reading with mamawolfe: Diary of a Submissive

Posted on October 19, 2012 by

“This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club, but the opinions expressed are my own.”


It’s a good thing I got a free copy of this book to review; if I paid money for it, I would have been really disappointed.  One of the benefits of reviewing books for BlogHer Book Club is finding new authors and titles I wouldn’t otherwise know, so I approached Diary of a Submissive with an open mind.  Knowing it was marketed as a sort of 50 Shades of Grey didn’t excite me – I’ve never read that series, and never much cared for mass-market books at all.  Turns out I was right – this book just didn’t do it for me.



Diary of a Submissive starts with protagonist Sophie Morgan, a self-proclaimed “independent woman in her thirties with a successful journalism career.”  The book’s abrupt shift into telling the story of her ‘sexual awakening’ absolutely defies my definition of independent – Sophie is into D/s and spends the rest of her memoir explicitly trying to convince the reader that she is a ‘modern’ woman, depsite the fact that she allows men and women to strip her of any sense of self.


Some might claim that her submissiveness shows control over her body and her choices, but to me, it takes women back decades, centuries even, to a time when women fought for equality.  Reading Sophie’s story made me feel pity for her and her inability to stand up for herself.


Diary of a Submissive – don’t let the demure pearls on the cover fool you.  I should have trusted my gut and stayed away from a book that didn’t grab me from the start.

Want to read more opinions on Diary of a Submissive?  Join BlogHer’s book chat!

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Comments: 4

  • My Inner Chick

    October 22, 2012

    Well,
    I shant be reading this 50 Shades of Sh%# !

    Thanks for the review, Mama. x

    Reply
    • Jennifer Wolfe

      October 24, 2012

      Haha! I definitely think there are at least a hundred other book titles staring me in the face right now, calling for me to pull them off the shelf!

      Reply
  • Laura@Catharsis

    October 20, 2012

    Oh no! I’m sorry you didn’t like it. I haven’t read 50 Shades, either. I’ve heard it’s just terrible, and not by way of content necessarily, but because it’s so poorly written. Finding time to read a book is tough enough, but when it’s not even good? That’s the worst.

    Reply
    • Jennifer Wolfe

      October 24, 2012

      I completely agree….and as a writer, it’s so frustrating to read poorly written material that has been published!

      Reply
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