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A review by bookook
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A fun and funny read. Poor Eddie Russett has had a very busy and confusing four days. He's a hapless and charming protagonist, and I think the best parts of the book are when he's realizing how weird his world is and how many mysteries are out there. His society has lost a lot of knowledge and most of their history - it's funny when Eddie talks about concepts whose meanings have been lost to time, like "Chuck Nauris" and "M'Donna," but sad when he and others wonder what arcs in a long-exposure photo are.
The world is interesting, if thinly built. In this world, most people can only see one color naturally (Eddie can only see red), I suppose excepting black, white, and gray. I found the world and rules more interesting than all the characters and their relationships. We're supposed to root for Eddie and surly Jane, but I generally dislike the trope of "person A falls in love with person B who's very mean to them." Have some self-respect, man.
The book owes a lot to The Giver. A dystopiann society where seeing color is a rare/restricted ability, and only a very small group of people know what actually happened in the past...
Overall, this was a fun read. I enjoyed it, but not quite enough to read the sequel.
The world is interesting, if thinly built. In this world, most people can only see one color naturally (Eddie can only see red), I suppose excepting black, white, and gray. I found the world and rules more interesting than all the characters and their relationships. We're supposed to root for Eddie and surly Jane, but I generally dislike the trope of "person A falls in love with person B who's very mean to them." Have some self-respect, man.
The book owes a lot to The Giver. A dystopiann society where seeing color is a rare/restricted ability, and only a very small group of people know what actually happened in the past...
Overall, this was a fun read. I enjoyed it, but not quite enough to read the sequel.