Camy’s Reviews > Fraternal Devotion > Status Update

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.

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.