Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

32 reviews

sourday's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

i didn't know this book was THIS sad. If i find the story melancholic, i won't read the sequels, but damn, i'm hooked.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

elisalasater's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, and Abandonment

Moderate: Incest, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Car accident

corporatelobotomy's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

this was just... sad. that's all i can say. so, so incredibly sad. it's true when they say all children deserve parents, but not all parents deserve children.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

mad_dog_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death, Torture, and Murder

Minor: Pregnancy

alex_bousquet's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Def a dark story and at that time authors didn't put trigger warnings, so make sure you fully check what may be in the book first. Some of the verbatim made it sound older than it actually was 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

coco78337's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

12546darcy7890's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Incest, Misogyny, and Rape

Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Animal death

newhope's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Um ok.... Too repetitive, could've wrapped this up in 200 pages. The writing was awful too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child death, Death, Torture, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Vomit

moony__3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Cannibalism

tiiiger35's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I can see why, when published in 1979 ‘Flowers in the attic’ had shock value. It certainly makes for uncomfortable reading with its dark topics, including the underlying theme of incest. 

I assumed a story about four children locked in an attic for years on end, would offer dull & lethargic pacing but V.C Andrews writing was compelling. I’d never read anything quite like it before. 

Taboo subjects aside, there’s betrayal, tragedy, tension & constant twists and turns. I was enthralled by the mother, how she turned from damsel in distress to villain. Poisoned by greed, her powers of manipulation & guilt were truly horrific. The Grandmother was evil incarnated, with her extreme religious views, her demonic, callous nature & sadistic tendencies for brutality, she made the ultimate evil sidekick. 

As is natures way, where there is dark, there is light to be found. The creativity of the children was magical, they turned that dingy attic in to a safe place full of colour and play. Their determination to survive despite their daily horror, gave them a sense of purpose. 

I wondered if Cathy & Chris were pushed in to a scenario that would never have occurred if they weren’t prisoners? or if their parents relationship & the shared bloodline, made it inevitable they were doomed to repeat family history?

I’m definitely reading the next book in this series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, and Gaslighting