THE PLOT: ‘Milk Fed’ by Melissa Broder is a contemporary coming-of-age and lesbian romance novel. Rachel is a lapsed Jew who has made calorie restriction her religion. With an obsessive diet and exercise regime, she only has time for her day job at an LA talent agency and nights as a stand-up comic. But then she meets Miriam, a plus-size, orthodox Jewish woman who embodies everything Rachel fears yet desires. The two grow closer as Miriam is intent on feeding Rachel and both have an awakening to fill their physical and sexual appetites.

RATING: This character-driven novel will delight anyone who likes millennial musings and books about mental health. I felt Rachel’s emotional state so vividly through the pages and I immediately wanted to spend time with such a complex character. It’s raw narration and explicit sexual depictions won’t be for everyone, but this book drew me in and I appreciate the unique story that the author has created. Despite some slow chapters, I’m giving this novel three and a half stars and I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a sapphic novel.

GOOD BITS: The writing style of this book really appealed to me, as first-person, present narratives always feel very appropriate for stories that centre around mental health. I truly felt like I was living in Rachel’s head and experiencing the world through her eyes. The depiction of Judaism was interesting and liked how both characters had different approaches to their faith. For example, the Israel-dinner-debacle was painful to read but great for tension and plot development. Usually, I don’t seek out spicy books but the depictions of sex were so raw and powerful, I felt they were very appropriate and well done.

NOT SO GOOD BITS: While I read this book really quickly, I felt myself skimming at points. It was very introspective and my eyes glazed over a tad. This is a character driven novel but I wanted a tiny bit more drama or external plot to spice it up. I also felt that Rachel recovered from anorexia a little too quickly. I guess it’s not really recovery (no spoilers!) but I wanted more depiction of the struggle to abandon her disordered thinking.

OVERALL: I’d recommend this book to fans of ‘Rubyfruit Jungle’ by Rita Mae Brown, ‘Sorrow and Bliss’ by Meg Mason and ‘A Room Called Earth’ by Madeleine Ryan. If you’re looking for an honest depiction of mental health struggles, a spicy lesbian romance and a complex, quirky main character, this ticks all of the boxes.

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