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

Such wonderful children. Such a beautiful mother. Such a lovely house. Such endless terror!

It wasn't that she didn't love her children. She did. But there was a fortune at stake--a fortune that would assure their later happiness if she could keep the children a secret from her dying father.

So she and her mother hid her darlings away in an unused attic.

Just for a little while.

But the brutal days swelled into agonizing years. Now Cathy, Chris, and the twins wait in their cramped and helpless world, stirred by adult dreams, adult desires, served a meager sustenance by an angry, superstitious grandmother who knows that the Devil works in dark and devious ways. Sometimes he sends children to do his work--children who--one by one--must be destroyed....

'Way upstairs there are
four secrets hidden.
Blond, beautiful, innocent
struggling to stay alive..

I was twelve the first time I read this book.  I remember being captivated by it and having an immediate hunger to devour any VC Andrews books I could get my hands on after that.  I remember heartbreak and terror and wondering how someone could push the boundaries of humanity so far. 

After all these years, nearly 35 since its original publishing date, it still stands firm.  Even with today's sensationalized media, it still makes you wonder how anyone can be so cruel and hard.  Nothing about this story is outdated.  I'm really excited that this book has been released again.  I'm hoping another generation of readers will fall in love with Andrews' work. 

These children begin in a loving, stable environment.  They feel safe and secure and know that without a doubt, they'll always have their parents love.  Everything changes in the blink of an eye and family secrets come pouring out.  Being children, at first they don't really know how to process them, or if they even believe them.  Then they're locked in a room, being told it's just for a day, maybe two.  Horrors that even their creative little minds couldn't imagine are waiting for them.  They'll find themselves doing whatever it takes to survive. 

This is a classic book for a reason.  It's incredibly well-written and fascinating.  If you've never read this, you'll be horrified by what these children endure.  If you've read it before, like me, I strongly urge you to pick it up and read it again.  I guarantee it'll be just as good as the first time.  

 

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  Shawn