Juliette Society (Juliette Society, #2)

by Sasha Grey

[Leah]

When I heard about The Juliette Society by Sasha Grey, I was torn. I don’t read novels that fall under the 50 Shades genre. They’re not Chick Lit novels, they don’t appeal to me in the slightest. I keep being sent them and I wish publishers would realise that just because I run a Chick Lit website, it doesn’t mean I want to read 50 Shades or it’s numerous, numerous counter-parts (so many counter-parts that it’s bordering on excessive). I keep hoping the genre will die quietly, but so far it hasn’t, but it’s not a genre I’ll ever read; it doesn’t work for me. But I read a preview of The Juliette Society and I was very intrigued. So, I said yes to reviewing it and I’m glad I did because it’s not yet another version of 50 Shades of Grey, instead it’s more of a thriller set in the 50 Shades-universe (which is a shame, actually, as it’d have worked just as well set in any other universe).

You don’t want to read about how I’d describe The Juliette Society when the synopsis above does it sufficiently that I could never, ever write it better. It’s those first few sentences above that made me want to read The Juliette Society – along with the intriguing title, and beautiful turquiose cover which is so simple and beautiful. It didn’t take me very long at all to read the novel as it’s not particularly long, but there’s a lot going on. Grey is obviously a very clever person and the writing is fantastic, her take on life and sex and everything in between is fascinating to read and Catherine was a very complex character (sometimes, perhaps bordering on too complex, as at times my poor brain struggled to remember everything that was occurring in the novel).

For the most part, I really enjoyed The Juliette Society. Not my normal fayre, no, but enjoyable. Definitely complex, massively, massively complex and you need to be paying attention while you read to make sure you remember who everyone is. Grey states in the novel – repeatedly – that plot is subservient to character, always. But I found in the novel that it was the other way around. I felt the plot drove this novel, not Catherine. Catherine narrated the novel, yes, but her name is only mentioned a handful of times, and it’s a good job I caught it otherwise she’d have been nameless and faceless. The books driving force was The Juliette Society, of which there wasn’t as much information as I’d have liked – Catherine tells us we need to start at the beginning to find how she got to be part of this secret inner circle, but when we do eventually get to the inner circle, the novel is over soon after. It was a very open ending, not something I usually get on board with, but it works for this novel. The Juliette Society was a very interesting read, and if Grey writes a second novel, I’ll be reading it because she is a fascinating writer.