Milk Fed — Melissa Broder
Summary
“Milk Fed” tells the story of a young woman, Rachel, who has struggled with an eating disorder for years alongside the unstable relationship dynamic with her mother. After regular trips to the local frozen yogurt shop, Rachel finds herself intrigued by the new cashier, Miriam. As Rachel falls for Miriam, she becomes more comfortable in her skin, navigating her relationship with food, exploring her sexuality, and steering clear of the negativity from her mother. When religious beliefs come into the mix, Rachel finds herself at a fork in the road where she has to decide if this hidden love is worth the fight.
TW: Eating Disorder, Graphic Sexual Content, Homophobia
Review
Usually, I at least read the back cover of a book before diving in. This time, this was not the case. After finding the novel on a “To Read” list from one of my favorite influencers, I felt obligated to read it since she mentioned liking the book so much. At first, the story starts very slowly, and it seems as if there is not really a direction in which the plot will go. However, there comes a time in the book where it speeds up very quickly, and the characters/plot get heated. I would definitely not recommend this book to someone who is not into “smut”, because the scenes in this love story are far beyond smut. However, I really appreciate the author’s true nature in telling the story of a queer relationship. The book captures the sensitive nature of navigating queer love in the presence of low sense of self, religious affiliation, and internalized homophobia.
Overall, I found Milk Fed to be a quick read packed with layers to peel away as you read on. However, I will say that the beginning of the novel had me tempted to put the book down or start another book. If you want to read, you have to be patient to unravel the exciting plot.
I recommend this to . . .
Those who love a good, queer love story.
Readers who love stories that dive deep into the dirty, intimate, heated side of things.
Queer readers who are Orthodox Jewish.
Readers who can relate to struggles with their self-image or internalized homophobia.
