Review: Eighty Days Yellow by Vina Jackson

I am disturbed, horrified, and saddened by this book. I’m still trying to process the story, the characters, the motives; all of it.

As I was reading this story I found myself getting depressed and not in a this is a good book and I’m heartbroken for the characters way. I was saddened by the motivations and machinations employed by Dominick. On top of that I was even more saddened by Summer and inability to stand up for herself.

I felt like Summer fell into a rabbit hole and didn’t know how to get out of it. What bothered me about that was that she realized she could say no, she could refuse to do any of the bizarre and destructive things asked of her, yet she continued to do these things. I want to clarify that BDSM is not destructive when all parties involved are in agreement and have the same ideas and goals. However, Summer just blindly went along with everything. I didn't have these qualms when she was involved with Dominick because she knew what was involved prior to the scene. The one exception to that was when Charlotte, her supposed friend, was involved. In my opinion Charlotte just needed a good ole bitch slap! When Summer became involved with Victor she was out of control. She went along with everything he wanted even when it didn’t feel right to her.

Dominick had some redeeming qualities, but there weren’t many. He was honest with Summer up front about their relationship. However, he was playing games with her and not necessarily good games.

I had a very hard time connecting with the characters and the story. I felt disconnected from it and couldn’t get immersed in the world Ms. Jackson was creating. When I read stories I get a feeling of movement from the writing of the authors. I may feel rushed as I read or I may feel desperate or anxious as I read. It all depends on the story and the writing. As I was reading Eighty Days of Yellow I often felt like I was swimming through molasses. It was a struggle for me. I think this was from my lack of connection with the characters or the story.

I think the premise of the story is fantastic and I looked forward to reading it. I expected more from Dominick as he led Summer into the world of D/s. I expected Summer to keep her identity but then realized as I was reading, she doesn’t have one outside of music.