Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez

5 reviews

ramreadsagain's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"When did you last read a novel about a young, black, gay, Jehovah's Witness man from wolverhampton who flees his community to make his way in London as a prostitute?" - Bernardine Evaristo.

I really liked this story of family, religion, identity and nationality (and also daddy issues). It's written so tenderly in a way that makes you really feel what Jesse feels as he crashes through early adulthood. I also feel like I've learnt a lot from it.

The last 100 pages were less good, featuring a 14 year time jump where a lot has magically developed and improved without us able to actually see Jesse experience it. I also found some of the commentary in the final chapters a bit heavy-handed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Racism, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, War, and Homophobia

Minor: Outing, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

reshusky's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual assault

Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Racism

Minor: Police brutality, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage

uranaishi's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Child abuse, Cursing, Medical content, Mental illness, Outing, Racism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Self harm, and Sexual content

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia

Minor: Cancer, Cultural appropriation, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Slavery, and Terminal illness

auteaandtales's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

This was such a powerful story! I really enjoyed it, for the most part. It was very raw and emotional, yet somehow still quite funny in parts. As a white person myself, it was insightful in the life of a gay black man who grew up in a highly religious and abusive family, and what it was like to be a sex worker in the 2000’s. I believe this is Paul’s true story, told through Jesse, and I always find true (even semi-true) books hard to review, like reviewing someone’s personal life, but it was well written. 

My negatives though that I feel need to be said is that I found it odd how someone who is clearly intelligent, well read and educated and heavily left wing could still be fatphobic. It wasn’t frequent but it was frequent enough, and I expected it to be addressed or something at some point but it never was. He mentioned when someone was thin once as a positive, but all the occasions he mentioned someone was fat it was done negatively. 

I also didn’t like that it kept bouncing between timelines, by the end of the book it wasn’t as hard to follow but especially to begin with it was hard to know where we were in Jesse’s life and when. 

Definitely one to read for those interested! A solid four star read for me, I think.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Abandonment and Fatphobia

Minor: Cancer, Dementia, Miscarriage, Police brutality, and Pregnancy

thelightabyss's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Physical abuse

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Religious bigotry, Drug use, and Racial slurs

Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy