Review: Grey by E.L. James

Cover Soure: GoodReads.com

Title: Grey

Author: E.L. James

Series: Fifty Shades #4

Version Reviewed: Finished, Paperback

Website: www.eljamesauthor.com

I purchased this book myself.

GoodReads Synopsis:

See the world of Fifty Shades of Grey anew through the eyes of Christian Grey.
In Christian's own words, and through his thoughts, reflections, and dreams, E L James offers a fresh perspective on the love story that has enthralled millions of readers around the world.
Christian Grey exercises control in all things; his world is neat, disciplined, and utterly empty—until the day that Anastasia Steele falls into his office, in a tangle of shapely limbs and tumbling brown hair. He tries to forget her, but instead is swept up in a storm of emotion he cannot comprehend and cannot resist. Unlike any woman he has known before, shy, unworldly Ana seems to see right through him—past the business prodigy and the penthouse lifestyle to Christian’s cold, wounded heart.

Will being with Ana dispel the horrors of his childhood that haunt Christian every night? Or will his dark sexual desires, his compulsion to control, and the self-loathing that fills his soul drive this girl away and destroy the fragile hope she offers him?

This book is intended for mature audiences.

Review: 
Where do I begin with this book?  I'm not really sure, in all honesty. I know that the entire Fifty Shades series is a sensitive topic for most people. The majority of the world either has a love or hate relationship with the story and I'm not ashamed to admit that I am in love with it. Does the story have it's faults? Yes. Do the main characters have their faults? Yes, they do. But that's one of the reasons why I love this story. It isn't black or white. It's... well, it's a gray area (no pun intended). Love it or hate it, you can't deny that it makes you feelsomething. What that something is, is completely up to you.

I felt a multitude of things when I read Fifty Shades of Grey for the first time. I devoured it and I was one of the many readers that desperately hoped for the chance of re-reading the events in Christian's point of view.  I wanted a deeper look into his mind. I wanted to know what made him react the way he did in certain moments and what made him say and do some of the things he did as a character. And Grey did just that. It gave me such new insight into Christian's character and made me fall in love with this broken man.

It was so different, witnessing the thoughts in his head and it was easy to develop a bit of an understanding for the way he felt about himself and why he treated people the way he did. This book gave us a definite look into his psyche, a deeper story than the original. It's not often that I can say this, but I honestly think I prefer Grey over the original book that started it all.  I loved reading along as Christian worked through all of these new issues and the feelings and emotions that they brought out of him. It was interesting to see just how much he would let himself feel before he would shut everything down and return to his comfortable, dominant role.

This book definitely made me feel things. I was happy with the characters and horrified at Christian's past. I found myself amused at the moments where Christian was oblivious to the feelings brought out in him, confused at what exactly was going on inside his mind and his heart. In a way, it was easy to see him as this tortured little boy that never figured out how to be okay with himself.

I truly loved this book and would have no problems picking it right back up and re-reading it. My only wish is that James has plans to continue with the series in Christian's point of view. There's one particular scene in Fifty Shades Darker that I am in love with, the one scene that has stood out in my mind over the entire series and I really, really want to read it from his perspective.

Rating: 5 Stars