when wholesome memories of your first incest kink go very wrong

Thanks to ff_a, I have been--I have no idea what this is.

Check out the cover for Flowers in the Attic

The book that launched a million incest kinks and probably contributed heavily to fandom's having a genre for it. With a cover out of a wholesome YA romance. They--at least look alike? Truth in advertising in the purely visual spectrum? My childhood has been de-sullied. Goddammit.

Comments

[rivkat]

I dunno, the "school & library binding" may be even more surprising.

[seperis]

I'm pretty sure this one regularly makes high school libraries. It was in my English III teachers' junior/senior library. I still have no idea why.

Also, your icon, LOVE.

[out_there]

And yet, most people I've mentioned this to read the book as a teen by borrowing it from the school library or the local public library.

[seperis]

I forgot to say this earlier, I found it weirdly karmatic or something that you were the first person to answer, because I'm currently doing my annual re-read of the Bowiebhabarata while doing my annual viewing of the best of Buffy. Still the only Buffy fanfic I have ever needed to read and I still remember being sent the PDF by a friend on AIM after we watched The Gift and I cried hysterically until she promised me awesome Spike/Buffy fanfic. Well, and I cried after that, but I had a PDF of The Heart's Filthy Lesson, so.

[rivkat]

I'm so thrilled to hear it merits a reread for you! MustangSally deserves most of the credit, though. I should do a Buffy rewatch someday, but now I'm doing Fringe.

[majoline]

It feels weird to admit her/her ghostwriter was one of my big childhood reads, especially since yanno, I'm pretty repulsed by Twilight/50 shades of grey. Maybe it is because even back then I knew that was incredibly fucked up?

*shrugs*

[seperis]

FITA and all the novels were kind of based on the traumatic gothic horror idea. And I totally admit to reading as many of those as I could hunt down.

[majoline]

That is true, what with all the abuse and all - no glorifying the horribleness in the slightest.

Gah, that's one of those things I want to hunt down and reread but have no desire to be caught reading :)

[seperis]

That is true, what with all the abuse and all - no glorifying the horribleness in the slightest.

You nailed that one. Especially the ruthless horror of Flowers in the Attic when it hits you what Corinne had been doing all along. I don't think it really all sank in--due to incesty goodness--until much later that this had been the goddamn plan. And in retrospect, brutal.

My Sweet Audrina, same thing, and then took it up a notch by making everything so goddamn skeevy. Andrews gave no fucks about pulling punches; when the reveal came, it was slammed right in your face.

[amalthia]

man, I was addicted to this series as a teenager. I gotta say I sort of like the new cover.

[seperis]

*g* I do too. Just--not what you'd expect there.

[minim_calibre]

...

I...

Wow. That's hilarious.

[seperis]

I want someone to buy it and then three quarters through REALIZE WHO THEY ARE AND WHY THEY SEEM SO MUCH ALIKE.

[ratcreature]

To me it doesn't look wholesome but like the cover of softcore porn videos with the bright blurring and the blond, generic young people. Okay the breasts aren't uncovered, but the overall style pretty much looks like that to me.

[seperis]

It's very much like YA romance covers, to be honest. The cutsie ones with either one of them dying of cancer or going through a drug phase or something.

[venetia_sassy]

... why are they outside?

I actually didn't read Flowers in the Attic until a couple of years ago, when I saw it on a bargain table and bought it so I could finally understnad the references I kept seeing online. Ookay, then. Poisoned donuts. Right. (The mouse!)

But I did read the entire Wildflowers series when I was good deal younger. That was ... interesting.

[petronia]

I'm sorry but why are they outside just completely killed me. XD

[seperis]

Okay, hilariously, now that you've said that, it just hit me. The cover is such a lie.

[venetia_sassy]

I do not associate sunshine with this book! Weird, creepy interiors and pervy midnight outings, yes ...