A review by jane_reads_books
Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez

emotional reflective sad medium-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? No

4.75

I loved this book. It was so engaging, so thoughtful, so generous and so interesting. I loved the protagonist, Jesse. I would have given this book 5 stars but there is a pacing problem in about the final third section of the book - up until that point the pacing is slow and reflective and an incredibly in-depth character study which nonetheless does move the plot along nicely. Because of that, it first feels jarring to have the pace change suddenly, it also at many points felt like the ‘where are they now?’ part of a documentary, with updates on characters and their lives in the decade since you last heard about them seemingly thrown in quite unnaturally. But I loved it. In spite of the pacing issue, I was in tears as I closed this book. It was incredibly moving and clever and heartfelt, and made so many important points about gender, sexuality, religion, race, and masculinity. 
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