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412 of 427 found the following review helpful:
 SM for smart girlsNov 12, 2002
I discovered the world of bdsm a mere three months ago (I'm 34) and can't quite believe how much I didn't know about myself before this. Let's just say I'll never go without it again. Anyway, since this discovery I have been reading everything I can get my hands on, from really bad stuff like Laura Reese's 2 books to stellar short stories like Mark Pritchards' "Lessons in Submission" to all of Roy Stuart's erotic photography.
Carrie's Story is my absolute favorite for so many reasons. Not only is it not over-romanticized, not only is the sex fascinating and hot, but Carrie's smartass internal monologue sounds so much like my own! On the surface she is compliant and submissive, yet inside she is wry and cynical and sort of astonished at the irony of what she's doing -- and she tells the story with that voice. And the story is just so... believable; the author got all the details right, from her bike messenger outfits to the punk rock references. I actually read the book a second time and marked all the places where I exclaimed out loud at how exactly it expressed something I felt. Like when Carrie admits how much she loves the exquisite unfairness of the arrangement, and when she wonders how -- without clear instructions and commands -- people having vanilla sex EVER get it right, and when she begins to understand the peculiar logic and integrity of their arrangement -- how it's about him expressing his wishes and her simple obligation to fulfill them exactly.
The book is flawlessly written, intelligent, and never talks down to its readers. So, if you are thinking about engaging in power exchange sex, read this book! Carrie's Story will show you how a smart(-...) girl does it.
201 of 209 found the following review helpful:
Outstanding BDSM NovelMay 27, 2003
By Implacable
At the outset, I should say that once you have read Carrie's Story you will probably want to read the sequel "Safe Word". This book is outstanding as an exploration of BDSM. Told from the submissive's viewpoint (ie as a first person narrative) it affords us a marvellous insight into the mind of someone who would place themselves at the mercy of another person, fully understanding of the pain and suffering that might result. But of course it also provides the answering motivation, the intensity of experience, the absolution from decision, the pleasure obtained from subordinating one's own desires to those of another.It is the self-critical (what other reviewers have termed sassy) self-awareness of the central character that carries throughout this novel that makes it so special. This is delivered in a light-hearted, but brutally honest manner. No question it is highly erotic. But there are many other novels that achieve that. This one transcends the mere erotic and captivates the reader. The author generates a tension that draws the reader on and enfolds you in the story. I have not found that in an erotic novel since reading The Story Of O - and I can give Carrie's Story no better praise than that comparison. If you enjoyed The Story Of O then Carrie's Story and the sequel Safe Word will enthrall you.
58 of 66 found the following review helpful:
SM for smart girlsNov 12, 2002
I discovered the world of bdsm a mere three months ago (I'm 34) and can't quite believe how much I didn't know about myself before this. Let's just say I'll never go without it again. Anyway, since this discovery I have been reading everything I can get my hands on, from really bad stuff like Laura Reese's 2 books to stellar short stories like Mark Pritchards' "Lessons in Submission" to all of Roy Stuart's erotic photography. Carrie's Story is my absolute favorite for so many reasons. Not only is it not over-romanticized, not only is the sex fascinating and hot, but Carrie's smartass internal monologue sounds so much like my own! On the surface she is compliant and submissive, yet inside she is wry and cynical and sort of astonished at the irony of what she's doing -- and she tells the story with that voice. And the story is just so... believable; the author got all the details right, from her bike messenger outfits to the punk rock references. I actually read the book a second time and marked all the places where I exclaimed out loud at how exactly it expressed something I felt. Like when Carrie admits how much she loves the *exquisite unfairness* of the arrangement, and when she wonders how -- without clear instructions and commands -- people having vanilla sex *ever* get it right, and when she begins to understand the peculiar logic and integrity of their arrangement -- how it's about him expressing his wishes and her simple obligation to fulfill them exactly. If you are thinking about engaging in power exchange sex, read this book! Carrie's Story will show you how a smart[minded] girl does it, and she'll make you want to.
19 of 19 found the following review helpful:
Carrie's StoryMay 28, 2004
Carrie's story is well written, a fairly quick read and is not as quite disturbing as The Leash (which is another book I recommend.)
Molly Weatherfield, the author, grabs your attention from the beginning. She uses bold and unpretentious language, particular situations (sometimes grippingly exotic, sometimes routine) to detail the journey of Carrie into the world of BDSM.
I really liked the mental gymnastics that Carrie undergoes in almost every scene/situation. The author uses these mental workouts to show how Carrie progresses as a novice in the culture to a submissive that embraces what she is.
Nothing that the author writes is outside the realm of possibility or even imaginative probability. She is even able to weave some of the insight into the mind of the Dominant into the story as well (although that is a small part, and I believe, only present in order to assist in telling Carrie's story of submission.)
I recommend, not only for those who are involved in BDSM, but also those who might have a passing interest; or someone who wants a little more than routine erotica.
27 of 29 found the following review helpful:
 A Toss-upJan 07, 2006
By Natasha Rene'e
Carrie is one of those stereotypical "so smart yet so naive" grad students that embarks on this path of BDSM seemingly out of the blue. Her master is the sterotypical "rich guy with too much time" character that has somehow maintained a sizeable fortune and a housekeeper that fully participates in his antics. At some times Carrie seems to find comfort and pleasure in being a slave for Johnathan, then at other times it seems she's only going along with it as some sort of 30-day trial. Some of the scenes are so far fetched that the book lost some its appeal...[the slave auction was the most out there episode in the whole story and it was hard for me to grasp the idea that an operation that big and sophisticated would not have attracted some outsider attention - same thing with the pony farm]. I thought the ending left a bit to be desired, it seemed to rushed...like the author just ran out of things to say. But for all its faults I couldn't put it down and read it the day I got it. Once I resigned myself to the story being just fantasy (not based on reality) it got more entertaining.
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