Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez

9 reviews

ramalam98'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. 

---

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

---

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

---

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

darkmattersoybean's review against another edition

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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Drug use, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Death, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Miscarriage

autiedragon'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.

---

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Physical abuse

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

Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

chig_flicks's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Xenophobia

Minor: Cancer, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Miscarriage

nikolas_fox's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.5

This book was something else. I received this in a subscription box and I was unsure if it was a book I would enjoy, and I was so wrong. This book was so honest and raw and hit straight into me at so many times. It looks generationally from East Indian immigrants to England, in the Black Country, all the way through 2016. We hit hard on the AIDS epidemic and all the loss that's involved with that. This book was just so amazing in so many ways, and there are lines that hit me hard from beginning to end. I am so glad I gave this book the chance it deserved and I expect to see great things from Paul Mendez in the future.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, and Racism

Moderate: Miscarriage and Sexual assault

booksjessreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny 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? No

4.25

I thought this book was an incredible debut and a really back-story for a character. A young black man who's life has been restricted by familial religious practices in Wolverhampton, soon transforms into someone who is exploring themselves and a new way of life in London. One thing I particularly loved about the novel was the depth of Jesse's character - particularly the ways he was shaped by his life at home and how he completely changes direction and I love his period of exploring what he likes and who he really is. 

The writing style was also good and I thought it flowed well and really brought the characters, their love and friendship to life. I will definitely give this a re-read and it is something that has stuck by me as one of my favourite LGBTQIA+ novels with a lot of representations across lots of different communities. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual assault

Minor: Miscarriage