It is so interesting to see the beginnings of a series that first got me into reading. Getting the back story on characters, family, how they became what they are. Getting this fresh view definitely makes me want to go back and reread the original series. The author does a great job of really letting the reader inside the characters, so much that you feel you are right there with them.

I was able to read this book thanks to NetGalley. I grew up reading VC Andrews so it was wonderful to revisit with this book. I enjoyed it though it didn’t quite live up to the expectations of the original series. I will definitely be looking to read the sequel. Thanks again to NetGalley.

I have mixed feelings about this book. First, the historical inaccuracies that were present in Beneath the Attic bothered me and many other reviewers, yet there are still inaccuracies in Out of the Attic. Language such as, "Well, yeah" coming out of Garland Foxworth's mouth in the late 1800s? Fairly unlikely given the time and his socioeconomic status. Also, Malcolm doodling on a napkin with a pencil? I may be off by a few years, but I doubt paper napkins were at the Foxworth table in 1895. Seems they didn't really appear until several decades later. The next very real concern I have is the character of Garland Foxworth. He seems evil, but the character I remember from Garden of Shadows was a happy, kind man. While people do often mellow with age, I think this is far too significant a change to be believable, unless there are plans to explain the change via some Damascene Conversion story in the next book.

All of that said, I did find myself devouring the book because I wanted to know how the dissolution of the marriage would play out. And the epilogue has made me look forward to reading the next book in the series because I want to see how these additional children Corinne had feed back into the original Dollanganger stories.

This is a difficult one to rate because I was intrigued by the story and put off by the lack of regard for the story's setting in time and the near unbelievability of the Garland character. I do very much appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read the ARC .

I really enjoyed reading this #GoodReads #ARC of #OutoftheAttic by V.C. Andrews. It’s given more insight of the characters and their story. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the series.

When the story ended in the previous book, Beneath the Attic, a very young and secretly pregnant Corrine Dixon was preparing for her upcoming wedding to Garland Foxworth. Out of the Attic wastes little time moving the story forward, noting the wedding and the birth of Malcolm in a brief prologue, with the remainder of the story taking place five years later.

That was my first problem with this book. It left me feeling disoriented immediately. The first words I read in this book stated that it was “picking up where Beneath the Attic left off”. If it had done that, I wouldn’t have kept wondering if I was reading the THIRD book in the series, rather than the second. I was terribly confused… how could Malcolm be almost five years old when the wedding hadn’t even happened yet?! I had to look it up on Google, because I was convinced I was reading the wrong book… only to find out I wasn’t. Wait… what?!

Fine. It was a sloppy beginning, but I can get over it. The story will get better now that I understand where we are in the timeline. Right?

Wrong. Because now, I had to deal with other issues that drove me crazy.

People still behaved in historically incorrect ways. The dialogue was still horribly wrong for people living in 1895. For example: at one point, Garland tells Corinne “You’re hot.” (And no… she wasn’t feverish.) How is a reader supposed to buy that this story takes place in the late 19th century, with something like that being said?!

Despite the passing of several years (and addition of a child), there isn’t any character growth to be found in Corrine or Garland. The characters are shallow, and fail to have any redeeming qualities. Malcolm, despite his important role in Flowers in the Attic, has little impact in the overall story. As described in the book, he is nothing more than a stereotypical bratty child. Nothing makes him stand out in a way that foreshadows who he will eventually become, despite looks and/or actions being described as ‘sly’. It never felt potentially ominous in the least to me—it came across only as a young child attempting to get his way about something, and nothing more.

Though I did feel compassion for Corrine due to an event late in the story, it failed to have the serious impact it could have had, if only she were a more sympathetic character. If I truly cared about her, what happened would have evoked a storm of emotions… but she was so unlikable as a whole that it simply wasn’t possible.

Once again, I have to point out that Garland is nothing like the one shown in Garden of Shadows. I have a great deal of difficulty accepting the drastic changes between his younger and older selves. People do change as they age, but this much? Opinions may vary, but it doesn’t feel realistic to me.

The epilogue (which I nearly missed because a list of other VCA series came before it), featured a twist that greatly intrigued me. Possibilities abound, and I’m curious if anything will come of it. That, more than anything, has me curious to read the next book, Shadows of Foxworth.

I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Gallery Books via Netgalley.

I absolutely loved Flowers in the Attic and the other three books in that series. I haven't read the Malcolm and the Olivia prequel story. I did enjoy the drama of Beneath the Attic, even though Garland and Corrine were both very conceited and frankly, unlikable. In Out of the Attic, the drama continues. It does read more like something present day instead of 1895. Wealthy women just didn't act the way Corinne did; they had a very "what would the neighbors say" mentality. That being said, I did enjoy the drama in this book, too. I did actually start feeling kind of sorry for Corinne as Garland became more and more repugnant as the book continued. I could also understand why Malcolm behaved as he did; all parental care was left to the servants. That house and everyone in it is just so strange. It's a quick read. I'm looking forward to book 3. Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Corrine was married into Foxworth's family at the tender age of seventeen. Four years later, she has a four years old son, Malcom and not a happy marriage. Corrine feels she is stuck in this haunted house, in which; she can never do anything on her own nor anything to the house to make it feels more like home.

Out of all of VC Andrews recent novels, this one feels more like the original style of writing. It was a dark story of a young woman's life in the 19th century. When a woman married into a family her life is not her own. Her husband own her has property and to today readers it's frustrating. The only problem I have with this story is Corrine's voice. At times, she sounds like a 21-year-old woman and then her voice would switch to a 50's years old woman. For a young, woman who has never travelled and was married so young, she sounds much more mature for her age and her wisdom, where does it comes from? The story never described her doing anything but walking around the house. She doesn't seem to even pick up a book. So where does she gets all her ideas? It's very unbelievable at time. I also finds it hard to believe that Corrine's husband would not hire someone to track her down to punish her. His personality is too strong and evil to leave things the way it is. I think it's time to give up VC Andrews' novel as nothing is changing. There are no evolutions to the writing.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It has been a few years since I have read a V.C. Andrews novel. With that being said, it took me a minute to get back into the flow of this style of writing.

Corrine Dixon Foxworth is a beautiful young wife to Garland Foxworth. She is also the mother to Malcolm Foxworth. While she appreciated the rich lifestyle her husband provides for her, yet something is missing in her life. And that's where the adventure begins with this storyline.

Take note this book takes place in 1895.

When you live in the most coveted home... I'm sorry mansion, what more could a woman want? Corrine has everything and yet nothing at all. She has no friends to call her own. Her husband regards her as a trophy wife in every aspect of the word. A strained relationship with her son and a house full of secrets that even after 5 years of living there, she still hasn't unfolded. As the storyline progresses, we see Corrine doing things women in her time didn't do. And she begins to come into her own self.


This book has a lot of family dysfunction and a really horrible scene towards the end that made me feel nauseous. All in all, I would recommend this book to people who enjoy not only V.C. Andrews books but books that take place in the late 1800s /early 1900's. They will be able to keep up with the tone and dialect from that time. I will read the next book as well as others that I have missed from this author

DNF - Even though it is fiction, the details of this series are not aligned with earlier works. There is no continuity.

LiteraryMarie

I have read most of V.C. Andrews books when I was in high school and saw some when they became movies.
Out of the Attic goes back two generations of Foxworth Hall.
"Most of the time I find myself somewhere in the mansion looking out."
Corrine Dixon was a mere 16 when she met Garland Foxworth and was two months pregnant when they wed.
Just like the other books, I was unable to put down until the end.
A fantastic read.

Thank you to publisher, author and NetGalley for eARC

V. C. Andrews' Flowers in the Attic series has always been well known. With the more recent movies made from the series, the novels have been given new life. Readers are discovering or rediscovering Andrews.

Out of the Attic is listed as the seventh of the Flowers in the Attic series when in fact it is a prequel to the beloved novel. Corrine Dixon Foxworth is the focus of the novel. A young wife finding herself living a life she no longer recognizes. Everything she thought she had is slowly disappearing. She no longer knows the woman she has become. Her devoted husband is becoming a stranger who may not be the man she loved. Her son, Malcolm, a mini-version of his father.

I first read Flowers in the Attic back in high school. I was thrilled to hear a new book has been added to the series. I was even happier to learn it actually provides a backstory to the characters of the original novel. The book is a must read for any Andrews' fan. I found the descriptions of the characters so interesting. I also found the house becoming another character. The house becomes the antagonist. Slowly an inanimate object changes the people within its walls. Corrupts them in a way. Such corruption develops into the novels set in a later time period.

Thank you first and foremost to NetGalley for the digital ARC. i was very confused when i read the first book of the series as i realize how far back this story went. Now that i know who the characters are i love the book! I have read vc andrews books since i was a young girl and they still don’t disappoint. Im thankful to be able to go back the start of Foxworth Hall and see it all unfold.