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marigo1ds's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Definitely avoid if you’re triggered by EDs. This book is definitely graphic.
I really loved Rachel’s complex relationship with food, sex, and mothers. All of it was so tangled up in her. I think you have to be a specific kind of person to like this novel. Definitely not for everyone.
I really loved Rachel’s complex relationship with food, sex, and mothers. All of it was so tangled up in her. I think you have to be a specific kind of person to like this novel. Definitely not for everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Sexual content
Moderate: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Religious bigotry
lauren71526's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Incest
mangofandango's review against another edition
challenging
fast-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
This was a really fast read for me, and while it certainly has some idiosyncrasies that may disagree with some people (and be warned, some major triggers for eating disorders and some sexual fantasies that involve incestuous elements), it really worked for me. I felt so much for the main character. It's worth saying, I suppose, that Rachel is problematic, frustrating, and uses people. But even when her choices made me cringe, I felt deep tenderness toward her. I wanted her to eat sundaes and Chinese food forever, and get to feel safely and fully loved and wanted. I wanted her to have a family that accepted her, and to stop talking to her actual mother for real, and to experience comfort and pleasure and freedom. There is so much vulnerability in this story, and bravery despite the intense and understandable protective urges she has to lock everything down and keep herself safe and deeply unhappy.
I thought this story resolved on the right note, too - not the fulfillment of everything I wanted for Rachel, but a realistic, satisfying, grief-tinged series of baby steps towards hope and comfort.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Incest, and Sexual content
onmalsshelf's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Thank you Libro.fm and Simon & Schuster Audio for this ALC in exchange of an honest review.
TRIGGER WARNING: Plot includes MAJOR inclusion of eating disorders, right from the start.
I had to mention that right off the get go because it appears no one else wants to even address that. I wanted to LOVE Milk Fed after someone I trust very much and have similar reading tastes to loved it. However, I can't say that.
If listening to on audio as I did - do not listen around anyone else or with any window partially down. Some people overhead it coming from my car in the Starbucks line and I got some very concerning looks. Perhaps it would've worked better for me had I read it as a physical copy?
If the talk of disordered eating didn't get you in the first six chapters, chapter seven may get you feeling very icky. I should've just stopped there.
Don't get me wrong, Milk Fed is very well written and the prose is beautiful, which is mainly the reason I'm giving it a 2 star rating. The plot and several plot points made me say, "what in the world am I listening to?". Plus, I'm not sure there would even be plot had it not been for the inclusion of disordered eating. I also did not find it 'scathingly' funny.
Redeeming quality - I did like the relationship between Rachel and Miriam throughout most of the book.
Also I will die on this rock - the cover is not a record as people say it is (are records even mentioned, I don't think so). I'll leave you think about that.
Other trigger warnings: incest dreams and homophobia
TRIGGER WARNING: Plot includes MAJOR inclusion of eating disorders, right from the start.
I had to mention that right off the get go because it appears no one else wants to even address that. I wanted to LOVE Milk Fed after someone I trust very much and have similar reading tastes to loved it. However, I can't say that.
If listening to on audio as I did - do not listen around anyone else or with any window partially down. Some people overhead it coming from my car in the Starbucks line and I got some very concerning looks. Perhaps it would've worked better for me had I read it as a physical copy?
If the talk of disordered eating didn't get you in the first six chapters, chapter seven may get you feeling very icky. I should've just stopped there.
Don't get me wrong, Milk Fed is very well written and the prose is beautiful, which is mainly the reason I'm giving it a 2 star rating. The plot and several plot points made me say, "what in the world am I listening to?". Plus, I'm not sure there would even be plot had it not been for the inclusion of disordered eating. I also did not find it 'scathingly' funny.
Redeeming quality - I did like the relationship between Rachel and Miriam throughout most of the book.
Also I will die on this rock - the cover is not a record as people say it is (are records even mentioned, I don't think so). I'll leave you think about that.
Other trigger warnings: incest dreams and homophobia
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Incest, and Homophobia
maybeillreadtoday's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
it was the fatphobia and the fetishization of fat women for me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Fatphobia and Incest
maggiekateb's review against another edition
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Incest
papercraftalex's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I'm going to be honest, I don't completely know how to rate this book. It's much more of a freudian character study than the romance I thought it would be. Certain parts of it were so disturbing but I couldn't put the book down; it was like watching a car accident. The writing was so well done and there were quotes that truly radiate through, but the plot was just lackluster, especially the ending. It falls into the "no happy endings for queer/mentally ill people" trope as well as a weirdly incestual mother fantasy and penis envy that makes Freud smile up at us. I wouldn't read this again but I truly don't know if I enjoyed it or not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Antisemitism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Homophobia, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
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