The long-awaited sequel to Shades of Grey is a witty, satirical story of love and survival full of man-eating trees and snarky prefects.

A worthy follow-up to Shades of Grey (though a decade overdue). Greta to revisit this world and the characters. Please don’t make me wait another decade to read more.

Brilliantly well written and mind boggling at the same time. Ford is a master of his craft. With this long awaited sequel, he doesn't disappoint with his treatise on society inequalities.

I have been waiting for this book for so long that I was worried I wouldn't want it anymore when it got here. But the world of Chromatacia is just as weird and funny and interesting as ever. I'm glad to have revisited and seen Eddie, Jane, and (surprisingly) Violet through to their conclusion.

I, like many others, have been waiting for this sequel ever since I first read Shades of Grey so many years ago. When I got approved for the ARC I kept reminding myself that I shouldn't place it on such a high pedestal before reading it because what if I don't like it and then I'll be extra disappointed. Well, I'm here to say that I was correct in putting it on a pedestal. Red Side Story was exactly the sequel I wanted and needed. All characters, both reoccurring and new, were interesting in their own ways, and I absolutely loved the shift in attitudes that Violet deMauve and Penny Gamboge had throughout the book. I won't give too many spoilers, but I will say that the final chapter (and especially the final line) made me cry like a baby. I want to know absolutely everything about this world and I hope that Fforde gives us another book in this series (though hopefully we won't have to wait 15 years). If I could give this book 6 stars, I would.

(spoiler-free) After 15 years, Jasper Fforde has released the hotly-anticipated follow up to 2009's "Shades of Grey." Red Side Story picks up almost immediately where its predecessor finished up. The story takes a bit of time to remind readers of the events of the previous book, which can be time-consuming and causes the early sections to lag a bit. Fforde's sense of humor is on display as always and carries through well without diffusing any tension. It's a strong sequel, though personally found that the resolutions to some of the ongoing mysteries to a little disappointing. Not that the choices weren't interesting, but there was something particularly fun and satisfying about some of the more arcane Rules that felt undercut by them having a rational explanation. Fortunately, Fforde sticks the landing by adding more layers and mystery by the end. Much like with the first book, while there is room for a sequel (and an official announcement!), the finale is satisfying and will leave readers with much to ponder going forward.

A brilliant conclusion to a wonderful story. Dystopian fantasy, the metaphors for the class system shed light on the abuses of those in power and encourage the reader to turn a discerning look on how we regard societal echelons. Characters are drawn brilliantly, and the book is layered with compelling arcs and growth. I only wish it was part of a trilogy, but I am so glad to have the conclusion to this story after so many years.

I got a free ARC from Netgalley.

This book was classic Fforde, and almost worth the (very, excruciatingly long) wait. Eddie Russett and Jane Brunswick are about to be on trial for murder, with a seemingly predetermined outcome that will send them to the Green Room, where they will die by the green hue on the walls.

As always, there’s a lot of wordplay and literary references, and the satire of our own government and society is alarming.

I love the rarity of spoons, and randomly, the ease with which the Chromatacians’ ears come off. Strongly recommend.

I really loved this sequel to Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde. This is definitely a case of needing to read the first book to understand this one. This world is so intriguing, with people separated by the colors that they can see, living in a sort of Soviet-style society in which rules that don't make much sense are to be followed and no one is to question anything, except of course, our main characters, who set out to find out what is beyond and behind all the nonsense that is their lives. Fforde creates nuanced subtle characters who seem very real and very human, and at the same time, the world and situations in which the characters find themselves is so absurd, it is extremely funny as well as poignant.
This is a masterful social commentary as well as a very engaging read. I highly recommend this and all of Fforde's work.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for his ARC!

I've been waiting for this book for a long, long time, so my expectations were pretty high. I'm happy to report that it's as good as I was hoping it would be. Fforde takes his premise of a world where everyone is organized according to the colour they are able to see and both expands the lore and deepens the connection we feel for these characters. The first book, Shades of Grey, is quite opaque in the sense that there aren't many areas of straight exposition, we learn how the world works along with our protagonist, Eddie Russet. The same is true here, as the broader world is explored and we get to learn more about not only the Rules, but also what might lie beyond the border of Chromatacia.
I won't give any spoilers here, but if you enjoyed any of Fforde's other books, this one is definitely for you. I would say it will be quite helpful to read the first book before starting this one, though.

14 Freaking Years!!! FOURTEEN!! That's how long I waited for this book. I loved Shades of Grey, but being a 50+ year old, I couldn't remember sh*t from the first book. So off I trot, to dust off my original copy of Shades to refresh the ole memory as to what the heck was going on. During this second read, I struggled a bit to understand a few things. Seeing as it's been FOURTEEN years since it was written I don't remember if I had the same nagging questions once I finished Shades...thankfully Red Side Story was just what I needed. I love Fforde's wit and satire and this book was *chef's kiss*. It was so great to revisit this world and finally find out what happened!

I am often wary of sequels that come too long after the original as they can feel thinner somehow and less connected to the source. That said. I, like many others, have been waiting for 15 years for a sequel to “Shades of Grey”. Fforde does not disappoint. “Red Side Story” is a welcome and worthy follow up. Picking up where Shades left off, it follows Eddie Russet, Jane Grey, and the residents of East Carmine through the strange and wonderful world of Chromatica. It is a world full of humor, danger, and the ever present Rules. Fforde brings us back into that world seamlessly, even after so much time. I loved reading “Red Side Story” and sincerely hope——please Mr. Fforde!!!!—that we don’t need to wait another 15 years for the conclusion.

Eddie and Jane discover even more corruption within (and without) their society. To find answers, they need to visit the upcoming Jollity Fair, if only they can survive that long.

I enjoyed this satisfying sequel. We do learn a bit about the true nature of Chromatacia. Is it the far future history of Oz? Is this story the book version of "The Lego Movie"? Whenever I thought I had a handle on it, a new detail would disrupt my latest theory. At least I was right about the swans.

Fun and clever, this was an exciting read. I do wish it wasn't such a long time since I'd read Shades of Grey, though - it took me the first half of the book to get caught up on all the intricacies of the plot.
The writing style is full of a Wodehousian charm, but I do find that kind of 'what ho' character a bit lacking in emotional depth, which kept me from relating to the story on a deeper level. As a piece of social commentary, it is very satisfying, though.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Soho Press for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my review. American readers - it is definitely worth the wait. Be strong!

As a longtime Fforde ffan, I have been eagerly awaiting this book since Shades of Grey came out. I am so happy to say that the sequel doesn't disappoint. As other reviews have suggested, I highly recommend a re-read of SoG and having a copy handy for reference, which will help make Red Side Story as enjoyable as possible.

This book follows hard on the end of SoG, and Eddie, Jane and the other residents of Chromatacia are as enjoyable - or odious in some cases - as ever. We rejoin Eddie as he awaits judgement for his actions from the end of SoG and the future does not look rosy for Russett. The plot is a typical Ffordian whirlwind, perfectly blending the absurd and the just-plausible-enough-to-actually-happen. After every chapter, I couldn't wait to turn the page and see what happened next.

Though I would have loved this book just for the enjoyable plot and return to characters I was invested in, I most appreciated Fforde's expansion of Chromatacia. His pre-chapter blurbs give the reader tantalizing glimpses of a world that is both nothing like ours and similar in too many ways. As Eddie and Jane discover there is more to their world than they could ever have imagined, I delighted in Fforde's pushing the dystopian envelope. This is a must read for Fforde lovers, and I'll now be recommending SoG/RSS as a satisfying entry into Fforde's works to any newcomers.

Spoilers - Aside here, this is everything I've ever wanted from a dystopian novel. As the girl who read Hunger Games and tried to imagine what in the world was going on outside of the borders of Panem and how bad the rest of a global society would have to be not to intervene in the murder of children, this book finally scratched my itch. I cannot wait to see the larger implications of Utopiainc. and if I have to wait another 15 years to see Eddie and Jane in ffuture-Ffrance, I may explode.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this book!

I loved Shades of Grey. It was funny and witty and comedic and surprisingly deep, and I was really looking forward to this one! It did not disappoint. The same snark and humor was present in the narration, Jane and Eddie and Violet and the rest of the crew was just as fun and amusing, and the best part is that it didn't do what lots of sequels do and rehash the entire first book. It did give enough info to allow the reader a quick refresher on the first book without being obnoxious about retelling it, so that despite having read the book over a year ago, I still got what was going on almost immediately.

I enjoyed the plot, but at times it was a bit convoluted and I felt as though the story as a whole added odd details that weren't clearly explained. This might be intentional - this story has more of an air of mystery to it than the first book - but it was a bit odd at times. However, that's really my only complaint, and on the whole, I enjoyed the characters and the dystopia and the ideas presented.
I just hope I don't have to wait years for book three! I want to know what happens and how things unfold after the events of the last part of this book :)

Eddie deMauve (ne Russett) and his girlfriend Jane are on a quest to uncover what exactly is going on behind the scenes in their demented, color-vision-obsessed society. They hope to free everyone from its inane, often lethal, regulations. Yellow zealots, peeved by the way Eddie and Jane keep evading their assassination attempts, and Purple despots, determined to cling to power, are hellbent on stopping them. The duo faces perils including but not limited to swans, kangaroo courts, and unsportsmanlike conduct. On the plus side, they accumulate knowledge at a rapid clip. Still quirky and densely-detailed, but fifteen years of pent-up longing is a lot for a book to overcome.

Fforde is one of the mosy distinctive modern specfic writers, and I will always commend him for that, but sadly I don't think Red Side Story works. Having looked forward to this book for over a decade, I was probably primed to have unrealistic expectations, but I do think my disappointment goes beyond that. Everything that felt so effortless and bitingly satirical in book on feels far clunkier and more arbitrary, not helped by a real tendency towards overexplaining. While there are many funny jokes along the way, some of the humour made me roll my eyes more than chuckle, feeling just a little cheap. The story eventually gets to a good place, but probably took too long and with weird choices of focus, although there were certainly points that intrigued me. Ultimately, this is still classic Fforde and a dystopia with some interesting ideas, but I can't help but feel that 10 years ago there might have been a better version of this book that would have matched the undiluted excellence of Shades of Grey.

wow, not what I was expecting. It might seem a bit out of left field if readers have only read [book:Shades of Grey|2113260], but I think it makes sense, having read all the author's other books that came out in between the two.

A re-read of book 1 wouldn't go amiss. I have read [book:Shades of Grey|2113260] about 3 times and thought that would carry me through. While I had all the major plot points and characters, I had lost some of the little interpersonal bits.

eARC from NetGalley.

I’ve read all of Jasper Fforde’s books and I can say with great sadness, I could not finish this one. Perhaps it’s because I’ve aged in the 15 years since the previous was published. 15 years! I’m a different person to the one who first read shades of grey, like a person starving of thirst unable to drink water fast enough. It was such a wonderful read. Red side story, however, has way too much lead up, so much description and not enough action. It’s like he has to set the stage all over again because he too has forgotten what happened 15 years ago. I wish I could’ve finished this.