Status Updates From Fraternal Devotion

4th story: On The Edge. I cannot read this. I can never read about substance abuse. Ever. People poisoning their bodies freaks me out. Even in grad school for assigned reading I'd skip anything that pertained to such. So cocaine, ecstasy, and excessive alcohol usage here makes this a no-go for me.
Besides which, all the guilt that prompts this behaviour is tiresome to read.

4th story: On Clouds of Obsession. 1/2 (half star). God. Awful. Storytelling. Serious skimming. Amateur, immature writing.

Depression, Love and Swimming Pools. I don't know how many stars to accord this because while it worked on my nerves, it was also real and hit upon some pertinent points like running away from self by immersing oneself in academia etc. But the codepency as a coping method for depression irked the hell out of me. And loyalty to a dead father over finding one's own path disturbed me. Yes, now I know: 2 stars.

2nd story: Analgesic. 3 stars. Aptly named, especially considering how the analgesic cream gets used. This story was a good read. There were titillating and plodding parts. The writing was a bit uneven and in some places a bit stiff whereas the author seemed to be striving for a casual tone. The sexual tension was good, the coming together a bit sub par after what the prelude promised. But all in all a good thrill.

1st story: War and Peace and Brotherhood. 1.5 stars. Insufficient world-building, insufficient tension, insufficient relationship. The sex was off (and off-putting). The emotional elements were under developed and overly sentimental. The writing was superficial and the story was corny. Bad start to this anthology. Why put such a weak story first? Hoping it gets better.

On the Edge - 4 stars. This was the most realistic of the stories, IMO. It was hard watching Andrew's struggle to accept the relationship between himself and Ben. The was no instant fix - they had to work through the acceptance. Great story.

On Clouds of Obsession - 2 stars. This story just didn't ring true for me. There was no connection between the brothers that I could feel and it seemed like the relationship just sprung out of nowhere.

Depression, Love, and Swimming Pools - 3 stats. Tough one - very well written but I'm concerned about Derrick's mental health and ability to make sound choices. I also felt Cale swung from being resentful and unaffected by Derrick's behaviors to being at his mercy entirely to quickly and without the internal conflict I would have expected.

Analgesia - 4 stars. I really enjoyed this story. Very real in its telling. Loved the bickering and the pet names Ethan used. I'd love to read a full length story based on them.

War and Peace and Brotherhood - 2 stars. Great concept for the "infected" and how it spread, sadly I just couldn't get into it. I was confused a lot and had to re-read more then a few times to figure out what I was missing.

Blimey these shorts are getting hotter my the minute:D

Stories are hotting up nicely...yippee!

This is different. It's already happening. Biting my nails

This is almost scary

What a coincidence! After reading the 5th Roan's book, there are Infected in this first short story too

Three down!