Sophia C. reviewed on 12/12/2012 + 289 more book reviews

I intended to read Fifty Shades of Grey to understand it as a cultural phenomenon, but I found a compelling story beneath all the hype. Despite all the talk of kink, at best the adult scenes rate as a vanilla sundae with chocolate sprinkles. Anas battling subconscious (an egregious misnomer as she tells us all about her input) and inner goddess were hyperdeveloped (and annoying!) characters in their own rights, dance routines and all. However, style points aside, there is a sweet, desperate love story between two very inexperienced people. Christian Fifty Shades Grey might be rich, beautiful, and expert in the erotic arts, but he is new to affection and emotional intimacy. EL James knows which buttons to press to make him an intriguing character to me. I wanted to see the relationship from his perspective. I wondered if a poor, unattractive Dominant would be appealing. Although she might be perpetuating unhealthy stereotypes and lessons for young women along the way, this first installment of Fifty Shades makes for a nice guilty pleasure read that can also raise interesting questions, if you want it to.

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