Fifty Shades of Grey

 

Level:  Explicit

Genre: General Fiction > Erotica > BDSM

Obtained: Borrowed from a friend

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

About the Book:

Ana Steele has never really found herself to be attracted to anyone before. At least, not in that head over heels, butterflies in the stomach type way. Not until she meets Christian Grey, and what's not to like? He's gorgeous beyond belief, extremely wealthy, and (as Ana soon finds out) excellent in bed. Of course, there is always the saying, "It's probably too good to be true." Well, Christian Grey is no exception. Although Christian Grey causes Ana's heart to catch in her throat, she's not sure if she can handle the arrangement he desires: a Dominant/submissive relationship ... with Ana as the sub!

Rating: 4/10

I was introduced to this by a friend who has a fascination for reading BDSM books to see how bad (or good) and accurate they are. We both agreed that this was a very lack luster book. It had potential. It really did, but it should have stayed where it started - as a fan fiction. Now, don't get me wrong. There are some fan fictions out there that are written very well. However, Fifty Shades of Grey (originally Master of the Universe) is not one of them. 

 

Honestly, I cannot see why this is such a huge hit. The sex scenes are subpar, the characters annoying and bland, and the writing is on the same level as Twilight. Speaking of the writing, dear gods was it repetitive. I lost count of how many times Ana bit her lip, rolled her eyes, or thought, "Oh my." Add the massive amount of text devoted to how Christian's eyes are grey and Ana's constant chattering of her subconscious and "inner goddess," and you have a very long and dull book. Not only was the text very repetitive, but the storyline was literally nothing more than Ana and Christian and the hormones in between them. Again, there are several books, which purely focus on a relationship between two characters, that manage to be quite intriguing. Fifty Shades is not one of them. What's worse is that this is only part one of three, and these aren't short 200 or so page books. Nope. Fifty Shades of Grey is a whopping 529 pages. Yes, we have over five hundred pages of little more than, "I don't really like being a sub, but I 'love' him." The sad part is that Ana's internal issues could be quite the hook, but we are led over the same lines throughout the novel, which created a very boring read. 

It was more than likely this minimal insight that led to such flat characters. Granted, the main character was originally Bella Swan so it's not surprising that Ana fell short of a fully developed and likeable character. Then, since Ana was originally Bella, we get to witness some of her .. er ... exceptional qualities such as her absurd clumsiness and virginal attitude. Still, I have to give James some credit. She, at least, had her main character get up and do something. Next, we have have Edward Cullen... I mean, Christian Grey. Okay, to be honest, I can barely remember anything about these demmed characters, which ought to tell more than words alone. All I can really recall is that Ana was irksome, her friend even more so, and Christian was your perfect git. Oh, I also remember that Christian and Ana really need to work on their jealousy issues.

Now, let's get to the part that most of the fans were raving about: the sex. I've read many negative reviews that claimed it was some of the worst sex ever written. I wouldn't go that far. In fact, I kinda liked the first scene. No, it didn't get me hot and heavy, but I highly appreciated that James focused on more than just the "sexy" body parts. Hell, I give her kudos for that. However, it still failed to give me that special tingly feeling so E.L. James didn't quite get the gold star. Granted, I had strong issues with the characters and could not get behind them (no pun intended) so that more than likely coloured my view a bit. However, even if these scenes didn't get a rise out of me, I was very pleased to see that James was promoting safety. She has Christian using condoms, which is something you don't often see. James also showed a good insight into the BDSM world. She ends up showing that even though there is power play, both parties give consent in all forms of play. She also shows how important communication is in such sexual aspects and even goes into safe words.

All in all though, this book had great potential, but the writing and characters made it short of something enjoyable. Not even the sex made up for the lack luster plot. Yes, it is better than Twilight, but that's not saying much. It may have been okay for fan fiction, but as a published novel ... well, save your time and money.

What I'm Reading Next:    

 

The Great Cat Massacre

Level: Adult

Genre: Nonfiction > History > Essays

Obtained: Purchased at Jefferson College bookstore

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

About the Book:

This series of essays (or one long essay, depending on how you view it) looks into tales and writings to try and decipher how a variety of men from 18th century France would have thought.

Rating: 8/10

First off, I will admit that I did not finish the entirety of the book so I am unable to make a judgement on the last section of The Great Cat Massacre. The book seemed stale to me by that time, to be honest. Overall, however, I found the book to be quite enjoyable, and it was certainly more interesting than most academic texts that I am forced to read. The author starts us off at the lowest rung of the social ladder and takes us higher with each section. One of the things that made this book a fairly great read (especially for the classroom) was the fact that the text actually delved into the lower class, something that we rarely see in historical academics. It helped to have a better idea at understanding all the classes rather than getting a taste for only the nobility and intellectuals. What else made The Great Cat Massacre interesting was that each section held a slightly different feel to it. Overall, it still looked at tales and writing, bringing forth deductions from the examples, but you could still see a difference between the peasants' fairy tales and say, the writings of the the bourgeois. Of course, with these differences, one may enjoy one section while finding another dull beyond belief. For example, I had to sludge and force my way though the intellectuals since it had a very academic type writing to it. It made sense for it to have this feel, but it didn't make it any less boring to me.

Overall though I felt that the greastest downfall of The Great Cat Massacre was the fact that it was too repetitive. Both a fellow classmate and I agreed that most of the sections made their point halfway through. This let her dragging and me skimming. What's more, after said point was made, the author wasn't even bringing forth new points, just new examples, making it even more redundant. Now, I realise that if you show that a point shows up in multiple examples, it strengthens your argument. However, there is a thing as too much. 

All together, The Great Cat Massacre gives a good insight into the minds of the 18th century Frenchman, which can allow us to better understand some of the works written from that era. Just hopefully, Darnton will cut down on the examples next time.

  

What I'm Reading Next: 

 

Masquerade

 

Level: Older Teen

Genre: Fantasy > Vampires/Urban Fantasy

Obtained: Purchased at Borders

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

About the Book:

In the second book of the Blue Bloods series, the vampires are planning their exclusive Four Hundred ball. However, Mimi Force has plans to have an after party: a masquerade that ends up involving kisses behind masks and causing wonderment in the romance department. Our heroines have more to worry about than just crushes and love though. Bliss swears she has seen Dylan around, even though he should be dead. Schuyler is needing to find a human familiar before she slips into a coma, and Mimi is having to fight a green monster. Meanwhile, there is still an unknown Silver Blood in their midst.  

Rating: 8/10

De la Cruz continues to pen an interesting tale. Although the Blue Blood murders have ceased, the Silver Blood plot is still strong. She also continues the romantic aspect in the latest book that involves Jack, Schuyler, and Mimi. Although the romance is not the main focus, it is still a strong part of the book so the readers who enjoy reading the romance have something to look forward to. However, if you are one of those readers who want more than just a romance book, do not worry. This book still has an intriguing plot that kept me reading. 

Now, like its prior companion, this book still holds the Mean Girls feel to it, and yes, the fashion trends still exist. I did find there was a lot less designer dropping in this novel though. The biggest problem I had with this particular book was the fact that the characters were a bit cliche and generic (a very common occurance in young adult books). I know a lot of people complained about this in the first book, but I figured I would at least read the second book before making that judgement since many characters seem flat in the introduction book. However, on the plus side, I don't want to kill any of the main characters either.

Overall, I am still enjoying de la Cruz's story. She has a good blend of a thrilling plot and the romantic drama. I can't speak for everyone, but she definitely has me hooked.

What I'm Reading Next:  

Blue Bloods

First off, I would like to apologise for the severe lack of updates. Honestly, I have little excuse. At first, I was reading lengthier books, but in all honesty, I simply haven't been posting.

Secondly, you have have noticed that my last post said that I was planning to read some Marquis de Sade next. Well, I had to return the book before being able to finish so I will finish that later. Instead, you are going to get my reviews on some YA books.

 

Level: Older Teen

Genre: Fantasy > Vampires/Urban Fantasy

Obtained: Purchased at Borders

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

About the Book:

Blue Bloods follows New York's elite with their fancy parties and designer clothes. However, most of New York's elite isn't what you would call human. In fact, they are actually vampires. In this particular novel, we follow the characters of Mimi Force, Bliss Llewellyn, and Schuyler Van Allen as they navigate the treacherous world of popularity and becoming vampires. However, there is more to worry about than just that. Something is killing the Blue Bloods (the vampires), and only Jack, Mimi's brother, Schulyer, and Bliss seem concerned.

Rating: 8/10

If you're wanting an original vampire book, you have found one here. However, if you are expecting something dark and morbid, this isn't it. Now, I'm not saying this book is all puppies and sunshine, but it definitely has a Mean Girls feel to it.

Although this isn't the best written piece out there, it definitely was original and interesting. It was fun to see the petty dramas, and the book had me wanting to know who the Silver Blood (the creature killing the Blue Bloods) was. De la Cruz did a fabulous job at leading you down several paths and making you wonder which one was correct. Not only was the style unique, but de la Cruz's vampires are as well. Instead of being the undead, she has her vampires as fallen angels that are reincarnated through several human life times so that they may atone for their sins. 

Now, one of the downfalls of this book is that it takes quite a while for it to get to the meat of the plot. About three fourths of Blue Bloods consists of vindictive plays and the characters trying to figure out what is happening to them. The downfall to this is we know from page one that the main characters are vampires. However, I personally still felt the book was interesting. Honestly, I feel the biggest fault the book had was the designer name dropping. Although I do not endorse myself entirely in the fashion world, I still hold quite an interest in it. However, even I was growing tired of the constant name dropping of designers. I understand that it shows part of the elite society and helps create a feel, but sometimes you read five different designers in one paragraph alone (and they're not long paragraphs).

Granted, even with the slow starts and the fashion trivia bombarded in your face, I still found it to be a very enjoyable read. As stated earlier, it's not the most well written piece by any means, but it definitely had originality and left me reaching for the next installment in the series. It's a junk food worth reading.

What I'm Reading Next: