Melissa Broder is back with another book that will certainly shock some and delight others. A story of identity, control, and pain, MILK FED follows Rachel as she navigates the world of food, pleasure, and show business. This book was nearly impossible to put down as it is so easy to get wrapped up in the spiral that is Rachel's life and her complicated relationship with Miriam. Altogether unpredictable and fresh, I would recommend giving MILK FED a try next Spring.

TW: eating disorders

I am truly on the fence about Milk Fed. One the one hand, I loved the story of the main character, Rachel, coming to terms with her toxic relationship with her mom, grappling her eating disorder, and coming into her own. What did not sit right with me was the borderline fetishization of the fat woman who is Rachel's love interest = Miriam. I'm still not sure where I stand on the combination of sexual pleasure and milk, but it's weird and I kind of dig it.

Overall, this book was quite odd. I love a good, quirky book, so this was a good read for me. Like I said above, I am unsure where I sit on the fetishization or just infatuation with Miriam. I do LOVE how Rachel, who identifies as bisexual, grapples with relationships, intimacy, and emotions. Overall - 3.5/5 stars.

I am torn about how to review this book. On the one hand, the story pulled me in immediately, and the main character was beautifully drawn. By the end, I was totally rooting for Rachel to find happiness, peace, and self acceptance. I like to think that in the end she does. My problem, is with the explicit sexual descriptions that permeate the story. I'm no prude, but there was just too much of it for me, and it ultimately spoiled my enjoyment of the book. Because this is an issue for me as a reader, and not a shortcoming of the work, I would encourage those who have no problem with such scenes to read it.

Thanks to Scribner and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Rachel is a woman obsessed with calorie counting and exercising. She loves getting the exact same frozen yogurt each day from the same staff person. When she sees a new staff working at the shop, she becomes a bit obsessed with them.

This book was kind of amusing at first but turned into basically an erotica with not much of a plot. I didn't really want to just read graphic sex scenes with not much else going on, but here we are.

The book started out interesting and I would have enjoyed it more if it hadn't just turned into erotica.

Really enjoyed this and will publish a positive review closer to publication as specified.
One thing to note is that the name “Jace Evans” is the name of an 11 yr old kid on mtv’s Teen Mom 2 franchise. That felt off to me.
Thanks for the ARC!

It's a fairly simple and straightforward queer love story, but I found it really charming and enjoyable. Rachel, the protagonist, is an LA stand-up comic and agency assistant with an eating disorder and lots of mommy issues. When we meet her, she meticulously counts her calorie intake and goes to outrageous lengths to eat as little as possible while still trying to fit in some enjoyment. Then a new employee shows up at her regular low-cal fro-yo spot and starts pushing extra toppings and extra fro-yo on her. She's flustered but finds she can't refuse. She starts falling for this woman, Miriam, who she learns is an Orthodox Jew (Rachel is culturally Jewish but agnostic). Miriam takes her out to a Chinese restaurant and teaches her the pleasures of ordering the pupu platter for 6 and eating it as 2. By being accepted as someone who eats like that and seeing a model of beauty in someone who's not LA-skinny, Rachel begins to loosen her rigid eating restrictions. There is a running image of Miriam being a golem created by Rachel to help herself get better, but this magical, mythical element is faint. Rachel's romance with Miriam also becomes an exploration of various forms of Judaism, both the comfort of its traditions and community and the complications of Zionism. It doesn't stray too much from the structure of a classic rom-com (girl with problems overcomes her problems by falling in love with someone exactly opposite from her), but it's not dumbed-down either. Broder has a softly poetic style that fits in great images and observations along the way. It moves along really quickly, with very short chapters that make it easy to read in stops and starts. I found myself appreciating a light story where problems aren't avoided but they're also not overwhelmingly apocalyptic or heavy. That's the escapism I need.

I picked up this book for two reasons: A- because a friend had raved over The Pisces, and B- I generally enjoy all queer/lesbian storylines. For the first 3/4 of the book I really disliked Rebecca. I found her very crass even while sympathizing with her traumatic relationship with her mother and eating disorder. However, in the final 1/4 of the book, I became even more sympathetic for her and found myself liking her more. I would say that I really liked the story going on in Milk Fed, but the amount of explicit sex in the book bordered along the lines of erotica and seemed a bit unnecessary at times.

I'm not sure what to make of this book. Maybe that's because I saw myself, described through the persona of Rachel, in clear, unvarnished prose doing frequently-unappetizing things, Milk Fed is a portrait of a floundering, aching young woman who is caught between her desire and the "rules"--many of her own making. The tension between those two things is almost unbearable at times, Although Rachel frequently veers deeply into self-loathing and seems hell-bent on blowing herself up, it's hard not to like her and impossible not to root for her. As she becomes more sure of what she wants, the small kernel of selfhood grows and blossoms and so does our respect for her. Is there a happy ending? No, not really...but it's not sad either. It's real. This is a story about love, lust, and ultimately--becoming.

A weird, wonderful queer book with great character development. It is really sensual and sexual and involves a lot of visions of food and women and Judaism and mothers. But it is also about a lapsed Jewish woman figuring herself out and becoming more comfortable in her body while falling for a fat Orthodox Jewish woman. With short chapters and wild imagery, it felt like a fever dream in the best possible way and I couldn't stop reading it.
It opens up important discussions of body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and how ideas about food & our bodies are passed down and internalized. There is also lots of interesting commentary about belonging in a family & a faith. I loved that our MC was an anti-Zionist Jew. The conversations about Israel were some of my favorite parts of the book.
This book somehow managed to be both disconcerting and really comforting. I know this book won't be for everyone, but I think it'll get a ton of love from the right audience. If you like Carmen Maria Machado's fiction, then put this on your radar.

TW: eating disorders, calorie counting, body dysmorphia

tysm to Scribner and NetGalley for the early e-copy. This comes out in February 2021 and the pre-order bonuses are amazing, so check out Melissa Broder's website and pre-order it from a participating indie like I'll be doing!!!

TW: Eating disorders.

I enjoyed this book, another weird-in-a-good-way novel by Melissa Broder. This book shared many of the characteristics that I really enjoyed about The Pisces - a troubled young woman narrator trying to find her correct place in the world and exploring that through sex and relationships with a twist. This book uses food and attitudes towards eating and indulging (in food, in sex, in life) as the central mechanism rather than a merman, and for this reason, I think that this will be a bit more accessible to certain readers who feel weird about a lil sci fi in their books.

With that said, I loved Broder's commitment to exploring the relationship between these two characters, between women and their bodies, between food and life.

thanks @netgalley and @scribnerbooks for my review copy of Milk Fed. I LOVED THIS GOSH DANG BOOK. This is one of my favorite books I have read this year. I almost DNF'd in the beginning because it had major ED triggers (more TW for body dysmorphia, fat phobia, sex) but I stuck with it and I am so so glad I did. Bookstagrammers @dclazygirl and. @suzyreadsbooks turned me onto this book and made me bump it up on my tbr list. I read Broder's essay collection a few years ago and loved it, but remember it made me uncomfy (in a good way) so I knew I had to be prepared for this one going in. I found it at the perfect time. The chapters are short and choppy and makes you want to keep reading, reading, no sleep, read some more, grab a bottle of wine, eat a shit load of snacks, read, read, read. Broder's prose is like word vomit in the absolute best way. She truly knows how to make your skin crawl in both utmost desire and complete resentment. Melissa Broder's descriptors make you crave your favorite foods and take your food triggers head on. She makes you straight up addicted to peeking deeper and deeper into Rachel, the narrator's head. She bothers you because she is you, but you also want to cuddle her. and lay your head on her soft, supple belly.

This book was so wonderful for me because the main focus of the entire book is a fat woman. I am a fat woman. And the fat woman in the story never ONCE brings up her own fatness. It is fucking great. But, her fatness is not glazed over, ignored, or loved "in spite of" by the narrator. She sees it, notices it, and loves it wholeheartedly. It reminded me that I am a fat goddess.

My favorite scene is probably when the Jewish narrator went on an anti-zionist rampage that mostly consisted of thought provoking questions tot he Jewish head of the household of the fat girl she is secretly loving. She didn't hold firm opposition because she doesn't have all the answers, which I thought was refreshing and reminded me to look more into the occupation of Palestine. The narrator held her ground as the head of the household tried to dominate the conversation and convince Jewish Rachel that she must hate herself if she didn't want Jews to be given their homeland. It was an amazing scene and it made me more than ever want this immediately in a tv series. PLEASE WRITE THIS INTO A TV SCREENPLAY. I am quite literally begging.

As a twenty-something woman raised by a mother who has her own body dysmorphia to grapple with, I never get sick of novels that take on mother/daughter dynamics. I didn't want this story to end. I am now a major Border super fan and am going to skyrocket her first novel up to my tbr list. This book is out in February and you all should preorder this crazy fever dream. LOOK AT THE COVER. Preorder. Preorder. Preorder. Give that designer a raise. "The world will hurt you again and again. You will hurt yourself again and again. And when it does, and when you do, you will remember me again and again. You will drop to your knees. You will hold yourself. You will be your own daughter again." <3

I really really really enjoyed this one. I had no idea what to expect and mostly chose it because of the bold cover. It kind of reminded me of Pizza Girl, both are about women trying to figure out what they want in love and in life. I've been "reading" mostly via audiobooks, but this was the first book book to hold my attention enough in over a month, mostly due to the short chapters which I sped through. Again, I really enjoyed this one and need to read more like it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for the early ebook. I was a huge fan of The Pisces and was very excited to receive this new one. Originally from New Jersey, Rachel is twenty four and living in Los Angeles. By day she works at a talent agency and at night she’s a fledgling stand up comic. And at all times she is thinking about food and the minimum amount of calories she can consume and still function. This comes from her mother, who she is trying to detox from by not talking to for the next ninety days. When Rachel meets Miriam, a young worker at a yogurt store, a world of foods and sensuality opens up for her. The book is written with such breezy fun, but always the true moments sneak up on you and make you examine your own life through all the laughter.

I just love the quirky and dirty mind of author, Melissa Broder. I absolutely loved her last novel, "The Pisces" and couldn't wait to read "Milk Fed".

I actually enjoyed this novel more. It's more accessible, relatable, and tugged at my heartstrings. This novel tackles some heavy subjects like eating disorders, body dysmorphia, religion, bisexuality, and emotional abuse. Rachel is a 24 year-old woman living in L.A. who struggles with her body/calorie counting/a shallow and controlling mother. With the advice of her therapist, Rachel stops all communication with her mother (a 90 day detox). Rachel eventually meets an overweight, Orthodox Jewish woman (Miriam) working at her favorite frozen yogurt shop. Rachel is sexually attractive to Miriam. She's envious of Miriam's body confidence. Miriam is determined to feed Rachel not just literally but metaphorically. There's some magical realism in this story. It wasn't overdone and it connects brilliantly to the overall theme/message of Rachel's insecurity when it comes to gaining weight and self-acceptance.

Broder is an expert when writing explicit sex scenes. Not for those are easily turned-off by lesbianism. But this book is more than steamy sex scenes. "Milk Fed" has so much emotional substance. I could feel empathy towards Rachel. All she wants is someone to mother her. She has never felt unconditional love in any capacity. The flashbacks to her unstable childhood were painful and yet so realistic. I don't think this book will be for everyone but Broder's writing is so fresh, witty, emotive, and full of personality. 5 stars all the way!

Thank you, Netgalley and Scribner for the digital ARC.

Release date: February 2, 2021

I was so excited to read Melissa Broder’s Milk Fed after having fallen in love with The Pisces. Milk Fed did not disappoint. This is a wonderfully unique and often humorous look at Rachel, a twenty-four-year-old aspiring stand-up comedian, who feels stuck in her life. She has been obsessed with counting every calorie and restrictive eating since childhood which her therapist attributes to her controlling and manipulative mother. Her therapist has recently suggested she cut off communication with her mom for a period. It’s during this time she meets Miriam, a zaftig Orthodox Jew who works at the frozen yogurt shop. Miriam begins to literally and metaphorically feed Rachel. Who will Rachel become when she is nourished from the inside out? How much power can a deep connection hold? Who will “mother” Rachel while her own mother is out of the picture? This is wonderfully rich novel about food, sex, friendship, lust and longing. Broder’s writing is sharp, tender, titillating and heartfelt. I loved it!

This is such an odd, yet compelling story. The main character, Rachel, has an office job in the entertainment industry by day and does stand up comedy by night. She obsessively monitors her caloric intake and exercises for hours for fear of growing fat, which would invite criticism from her Jewish mother. Apart from her jobs and eating disorder, Rachel doesn't seem to have much of anything for her. Her therapist suggests she take a communication detox from her mother, and this leads to some changes to her dietary habits. But even more so, it is Miriam, a fat Orthodox Jewish woman who starts working at Rachel's usual frozen yogurt spot, that causes these dramatic changes. Rachel is deeply attracted to her despite the fact (and perhaps precisely because) Miriam has a large body. Their relationship grows and morphs as Rachel's relationship with food does the same. Broder is graphic in describing both the sex and the food in this book, but there is so much more. There is a Jewish spiritual aspect that adds an interesting layer to what otherwise could have been a fluffy book. Likewise, the relationship between Rachel and her mother is alluded to, yet has so much influence and hold over Rachel's sexuality and eating. Broder explores all of these topics, each big on their own, without disturbing their interconnectedness. It's a strange story, and yet it works really well.

Milk Fed is an exciting story about a young woman brainwashed from an early age that she needs to be thin. Rachel lives in L.A. but is still tormented by her mother daily by text and phone. Rachel wants to be a stand-up comic and spends her day job at a talent agency, working with all the beautiful people who she only sees at young and skinny.

Rachel dreams about women but cannot accept that she could ever have a sexual relationship with a woman until she meets one who is kind and caring towards her. The added aspect of learning about Rachel's approach to Judaism is informative and reassuring, in the end.

Melissa Broder writes the most readable 21st-century story about eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and lesbian love. MB's skill at storytelling is timely and enjoyable.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. The book will be published in 2021.

While the writing was good, the book was very sexually graphic and I felt like it took away from the story line. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

As expected, I was absolutely blown away by Melissa Broder's ability to write a perfect novel. After adoring THE PISCES a few years ago, I have been itching to read more from her, and MILK FED 100% did not disappoint. This book is a sexually explicit and tender lesbian romance that is also completely wild and hard to put into words. Rachel, the main character, is a young stand up comic in LA who is battling a lifelong eating disorder which started via her mother has a child. As her world begins to open up on her own, and falling in love is coupled with learning how to love food again, the quiet story blossoms into a novel about desire, hunger, and motherhood in beautifully unexpected ways.

Broder is clearly one of my favorite authors now, and this book is not to be missed when it comes out in February 2021. Her writing is so easy to digest, but also nuanced and complicated; surreal and other-worldly. Her characters are heartbreakingly sad and, at the same time, heroic in their own small lives. This book also has an interesting through-line about Judaism which I found super compelling and unique. I can't wait for more and more from Broder, just like her characters crave more and more from life.

I love the story about relationships and all things dairy. It’s truly a unique love story that I would recommend to anyone.