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emmalinegc's review
2.0
There were some aspects and a couple stories of this book that I did enjoy. However, overall, I found the tone of this book excessively esoterically artsy, and many, if not all, of the stories aligned the concept of kinks with a notion of either pushing yourself or others to discomfort, or the edge, or that a kink was automatically aligned with some dark, sinister or unwanted part of yourself.
Most of the stories left me with a feeling of hauntedness or feeling eerie, rather than feeling inspired, opened, or curious. I find the latter to be more realistic with learning or reading about kinks in most circumstances.
Most of the stories left me with a feeling of hauntedness or feeling eerie, rather than feeling inspired, opened, or curious. I find the latter to be more realistic with learning or reading about kinks in most circumstances.
notmythunder's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
gracewiley's review
Not for me right now. Maybe I’ll come back to it in the future?
kcdennett's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
athenasure's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
emath98's review
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. A few of the stories really stood out to me, but I found most of them boring and uninspired - surprising for a queer erotica collection!
Echoing other reviews to say many of the stories gave weirdly "kink is evil and scary" undertones
Echoing other reviews to say many of the stories gave weirdly "kink is evil and scary" undertones
claire_macleod2345's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
natalie27's review
2.0
carmen maria machado’s story was 5/5
the rest…
it was so bad i want to give you a zero but that’s not possible so i give you a one
the rest…
it was so bad i want to give you a zero but that’s not possible so i give you a one
janeb97's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
literarycrushes's review
4.0
I hadn’t heart of this collection of stories until I noticed it on display at my local bookstore last week and purchased it based on its impressive list of contributors. The collection has a clear mission: “Instead of pathologizing kink, the stories in this anthology treat it as a complex, psychologically rich act of communication.” It’s a unique angle for a collection that sheds light on a topic mostly cast aside in literary fiction (pulpy 50 shades of grey versions aside). These stories use sex as a tool for exploration into identity and desire. The resulting stories were as varied and thoughtful as they might have been had the topic been as general and textured as love.
Like most anthologies, there were a few standouts and a few that were a little too on-the-nose. I particularly loved Brandon Taylor’s heart-breaking (and well placed) story about a architecture student/part-time sex worker for older married couples, and Larissa Pham’s story about a young woman’s exploration of different kinds of vulnerability. Surprisingly, Roxanne Gay’s story was one of the least impressive stories and fell flat. I was also excited about Garth Greenwell’s piece (he also co-edited the book), but it turned out to be a recycled chapter from his book Cleanness (which is an incredible novel! I didn’t mind re-reading the chapter but had been hoping for something new from him). I also loved how queer the stories (& authors) were!
Like most anthologies, there were a few standouts and a few that were a little too on-the-nose. I particularly loved Brandon Taylor’s heart-breaking (and well placed) story about a architecture student/part-time sex worker for older married couples, and Larissa Pham’s story about a young woman’s exploration of different kinds of vulnerability. Surprisingly, Roxanne Gay’s story was one of the least impressive stories and fell flat. I was also excited about Garth Greenwell’s piece (he also co-edited the book), but it turned out to be a recycled chapter from his book Cleanness (which is an incredible novel! I didn’t mind re-reading the chapter but had been hoping for something new from him). I also loved how queer the stories (& authors) were!