Name: Permission
ISBN: 9781552453803

Saskia Vogel

A grieving young woman learns something new about love from a dominatrix in this haunting and erotic debut.

Permission

Jessica 

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Review originally posted here at Booked J. 
  As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way. 


My biggest complaint about Permission is frustratingly mundane: I wish it were longer. Which, in a way, speaks wonders about the fact that Permission is a damn good read. I'm always a bit skeptical when reading books that portray a BDSM lifestyle, mostly because of the inaccuracies that sprinkle themselves into things--ahem, I'm looking at you, Fifty.

That being said, I cannot tell you if Permission has an accurate view of things, only that it plays a part in the central story arcs. It goes without saying that, if this isn't something you fancy reading even moderate descriptions of, Permission won't be for you. This is an explicit read and very engrossing in its feminist nature--so if this sounds intriguing for you, I'm definitely recommending it.

At its core, however, Permission is a poignant tale of connection (primarily between Echo, Piggy and Orla) and personal growth. For Echo, this means exploring so much more of life and truly putting herself out there. While there were times when the characters and their relationships felt a bit stilled and not wholly there, I think that was less on writing quality and more of the length. Permission was a great read, but it definitely could have benefited from a longer release.

Permission is about more than just sexuality and the complexities of the human mind and longing. It is a different kind of coming-of-age story. It reminds us, too, that coming-of-age extends beyond just one age frame. Its most striking quality is the frank way in exploring many topics--including sexual pleasure, grief and finding ones voice. Vogel has this quality to her prose that makes everything hit the right spot.

As for the characters: of all we meet, I found Orla to be the most fascinating due to several quotable moments. I really enjoyed the presence she provided because it could be equally thought-provoking and tense.

Overall, I enjoyed Permission very much and had an easy time focusing on its narrative. Saskia Vogel did a wonderful job exploring such topics and breathing life into her characters.