Passionate analysis of sexual fetishism

BEFORE YOU read this review, dear reader, please answer this question in the privacy of your own mind.

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Which are you least comfortable sharing publicly? A) Your weight. B) Your greatest mistake. C) Your sexual kink.

If C is your answer (it is mine), you are not alone. In a 2020 survey of 2,000 Americans' sexual habits and preferences conducted by a market research firm for a lingerie company, nearly half said they currently had a sexual act they'd like to try with a partner, but hadn't, out of fear they would be judged. Of those respondents, 40% feared that sharing their sexual cravings with a partner might end their relationship.

British writer, curator and selfdescribed fetishist Anastasiia Fedorova wrote "Second Skin: Inside the Worlds of Fetish, Kink, and Deviant Desire" to vanquish the shame behind this type of fear. Her aim is to liberate humans from depriving ourselves, and our lovers, of the full-spectrum sunlight that shines on those who manifest their whole sexual selves. "I started writing this book because, while the world of kink and fetish was becoming increasingly visible in mainstream culture, there was still a lack of deeper understanding," Fedorova writes. "We also seem to be on the brink of a shift, as people become more open to a nuanced and complex understanding of sexuality."