Reviews

tldr: not good, don't read unless you're prepared for brain fog

Let it be known, I am by no means a fan of this series. I didn't have a great time with the first book (for reasons), and wasn't interested enough to continue on. I didn't think the first book was irredeamble by any means - the text didn't imply Ana and Christian should be together and didn't romanticize that relationship really, and so, although there were lots of offensive things in this book, the entire point of the book wasn't offensive (as it was not romanticizing toxic ass relationships and not refuting them in the text). And so, it was not good, but I did not reject the premise with every fiber of my being. I still chose not to continue on though... that is, until a year later. The only reason I ended up reading the second is because it was lockdown and I didn't know what else to do with myself, and whatever, the ending of the first book left me with enough questions that I went for it. And fifty shades darker was in fact the worst book I've read in my life. It had the terrible fortune of having the same issues as the first book, but no cohesive plot. Though both books were originally serialized content, the first book had an arc (Ana starts seeing uggo man and realizes he is bad for her and leaves); the second did not. It felt like a collection of events that just kept and kept on dragging. By the time I reached the end of the second book, I had absolutely no interest in reading the third book. Even though darker ended on a form of a cliffhanger as well (not a good one), I had zero interest. And then we eventually make it to four years later. A part of me always felt weird about not just finishing the series, since I was so close. And a part of me thought that this one would be better, since my understanding was there was some semblance of arc/plot (and I was correct to a degree... we'll get there). And it had been long enough since I'd read a bad book (and let's face it it's fun reading a bad book sometimes). And when I read Funny Story by Emily Henry (<3) and Christian Grey was mentioned, I said fuck it. As well all know im a masochist (never beating the allegations).... soooo here we are. Regretting everything and trying to stay sane.

So let's start small, with complaints that I had with the previous books, that thankfully also made it into this book! The writing is.... not good (I do not feel the need to elaborate). The real issue though is, why am I reading this book? The writing isn't good, and in general the plot isn't good/cohesive as well (one of the effects of this being serialized fiction), and even the smut isn't good (in part due to the constant use of the inner goddess/subconscious though that doesn't always happen during the smut anyway). And then there also isn't any great character work, or thematic content, and the book isn't trying to say anything. And it's fine if a book doesn't have all this. But it needs to have something here. And this series as a whole does not. What it does do is... romanticize toxic men/relationships. Christian is a big red flag and the issue is that so many of his toxic actions/attributes are validated as positive things by the text. There's also the sexism that's pervasive in this series (not to be a bitch but not every woman ever is flirting with your man especially considering how frosty his personality is). And yeah just like overall weirdness with anyone/any mention of non straight cis white characters (and woman who are not Ana or Kate or related to Christian). And yes, all of these issues stay around for the third book.

But let's actually dive into the third book (to the best of my ability). So the book starts with Christian being controlling on their honeymoon and not explaining anything to Ana. They didn't get a prenup also (Christian was very insistent they didn't). Someone does arson in Christian's somewhere (lmao). They then proceed to use handcuffs for the first time ever (which is actually pretty wild but yeah it's true) and Christian leaves her bruised up and Ana does not like all the hickeys. And she gets upset with him about it, and then when he starts to feel bad about how bruised up she is, she has to comfort him and be like "actually I didn't care" (you may start to notice a pattern soon). Then they get back and Ana's first day of work consists of Christian getting mad at her because her email is still "Anastasia Steele" instead of the last name Grey. Again, it's the first day back at work since they've gotten married... maybe IT just needs a second? Or maybe it's not that big of a deal if she keeps her work email the same to make it easier? And yeah that's just it, Ana wants to keep her Grey last name separate from work because Christian bought her company and doesn't want like special treatment or whatever (even though she obviously gets it). Christian really throws a fit here and is pissed... And then he reveals his one year plan - to change the name of Ana's company to "Grey publishing" and have Ana be the CEO. Has she ever expressed any interest in being a CEO? No! She actually really enjoys her current role as an editor. But Christian convinces her maybe she would want to one day. To Ana's shock, they somehow resolve this argument without sex (actually pretty crazy for them tbh). Then Ana cuts Christian's hair because she doesn't want him seeing the "bitch troll" aka the woman who molested Chrsitian (honestly fair but also it feels like there are other places you can get your haircut). They then keep saying they want to fuck each other "seven shades of Sunday" (you may wonder what this means, as I did. And I have no answers for you a googled search revealed nothing). They also have a car chase (I don't think we ever learn who was chasing them actually) and then the proceed to have sex in the car in a pubic parking lot. Then Ana and Kate (Ana's one friend) go out for drinks while Christian is out of town and on the way Christian tells Ana no and she says ok they'll have drinks at the apartment and then Kate convinces Ana to go out instead so they go out for a few drinks with like two teams of security. While this happens Jack Hyde (Ana's old boss who attempted to SA her) breaks into their apartment attempting to kidnap Ana. Christian is FURIOUS that Ana disobeyed him by... going out for drinks with a shitload of security... which turned out to be the safer location anyway. He was so pissed he flew back from his important work stuff immediately so he was there very soon after the break in. And he's so mad that he says no to having sex with Ana *gasp* and Ana is upset :/ Then later they go to the bdsm playroom and Christian does orgasm denial for Ana until she eventually uses her safe word (first time ever I think) (tbh fair he was being a lot) and then he gets really upset and sad she used her safe word and... somehow things get resolved because Ana forgives him when she shouldn't. Then Christian decides to fly her to Aspen except... surprise! He invited all of her friends. What this really points out is that Ana in fact does not have many friends. The friends consist of Kate and Edward's siblings. So although that was honestly kind of sweet (since Ana was upset she hadn't seen her friends that much), it just reminds you that girly literally doesn't even have friends. Christian also btw is super insecure that Ana doesn't love him and she constantly has to reassure him she does and Ana is super worried that Christian is gonna die because of the arson that happened at the beginning of the book. Then in Aspen some homophobic comments are made since Christian's brother is probably bisexual and then Kate and that brother get engaged and then they're out and Christian punches a man who hits on Ana and Christian for once in his life is mad at someone other than Ana (you think I said that to be funny but no - I'm actually paraphrasing Christian here he admits it). Then of course every woman they interact with (ex: the designer for their house) flirts incessantly with Christian, but Ana realizes Christian doesn't actually like all the flirting so she stands up for her man and puts those woman in place. Then Ana's dad Ray is in an accident and there's some shenanigans there. Then... Ana is pregnant. Because for some reason her assistant kept rescheduling her doctors appointments without telling her (Ana is on the shot) and it had been too long since her last one. Why someone would just move like doctors appointments like that? I do not understand that made me so mad. But yeah Ana actually isn't too sure about being pregnant she knows Christian will be upset (because he's talked about not wanting them yet) and also because she's worried Christian will stop loving her when she gets fat :) She tells him... and he gets so fucking mad dude. He calls her stupid, and is upset with her, even though she also doesn't really want this baby - sorry, Little Blip - either. The Christian leaves without talking with her and gets drunk with Mrs Robinson the bitch troll, and Ana is upset (as she should be) and like tucks him in bed and goes to sleep somewhere else in their large penthouse and their fight remains unresolved and they're both so mad at each other. So then Ana goes to work and gets a call from Mia - except its actually Jack Hyde and he kidnapped Mia and he wants 5 million dollars. I forgot to mention Jack was originally arrested after attempting to kidnap Ana but someone posted bail... Why was he allowed bail? Because he convinced them that Ana actually assaulted him and he's the victim. He still fully tried to kidnap her... not sure how they explained that but *shrug*. So Ana goes to the bank with a suitcase to get the money and they call Christian (why I don't fully understand) and Ana and Christian talk and Chrsitian thinks Ana is leaving him (and tbh she should) and Ana lets him think that because Jack said he'd kill Mia is Ana told anyone. So Ana goes to jump into a car behind the bank to do the drop (and the driver is... someone... I think she used to work with Ana?). And then idk Jack is there and starts beating the shit out of Ana except Ana brought a gun and shot him and Christian shows up and then Ana ends up in the hospital. Don't worry, Little Blip survives. Christian and Ray then joke about wanting to spank Ana for being stupid. And... idk everything is fine and they decide to keep the baby. It turns out Jack Hyde was in the same like group home as Christian and he was pissed that Christian was adopted by a rich family? And then the person who posted jail for him was the bitch troll's husband? For some reason.. idk basically everyone conspired against Christian but they are all behind bars now. Then in the epilogue Blip Two is introduced and apparently she already likes sex even though she's only a fetus. And that's the book. Hopefully this summary with some sassy remarks is enough to explain why the plot is stupid here. But hey - at least there is a plot (I'm looking at you Fifty Shades Darker).

I do want a brief interlude for things that actively triggered me in this book (making the reading experience significantly worse for me). So there's the subtle homophobia (around Christian's brother). And then the active fatphobia/unrelenting weird discussion around Ana's weight/eating. Then there's so many elements around the toxic relationship and Christian overall. I think this quote sums it up well - "I can behave so badly, and yet you're still here". As a girl who has been there done that... Ana please leave. Then there was Christian's ridiculous need for control (apparently therapy doesn't work on him. being with Ana helped him more). Then there was when the doctor said "Oh well, that happens sometimes" in response to someone on birth control getting pregnant. And then there was Christian's refusal to tell Ana any important information that would probably be good for her to know. I'm sure there were more things that I'm forgetting but...

I wanted to include a favorite quotes section but it feels like too much work for me at the moment... Maybe later I'll come back and edit this.

But now, for some positive things about this reading experience. I did learn some new words (ex: wanton). There were also a select few quotes that were just funny and not at all disturbing and I got a good laugh out of those. And honestly, this book made me thankful that I'm aroace and am unlikely to be in a relationship to begin with (let alone a toxic one). Its not often that I have positive feelings around it so... take your wins where you can.

In conclusion, I would not recommend. Please someone do not let me convince myself to read Grey in a few years.

breezy610's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

this one was okay. it wasn't my favorite in the series. it was nice of her to give Ana and Christan a happy ending.

tina_booklover's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Last but not least, is here the final book of the Shades of Grey Trilogy.
So I didn't know what to expect of this book, because I've already read it twice but couldn't remeber much. And I have to say, even after reading it for the third time, I still don't know what happened on the first hundred pages. I exactly can remember what i thought of it the first time I read it and my opinion hand't changed. And I have to be brutally honest: the first half of the book is somewhat boring.

But after the boring part, there comes the real deal. It's just as much action, if not more, than in the second book. And after every chapter you've read you want to read more and more and you just can't lay the book aside for one minute.

So even if there are boring parts in this book, you have to read it to accomplish the whole "Shades of Grey"-Feeling and let's be honest: everyone wants to know if Ana and Christian get a happy ending.

I'm already excited to read the first book from Christians point of view, so wish me luck!

kait_kosub's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Honestly I liked this one. This is the best one in the series for me! I actually felt the passion and love between Ana and Christian! Ana also became a stronger character in this one for me! I found I could connect more and wasn't bored during their sex scenes. I loved reading about them fighting for each other and then them finally getting the fairytale ending they deserved.

annka's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

frances_the_red's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

well... there was a tiny bit of plot this time, at least.
I deeply regret reading the series. I could have read good literature in that time.

roxnn2000's review against another edition

Go to review page

1.0

What can I really say about this book or the series in general? Mostly that it was okay, but I can't understand all the hype about it.

I liked Christian from the start and as the series went on I still liked him. Ana I liked as well at the beginning but as I time went on I didn't like her, mostly because I feel she is a poor character.

Don't get me wrong, the storyline arc across all three books is interesting and there were times when I actually laughed out loud at parts and was interested, but there were also times when I was just flat out frustrated with Ana and Christian.

Ana, to me, went back and forth from being a college graduate adult to a naive teenager still learning about the world. There were times when she would do something she would know would make Christian made and then be surprised and worried when he was mad.

Christian was similar to this as well, but with his background it is understandable that he would act this way at times. However, the fact that he keeps secrets from his wife when it directly concerns her bothers me.

There was also the way the two of them were together. It was like their whole relationship revolved around nothing but sex rather than emotions. While, normally, I don't mind reading sex scenes in stories, in this series, and this book particularly for some reason, it seems like at least 70% of the book is nothing but sex scenes. There are times when going into the details is fine, but others when you can skip it and this book just kept going into it. In fact, almost every argument between Ana and Christian was solved with sex, which is not how most relationships actually work.

I also felt like the relationship in this whole series moved way too fast. Elliot and Kate had more time getting to know each other than Christian and Ana before he proposed and they actually had a longer engagement as well. While I like Ana and Christian as a couple and everything, I think that it would have been more interesting had they not been married and instead just engaged for most, if not all, of the third book.

Overall, I liked the series but I don't plan on reading it all again. The first two books grabbed me at the start but the third just seemed to drag on and I had to force myself to sit and finish it. Again, not seeing what all the hype was about, but overall I liked it okay.

faeonyx's review against another edition

Go to review page

1.0

The third book in the Fifty Shades trilogy seems to have had a much heavier hand editing it than the other two did. The pacing was much better and that made the book a lot easier to read. The story was also a little more interesting, even if it was overblown with drama. A lot of stuff happened in the third book and there were a lot of branching, disconnected stories that didn't get enough face time to be truly developed. It honestly might have been better as a series of novellas or even if it was split up even further into more books (though I can't imagine there being more than three). It's not hard to follow by any means, but it is jarring in certain places because of the amount of drama the author felt necessary to press into such a small space/amount of time.

The bdsm elements weren't as glaringly incorrect in this book, but I am pretty sure that's just because there are honestly so few of them now because Ana has put a stop to a lot of what Christian was doing so incredibly wrong. Their relationship as a whole, however, is extremely childish. Christian is, yes, very abusive and selfish, and Anastasia responds the way a teenage girl might, instead of someone fresh out of college. Instead of talking things through, they scream at each other or ignore each other until something dramatic happens and they get to cry and promise each other it will never happen again. Ew.

Anastasia has her own problems with reacting in an extremely childish manner, but Christian's abuse is the really disturbing element in the story. There are massive arguments on the internet about his behavior, and there are thousands of people every day defending him. "Well, if you read the books you'll understand what motivates that." No. His troubled past doesn't make his abuse okay, and it becomes even clearer throughout the third book that he is a scary, controlling, jealous abuser. His reactions to Anastasia's actions do not constitute anything about the safe, sane, consensual code that thrives within bdsm relationships. His reactions are straight out abuse, and there is no other way to argue it.

Whenever Anastasia does something he doesn't approve of, he dramatically flies cross country to chastise her. Whenever Anastasia speaks out of turn or says something he doesn't like, he shuts down and she is forced to modify her behavior to please him again. It is worth pointing out that there is no contract at this point and they are not operating under discussed and agreed-upon terms of a bdsm relationship. This is flat out abuse. Christian manipulates and bullies Anastasia into acting how he wants throughout the entire story, but it is especially bad after they get married.

He bullies her into changing her name at work, which was something she did not want to do. He came to her place of work, barged into her office, and demanded her attention when he didn't get his way. When Anastasia changes her mind and decides to go out with her friend instead of staying in, he flies all the way back across the country to chastise her. When she tells him she is pregnant, he freaks out and screams at her, calls her stupid, and then accuses her of doing it on purpose. Following that outburst, he leaves to see the ONE woman that Anastasia has requested he not see (which is a problem in its own right). Following all of this, in every one of these instances, Christian apologizes, and then places the blame squarely on Ana for not acting the way he wants her to. Classic signs of emotional abuse.

In addition to the problems with the characterization, the plot takes an insane turn in this book. There are so many different story lines that I am honestly not sure which story was trying to be told here. The drama is so overblown that all the threads detract from the other story threads and it just creates unbelievable chaos. It was more interesting, but it wasn't necessary at all, and coupled with Christian's behavior, it just made the entire thing worse.

The characters were also not allowed to speak for themselves or develop outside of what they were destined to be. As fanfiction. Christian and Ana had to fit certain roles and fall into certain characterizations. Unfortunately, this means that as novels there are times when there seems to be an interesting character development that gets shut down immediately because it's not something Edward or Bella would do. The editing there could have been better to allow the characters to break free from their fanfiction forms, and I do think that would have made the books better by a large margin. The development is never there because there was a formula to follow. Had the characters spoken for themselves, they might have taken the story in a more interesting direction.

Decent as fanfiction, but terrible as a series of novels. The problems in these books are just too large to garner any true appreciation from me.

More...