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A review by katiegisondi
Kink by R.O. Kwon, Garth Greenwell
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 assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment