The Something That Happened has left us with a world where a strictly-ordered Collective is based on color perception and Leapbacks in technology are used to enforce Stasis. Enter Eddie Russet, a young Red who, despite having an above-normal level of curiousity, wishes for nothing more than to marry the wealthy Constance Oxblood and stay as far as possible from rocking the societal boat. All this changes, however, when Eddie and his father are sent to
East Carmine, a small city on the fringes of civilization, where adherence to The Rules isn't quite what they're used to....

Shades of Grey starts of almost whimsically, but as the story progresses, the bureaucracy of Head Office shows its teeth, the unfairness of the Colortacracy becomes apparent, and the differences between the Previous (us, of course) and humans become more pronounced, things take a turn for the serious (while remaining seriously funny). Fforde gives us some great characters, an intriguing setting, and enough bits and pieces of our own future
to make me really anxious to find out what's going on.

Fforde brings so much to the table that it's difficult to summarize, but I can easily say that Shades of Grey is one of the best books I've read in the past year.