Flowers in the Attic has been on my radar for a good few years now. I have routinely seen people in the book community talk about how messed up and twisty it is. As an avid fan of questionable dark romance, I was intrigued. Did my curiosity pan out? Yes, indeed. 

In this we follow four children -- Cathy, Chris, Cory, and Carrie -- who are taken to their grandparents house after the death of their father. Once there their Mother tells them to stay in the Attic and not make a sound whilst she persuades her religious father into accepting them. Years pass without freedom. Isolated in the mansions Attic, the two oldest become like parents to the younger two, raising them as best they can in the confined space. 

As they age and play the role of parents to Carrie and Cory, puberty and hormones rise confusing Cathy and Chris, emotions and physical needs cloud their judgement.

Their Grandmother is very religious and routinely punish the children for any acts she deems as ungodly. Those sections of the book were hard to read. It gave me Carrie by Stephen King vibes. 

Overall, this novel held my interest from the very first page. I did the audiobook as though talented at voicing the characters, I will die happily if I never have to hear her whiny tone for the youngest two again. Never before have I wanted children less, heh. 

Though a bit lengthy, this is definitely a page turner so time moves quickly. The lack of remorse the Mother had sparks an anger in me which alone shows how impactful this novel was. 

If you don't want to read about religious punishments or incest, maybe give this a miss. It was certainly some level of Gothic literature. Atmospheric and dark.

Have you picked up this modern classic? I'd love to know your thoughts. 

- Anne. X

I love a good photo diary, so here's some snapshots of my day out to the Santa Cruz Fair, 2026. We went on Friday, September 19th. It was fairly (heh) quiet which was wonderful as it gave us the opportunity to browse the Harvest room and Art Gallery. I took some photos of my favourites. People are incredibly talented. Here's one for the memory books. 

The room of flowers was a highlight for me. The colors and smells tickled all my good senses. I especially found the cowboy boot fun, it reminded me of my Granddad. 

We got a tour of the Rodgers House which will be another post entirely, but I wanted to say how much I love when community events like this offer free tours of things you'd otherwise not experience. It makes the price of entry for the fair seem reasonable. It shows you can have just enough money for entry and still have a blast.

What's a fair without over the top food? We picked a potato stand for lunch and indulged in a biscoff cinnamon roll which was as good as it sounds. There was also a stop for coffee which was much needed.