“Fifty Shades of Grey” has an older, more intelligent sister, and her name is “Future Sex.” Emily Witt’s first book is an honest and unapologetic narrative of all things sex: its role in our lives, our response to its presence, and its association with both positive and negative behaviors. Knowing that sex can often be a taboo subject, “Future Sex” urges its readers to dive into the topic, whatever its awkwardness, and fosters a newfound understanding of the world of love around us.

Witt formats the book into eight chapters, encompassing topics from internet dating to internet pornography to birth control regulations. It is written completely from Witt’s perspective, as she recounts stories and memories from her own experiences. Knowing that every crazy, graphic, surprising scenario actually occurred makes the novel seem all the more real and makes one eagerly accept any absurdity. Witt deftly exposes her readers to an exciting world about which many people wish not to speak, and the presence of which is often neglected or regarded as inappropriate.

Although such occurrences might be uncomfortable to read about, Witt’s brave tone makes a reader feel welcome and at ease while discussing the uneasy. Some chapters contain extremely graphic material, much of which makes Christian Grey’s interests seem rather elementary. For example, chapter three contains a step-by-step description of a pornography scene that, while erotic, is ultimately meant to shed light on the dimensions of the pornography world and why people choose to indulge in it. Witt steadily helps her readers through this section, providing stable guidance.

To college students, the most intriguing part of the novel might be Witt’s analysis of dating apps. However, regardless of age, the shift from in-person interaction to online sexual communication is undoubtedly significant. We can already observe how technology has altered the world, but Witt shows us how it has particularly altered relationships as well as the perception of what they should look like. Ultimately, she expands one’s understanding of the impact of dating apps, claiming that they cause “strangers of the city to lower the barriers of their isolation.” There’s something unique and insightful about the way Witt allows one to think about something seemingly taboo in a more poised, academic manner.

Additionally, Witt’s critique of the limited accessibility of and consequences associated with birth control sheds light on how sex might not be so wonderful, at least not for everyone involved. When discussing her personal experiences with an IUD, she states, “It seemed impossible that in this era of advanced technology I was still reliant on the whims of a contraption that was literally elementary, a copper device that had been invented forty years ago.” While she had previously conveyed sex to be exciting and an object of interest, Witt’s frustrations regarding birth control allow a looking glass into her more multi-dimensional perspective on sex, as well as its often overlooked issues. Ultimately, Witt leaves nothing unsaid and is brave enough to tell the frustrating sides of every story.

Witt is unafraid to present it like it is. She showcases the ugly, sad, dreary sides of love and never refrains from sharing of her fears. When discussing her childish expectations of the arrival of true love, she states, “I knew that it did not arrive for everyone, and as I got older I began to worry that it would not arrive for me.” Even if it is something not necessarily pleasant to think about, Witt’s declarations are rooted in realism, making her work all the more worthwhile. Witt is poised, honest, and relevant and urges her readers to want to talk about sex, even if it can be a little embarrassing. In a world where sex is slowly becoming less taboo while still remaining taboo, “Future Sex” is a necessary read for anyone willing enough to listen.