Author: V. C. Andrews Genre: Horror Pages/Length: 424 pages
★★★★☆ 4 stars
Book Summary: After the death of their father, four children are hidden away in their grandparents’ attic until their grandfather dies. Only, when weeks turn into months, the kids start to wonder if they’ll ever make it out of the attic…
Book Review: This book was intense. Creepy, sad, and messed up, but I loved it. I felt connected to the four kids and it was excellently written. The language wasn’t difficult to read physically, but the book had enough depth and darkness to leave me feeling both hooked and disturbed. The ending was great, but it is definitely not a light read and can be triggering to some readers.
Quotes: “My eyes bulged out at the sight of those pitiful welts on the creamy tender flesh that our father had handled with so much love and gentleness.” “You had to have love or you withered away and died.” “What is evil and what is corrupt is in the eyes of the beholder.” “I felt sorry for her, and I felt betrayed by my own compassion.” “There is no such hate as that born out of love betrayed.”
Spoilers: The ending was brilliant. Prior to the reveal, I figured out that the grandfather had been dead. But what truly surprised me was how long he’d been dead. The twist with the powdered donuts, too, was crazy and intense, and Cory’s death was devastating to read. I was angry at first when Cathy decided not to get revenge on their mother, but soon I realized that it was kind of refreshing that she chose to move on rather than dwell on the past. The book is disturbingly excellent and has many dark, but great themes.
