Flowers In The Attic

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Summary: Excellent Book!!!
Review: I thought this book was a wonderful example of good literature. I loved everything about it. I could actually picture everything Andrews wrote. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who can read!!

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Summary: A gripping, suspenseful, original masterpiece
Review: I've read most of V.C. Andrews'novels and this is definitely one of my favorites. Having started out by first reading one written by the ghostwriter(Secrets of the Morning---book 2 in the Cutler series,)I finally came upon Andrews' originals. I must say that nothing compares to the Dollanganger and Casteel series, and My Sweet Audrina. With Flowers in the Attic, Andrews truly demonstrates the power of her writing. The novel contains such vivid, heartwrenching scenes of innocence, betrayal, maturity, and the struggle for hope by four kids just trying to survive against the odds. The book also addresses the issues of adolescence, which adds a sense of realism and truth to the novel. I'm 15 and I found a lot of the issues discussed in the book to be relevant to what I'm going through now. The subject matter is certainly a topic of interest in itself. The whole story idea, of four kids, locked away because of forces beyond their control, is so creative and original. The idea of using children and young teenagers for main characters is what truly distinguishes Flowers in the Attic from Andrews' later novels, especially the ghostwriter's. This novel is a true treat for anyone interested in reading not just gothic horror or another one of Andrews' terrific books, but also anyone who wants to read about the experiences of growing up and life. A great book for people of all ages, but especially for teens.

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Summary: This book was an excellent, suspenseful story.
Review: Flowers in the Attic was a great book and has become one of my favorites. As I was reading, I could not put the book down because I could not wait to see what would happen on the next page. Also, the story really captivated me and made me feel like I was part of it. If you love mysterious, suspenseful novels that really pull you in to the story, you'll love this book.

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Summary: HARD TO PUT DOWN.
Review: FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC WAS VERY ENJOYABLE, AND EXTREEMLY HARD TO PUT DOWN. I HIGHLY RECOMEND IT!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!! Wow.......just wow.
Review: This book touched my heart, because i had the same thing happen to me. My heart went out to Cathy, i so felt like her. I could totally understand her and her actions. I went through the ordeal of an older, selfish, cruel brother using the younger sister for pleasures only for the sinners. I cry everytime i read that book; in fact i'm crying right now. Please, anyone, if you had a similar experiance, please e-mail me at [e-mail]. Thankyou, my friends.

Rating:
Summary: Withstanding the test of time
Review: I read this book years ago in high school and absolutely loved it. Digging through my old paperbacks I found it and decided to give it another try. My tastes have changed quite a lot over the years and I was surprised to find I enjoyed it almost as much this time as the first time. V.C. Andrews was a truly gifted storyteller.

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Summary: Best book I have ever read
Review: My friend lent me this book over the summer holidays and I am a very slow reader and i found that I got through this book in less then a month I could hardly put this book down.

Rating:
Summary: This book is great! I highly reccomened it!
Review: After reading this book, I was hooked on V.C. Andrews! She is a very talented author! Her description of her charaectors and scenes in the story make it so vivid and real. I'm so glad a movie was made about this book, but it's a shame she's still not alive! I dreampt of meeting her someday and being a famous author just like her. It was so sad to hear of her death!

Rating:
Summary: what a great book!!!!
Review: My opinoin of this book is that it is a very good book. The reason it is a good book is due to a couple of differnet factors. One reason is that to me, it seems that the author actually took a lot of time and planned out the book.I can tell there was a lot of thought put into the book, because everything is described in such great detail.When you read this book, you actually feel like you are there. Everything seems so real. Another reason it is a good book is because the reader can relate to what is happening. For those reasons and others, I think tis was a great book.

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Summary: Anne Frank meets the Brothers Grimm
Review: As a young teen, I was a fan of this book, and it's taken years to figure out why. It's a pulp version of "The Diary of Anne Frank", crossed with every Grimm's fairy tale that came down the pike. That this book is actually on recommended reading lists at some schools never ceases to amaze me.

First of all, the protagonists are flaxen-haired beauties, starting with Chris (Prince Charming), Cathy (Rapunzel), and the cutesy twins Carrie and Cory (Hansel and Gretel). A family tragedy leads to their being imprisoned in the attic of a fabulous mansion in Virginia, which happens to be run by the evil Grandmother (Hitler or the Cruel Stepmother, take your pick). Momma (the Wicked Queen) is also complicit in this crime, reassuring her children of future wealth and happiness, while gallivanting off to parties and vacations on her own.

As a story, these obvious derivations might be tolerable, were it not for Andrews' treatment of her subject matter. The text is liberally sprinkled with exclamation points ("Golly Lolly" being a favorite expression). It is probably not possible for this book to have the poignancy or insight of Anne Frank's true-to-life diary, but with some effort, a truly over-the-top Gothic soap opera could have been made with this material. Unfortunately, the only point of view we get is Cathy's, and Cathy is no Anne Frank, nor is she Lolita. Her "blossoming love" with her brother is portrayed with all the sophistication of "The Blue Lagoon". Indeed, the scene where Cathy and Chris, playing Peter Van Daan, briefly steal a forbidden moment in a nearby lake seems to be lifted directly from that movie. The horror in the book, while graphic, occasionally verges on the ridiculous. Cathy, playing Rapunzel (and Marcia Brady) to the hilt, would literally rather starve or cut herself than cut off her beautiful, long blonde locks. The fact that the kids remain in the attic throughout most of the book doesn't exactly render it a page-turner, since this is, after all, a THINLY DISGUISED FICTIONAL effort with all the tension of a limp noodle. This definitely would have been more interesting if we had been allowed to see more than a glimpse of the Evil Grandmother. Her story, in "Garden of Shadows", makes for much more riveting reading. Corinne, the mother, was the most interesting character in my opinion, and never once were we given enough clues to her motives. Had the story been in the third person, we could have witnessed the scenes between her and her rigid, controlling parents, as well as her scenes away from the house. In the third novel, "If There Be Thorns", Corinne's point of view was briefly glossed over, but not resolved in any satisfactory way. V. C. Andrews would have been better off to pull out all the stops and introduce ALL the characters in the book, instead of having Chris and Cathy narrate it in their overly flowery language.