This is an awesome book. it is pretty dark, though. You may or may not figure out what's gonna...more

This is an awesome book. it is pretty dark, though. You may or may not figure out what's gonna happen, i did cause im kinda pessimistic sometimes. ] its about four kids, siblings, Chris, Cathy, Carrie and Cory. Chris is the oldest at 12-14 when the book opens, and Carrie and Cory are fraternal twins that are 3 when the book opens. their father dies and they are put in their grandmother's attic JUST UNTIL THE GRANDFATHER FORGIVES THE MOTHER AND AGREES TO MEET THEM. but the grandmother hates them for an unknown reason (you'll find it out) and what was supposed to be one night in that horrid room becomes two, then a week, a month. im not gonna ruin it for you but this is a very realistic book in that the characters are very real to you. it also starts out with a prologue that says that it is a true story written by cathy, and it is dedicated to the author's mother, so it leaves some doubt as to whether it is completely fiction. all accounted for, this is the best book ive ever read. and i'll be happy to let u borrow it.   hide

This book series is so ridiculously melodramatic and cheesy, but it's way too addictive to stop...more

This book series is so ridiculously melodramatic and cheesy, but it's way too addictive to stop reading. While I detest many of the main characters, such as naive Cathy and her lovesick brother Chris, I found myself more intrigued by the minor characters, like their younger sister Carrie, especially in Petals on the Wind. I thought her character was greatly neglected, as well as many other characters within the series. However, I own every single book of the Dollanganger saga, and I can read them over and over. They're easy to get through and you can breeze right through them. Yes, the dialogue is absolutely absurd and unrealistic, the main characters unlikeable, and writing style oozes with purple prose, but nevertheless I love these books. And yes I realize that I sound hypocritical here, and if you know what I am talking about, then there is a difference between this and the other thing. I mean, at least this book has an actual plot, and at least it has SOME interesting characters. Oh, and no vampires. I'd rather read about incest than vampires.   hide

Too young to read it, but not so old i considered it trash - and i'm happy about that. Before "VC...more

Too young to read it, but not so old i considered it trash - and i'm happy about that. Before "VC ANDREWS" took over and every book was about some blondes gigantic breasts being fondled by her brother this was the pioneer book of this nature. The point is every book tried to be this book from that point on - because there was something that appealed about this book. First person narration - you feel intensely drawn into the lives of the characters. Plot - I'll hand it to her for this reason - she had one location to work with and succeded in creating a rivetting story which entirely took place in one attic. Read it when your younger, and if you have read it when yoru younger, read it when your older. It's trashy fluff.. But christ its entertaining trashy fluff   hide

I read this book a long time ago and not to say that I enjoyed it, but I found myself embroilled in...more

I read this book a long time ago and not to say that I enjoyed it, but I found myself embroilled in to the family life and the reasons why the children were locked in the attic. I also then became hooked on Virginia Andres writing. She draws you in, keeps you interested and gives you enough information at every opportunity to help you get to know each and every character throughout all of the books in a series. She ends the stories well and I am always happy with the outcomes. She also makes you feel sorry for those that have behaved outrageously and you start to feel for them and perhaps understand why they did such dreadfull things. I watched the film and that was terrible...   hide

Of course as a teenager I had to read this book. Because my parents disapproved of it. Besides it...more

Of course as a teenager I had to read this book. Because my parents disapproved of it. Besides it had sex scenes. I read quite a few of virginia Andrew's bestsellers and one thing i found was all the relationships were manipulative and empty unless they were incestuous. The books made me feel faintly ill and a bit depressed but at the same time because I was a teenager and there were sex scenes i couldn't get enough of them. Looking back now the endless combinations and twists of the same unwholesome patterns strike me as repetitive. But if you are 14 no matter what I say you will probably read this, the whole thick depressing mess about the children locked in the attic by a bimbo doll of a mother.   hide