Reviews with content warning for Racism - Rainbow Milk

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez

53 reviews

laurenw22's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

This was a stunning book. I loved almost every single part of it. Jesse’s voice as narrator was perfect - someone you wanted to protect when he was young and someone who became stronger and more assured at the book progressed. Personally, I didn’t find the graphic nature of the book off putting (though i didn’t expect it!)
A seriously good read and one that opens up topics about racism, family dynamics, religion and sexuality.

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gremilyemily's review against another edition

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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

4.5

i very much enjoyed this book and paul mendez' style of writing, it covered some emotional topics so be prepared (it's not a fun little easy read but it is deffo worth the read if ur in the right headspace for it !) i loved the way jesse waa written and how lottke snippets of his last were intergrated in his present story. the only bit i wasnt the biggest fan of was the fact norman's pov was only at the very start and then he became relevant at the end so there wasn't a lot inbetween about him and his life, which i would've enjoyed reading more about.

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bookshelfhannah's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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

4.5

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maddb_96's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.0

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sallygalula's review against another edition

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challenging dark inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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areadingstan's review

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dark emotional inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.75

‘What was life about other than to find someone whom you could share everything? Every thought, every success, every drama?’

This novel had been on my list for a long while, the final catalyst to read it being @sallygalulareads book club ‘Diversify Your Reading’. I got it out for the library without much expectation, but this turned out to be a masterpiece.

Rainbow Milk follows a young black boy named Jesse, who leaves behind an oppressive family structure in the Black Country and moves to London, with no concrete plans but the hope that he can be himself there. During his time in London, we follow along with Jesse’s experience exploring the gay scene, and settling into his queer identity that he had repressed for so long. We see him decide to become a sex worker in order to make ends meet in an environment filled with people who don’t see him as an equal.

I thought this was such a fresh and realistic coming-of-age story, and Mendez has really captured how it feels to be lost somewhere new, to not know where your life is going, but he still makes us feel like it is going to be OK. Mendez’s writing is also so intimate and vivid that I felt we were allowed to know so much of Jesse even though the narration was in the third person, and I felt very connected to him.

The descriptions are filled with so much detail, but it doesn’t feel overwhelming, more like Mendez is building up layers and layers of the city like a painting. It reminded me a lot of Bryan Washington’s Memorial, in the sense that there was a clear focus and theme that seemed to bring people together; in Washington’s novel this was food, but in Mendez’s, music filled this role. It was such a huge part of Jesse’s identity, and affected the way he saw himself and the world around him.

The book dealt with issues like racism, sex work, AIDS and family trauma (definitely check TWs) in a tender way, that showed us the experiences Jesse had and how they influenced his choices, but Mendez also showed us that Jesse is more than his trauma and negative experiences, and he was able to discover his own family, follow his passions and heal wounds that seemed like they’d never close.

Content Warnings

jessv's review against another edition

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sad 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

3.0

I have mixed feelings about this book and my rating is rounded down from 3.5 stars. I struggled to get into it (particularly with the explicit sexual content) and for some reason kept getting confused with the timeline.

However, once it reached the point when Jesse spends Christmas with Owen, it turned a corner for me somewhat.

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ramreadsagain's review

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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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louise010's review

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challenging emotional informative slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

196books's review

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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? It's complicated

3.75

Content Warnings

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