As an avid reader with a passion and love for books, all things reading whether it's good or bad, I had to pick up the dreaded...Fifty Shades of Grey.
Before it was popular, before it was printed in Mass Market Paperback, it was picked in my online book club for the "book of the month." It was an ebook, there was no paper copy to buy easily and the only way to have it in your hands and feel the paper was to buy it directly from the The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House, E.L. James' publisher at the time.
I voted for it. I read the synopsis (which in no way, indicated how romantic and steamy it was going to be) and I was determined to read it. Christian Grey sounded like an interesting character to read and learn about, and with Ana, what's better than a young, doe-eyed college girl ending up with a sexy billionaire? Nothing, I tell you.
When it was chosen for book club, I celebrated. I wanted to read it, dang it!
Well...I got about a third of the way through and muttered to myself, in the middle of Books-A-Million, "I cannot believe I'm reading this, I cannot believe I'm READING THIS!" It was so...so...different! So much more intense than my everyday vampire romance novels. (Not that Fifty Shades is vampire romance.)
I'm sure we all know the story, but I'll run through it again anyway.
Ana, a young college student and also our main character, decides to take over her roommate, Kate's job of interviewing dashing and filthy rich billionaire, Christian Grey and bites off a little more than she can chew.
Christian becomes interested in Ana, her wit and her sweet smile, and offers her another position to fill. (Pun intended.) There's heartbreak, scenes that will (without a doubt) make you blush and a back story that will tear your emotions apart. That is what I fell in love with. The back story, not the sins of the flesh.
When I finished Fifty Shades of Grey, I HAD to read the sequel. (If you've read the trilogy, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.) Then after I finished the second book, I was chomping at the bit for Fifty Shades Freed's release. I was hooked. Absolutely and positively hooked.
Especially now, with people out there fighting against it, saying that it's too raunchy to keep on bookshelves, I have to protect it. There are worse books out there and believe me, I've read them.
Now that I've said that, if you happen to be the type of reader that pays close attention to writing styles, uses of phrases and vocabulary, don't read it. It'll only make you twitch. (Keep in mind, Fifty Shades of Grey was written originally as Twilight fanfiction by E.L. James. It was not meant to become a New York Times Bestseller.)
E.L. James is a British author who is narrating as a college age girl from Seattle and...well, it's not very believable at times. She uses a lot of phraseology and words that a woman Ana's age typically wouldn't use.
Some hate Fifty Shades...some (like me) love it, warts and all.
It's up to a reader, like yourself, to decide which of the two you are.
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Again a great review. I really didn't have an interest in reading this book, not because of the steamy content, but it just didn't seem to be my thing. Now that I read your review about the back story it may tempt me.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Candi! <3 You may like it and you may not, but it's up to you to decide! It's not the most perfect book in the world, but it sure is fun. :-D
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