On the popular book buying website Amazon, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is creating no small amount of buzz. The Fifty Shades Trilogy consists of Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed. The first book, Fifty Shades of Grey, has set the record as the fastest-selling paperback series of all time. Surpassing even the Harry Potter series. So, what’s the big deal about this book? If a book can surpass the Harry Potter series and knock the much-lauded Hunger Games series off of it’s Amazon Bestseller Throne, it must be worth reading, right? Wrong.
The plot follows the relationship between a college student named Anastasia Steele, and a young billionaire named Christian Grey. Anastasia reveals to him that she is a virgin, and has never even had a boyfriend. Grey decides to remedy this situation by agreeing to have sex with Anastasia so that she can become more experienced.
Needless to say, this is certainly not a series that our teens should be reading. So why and how has it become so popular? The answer to that question is simply that this novel is marketed towards young people. In fact, the Fifty Shades Trilogy originated as erotic Fan Fiction of the Twilight Series and was titled Master of the Universe, but administrators of Fan Fiction websites demanded that it be removed due to graphic sexual content. Now, it has been re-released under the name Fifty Shades of Grey a stand-alone trilogy.
Parents, be aware of this series and inform your teens that it is not young adult literature in the vein of The Hunger Games and Twilight. Monitor not only what they watch on television and see on the Internet, but also what they read. Supply them with some good, appropriate books to read. Check out www.compassbookratings.com to view some book reviews by content and get some ideas for appropriate books that your teen might enjoy reading.