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oatmilky's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
slow-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? Yes
3.5
Unique indeed
Gay manic pixie dream girl
Pudgy critique of capitalism, likes to talk shit of the super rich but lands in some weird mushy feely neoliberal thing.
Beautiful imagery sometimes doin a lil too much with the food
Kind of tired trope of like, Asian girl pigeonholed into being quiet and submissive / all asians are the same type beat
Will remember this one for a while! Ultimately cool read tho, would rec for the experience
Gay manic pixie dream girl
Pudgy critique of capitalism, likes to talk shit of the super rich but lands in some weird mushy feely neoliberal thing.
Beautiful imagery sometimes doin a lil too much with the food
Kind of tired trope of like, Asian girl pigeonholed into being quiet and submissive / all asians are the same type beat
Will remember this one for a while! Ultimately cool read tho, would rec for the experience
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Racism
auudrey's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
4.5
“Outside the grass was scant and dead in below my pane of mountain sky, smog clung to the lowlands like scum on stock, one unending gray season. But on my tongue, it was summer and it was spring and seasons flourished and vines ran high. Butter and fruit: my mouth an orchard in the sun.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, and Classism
shubka's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This dystopic future seems all to real & plausible- which made it difficult to read at times. The food & cooking imagery is what kept me reading as the story unfolded slowly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
slimyfan's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Beautiful book; amazing descriptions
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Racism, and Xenophobia
alleahwebb's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
teanahk's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
An interesting, somewhat unlikeable cast of characters.
Full of sumptuous descriptions of food.
Full of sumptuous descriptions of food.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Child death
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Racism
Minor: Sexual assault
kaiyakaiyo'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
a bit literary for my personal tastes; i expected this to be stranger and more speculative than it was. i also don’t love time skips; the last 50 pages felt like watching a movie with the second speed of fast forward on.
that being said, i liked this! at risk of sounding silly, i like books about girlfailure, bc lowkey i feel like im in a low point in life and like reading about other people waiting for their next upswing. the chef mc is at a really low point and only a brush with insane rich people can snap her out of it. also her emotional support cat is so real.
im being goofy but truly i felt so much of her hopelessness, lack of luster, lack of drive. she let that dark cloud (literally and figuratively) push her into a place where her living was carved out solely at the expense of others, the exclusion of others, and became more miserable as a result. reconnecting with humanity both at a grand level and individually gave her what she needed, and sometimes that’s the exact push i need: to go outside and share an aisle with people at tj maxx. to go out for drinks when im tired. feeling less like an individual and more like a community, a true community, really does bring the color back into life, and that was beautifully rendered in this book.
the descriptions of food are lovely, though if you are as uneducated as i am, have a dictionary out lol. the prose is crisp but not overly so, and the descriptions are sensory in just the right way for a book based on pleasure and joyfinding. thank you to my local bookstore for a quick 2nd read of the year
that being said, i liked this! at risk of sounding silly, i like books about girlfailure, bc lowkey i feel like im in a low point in life and like reading about other people waiting for their next upswing. the chef mc is at a really low point and only a brush with insane rich people can snap her out of it. also her emotional support cat is so real.
im being goofy but truly i felt so much of her hopelessness, lack of luster, lack of drive. she let that dark cloud (literally and figuratively) push her into a place where her living was carved out solely at the expense of others, the exclusion of others, and became more miserable as a result. reconnecting with humanity both at a grand level and individually gave her what she needed, and sometimes that’s the exact push i need: to go outside and share an aisle with people at tj maxx. to go out for drinks when im tired. feeling less like an individual and more like a community, a true community, really does bring the color back into life, and that was beautifully rendered in this book.
the descriptions of food are lovely, though if you are as uneducated as i am, have a dictionary out lol. the prose is crisp but not overly so, and the descriptions are sensory in just the right way for a book based on pleasure and joyfinding. thank you to my local bookstore for a quick 2nd read of the year
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Vomit
rmperezpadilla's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Classism
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Cancer and Vomit
Deals frequently with not onlycorirose's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I really struggled to get through this. The word “sensual” comes up in a lot of reviews and I think there was way too much reliance on that mood/style vs pulling me along a coherent and engaging plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Xenophobia
savvylit's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Land of Milk and Honey is a triumph. An exquisite masterpiece. First of all, it is perhaps the most evocatively sensual book I have ever encountered. Food and the pleasure that it provides are a primary theme and each page is absolutely dripping with delicious imagery & description. Second of all, Land of Milk and Honey is a searing dystopia that raises many questions about ethics in a barren future. Is preserving what we've lost a worthy endeavor? Should we mourn our losses or should we adjust to the potential of an entirely new way of living?
Thirdly, Land of Milk and Honey is also a critique of anti-Asian sentiment and stereotyping in the culinary world and beyond. For one: Francophilia still dominates the industry to the detriment of nearly every other regional fare. Lastly, and certainly not least, this novel is a literary romance that is nuanced, sexy, and devastating. The sensual descriptions that Zhang so expertly applies throughout the novel don't only apply to cuisine.
Zhang's debut, How Much of These Hills is Gold, is one of my favorite books. Land of Milk and Honey has already joined its predecessor as a book that I will never stop recommending. C Pam Zhang is just such a brilliant writer. Her words are crisp, immersive, delectable, and - dare I say - near perfection. Consider me a lifelong devotee of her work.
Thank you so much @riverheadbooks for sending me an advance reader copy of Land of Milk and Honey in exchange for my honest review! I nearly cried when I opened this mail. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thirdly, Land of Milk and Honey is also a critique of anti-Asian sentiment and stereotyping in the culinary world and beyond. For one: Francophilia still dominates the industry to the detriment of nearly every other regional fare. Lastly, and certainly not least, this novel is a literary romance that is nuanced, sexy, and devastating. The sensual descriptions that Zhang so expertly applies throughout the novel don't only apply to cuisine.
Zhang's debut, How Much of These Hills is Gold, is one of my favorite books. Land of Milk and Honey has already joined its predecessor as a book that I will never stop recommending. C Pam Zhang is just such a brilliant writer. Her words are crisp, immersive, delectable, and - dare I say - near perfection. Consider me a lifelong devotee of her work.
Thank you so much @riverheadbooks for sending me an advance reader copy of Land of Milk and Honey in exchange for my honest review! I nearly cried when I opened this mail. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism