Why 50 Shades shouldn't be dismissed as mere Twilight fan fic

I have spoken to several friends who are curious about the 50 Shades craze, and one friend who read it back when it was really just fan fic who thinks I'm an idiot for enjoying the series so much.  While 50 Shades certainly isn't for everyone, and I don't think it's a MUST READ, the attitude of it being inferior to other romance stories or that I have no taste for enjoying it really irks me.  I think the general attitude is that if you think Twilight sucks, then this book that is BASED OFF Twilight must be even lamer.  Here's why I think 50 Shades shouldn't be discounted because of its origins:

1. Christian's control issues are viewed as an illness and treated as such.  In Twilight, Edward's crazy protection/control mentality is seen as for Bella's own good.  In 50 Shades, Christian is seeing a therapist, and he and Ana eventually work out that control in the bedroom is good for them (though they switch it up), but Christian trying to control Ana's life is unacceptable.  She gets angry at him and stands up for herself.  I love that at several points she refuses to back down.  She doesn't get flustered and start doubting her stance- instead she fights for her freedom and refuses to give in to Christian.  He has to come to terms by adjusting his behavior, and although it is sometimes painful, he does.

2. There are no vampires, werewolves, or other paranormal elements.  My fiance was still laboring under the assumption that Christian was a vampire. No.  All paranormal elements have been removed, which also removes the strange desire Edward feels to eat Bella because of his "nature."  Although Christian at some point admits to wanting to hurt women, there are psychological reasons for this and it is addressed as part of his mental illness, not a sexy thing.  Edward wanting to suck the life out of Bella but trying to control himself is portrayed as hot; Christian wanting to beat a woman is portrayed as unhealthy and unacceptable.

3. Ana is not a dishrag.  While Ana reminds me of Bella during the first couple of chapters where she is clumsy and has bad fashion sense, Ana quickly develops into a strong-willed, smart, and passionate woman.  She is able to defend herself and does at a couple points, she is not afraid to be alone (no laying the woods for hours), and she knows what she wants from life.  While Ana does bite her lip to the point of obnoxiousness, she isn't mousy.  She actually IS very beautiful and interesting.

4. There is no morality message from 50 Shades.  Twilight's pro-abstinence, pro-life, and sometimes religious undertones are not evident in 50 Shades.  This is just a fun series for grown-ups without the author trying to make something that is not spiritual into a message- no hidden PSAs here.

To wrap up, I'd like to point out that while I would be embarrassed to be seen reading either series on the train (I love my Kindle!), aside from a basic outline the actual perspectives and tones of the novels are very different.  Not to say they don't have things in common, because they clearly do, but 50 Shades isn't "Twilight for grown-ups."  It isn't even really "What if Edward and Bella were into BDSM?"  (The BDSM sub-plot takes a backseat to other story-lines.) It's an erotic romance series about unconditional love and overcoming mental illness.

Music, Love, and a Fateful Porn Shop Meeting: Review of Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

John Green and David Levithan

YA Contemp Romance

2010

I'm guessing the cover, which is beautiful,
is showing city lights on the night the two Wills meet.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson is the story of two boys, both named Will Grayson, and their struggle to learn to love others and themselves.  John Green and David Levithan each created a character and then had them meet- incidentally at porn shop that neither one was supposed to be at.  This chance encounter brings out different aspects of their personalities as their friends interact and as they compare themselves to each other.

The "first" Will Grayson is a quiet boy with a very loud, very openly gay, very huge best friend named Tiny.  Tiny is a giant football player who falls in and out of love several times each week, and he's working on a musical about his life called Tiny Dancer.  Tiny is the GSA president, and another member, Jane (who at first may be part of the gay or the straight side of the alliance, Will isn't sure), turns out to have awesome taste in music, be very smart, and totally cute to Will.  Can Will discover his place in this group of friends?  Will needs Tiny, but does Tiny need Will?

The "second" Will Grayson is a guy struggling to live with major depression.  Will lives with his mom, who loves him dearly, but clearly has her own problems as well.  He has few friends, none close, except for an online friend named Isaac.  Isaac and Will talk online every night, and they hope to one day meet.  Finally, Will plans to travel to meet Isaac...

I had a hard time getting into this book, but once I got past the first 50 pages, I loved it.  This is an excellent LGBT book about teens, but it's really just a book about LOVE.  Love between parents and kids, love between friends, love between boys and girls, and love between boys and boys.  What is love?  How do you know you are in love?  What will you do for someone who loves you?  Can you make someone love you?

While this book deals with the painful topic of major depression, both Wills are humorous which keeps this from being a depressing read.  There is a dark tone to it, but the use of music lightens things up periodically. The "first" Will Grayson and his friends are into punk/indie music, and they go to a couple of shows and talk about their favorite songs.  A sub-plot of the book is Tiny's production of his musical, including some lyrics, that are super funny while expressing issues and questions surrounding his sexuality and his desire for love (example: a baseball scene with the song "What's Second Base for a Gay Man?").

I LOVE the honesty of this book.  The "second" Will Grayson eloquently expresses his feelings and frustrations with his life and depression: "it's not fair, because i didn't ask for dad to leave, and i didn't ask to be depressed, and i didn't ask for us to have no money, and i didn't ask to want to f--k boys, and i didn't ask to be so stupid, and i didn't ask to have no real friends, and i didn't ask to have half the s--t that comes out of my mouth come out of my mouth.  all i wanted was one f--king break, one idiotic good thing, and that was clearly too much to ask for, too much to want (p. 148)."  Will feels a great sense of injustice that his life is so hard.  He knows he's hurting people, but he doesn't want to, he's just trying to survive with the life he has been given.  I think he wants space, too, space to be himself even if it bothers other people.  He wants those around him to realize that he's hurting and may hurt them, and to love him anyways.

There's a scene when the "first" Will is giving Tiny the silent treatment that I really found insightful.  "It's not even that I want to torture him anymore.  I'm just reveling in the glory of not having to hear the neediness and impotence of my own voice (p.158)."  If you've ever argued with someone who is more loud, more demanding, and more assertive that you, you might identify with Will here.  I know that I do.  There comes a point when you feel so helpless that you don't even want to try to get your point across, and there's power in NOT speaking, because the other person needs you to say something in order for him or her to shut you down.  Will is sick of his relationship with Tiny, and he wants to stop feeding his own need for Tiny.

Bottom line: GREAT read.  I'd highly recommend it to all high school students as well as anyone who likes diverse romance books or books about friendship.  I can't wait to read other books by Green and Levithan.

I checked this book out of my local library.

MEG CABOT WEEK! Belated Books: Review of When Lightning Strikes and Code Name Cassandra by Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot is skilled at creating story premises.  It's like she goes, "What would happen if...?" and then develops it into a story world.  I mean, I would imagine that's what most authors do, but Meg Cabot's imagination captures what it's like to be a young woman- full of inspiration and tenacity.  I love the pure fun of her books, and her ability to recreate the embarrassing incidents all girls live through with humour and grace.

When Lightning Strikes, Book 1

Code Name Cassandra, Book 2

The 1-800-WHERE-R-YOU series

Meg Cabot (2001)

Originally written under pseudonym Jenny Carroll

Can now be purchased together as Vanished (2010)

I just now read these books because I was afraid that they would be scary.  I know, I'm a wimp, but I seriously have to be careful about thrillers because they scare the dickens out of me.  Needless to say, I found these books to be adventurous and exciting, but not really scary, so that was good!

Basically, Jess is struck by lightning on her way home from school one day, and it gives her the ability to locate missing people.  If she sees a picture of a missing child, the next day she wakes up knowing where the child is.  Cool, right?  Unfortunately, this ability has some scary consequences... Jess finds a child who does not want to be found, and the media and government go crazy for her new ability.  The attention scares her older brother who is struggling with schizophrenia, and Jess has to figure out how to straighten things out before they go out of control!  Plus, there's a super attractive bad boy with a secret past... 

In Book 2, Jess is a counselor at a summer camp, and she is faced with a difficult choice when she is asked to find a missing child...  I can't say more than that without spoiling Book 1!

I've only read the first two books in this series (in the Vanished combo-form), but I'd love to read the others.  Jess is a typical Meg Cabot heroine- she doesn't quite fit in, but she is courageous and willing to do whatever it takes to do what she thinks is right.  There is also an X-Files reference that made me laugh out loud (super awkward when reading in public).  The supporting characters are well developed- I love the presence of the older brother with schizophrenia.  It's important for authors to incorporate characters who incidentally have mental problems.  Real families deal with mental illness, and I love it when books realistically acknowledge this.  

Four stars for fun stories- these would make great beach reads!  I look forward to reading the rest of the series.  PS.  This would make a great Disney channel show (haha)!

Review of Ghellow Road by T.H. Waters

Ghellow Road

T.H. Waters

Verefor Publishing, 2010

290 pages

Summary of Ghellow Road from Goodreads: "Ghellow Road is a literary diary of a young girl's journey through the tangled labyrinth that is her life. Theresa's story begins in a large midwestern city where she is born to loving parents in 1965. For a brief moment in time, her life is full, as is her heart, and the world is hers to receive without consequence. As time passes and Theresa grows, supernatural forces begin to shape her existence, no matter how carefully her father colors the empty spaces of her world. After a series of tragic events, Theresa and her family seek refuge in a small Minnesota town nestled near the shores of Rainy Lake. She creates a new life for herself there, sharing adventures with friends and riding the ups and downs of adolescence. Yet through it all, her mother remains forever lost in the prison of her own mind and forever lost to Theresa. The young girl feels as though she is leading a double life, one that no one else could possibly understand. She begins to peer at the world as if looking through a thick, black veil, never certain which pieces are illusion and which are not. Through the kindness and support of the townspeople, She eventually summons the strength to survive. This is a story of tragedy and triumph. This is the story of my life."

Initially, I was uncertain about reading this book because it is a little bit outside my comfort zone- I generally read to escape, and reading about pain and struggle is too close to the reading that I do for grad school and the harsh realities I see in my classroom.

However, I found myself genuinely enjoying this book- I didn't want to put it down.  T.H. Waters tells her story in an engaging way with smooth transition, natural dialogue, and an excellent balance between detail and action.  Although her childhood was difficult, she recounts it with candor and weaves the joyful times of her life in with the heartbreak.  The truthfulness of this story is what made me enjoy reading it so much- the plot never seemed contrived or cliche.  Some of my favorite scenes include a birthday trip to a go-kart track, getting to know Theresa's grandfather, and an evening serving at a fancy party where a guest insists that Theresa try an oyster.

If I could change anything about this book, I would want to edit it personally.  I'm a little bit nuts about grammar and spelling, and there were a few instances where I wanted to get out my red pen.  (Not that my mechanics are always perfect- I cringe when I reread my finished work and find a flaw!  The other day I almost turned in a paper about "high students" instead of "high school students.")  This is a very minor concern, obviously, and did not interfere with my reading of the book.

I give this book four stars, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys heartwarming stories of perseverance and appreciating the blessings of life.  I look forward to reading more from T.H. Waters!  The book can be purchased on Amazon- check out the website for more information and a sample of the book.

Disclaimer:  I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review of Delirium by Lauren Oliver

I should probably start by saying that I'm still processing this book.  Did I like it?  I'm not sure, but it was definitely a great book.  5 stars for the genre (dystopian) and the intended audience (YA).  I am still not quite over my disgust at the last 50 or so pages of Mockingjay, so reading a dystopic book was a risk!

Delirium is set in a dystopic United States, where basically everything revolves around The Cure, which is an operation performed on adults that removes the ability to love.  Love, or amor deliria nervosa, has been eliminated, and society must protect against its reemergence.  Lena is about to turn 18, and she is eagerly awaiting her procedure, knowing that it will take away all pain and forever protect her from catching the deliria.  However, the last few months before her procedure don't exactly go as planned, and Lena finds herself questioning what she has always taken for granted- the society and its ban on love.  She realizes that the society is right about one thing- love is dangerous and can cause people to feel and do things that they never thought possible.

Like most dystopian books, curiosity about the strange society is enough to make getting started with the book easy, and the second half is absolutely delicious.  The ending, again like most dystopian books, caused me to yell and throw the book across the room.  I also must have jumped or something because I threw my knee out, and it's really sore today... LOL.

5 stars for a solid, exciting read and characters that I can't stop thinking about.  I will definitely read book #2, Pandemonium, which should be out in February 2012.  

Thoughts on Vampire Academy Series

I feel like I owe an explanation for not blogging for a a few days- I've been completely absorbed in the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead.  The last book (Last Sacrifice, #6) just came out, so I decided to follow up to reading the first book over the summer, and I got books 2-6 from the library and read them one after the other.

This series completely defied my expectations!  These books are wonderful- the plot has so many twists and turns that I could sometimes guess, sometimes not.  It's almost a shame that these are vampire books- because they bear that stigma, fewer people will read them.

Even if you think you aren't into vampires, consider reading these books- the characters are so rich that they feel like close friends now.  These books can hold their own, even up against The Mortal Instruments.  I give all of the 5 stars for excellent writing and an amazing love story that is both heart-wrenching and satisfying.

Review- Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Summary from Goodreads:

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew—just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road—diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards—this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

This book was the most unique book that I have read in a long time.  I enjoyed it, could not wait to find out how the story progressed, learned loads about the US (I've never been to the West), and was then able to give the book to my mother to read.  Although this is a YA book, it somewhat transcends that by containing references and themes that are appropriate for more literary fiction.


The extra details such as playlists and photos make the book almost like a children's pop up book- surprise!  There were lots of fun details which made the book interactive.


I also liked that although Amy is an unhappy person recovering from trauma, the author allowed her character to keep up a sarcastic wit that got the reader through the depressing parts.  I would recommend this book to anyone-  5 stars!!

Review- Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy, Bk 1
Richelle Mead
Published in 2007

I AM SO GLAD that I picked up this book!  It's amazing.

Summary from Goodreads:

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . . 

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

What I really liked about this book was that it was incredibly engaging.  The mix of fantasy and reality really made it something that I wanted to read.  Other good points:

1.  The story is told from the POV of Rose, who is kind of Lissa's sidekick.  Although Lissa appears to be the most important person/vampire in the book, it's pretty clear that she can't live without her BFFL Rose.  I was initially disappointed in the POV choice, but by the end I was very happy. There is also a convenient plot device that allows us to see what Lissa is feeling and what happens when Rose is not around.

2.  Dimitri, Rose's new mentor, has to be the most delicious man candy that I've found in a book for awhile.  I'm excited to see what happens to him in the next book.

3.  This book was the first that I have ever read to really deal with depression and self-injury without being graphic and without making it the main point of the book.

This is important because cutting is a super common problem, and it's very different from other disorders.  I actually put a book cover up to the left (Cut by Patricia McCormick) but removed it because it could be a trigger for people with the problem.  Seriously.  Been there, done that.  If you are a cutter, get help.  It's very possible to stop!

Anyways, this book is sensitive and not ridiculous about the issue.  This book did not give me any kind of trigger vibes, so bravo!


4.  There is a surprising double ending, and it's just got an excellent plot and premise.

One negative thing- this might have just been me, but I got confused several times during the book.  There are a lot of minor characters and it is hard to keep them straight.

Sooooo... 5 STARS!  I recommend this book out to everyone.  It's fast, fun, and sexy.  Give it a read.