grandparents are extremely wealthy - possibly billionaires as the mother states. The problem is when the mother was 18 she disgraced the father and was disinherited. Her only chance now is to win back his trust and get back in the will. He is unaware of her children so the mother and the grandmother lock them in a room with access to the attic which is to become their playground for the forseeable future. The grandmother takes them up a basket of food every day and has very strict rules - such as they are to keep themselves modest and only to think pure and clean thoughts.
Days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months - and continuously the mother lets them down.
The emotional rollercoaster that the two eldest children go through is very gripping. Both children are heading into the age where they should be having boyfriends and girlfriends - this mixed in with all the changes in their body makes for a very unusual storyline.
*****The Authour*****
This book is written by Virginia Andrews - and this is the first of 5 books written about the Dollanger family. The next book is Petals on the wind followed by If There be Thorns and Seeds of Yesterday. There is then a prequel - Garden of Shadows which Virginia Andrews never got to finish.
The Authour died in 1986 before she finished her final two books - Garden of Shadows and Fallen Hearts - these were almost complete and were published after her death.
****My Opinion****
This book is amazing. Every chapter brought a new emotion. I felt pity, anger, sadness and complete and utter rage. When it came to the last few chapters - ive probably never read so fast in my entire life I really needed to know what happened. What makes this book extra special is the fact that it is based on a true story.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Harsh insight into selfish, selfless, obsessive & paranoid behaviour; affects and effects. Disadvantages: Interesting story, dreadfully written. Sorry! Monotonously repetitive, packed with cliches - not my 'cup-of-tea' at all.
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!
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.
Advantages: A horrwing yet compelling read, almost as good as the first book in the series Disadvantages: Some parts of the story didn't flow well, can be upsetting
very helpful by (100%):
