TBR Challenge 2012: Personal Challennge

Shades of Gray by Brooke McKinley

TBR Challenge 2012: Personal Challenge-- This book has been on my TBR list since June 2011.

4.5*
Grade A

Shades of Gray is a well written book with great characters. I was drawn into the story from the first page. During the book, I found I was continually made to rethink preconceived ideas about what makes a person "good" or "bad." Both main characters, Danny and Miller, grow and change throughout the novel, overcoming, backsliding, and then moving ahead again. At first I thought of Miller as the "good guy" and Danny as the broken one, but as the story progresses I saw the flaws within Miller and the goodness within Danny.

The writing is tight, with no useless characters or information. McKinley does a masterful job of character development, but also with the action plot and the sexual tension. Even though the world of drug dealers and FBI agents is almost totally foreign to me, the character development felt real, and very believable. That doesn't mean every aspect of the story was believable, but overall the message and the people were real.

There is resolution, but not a neatly tied up ribbons-and-rainbows ending for everyone. That, too, makes it feel more realistic. Recommended.