The Fifty Shades trilogy just gets better and better.
At the end of Fifty Shades of Grey we are left reeling after Ana decides she can't give Christian exactly what he wants and leaves him.
I am sure I'm not the alone when I sat there crying and eagerly wanting to read the second book to see if our young lovers got back together.
Only a handful of pages in it is evident neither can live without one another and so the story begins of the two entering a long romantic journey on getting back together and vowing to find more out about each other. Of course though, Christian knows all he needs about Ana so in stead we begin to find out just how dark his past really was.
Early on a few more characters are thrown in just to make the story more interesting. Leila, one of Christians ex submissives decides to hunt Ana down and find a way back to Christian again. Leila wants to know how Ana has managed to hold on to Christian and why he will do anything to keep her safe. Elena (or better known as Mrs Robinson" also is after Ana to try and warn her off Christian, whilst Jack, Ana's new boss flirts continually and as time goes on gets darker and darker.
Through initial heartache Ana is able to realise and see clearly now what she wants needs from Christian. Once she is reunited with him (and they spend the night making up for a lost weekend) she communicates more by telling him exactly what she feels and what is on her mind. In stead of feeling scared to challenge Grey she goes ahead and finds he actually becomes turned on by it!
Grey also becomes a stronger man by simply falling in love - Who would have thought it eh? Slowly Ana brings him out of the dark place he has lived for so many years now and in stead of self-loathing place he was in realises he is worthy of love.
As I read through the book I became agitated at comments from various individuals telling me it was a "sick book" that had "sick individuals" in.
I will reiterate that if you pull back the constant sex and sexual references you find a well written, enjoyable piece of English literature that is simply a fine example of a love story. Yes our very own Christian Grey doesn't compare to Mr Rochester and his charming mannerism but Jayne Eyre was published in 1847; times have changed and society needs to accept that with time English literature will change.
It is evident from early on that we are in fact reading a love story. It is overwhelming to see the compromises both Ana and Christian are prepared to make in order for their new relationship to work. Of course we are treated to the graphic sexual scenes again but E.L. James ensures she goes further and deeper (excuse the use of words there) to reveal two individuals hopelessly in love and willing to help each other in learning exactly who they really are.
The sex scenes in this book do more than provide us with entertainment but also reveal a lot about Ana and Christian. Within the book Ana finds her inner courage and admits to not only her self but also Christian that she actually enjoys some of the stuff he does to her. Christian also realises he is also discovering a completely new side to himself. Whilst he has always taken great sexual pleasure in harming and hurting women during sex, he cannot bear the thought of Ana being in pain and vows never to take her into the Red Room again.
“Whoa. I'v never heard him sing, not even in the shower, ever. I frown. He has a lovely voice- of course. Hmm...has he heard me sing?
HE WOULDN'T BE ASKING TO MARRY YOU IF HE HAD! My subconscious has her arms crossed and is wearing Burberry check..jeez.”
As with the first book we are given the chance to learn of what Ana's subconscious thinks throughout the whole relationship. Through this we are able to see what Ana is really feeling and learn a lot more about her. Through the tense, bum on edge of seat, moments it is Ana's subconscious that makes you laugh out loud and makes light hardheartedness of the strange situations we find the characters in. E.L.James clearly gave these books much thought and this is just another fine example of the fantastic extras we receive.
Again the email exchanges between the two are also a nice added extra but in stead with Ana revealing her thoughts through these we actually see the two interacting face-to-face rather than hiding behind a computer screen.
The further into the book you get it is clear Grey is a fragile human being who deep down wants to be loved. Despite needing to control every area of his life when he met Ana it all went out the window.
“You're my lifeline," he whispers, and he kisses my knuckles before pressing my palm against his.”
Fifty Shades Darker takes us through a journey that explores Christian's awful childhood and piece by piece we begin to understand why he behaves in such a way.
If the characters weren't believable in the first installment of this trilogy then they certainly are in the second.
Throughout we see Jack, Ana's boss, wanting Ana for himself and flirting endlessly with her. As a way of controlling what Jack does Christian buys his company and sacks Jack for coming on to Ana. If you look past the control Christian once yearned to have, you meet a man simply protecting something he loves and never realised he could.
“I cannot be with someone who takes pleasure in inflicting pain on me, someone who can’t love me.”
Despite silly, meaningless arguments the pair grow closer and closer and the sexual tension and overwhelming feeling of love almost jumps out from the page at you as you read along. Again I found myself on the edge of my seat anticipating what was to come next. I have never read such a book with so much tension.
E.L.James certainly knows how to make you want more as you turn each page.
We are told often by Grey that he does not deserve to be loved and we are led to believe no one has ever loved him before. Soon enough though when Christian's helicopter Charlie Tango goes missing we learn that despite feeling otherwise, Grey is surrounded by unconditional love by his entire family. Upon his return Ana manages to make him realises this and almost instantly we see a different man.
“Don’t leave me,” he whispers.
“Oh, for crying out loud—no! I am not going to go!” I shout and it’s cathartic. There, I’ve said it. I am not leaving.
“Really?” His eyes widen.
“What can I do to make you understand I will not run? What can I say?”
He gazes at me, revealing his fear and anguish again. He swallows. “There is one thing you can do.”
“What?” I snap.
“Marry me,” he whispers.”
As expected a marriage proposal from Christian comes as no surprise. In fact I had been expecting it as soon as I opened this book. Despite each page feeling like a life time barely any time has passed and friends of the couple question whether or not their love is real. However they soon learn otherwise and give their blessing to the young duo.
I didn't doubt for a second that they would live happily ever after in Fifty Shades Freed and I cannot wait to start reading it. Many of you are probably by now asking "What happened to Jack once Christian sacked him?" At the end of Fifty Shades Darker we are given a passage that can only be about Jack and once more the anticipation of whats to come surfaces.
In a nutshell this book shows how two young lovers go through a journey together to unleash the horrific past one has been through. Christian picks up the pieces of his broken soul and commences on a journey with the one woman who despite everything does love him unconditionally.
Fifty Shades Darker may be described as a twisted book including two people that seem sex mad but despite it all you cannot disagree that this is a love story nonetheless.
“Your touch completely, it just means more...so much more.”
Definitely worth 5/5.
**Book 3 review coming soon**
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