Fifty Shades Trilogy - E L James

Fifty Shades of Grey

Let me first start by saying, all I had heard about these books when I decided to download them (my first Kindle purchase)was that it was “the best love story since Edward & Bella.”  My friend April posted that quote on her Facebook page after she finished reading the series.  April and I had both read and liked the Twilight Saga (though she was Team Edward and I was Team Jacob), and The Hunger Games, so I figured I had to give it a try.  Meanwhile, while writing this I’ve now read these books four times!

Fifty Shades of Grey started out a bit rough.  I wasn’t sure if it was adapting to my new Kindle or the story line, but I had a hard time reading the first few chapters.  I just wasn’t connecting with the story.  Once the characters moved to Seattle, the story picked up for me and I found that I could not put it down.  I also found that I could not stop talking about it.  I wanted to understand her and why she would try to do these things.  I wanted to understand what made him who he was and I realized, I was totally hooked.  E.L. James had me and I wasn’t going to let go. 

I know that most of the talk of these books is about the sex, and there is a lot of it.  While I wasn’t prepared for it when I originally sat down with my Kindle, I don’t think I could picture the book without it.  I know people say, they loved the story but could have done without the sex parts…I feel it was too much a part of the story to do without it.  It’s how they learned to trust each other and love each other.  It was graphic at times, and I wanted to close my eyes or read through peeking out around my fingers, it was all a part of Christian and Ana.  My inner cheerleader wanted them to work things out and find a way to be together. 

My biggest complaint of these books is the wording.  I think it’s easy to tell that the E.L. James is not from the U.S. even though that is where the story takes place.  I think she needed help in changing some phrasing to Americanize her book up a bit.  I found I had to remind myself that these books were based in Seattle because I kept picturing London.

I know that Christian and Ana both were supposed to have above average intelligence but there were just phrases or words I couldn’t picture either of them saying if they were really from here.  There is a difference between calling your Mom “Mother” and using the word beguiling regularly.  Just didn’t fit in my own opinion. 

Aside from that, I enjoyed Fifty Shades of Grey and I was so torn up at the end of the first book I had to go straight into reading book two.  I absolutely had to know what was going to happen. 

Fifty Shades Darker

This was my FAVORITE of the three books.  This for me is where the love in the love story really started to happen.  It was really with this second book that I became obsessed (or Greysessed if you will).  I thought their chemistry came more alive for me in this second book.  I pushed to get through the first few chapters anxious for the reunion of my new favorite couple. 

This book had action, adventure, love and of course more sex.  It had Christian learning to become a bit of a different person and Ana growing up as well.  They were learning new ways together.  They fought…and made up…and fought…and made up, E.L. James took us for a ride (ha ha pun intended).  We were re-introduced to characters and introduced to new ones.  There were bad guys and crazy girls and we even get a little more from Taylor (whose character I absolutely love! I want to hug him all the time). 

I would have to say I am torn between the masked ball at Christian’s parents’ house (from getting dressed, second chance earrings, the silver balls and their masks, to the table seating, the dancing and meeting the expensive charlatan) and the very end of this book in trying to decide what my favorite moment is.  I’m sure I could not choose, but I definitely choose Fifty Shades Darker as my favorite of the three. 

Fifty Shades Freed

I was so happy at the end of book two, I was probably literally smiling on the outside.  I couldn’t wait to start the third book, but was sad that it would be coming to an end. 

I was a little disappointed in where book three brings us in, I felt like we skipped a major milestone and I wanted it back.  Luckily, we did get a flashback or daydream of the big day but I still felt like it wasn’t the same.  I wanted the whole day, from the getting dressed to the last dance, and felt a little robbed for missing out on it completely. 

Eventually I resigned to being happy with where they were as a couple and was thrilled that the playful email banter continued in book three.  It made me actually laugh out loud.  I also love that she has come into her own a little bit and doesn’t always back down to him just because he is the controlling type.  I loved learning more about Christian and his history through everything that goes on in this book.  If I hadn’t fallen for him in book two (which I did), I would have in book three. 

There was some twists and turns I didn’t see coming but (to me), it was a little predictable what the cause of the big drama between Christian & Ana was going to be.  That’s not to say I wasn’t intrigued to see how it would all play out, I knew it wouldn’t be simple and that’s what kept me reading. 

There were so many favorite moments in all three books really that I could go on and on, but I’d be afraid to give anything away. 

What I took away from this trilogy was a love story.  Yes, there was sex and yes it was sometimes ‘kinky’ but it was just a part of the story of Christian & Ana.  I read the story and saw more.  It’s all in what you want to take away from it. 

I was so sad to read the end of the story and was so not ready to be finished with Christian and Ana, that I went back to my home screen and started Fifty Shades of Grey from the beginning again.  And then two more times after that, not in succession.