Young Love

Whilst reading the Fifty Shades trilogy, a few of my friends were consistently recommending books from their collection that they thought I would enjoy, and I had promised that as soon as I had finished I would get straight to it and the first one handed to me was;

 ‘Eleanor and Park’ by Rainbow Rowell

This book juggles between the viewpoints of a 16 year old boy (Park) and a 16 year old girl (Eleanor,) who go to school together but come from very differing backgrounds. Whilst struggling with school, family circumstances, bullies and the likes, these 2 young adults begin to venture into the world of the unknown to them… a world of a relationship. With the insecurity of whether you could call her your girlfriend, or getting used to the emotions that come with touch….not just any touch… THEIR touch they show what it’s like to be young and in love for the first time.

This was a wonderfully heart-warming book for me to read as I was 16 when I first delved into the realms of relationship, whilst I wasn’t ‘asked out’ until I had just turned 17, I met him when I was 16 and those emotions and feelings from the book are still so clear in my own memory. When they tell you they like you for the first time, and then the way your heart stops for a moment as they tell you they LOVE you for the first time, that saying never gets old. How when they hold your hand, you know it’s them even if you hadn’t seen them take it because you know the feeling you get when they hold your hand…innocent raw emotions, and this book was written so simply yet it came across so powerfully. The quiet reflection you get with yourself when you put the book down doesn’t consist of the love story of the 2 characters you’ve gotten to know so well, but it consists of paralleling the feelings those characters got to the ones you experienced and it sends you back in reminiscing.

Whist it is one of those books that leaves you with such a frustrating ending wondering what happens next, I don’t want to read a follow on because you just get that warm feeling that you already know where they are heading, you put the pieces together in our brain and there’s a content feeling knowing that they are both happy. Wherever they are, however the story continued, they are both happy.

 I truly fell in love with this book, it’s timeless. 

Three In One

Apologies for the massive break from writing, I have been reading a trilogy and it took a little longer than anticipated as school, drama exam, work and social life truly got in the way.

In keeping with trying new things out, and being at an age to ‘understand’ let’s say, the fifty shades trilogy was recommended to me.

Fifty shades of Grey

Fifty shades Darker

Fifty shades Freed – EL James

Admittedly, with the first book I was intrigued, not by the vast detail into particular scenes, but by the story. A story which showed the development of a highly controlling dominant man when faced with a head strong independent woman, it certainly left me with mixed feelings. To begin with I despised Christian, I had such a strong loathing for this man who teased with Anastasia’s emotions flitting between letting her believe she stood a chance and then becoming completely untouchable to her…however as he began to open up and let her in….or should I say she let him in….I began to understand the reasons for his crazy unruly behaviour. Whilst his behaviour was justified, I still didn’t agree with his controlling and possessive nature, though Anastasia’s vulnerability towards this man and her inability to steer clear of him didn’t help at all.

Throughout the second book, I became more intrigued and the story was spiced up well with one of Christians ex’s blurring the picture, though with the relationship picture blurred, Anastasia became all too clear of her feelings towards the man and her want to help him and lead him to a better place. I’d say this novel, whilst renowned for its sexual nature, could also be taken for a feminist book striving to show that women can take hold and take charge with a relationship and the way its headed. This man was trying to control her but she effectively managed to keep the reigns with the relationship and drove them steadily towards a happy medium.

‘Behind every successful man is a woman at home.’

Anastasia Steele was the success for Mr Christian Grey, stealing him away from his old habits and showing him the direction for something better, something long lasting, love and hope and a knowledge that he has someone who understands and won’t ever leave his side. I suppose the knowledge that you have someone who is there for you no matter what you say and knowing that whatever you dig up from your past that person won’t judge or run is vital in any relationship. EL James subtly showed these foundations for a relationship in a powerful manner, for me at least anyway.

The third book lost my interest rather quickly and the erotic scenes were already getting old, I didn’t want to hear another fancy word or phrase for orgasm, I didn’t want to know the various places they wanted to or indeed did have intercourse, which drove my interest away quickly. It was a very patchy book that didn’t have a flow to it, it was too easy to put down and say 'I’ll pick it up later' and in my opinion they could have finished the second book with a few extra chapters, however as I approached the final 25 pages of the book I was pleasantly surprised. I really didn’t want to put it down at all! As Christian became far more in touch with his rational self and his trying harder to ease up on Anastasia with his controlling and dominant ways, love really did start to seep through. As they started a family of their own and the childish flirting really did make my heart warm as certain lines made me think of my own relationship and how they hold you in times of want and how you’d happily hold them, that even when you fight you want it resolved but you don’t hate them, there is never a bone in your body that hates them but you hate what they may have done or what you have done to make them angry at you, and even upon seeing a tie on the floor from where they may have been in to see you sleeping away from them in anger, they still care enough to check you are sleeping well. The third book showed more of the early stages of any relationship and signs of unconditional love and fun heart-warming flirtatiousness between the married couple;

‘I kiss him, then the corner of his mouth. After a beat, he points to the other corner, and I smile and kiss it. He points to his nose. I kiss that. He grins and places his hands on my backside.’

 Do excuse me for going too deep with this one :P