A review by extracelestial
Milk Fed by Melissa Broder

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I know this book is decisive but I really enjoyed it. To me it reflected how much we, especially women, are raised to suppress and deprive ourselves, and how learning to live outside that mindset can be difficult and messy. A lot of the book was crude, but it felt honest to me, likely because I read a lot of romance and the explicit desire and lust felt like a small way Rachel was getting closer to appreciating her own body as she learned to regulate. I certainly don’t think this is for everyone, but it was the right amount of mess and transformation for me.

PS - It was incredible to read this book in December 2023, 60+ days into the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Some moments of confronting Zionism in the book feel otherworldly, knowing that these conversations have been happening for decades. I really felt for Rachel during the confrontation with Miriam’s mom— a real mourning for my Jewish friends who have had part of their identity/culture weaponized against them as they question Israeli occupation and speak up for Palestinian liberation.
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