Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was A LOT of work, but I knew as I was reading it that it would be worth it, and it was . I am now hooked 9as usual with Japser Fforde books) and will anxiously await the next....
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
I do like a nice dystopia and as you'd expect from Jasper fforde it is an entertaining read. More though provoking than his usual work but not a very light touch with the social manipulation stuff. Overall I enjoyed it but I wanted to know more about the backstory and the various other details, apocryphal people societal cleansing etc and less of the slightly clunky protoromance of Edward and Jane.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Shades of Grey (not to be confused with Fifty, haha!) is one of the quirkiest, most genre-defying, mind-bending, and absurdly delightful books I’ve ever read. Imagine a dystopian society where your social class—and even your marriage prospects—are determined by what colors you can see. One of the many ridiculous rules? Complementary colors are forbidden to marry.
Unlike anything I’ve read before, the novel devotes about 90% of its pages to building a wacky, whimsical world and the remaining 10% to unraveling a compelling mystery filled with strange deaths, suppressed knowledge, and a slow-burn rebellion. I kept turning pages out of sheer curiosity—eager to understand how this bizarre society functions and what would become of Eddie Russet (a boy who sees red) as his place in the system becomes increasingly precarious.
Eddie’s father is a swatchman, a doctor who uses color to heal—because in this world, hues have medical effects. Certain shades can restore health, induce hallucinations, or even kill. The worldbuilding is wildly inventive, from forbidden technology and deFacting of books to intricate systems of merit, courtship, and class.
Jasper Fforde’s writing is dense but rewarding—brimming with eccentric details, dry wit, and laugh-out-loud moments. His imagination is second to none. I especially loved his clever nods to our own pop culture, like the Parker Brothers Map of the World (which turns out to be the Risk game board).
Though I wasn’t deeply emotionally connected to most characters, I was thoroughly intellectually engaged. Fforde explores themes of morality, conformity, and the cost of challenging a broken system.
The central mystery of “The Something That Happened” remains unresolved, and the ending left me with more questions than answers—but also with a strong desire to continue the series and see what happens to Eddie, Jane, Violet, Tommo, Lucy, and the rest.
If you’re looking for something wildly original, hilariously strange, and unexpectedly thought-provoking, Shades of Grey deserves a spot on your TBR pile.
Unlike anything I’ve read before, the novel devotes about 90% of its pages to building a wacky, whimsical world and the remaining 10% to unraveling a compelling mystery filled with strange deaths, suppressed knowledge, and a slow-burn rebellion. I kept turning pages out of sheer curiosity—eager to understand how this bizarre society functions and what would become of Eddie Russet (a boy who sees red) as his place in the system becomes increasingly precarious.
Eddie’s father is a swatchman, a doctor who uses color to heal—because in this world, hues have medical effects. Certain shades can restore health, induce hallucinations, or even kill. The worldbuilding is wildly inventive, from forbidden technology and deFacting of books to intricate systems of merit, courtship, and class.
Jasper Fforde’s writing is dense but rewarding—brimming with eccentric details, dry wit, and laugh-out-loud moments. His imagination is second to none. I especially loved his clever nods to our own pop culture, like the Parker Brothers Map of the World (which turns out to be the Risk game board).
Though I wasn’t deeply emotionally connected to most characters, I was thoroughly intellectually engaged. Fforde explores themes of morality, conformity, and the cost of challenging a broken system.
The central mystery of “The Something That Happened” remains unresolved, and the ending left me with more questions than answers—but also with a strong desire to continue the series and see what happens to Eddie, Jane, Violet, Tommo, Lucy, and the rest.
If you’re looking for something wildly original, hilariously strange, and unexpectedly thought-provoking, Shades of Grey deserves a spot on your TBR pile.
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
An amazingly imaginative world.
Weird, wonderful, and incredibly original. Really struggled with the concept at the start, as Fforde truly does throw you in the deep end in his very complex and intricate world, and initially it was slow going as I truly tried my hardest to get my head round it all. But once I learned to simply surrender to where the story was taking me, and not worry too much about the intricacies, this became a very fun book indeed. I'm convinced I have probably misunderstood like 30% of the book, but the vibes I got from the writing style felt like it's sort of supposed to be weird and confusing and not taken too seriously at all. Some aspects are simply never elaborated on at all (swan attacks? I STILL need to know more!) and they almost become a humorous trope by the end of the book. I enjoyed it, and will be giving the rest of the series a go!
Fine. Fun concept, great satire. Far too slow, and thus, far too long. Once it finally gets going, there's not enough pages left in the book to satisfy it.
Might pick up the sequel in the future. Although, it makes you wonder if part of the reason for the delay in the sequel coming out was another series by a very similar name.
Might pick up the sequel in the future. Although, it makes you wonder if part of the reason for the delay in the sequel coming out was another series by a very similar name.
Just the type of the book I have to really be in the mood for and I'm not in the mood for it and it's very long!