Don't give me that look! 

Trust me, I know I will be too dumb to even begin a review on this because so much has been said about this book already, to the point that I feel no one will even bother to read mine. But I will still push my luck and try in all my powers not to sound like the rest. Promise! It will be short and sweet!

“- "Why don't you like to be touched?" 
- "Because I'm fifty shades of fucked-up, Anastasia” 
― E.L. James, Fifty Shades of Grey

Let me start off by saying this trilogy was a revelation (well, for me at least)! It has some very detailed graphic bedroom scenes that will make you blush most of the times and you will caught yourself turning the book to make sure that no one else would see what you're actually reading!

The main story is about  a soon to be graduating college girl Anastasia, who is shy, naive, clumsy, with no sense of style. A good friend who with open arms willingly helped her sick best friend Kate to pitch in an interview with Christian Grey, a man who has almost everything; money, respect, success and not to mention the great looks! With an instant attraction, Christian immediately found himself to be obsessively drawn over Anastasia...and this is where all the conflicts began. With his deep, damaged past along with some major relationship issues, Christian wanted CONTROL (in every sense of the word!) over her and over almost everything around him.

Growing up, I was never really a fan of erotic fiction. Mine was usually trapped in some teenybopper books of cheerleaders hopelessly falling in love with varsity players and then eventually developed some interest on my sister's Sidney Sheldon books. So it was really quite a surprise for me to finish the book, much less the entire trilogy! (well maybe because I have somehow also developed a crush on CTG who is insanely over the top hottie).  But looking beyond all the physical attraction and sexual exposure the book has revealed to us, the story itself is more than just a typical "boy meets girl and girl meets boy" journey. I have seen it as the character's battle between acceptance of who and what he is versus the kind of person he really wants to be. It also touched the rising need and determination of Anastacia to cure and keep the relationship with her vulnerable significant other amidst all conflicts and differences.

Relating it to our daily lives, I think we all have our share of Christian Grey within us. It may not be as extreme as his, but often times we do things we thought were right and would satisfy us, but only to find out that it messed us up big time, we don't know how to solve it anymore. Sometimes we find the Anastacia in us! The strong desire to change the world or at least the world of those we love!

Christian and Ana's story simply teaches us to try to see the best in each person. Christian is not perfect, but definitely not a hopeless case! While Anastacia's character reminds us to never ever give up on the ones we love; that beyond all the conflicts, they both have learned to unearth and heal the past and together hoped for a better future.

Rating: 

I used to love reading. I used to love a good story. I used to love it so much I remember becoming quite a snob about certain things. I used to try to do a review on every book I read. But one particular review and the following snubbing that came afterward, had made me want to give up on doing it at all.

Until one day, I came to read this one book everyone is raving about. At first hesitant to start and even open a single page, but then came the innate curiosity in me that led me not only wanting to finish it but became easily obsessed with every single characters in it.

So with my renewed book addiction and the desire to share and help readers connect with the books that I love, I found that trying to do it all over again isn’t a bad idea at all.

So where do I start then?

I tried writing down a few things I look for in a book. Things that normally catch my eye and genuinely interest me...some relevant things I know that will help me create and write a strong review.

First on the list...BOOK COVERS!

I know "we should not judge a book by its cover". I've heard it a thousand times before and in some ways, I agree with it. Clearly, the quality of a book is found within the pages, plot, characters and many others which make book covers for all practical reasons irrelevant. But somehow I find it really critical to success. Let's admit it, when we go to a bookstore and walk past the display tables, there are certain book covers that catch our eye, then we turn the book and read the blurb. If the book cover had been plain and uninteresting, surely we would have even noticed it and never would have read the back. So I strongly feel that book covers play an important part to the overall enjoyment of the book itself. After all, when you close the book at night and look at the cover, don't you want to stare at a picture you feel is a good one?

Secondly, CONTENT!

Content is king and always will be. This is where we get the meat! A killer opening, the compelling chapters and characters, the dialogues, the highs and lows, the conflicts, the breathtaking scenes and the kind of ending that wraps it all up with something really satisfying! These, I feel what readers drive to sit and finish the book in one go!

Next up...BOOK's IMPACT!

Did it change me in any way? Did it prompt me to think or do anything positive?

And lastly, the AUTHOR'S STRATEGY!

Was it anything unique? How the author holds the readers amazingly captured!

Rating Category:

         
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Disclaimer:

I am not a professional book reviewer by any means… I write reviews for fun and I like to write them in an informal, friendly way. Its my way to connect with the other readers, and show appreciation to my favorite authors!