A review by horrorfan95
Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
3.0
Firstly let me start by admitting I myself have suffered from an ED exactly as described in the first half of this book. Although for some it may have been triggering, I personally found it interesting someone finally put it to words in such detail, the way it takes over your entire life. The protagonist is Rachel, a bisexual Jewish woman who works at a talent agency and moonlights as a stand up comic. Rachel suffers from an eating disorder brought on by her overbearing mother but when her therapist tells her to take a short "detox" from their relationship, Rachel finds herself unable to handle a slight change in her everyday lifem The change being a new cashier at her favourite frozen yogurt shop.
Rachel seems to like having control over things as illustrated by her severe eating disorder and strict routine, through out this book she seems to indulge in fantasies one might class as highlighting both penis-envy/mother issues. When she meets the new cashier at the frozen yogurt shop she sees in her, not only her own biggest fear (a larger woman) and her biggest wish (the ability to eat whatever she wants uninhibited) she then gradually swaps her obsession with counting calories and working out to an obsession with a slightly more devout Jewish woman (Miriam) who allows herself to eat anything she pleases as well as having a healthy relationship with her family. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the realistic progression of their relationship, I probably could have done without the mention of smelling shit during oral sex or the constant dreaming of a rabbi blessing their relationship.
When Rachel disagrees with Miriam's misinformed views on the situation between Israel and Palestine causing Miriam's family to kick Rachel from their home, Rachel almost immediately falls into the arms of "Jace" an underdeveloped character and an actor represented by the talent agency Rachel works at. She doesn't particularly enjoy the sex but uses it as a way to reaffirm to her co-worker she isn't "Gay" and is still attractive to men. This ultimately leads to her dismissal from the agency. The book later skips ahead a few years where Rachel no longer suffers from an eating disorder and works as a stand-up comic full-time, she runs into Miriam who has become a mother. Although this is his it ends it feels a bit rushed and I wish we got to learn more about Miriam and Rachel's Mother.
Rachel seems to like having control over things as illustrated by her severe eating disorder and strict routine, through out this book she seems to indulge in fantasies one might class as highlighting both penis-envy/mother issues. When she meets the new cashier at the frozen yogurt shop she sees in her, not only her own biggest fear (a larger woman) and her biggest wish (the ability to eat whatever she wants uninhibited) she then gradually swaps her obsession with counting calories and working out to an obsession with a slightly more devout Jewish woman (Miriam) who allows herself to eat anything she pleases as well as having a healthy relationship with her family. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the realistic progression of their relationship, I probably could have done without the mention of smelling shit during oral sex or the constant dreaming of a rabbi blessing their relationship.
When Rachel disagrees with Miriam's misinformed views on the situation between Israel and Palestine causing Miriam's family to kick Rachel from their home, Rachel almost immediately falls into the arms of "Jace" an underdeveloped character and an actor represented by the talent agency Rachel works at. She doesn't particularly enjoy the sex but uses it as a way to reaffirm to her co-worker she isn't "Gay" and is still attractive to men. This ultimately leads to her dismissal from the agency. The book later skips ahead a few years where Rachel no longer suffers from an eating disorder and works as a stand-up comic full-time, she runs into Miriam who has become a mother. Although this is his it ends it feels a bit rushed and I wish we got to learn more about Miriam and Rachel's Mother.