Flowers in the Attic: Book Review

Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews

Number of pages: 423
Genre: Gothic horror, thriller, family saga, romance
Few main characters: Cathy, Chris, Carrie & Cory Dollanganger

Intro: The novel was first published back in November 1979 by an author who now I consider a family saga and macabre story phenomenon, Virginia Andrews. This lady is well known for many of her not-so-perfect family plots, full of secrets and forbidden love. Flowers in the Attic is the first ever novel I have read of hers, recommended by no other than my mom. It's a bestseller, worldwide. Many say it is in fact based on true-story, which I believe to be correct, however doing some research I found out the novel was actually based on fictionalized true-events (click here if you want to get deeper into this statement). The book and its following three sequels have been made into movies by Lifetime and there's also a 1987 film version of the first part. I've seen all of them and let me briefly just say that... the whole saga is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Brief Summary: Cathy, Chris, Carrie and Cory are four beautiful and flawless children, coming from that type of a family that is just considered perfect. Unfortunately, one day their perfect lives are ruined when police arrives at their door with the information their father just died. Corrine, their scatterbrained mother is capable of only one thing; being pretty. Forced by the circumstances she drives the children away to Foxworth Hall; a rich mansion owned by her parents from whom she ran away years earlier. That's when the horror starts; as Corrine tries to figure out what to do next, the children are kept hidden and imprisoned in an attic. Soon their fantasies of a luxurious lifestyle they were promised change into a battle, a battle to survive. Will they ever feel the sunshine again?

Likes: This is just the type of book that is hard not to love. Especially in those moment of true tension as we head towards the end. Described in one word, the plot is just creepy. Throughout the entire time of me reading it, the atmosphere was just eerie, full of mystery and anticipation of what's going to happen; how's it going to end? It really shows a different side of how majority of people interpret the words such as ''mother'' or ''love''. It's not only unbelievable but shocking! And despite everything being set in one cramped, attic bedroom, I feel like it is so well written it could never be described as boring. I'm not a huge fan of non-fantasy stories, but this one... j'adore!

Dislikes: First thing that came to my mind when I opened the first page.... ''why is this writing so small!?'' I'm just this kind of person that no matter how interesting a book will be, I'll always hate tiny letters. Honestly I'd rather for the book to be the thickness of a wall than for the writing to be miniature. It just makes the lecture drag on longer and I lose the sense of understanding or paying attention.
 I'd also say that in the first 100 pages, the plot was not very gripping. I much preferred when there was some action happening and not just a rambling of a 12 year old girl on and on again. However, this could probably be explained by the fact that I have seen the movie before hand which is VERY similar to the book. Maybe just minor changes but other than that it's almost alike so I guess that kind of ruined it for me.

But overall, very enjoyable and memorable. I actually hope on using it as the basis of my answer in the fiction section of my English exam that's coming up in June. Definitely worth recommendation, I really liked it... was it the best I read? No, but it was something that would have to find it's way to my must reads.

My overall story rate: 8/10
My overall cover rate: 9/10