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ktaylorhurley's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve never read anything like this. It was fun, confusing, uncomfortable, exhilarating, stressful, and even a bit boring at certain points. I had no idea what to expect, and so the rating reflects a bit of that uncertainty. This book pushed me outside my comfort zone. Some concepts I’d prefer not to revisit, and some I’d love to spend more time exploring. And isn’t that what Kink is about? The book must have done its job!
caffeinatedfae's review against another edition
2.0
CW: Mention of Rape, humiliation play, mention of blood play, mention of needle play, Knife play, Spitting, incest, cheating, Coercion, Gaslighting, Graphic Sexual Assault, Graphic Assault, Transphobia, consensual body shaming, Violating negotiated scenes.
Like all anthologies, there are good stories and not-so-good stories. Unfortunately, there were more "meh" stories than good ones. Most of the stories were well written with some interesting characters and plots. I enjoyed that there were a variety of bodies & sexualities, but the kink aspect was subpar.
Maybe it's because I read romance and erotica, but this book didn't sit well with me. Some stories were good, but the majority of them were incredibly disappointing. It was as if most of the authors were against kink itself. Instead, they wanted to do the stereotypical "kink is dangerous" stories. They showed the raw, gritty dangerous side that the media often portrayed and skipped over anything that would be considered erotic or kink positive. It was just so disappointing to read. This is not a book I would recommend to anyone. No, kink is not always glamorous, but I wanted something more positive or something that didn't read like a scare campaign against kink.
Like all anthologies, there are good stories and not-so-good stories. Unfortunately, there were more "meh" stories than good ones. Most of the stories were well written with some interesting characters and plots. I enjoyed that there were a variety of bodies & sexualities, but the kink aspect was subpar.
Maybe it's because I read romance and erotica, but this book didn't sit well with me. Some stories were good, but the majority of them were incredibly disappointing. It was as if most of the authors were against kink itself. Instead, they wanted to do the stereotypical "kink is dangerous" stories. They showed the raw, gritty dangerous side that the media often portrayed and skipped over anything that would be considered erotic or kink positive. It was just so disappointing to read. This is not a book I would recommend to anyone. No, kink is not always glamorous, but I wanted something more positive or something that didn't read like a scare campaign against kink.
leasockzoe's review against another edition
3.0
This short story collection was very out of my comfort zone, but I did enjoy a good number of the stories.
Kink is an anthology by some very celebrated and well-known writers from diverse backgrounds, sexualities, ethnicities, and more. The stories explore desire in all forms including love, lust, one night stands, sex work, BDSM, & more. The stories also touch on important topics of sexuality, gender, and consent. The range & spectrum of these stories was super impressive to me & I feel like this could reach a wide audience of readers.
However, I also found this collection to be very polarizing in my enjoyment of the stories. I either loved the story or felt nothing for it. There were a few stories that just felt like sex scenes clipped from an erotica and nothing more. I tended to enjoy the stories that really had something to say and felt new and different.
With this being said, this collection was nothing like I have ever read before & I would recommend giving it a go.
Favorite Stories:
• The Cure by Melissa Febos
• Safeword by R.O. Kwon
• Gospodar by Garth Greenwell
• The Temple of Horror by Carmen Maria Machado
• Mirror, Mirror by Vanessa Clark
Kink is an anthology by some very celebrated and well-known writers from diverse backgrounds, sexualities, ethnicities, and more. The stories explore desire in all forms including love, lust, one night stands, sex work, BDSM, & more. The stories also touch on important topics of sexuality, gender, and consent. The range & spectrum of these stories was super impressive to me & I feel like this could reach a wide audience of readers.
However, I also found this collection to be very polarizing in my enjoyment of the stories. I either loved the story or felt nothing for it. There were a few stories that just felt like sex scenes clipped from an erotica and nothing more. I tended to enjoy the stories that really had something to say and felt new and different.
With this being said, this collection was nothing like I have ever read before & I would recommend giving it a go.
Favorite Stories:
• The Cure by Melissa Febos
• Safeword by R.O. Kwon
• Gospodar by Garth Greenwell
• The Temple of Horror by Carmen Maria Machado
• Mirror, Mirror by Vanessa Clark
katecmello's review against another edition
3.0
Carmen Maria Machado story was the best, i love her writing so much. Some stories wrlere good but it was okay.
beeinbooks's review against another edition
I did like the intro though- kink as a way of processing grief, joy, understanding our place in the world, closing the distance between our solitudes. Not something to fear but a tool
jcho's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
vaibhavsh2624's review against another edition
4.0
The stories I enjoyed out of this collection are—
Best Friendster Date by Alexander Chee
Safeword by R. O. Kwon
Canada by Callum Angus
Impact Play by Peter Mountford
Gospodar by Garth Greenwell
The Lost Performance of the High Priestess of the Temple of Horror by Carmen Maria Machado
The Voyeurs by Zeyn Joukhadar
Best Friendster Date by Alexander Chee
Safeword by R. O. Kwon
Canada by Callum Angus
Impact Play by Peter Mountford
Gospodar by Garth Greenwell
The Lost Performance of the High Priestess of the Temple of Horror by Carmen Maria Machado
The Voyeurs by Zeyn Joukhadar
tomhardygirl's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed it it was partly comforting and partly boring