I have just finished the fifth book from the Dollanganger series, by Virginia Andrews. I wouldn't normally think of reviewing a book, but after this one I feel I must.
The Dollanganger series begins with 'Flowers in the Attic'. I enjoyed this book as much as I suffered it, but now I see that was not even near to what this book would make me feel. I stopped reading the Dollanganger series once I finished the second book, the sequel to 'Flowers in the Attic' (Petals on the Wind), because the amount of venom and rancor it contained. It's not unpleasant per se, I just happened to be sensitive to it.
In any case, nothing could have prepared me for this chilling tale. The pain, bewilderment and shock of this story is unbelievable. Which is why I both recommend it and advice against it.
Believing in God myself, I cannot but stare after what happens as this plot thickens, for it is so much of God's will that it ironically becomes something that I believe God would have condemned if he could've.
The story is absolutely breathtaking in it's bizarre manner. It has the particularity of really making you think without it really being a book I would describe as philosophical. And yes it is.
For those who like to envelop in thinking journeys, I recommend all that I've read from the series. For those seeking merely entertainment, Flowers in the Attic is a must. Mixing incest, family values, love, lust, freedom and even God will, this tale is so amazingly schemed and so artfully woven, that it is still making my stomach drop, even as I write this.
