Title: Flowers in the Attic: 40th Anniversary Edition (Dollanganger Sereis #1)
Author: VC Andrews
Narrator: Mena Suvari
Link: https://www.audible.com/pd/Flowers-in-the-Attic-Audiobook/1508299560
Summary
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the enduring gothic masterpiece Flowers in the Attic – the unforgettable forbidden love story that earned V.C. Andrews a fiercely devoted fan base and became an international cult classic.
At the top of the stairs there are four secrets hidden – blond, innocent, and fighting for their lives….
They were a perfect and beautiful family – until a heartbreaking tragedy shattered their happiness. Now, for the sake of an inheritance that will ensure their future, the children must be hidden away out of sight, as if they never existed. They are kept in the attic of their grandmother’s labyrinthine mansion, isolated and alone. As the visits from their seemingly unconcerned mother slowly dwindle, the four children grow ever closer and depend upon one another to survive both this cramped world and their cruel grandmother. A suspenseful and thrilling tale of family, greed, murder, and forbidden love, Flowers in the Attic is the unputdownable first novel of the epic Dollanganger family saga.
The Dollanganger series includes: Flowers in the Attic, Petals in the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, Garden of Shadows, Beneath the Attic, and Out of the Attic.
My Review
5/5 Stars
The Dresden dolls. That’s the nickname for the four blue-eyed, blonde hair, perfect Dollanganger children. With their beautiful parents, they’re the envy of the neighborhood. Then disaster strikes, and their family is shattered. With no choice but to abandon their old life, Mrs. Dollanganger takes her children home to Foxworth mansion where they’re stored in the attic with promises that they’ll be let out soon. That’s where they stay for three years.
This was such an emotional story. I’d heard many things about Flowers in the Attic before I ever got this audiobook, but the story itself was an experience. As the children are forced to grow up in complete isolation from the world, each of them has their own struggle. Their only outside contact comes from their grandmother who is quick to let them know that she detests their very existence.
The emotions of each child as they went from loving their mother to despising her was very real. This was a slow burn psychological horror in my opinion. To see the way that money can be more valued than human life is a very real, very scary fact.
Of all the characters, Christopher was my favorite. He was the most level-headed. As the oldest, it was his responsibility to look after his siblings. Because of this, he was the one with the most faith in their mother. It’s for that reason that one of the most emotional moments in the story was when his faith in her was shattered.
From the grandmother’s terrible games, to starvation, to isolation, the children experienced a lot. Perhaps the most terrifying thought about this book is the fact that this could actually happen. It’s sad just what greed can drive some people to do.
Narration really brought the story to life. I felt as if Catherine herself was telling me her tale, that’s how raw and believable every sentence was.
Author Kayla Krantz 