Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde - 4 Stars

[Sue]

In spite of the title, this is as far away from 50 Shades of Gray as a book can get!

This book crosses over Dystopian and Science Fiction, and is clearly social commentary.

In a world similar to ours (it appears to take place in Great Britain) people are stratified by their ability to perceive color. The whole society is based on what colors you can perceive and by what degree.

The main character is a young man who has been sent to the outer "fringes" to learn humility. He's a newcomer in a village where he makes a lot of waves.

I enjoyed reading this book. Lots of dry humor, and it appears to be a setup for additional sequels.

[Hayjay315]

Thanks for the review Sue! I'm also reading this book for the tag and even though I'm only 30% in have been impressed with the world the author has created.

[Book Concierge]

I don't now if Fforde has abandoned this series ... it's been nine years since this book was published, and I don't think it's Fforde himself who has posted the "titles" of two other books in this series. But who knows ....

[Sue]

Hayjay315 wrote: "Thanks for the review Sue! I'm also reading this book for the tag and even though I'm only 30% in have been impressed with the world the author has created."

Thanks for the update - I didn't notice the publishing date on the book. I'll be a little sad if he doesn't have a follow up!

[KateNZ]

He says he’s finally doing #2. Fingers crossed. This book is way too good not to have more in the series!

[Sara]

I was so excited for follow-up books in this series as I read it when it first came out and eventually gave up on the sequels. I'll be beyond thrilled if they every actually happen, but I'm not holding my breath.