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harperthomson's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Homophobia, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Fatphobia
ribbenkast's review
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
The book cover, the blurb on the back and some of these reviews prepared me for a really weird gross and unhinged book. I was fully prepared for some type of breast milk feederism stuff or something. None of this came through. The book was enjoyable nonetheless but this was a severe case of mismanagement expectations.
Instead we just got an overely honest internal dialogue. The weirdness comes from the main character Rachel having a severe eating disorder, mommy issues and some slightly more uncomen kinks but nothing as wild as I was let to expect. She's slowly coming to terms with the fact that not everyone lives the way she does. All of this sone through in a scene where she unhingedly eats a sundae early in the book. Which admittedly was incredibly funny.
The promised weirdness reaches its peak very early on and kind off flat lines after. This makes the book drag a bit in the middle.
The ending makes up for it though, every piece of the book comes together perfectly. I found the ending very worthwhile.
This book is also very much about being Jewish and what it means to be and to be raised (American) Jewish. I myself am not Jewish and i suspect that I lack a bit of cultural context to fully take in that part of the book.
Instead we just got an overely honest internal dialogue. The weirdness comes from the main character Rachel having a severe eating disorder, mommy issues and some slightly more uncomen kinks but nothing as wild as I was let to expect. She's slowly coming to terms with the fact that not everyone lives the way she does. All of this sone through in a scene where she unhingedly eats a sundae early in the book. Which admittedly was incredibly funny.
The promised weirdness reaches its peak very early on and kind off flat lines after. This makes the book drag a bit in the middle.
The ending makes up for it though, every piece of the book comes together perfectly. I found the ending very worthwhile.
This book is also very much about being Jewish and what it means to be and to be raised (American) Jewish. I myself am not Jewish and i suspect that I lack a bit of cultural context to fully take in that part of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Religious bigotry, Fatphobia, and Xenophobia
There zionists views being expressed by some of the characters. Whilst the text is leaning on anti-zionism I can imagine a character voicing those ideas can be pretty triggering.jbfletcher's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Xenophobia
extracelestial's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I know this book is decisive but I really enjoyed it. To me it reflected how much we, especially women, are raised to suppress and deprive ourselves, and how learning to live outside that mindset can be difficult and messy. A lot of the book was crude, but it felt honest to me, likely because I read a lot of romance and the explicit desire and lust felt like a small way Rachel was getting closer to appreciating her own body as she learned to regulate. I certainly don’t think this is for everyone, but it was the right amount of mess and transformation for me.
PS - It was incredible to read this book in December 2023, 60+ days into the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Some moments of confronting Zionism in the book feel otherworldly, knowing that these conversations have been happening for decades. I really felt for Rachel during the confrontation with Miriam’s mom— a real mourning for my Jewish friends who have had part of their identity/culture weaponized against them as they question Israeli occupation and speak up for Palestinian liberation.
PS - It was incredible to read this book in December 2023, 60+ days into the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Some moments of confronting Zionism in the book feel otherworldly, knowing that these conversations have been happening for decades. I really felt for Rachel during the confrontation with Miriam’s mom— a real mourning for my Jewish friends who have had part of their identity/culture weaponized against them as they question Israeli occupation and speak up for Palestinian liberation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Body shaming, Biphobia, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Grief, and Fatphobia
elderwoodreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was my first book by Broder and I will certainly be reading more. I did have a heads up this would be weird going in which I think helped, but I think the weird was used well and was necessary. I personally liked the ending, however, I get why others didn't. I like endings where there is some realism about how much people are able/willing to change for each other, but I definitely get that it's frustrating
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Sexual content, and Mental illness
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Incest, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Alcohol, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Biphobia, Blood, Excrement, Genocide, Vomit, War, and Xenophobia
rachaelwho's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Emotional abuse
Minor: War, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Islamophobia
liliflynn's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: War, Antisemitism, and Xenophobia
zoiejanelle's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
i will never recover from this book. it was like looking into a mirror. a dirty, 7/11 in the middle of no where, warped, shattered, perverted mirror that hangs upside down, but still a mirror just the same.
i’ve never read a character like rachel, so raw and broken and… stupid. an asshole raised by a narcissist, a girl with no shame but all the shame in the world. she broke my heart, made me laugh, make me cry, and made me nauseous all at once.
this book is a look down the barrel of the gun that is “mothers and daughters.” this book captures exactly how it feels to be a complete and utter train wreck who can trace all of their issues back to their mother. not for the feeble minded or weak stomached.
highly recommend for the (mentally and emotionally stable/healed) girlies with mommy issues, problems with food or a history with eating disorders, girls questioning their sexuality, the ex-christians and lapsed Jews, and anyone who thinks hallucinating a wise rabbi and Chinese food might be the answer to all of their problems.
i’ve never read a character like rachel, so raw and broken and… stupid. an asshole raised by a narcissist, a girl with no shame but all the shame in the world. she broke my heart, made me laugh, make me cry, and made me nauseous all at once.
this book is a look down the barrel of the gun that is “mothers and daughters.” this book captures exactly how it feels to be a complete and utter train wreck who can trace all of their issues back to their mother. not for the feeble minded or weak stomached.
highly recommend for the (mentally and emotionally stable/healed) girlies with mommy issues, problems with food or a history with eating disorders, girls questioning their sexuality, the ex-christians and lapsed Jews, and anyone who thinks hallucinating a wise rabbi and Chinese food might be the answer to all of their problems.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Homophobia, Eating disorder, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, Alcohol, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: War, Antisemitism, Vomit, and Xenophobia
burnyayhayley's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
*this rant review is filled with spoilers, so proceed with caution*
I genuinely tried to like this book, and I remained as open-minded as possible throughout.
This book is NOT a good or accurate queer representation. This book is also blatant in its fetishizing of fat women and an incestuous desire to conquer a mother who didn't parent her daughter well (read: the MC wants to f*CK her mom).
While I do think either of those latter points could be used as plot points and could even be explored in a way that–while still uncomfortable – does something useful for the story, this is not a case where that happens.
Throughout reading this I wanted to redeem it and give it the benefit of the doubt. But the writing feels manipulative. I found the obsessive thoughts about food to be interesting, and probably the least offensive part of the book (however, dear god, read the CW!!! Don't go into this book blind please) purely because of the accuracy I can detect, but they were overt and descriptive in a way that felt unnecessary. But that is because I think the author's approach is to be overly provocative, and call that a "style".
However, past this, the Freudian fever dream of sex with a mother figure was one thing. I could even excuse the discomfort of that for its metaphorical purposes– but the obsessive writing about Miriam, the fat object of desire for the MC, is entirely another.
Not only was this character underdeveloped and barely explored, but she was also entirely there to be a place for the MC, Rachel, to spotlight her obsessions. What a package! She can think about food and controversial sex with a mother figure all at once! Because fat women are automatically mothers and mother stand-ins, right??
Garbage.
In every moment that reads initially as wholesome on the page, I wanted to like this relationship. I wanted to happily see my own history in the relationship on the page. I wanted this to feel like a mirror.
But then the MC would be vague and strange about her own desires, conflating them with other parts of her psyche, creating a sort of haze in which the reader cannot see where one ends and another starts. And the MC goes so far as to basically deny her queerness, to "blame" it on other things.
If a book will make me see myself, even in flickers, and then make me question the reality of my experience, then the book is doing something wrong. And it is definitely not representing queerness and queer desire correctly.
Honestly, I can barely even go into the fatphobia that is used throughout this book. Again, I think such things could be used for a purpose, and contextually it made sense because the MC is anorexic, but it was gross, and it felt like a harmful undercurrent to the entire book, but also like the book was actively denying it was happening. Ew.
The last thing I have contempt for is the ending, and how Rachel had "changed" by the book's conclusion.
She cuts off all her hair, in an attempt to claim her queerness or her masculinity or something else, but the nuance of the conversation is that her experience of her own gender was clearly in question. But instead of going there, the MC assures the reader she is a woman (like six times in one sentence??? ok I hear you) and sleeps with a man while displaying yet more Freudian shit, penis envy.
I'm confused. How is she feeling? Does she even know who she is? Why can't her gender be a discussion in addition to the various other conversations?
The most offensive cherry on top is that Rachel is ~cured~at the end. She sleeps/loves/obsesses over a fat woman, and then she eats, self regulates, gains back some weight, and moves on from anorexia, basically overnight.
Hi, Broder, what the fuck???
Do you know anything about eating disorders and how fucking wrong that is? Have you met a fat woman, and figured out she is not a plot device for your protagonist's obsession with thinness??
With such absolute disregard for the experience of countless people, myself and my loved ones included, I have to question if this author has left her own fantasy world long enough to figure out that these plot devices are actually human beings.
I genuinely tried to like this book, and I remained as open-minded as possible throughout.
This book is NOT a good or accurate queer representation. This book is also blatant in its fetishizing of fat women and an incestuous desire to conquer a mother who didn't parent her daughter well (read: the MC wants to f*CK her mom).
While I do think either of those latter points could be used as plot points and could even be explored in a way that–while still uncomfortable – does something useful for the story, this is not a case where that happens.
Throughout reading this I wanted to redeem it and give it the benefit of the doubt. But the writing feels manipulative. I found the obsessive thoughts about food to be interesting, and probably the least offensive part of the book (however, dear god, read the CW!!! Don't go into this book blind please) purely because of the accuracy I can detect, but they were overt and descriptive in a way that felt unnecessary. But that is because I think the author's approach is to be overly provocative, and call that a "style".
However, past this, the Freudian fever dream of sex with a mother figure was one thing. I could even excuse the discomfort of that for its metaphorical purposes– but the obsessive writing about Miriam, the fat object of desire for the MC, is entirely another.
Not only was this character underdeveloped and barely explored, but she was also entirely there to be a place for the MC, Rachel, to spotlight her obsessions. What a package! She can think about food and controversial sex with a mother figure all at once! Because fat women are automatically mothers and mother stand-ins, right??
Garbage.
In every moment that reads initially as wholesome on the page, I wanted to like this relationship. I wanted to happily see my own history in the relationship on the page. I wanted this to feel like a mirror.
But then the MC would be vague and strange about her own desires, conflating them with other parts of her psyche, creating a sort of haze in which the reader cannot see where one ends and another starts. And the MC goes so far as to basically deny her queerness, to "blame" it on other things.
If a book will make me see myself, even in flickers, and then make me question the reality of my experience, then the book is doing something wrong. And it is definitely not representing queerness and queer desire correctly.
Honestly, I can barely even go into the fatphobia that is used throughout this book. Again, I think such things could be used for a purpose, and contextually it made sense because the MC is anorexic, but it was gross, and it felt like a harmful undercurrent to the entire book, but also like the book was actively denying it was happening. Ew.
The last thing I have contempt for is the ending, and how Rachel had "changed" by the book's conclusion.
She cuts off all her hair, in an attempt to claim her queerness or her masculinity or something else, but the nuance of the conversation is that her experience of her own gender was clearly in question. But instead of going there, the MC assures the reader she is a woman (like six times in one sentence??? ok I hear you) and sleeps with a man while displaying yet more Freudian shit, penis envy.
I'm confused. How is she feeling? Does she even know who she is? Why can't her gender be a discussion in addition to the various other conversations?
The most offensive cherry on top is that Rachel is ~cured~at the end. She sleeps/loves/obsesses over a fat woman, and then she eats, self regulates, gains back some weight, and moves on from anorexia, basically overnight.
Hi, Broder, what the fuck???
Do you know anything about eating disorders and how fucking wrong that is? Have you met a fat woman, and figured out she is not a plot device for your protagonist's obsession with thinness??
With such absolute disregard for the experience of countless people, myself and my loved ones included, I have to question if this author has left her own fantasy world long enough to figure out that these plot devices are actually human beings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Biphobia, and Body shaming
Moderate: Incest, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry
autozone's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, and Homophobia
Moderate: Xenophobia