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woodiefrog's review against another edition
4.0
Roxane Gay, Garth Greenwell, Kim Fu, Carmen Maria Machado (dazzling period story!) and Zeyn Joukhadar astound as always. I also enjoyed Trust by Larissa Pham and Impact Play by Peter Mountford. The rest, not to say “bad writing,” did not land very well with me and fell flat (or otherwise to the non sequitur lit fic side).
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Sexual harassment
emilybanks's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Body horror, Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
toffishay's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Stalking, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
azariamckay's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Death of parent
esmedpk's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Stalking, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
katiegisondi's review against another edition
2.75
“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.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment