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emilybanks's review against another edition
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, Body horror, Fatphobia, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
toffishay's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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 really appreciated what this book was seeking to accomplish; even if I didn't love all of the stories individually, I appreciate this as a body of work that can help us better understand what kink is telling us when we are too busy to listen. My favorite stories were "Trust" by Larissa Pham, "Best Friendster Date Ever" by Alexander Chee, "The Lost Performance of the High Priestess of the Temple of Horror" by Carmen Maria Machado, and "The Voyeurs" by Zeyn Joukhadar.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Violence, Transphobia, Blood, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Body horror
Moderate: Incest, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Stalking, Torture, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity
azariamckay's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.25
Kink is an anthology and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I over its take on desire, sex, queer and trans love, and shameless sex. There were stories I wished were longer and stories I could’ve done without. I would preface this book with a couple trigger warnings: r*pe, s*xual assault, and transphobia. The stories get a little rocky at times and I don’t remember a single story ending on a happy note, which isn’t a bad thing for me, I tend to lean toward depressing reads. The compilation of writers for this novel was amazing and the styles of writing differed in the most interesting ways. Each story felt like it’s own but there felt like a common thread that grounded them all. I would reread a few of these stories in the future for sure! I’m interested in coming back to it later to examine how it ages and how I’ve changed with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Death of parent
esmedpk's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia
katiegisondi's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
2.75
I was looking forward to being taken into worlds I had never seen and into the minds of people I had never gotten to be inside before. I wanted an exploration of the taboo and an unveiling of the reasons behind why something is taboo and why people seek it out. I was sorely disappointed. While many of these are beautifully written, they don't explore anything really interesting or new. Where is the puppy play? The people who are in a sexual relationship with their sofa? The people who keep their spouse on a leash in the grocery store? Where are the live sex shows? The daddy doms? They were all nowhere to be found. In their place was an endless stream of boring BDSM being acted out by lifeless characters and hollow plots.
“The Cure” not really kinky at all. Felt heavy-handed in its message. 1 star.
“Best Friendster Date Ever” was meh. The sexual aspects were semi-kinky and therefore only semi-interesting. The characters were not interesting. 1.5 stars.
“Trust” was a realistic depiction of vulnerability in relationships. of wanting to be seen but afraid of showing anything. of watching yourself being watched. 2 stars.
“Safeword” I loved the awkwardness of this. The husbands worry. The love and sacrifice that’s so intertwined with marriage. How that connects to pleasing your partner in the bedroom. Overall, the ending was semi-unsatisfactory but I still enjoyed the story. Four stars.
“Canada” Beautiful and intriguing but also too short and vague to truly enjoy. 3 stars.
“Oh, Youth” my heart. Potent human emotion. Exemplifies the love and power that sex can lead to. So good. 5 stars.
“Impact Play” A bit strange. Definitely taboo. Interesting characters. 4 stars.
“Mirror, Mirror” Beautiful and visceral. 3.5 stars.
“Reach” This lacked substance though the writing was intense. It lacked the emotional tension that I think it was intended to have. It felt just average to me. 2.5 stars.
“Gospodar” Tw: Rape. Raw and terrifying and interesting. This is scary. 4 stars.
“Scissors” Strange but good. 3 stars.
“The Lost Performance of the High Priestess of the Temple of Horror” disappointing despite how beautifully written this is. It missed its mark with Maxa. Her characterization felt hollow compared to the intended poignancy of the story. Not kinky. 4 stars.
“The Voyeurs” 2.5 stars.
“Retouch/Switch” 1.5 stars.
“Emotional Technologies” Pretentious and uninteresting. 0 stars.
“The Cure” not really kinky at all. Felt heavy-handed in its message. 1 star.
“Best Friendster Date Ever” was meh. The sexual aspects were semi-kinky and therefore only semi-interesting. The characters were not interesting. 1.5 stars.
“Trust” was a realistic depiction of vulnerability in relationships. of wanting to be seen but afraid of showing anything. of watching yourself being watched. 2 stars.
“Safeword” I loved the awkwardness of this. The husbands worry. The love and sacrifice that’s so intertwined with marriage. How that connects to pleasing your partner in the bedroom. Overall, the ending was semi-unsatisfactory but I still enjoyed the story. Four stars.
“Canada” Beautiful and intriguing but also too short and vague to truly enjoy. 3 stars.
“Oh, Youth” my heart. Potent human emotion. Exemplifies the love and power that sex can lead to. So good. 5 stars.
“Impact Play” A bit strange. Definitely taboo. Interesting characters. 4 stars.
“Mirror, Mirror” Beautiful and visceral. 3.5 stars.
“Reach” This lacked substance though the writing was intense. It lacked the emotional tension that I think it was intended to have. It felt just average to me. 2.5 stars.
“Gospodar” Tw: Rape. Raw and terrifying and interesting. This is scary. 4 stars.
“Scissors” Strange but good. 3 stars.
“The Lost Performance of the High Priestess of the Temple of Horror” disappointing despite how beautifully written this is. It missed its mark with Maxa. Her characterization felt hollow compared to the intended poignancy of the story. Not kinky. 4 stars.
“The Voyeurs” 2.5 stars.
“Retouch/Switch” 1.5 stars.
“Emotional Technologies” Pretentious and uninteresting. 0 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
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