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oricrowley15's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
medium-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
4.0
eheidenreich's review against another edition
I found the main character too annoying and I was so bored reading this book.
omp's review against another edition
dark
reflective
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The blurb for this novel lists funny and erotic as descriptors. Meh. There is sarcasm that sometimes hits, and sometimes flops. There is sex, but not erotism. In fact, the sex scenes are a little brutal.
It should be mentioned that the focus of this novel is eating disorders and all the myriad of issues that contribute to them. This is the 2nd LGBTQ novel I read this spring with this topic (Family Meal was the first). Again, I don't remember whose review led me to this title.
Overall, this is a sometimes clunky, often uncomfortable read that highlights the fact that eating disorders aren't really about the food/weight.
"I had never imagined this kind of warmth could be so safe, abundant. I'd spent so much time cutting and carving away at myself, worshipping cold. I feared that light and warmth were a trick, a tease, false offerings that lured you into relaxing, and just when you made yourself vulnerable, they would be seized. Better to adapt to the cold. Better to thrust the cold on oneself. Be prepared."
"...so I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, maybe even overindulged compared to what a normal person would eat. I wasn't sure exactly what that was yet, to eat normally. But I feasted on the food and the warmth, the cozy togetherness, and I realized that the food itself was only one part of what a person needed in order to be sustained."
"Why did it feel so much safer to be wanted or needed than to be the one who wanted or needed?"
"I was terrified of being rejected. I didn't want to be a loser. That was the word that came into my head whenever I ran the risk of caring about someone: loser."
"It was strange how we traveled together in my mind so easily across space and time, but we couldn't just be here together."
It should be mentioned that the focus of this novel is eating disorders and all the myriad of issues that contribute to them. This is the 2nd LGBTQ novel I read this spring with this topic (Family Meal was the first). Again, I don't remember whose review led me to this title.
Overall, this is a sometimes clunky, often uncomfortable read that highlights the fact that eating disorders aren't really about the food/weight.
"I had never imagined this kind of warmth could be so safe, abundant. I'd spent so much time cutting and carving away at myself, worshipping cold. I feared that light and warmth were a trick, a tease, false offerings that lured you into relaxing, and just when you made yourself vulnerable, they would be seized. Better to adapt to the cold. Better to thrust the cold on oneself. Be prepared."
"...so I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, maybe even overindulged compared to what a normal person would eat. I wasn't sure exactly what that was yet, to eat normally. But I feasted on the food and the warmth, the cozy togetherness, and I realized that the food itself was only one part of what a person needed in order to be sustained."
"Why did it feel so much safer to be wanted or needed than to be the one who wanted or needed?"
"I was terrified of being rejected. I didn't want to be a loser. That was the word that came into my head whenever I ran the risk of caring about someone: loser."
"It was strange how we traveled together in my mind so easily across space and time, but we couldn't just be here together."
supercoolhotgirl's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
this book really hit home because i’m a queer jewish woman who loves food. it was so interesting and beautiful to discover the connections and parallels between food, love, sex, judaism, and motherhood. the role that motherhood plays in the book is sort of the catalyst for the entire story, and the main character often thinks of her sexual relationships as mother-daughter relationships. she doesn’t really feel any shame when she thinks things like that, which is also super interesting.
ermontgom's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
jordynisreading's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lilo23's review against another edition
2.0
i mean, what am i supposed to say? i feel like the concept as a whole is great but the way it’s written is not it
heybethrenee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
5.0
This book was intense. Not only was the descriptive language of food and the body absolutely beautiful, but the way absurdity and surrealism was used to portray the very real themes on motherhood, the body, and queerness was BRILLIANT.