Andrew Thomas Breslin’s, “Mother’s Milk” is a satirical novel that tackles the dairy conspiracy: we as humans drink milk from a mammal that does not even drink its own milk after birth. Cindy Kichlklug is a young lawyer who teams up with the quirky mathematician, Eddie to sue and exploit the truths about the dairy industry. Breslin’s story introduces aliens from the star Vega that aim to control the world through the consumption of dairy. As Cindy and her team, the True Foods Project unravel the secrets about the milk world, what they find will surely get the reader thinking about human nature, politics and control, and what it is they really are consuming when they reach for dairy.
Breslin’s characters are humorous and unique and this science fiction world he creates is strangely fantastic. I am not usually a fan of science fiction, but Breslin manages to intertwine the milk phenomena in a creative and honest way with appreciation to the power of voice and the origins of language. At times I felt like the author was speaking directly to me about the derivation of words, teaching me how over time they have changed and picked up other influences to mean other things. Breslin uses this as a metaphor to show how culture affects behavior and dictates what humans believe to be true about society. “Mother’s Milk” is an interesting and entertaining read from cover to cover and is a story that, milk fans or not, will nurse any reader. ( )

Andrew Thomas Breslin’s “Mother’s Milk” attracted me for two reasons. First, I hate milk and have problems with dairy and secondly, because I love a good conspiracy theory. The novel starts out slowly, and I began to think it was all going to be a novel full of jargon and etymology I didn’t really understand but appreciated. But of course, Breslin didn’t throw anything in there without a purpose and it all plays out into a crazy, fast-paced story that the reader can’t put down without anxiously anticipating what is going to happen next.

The story follows Cindy Kicklklug, a lawyer and dessert-lover who got involved with the True Foods Project, headed by in an effort to make a living. She quickly finds out they aren’t the most organized group ever, and when the office explodes one day just after she left it, she realizes there may have been more to the project than just a bunch of wacked-out people creating conspiracies. Release the milk thugs and insert Logan, the old founder and lawyer of the True Foods Project, and Eddie, the loveable mathematician who only wants the world to be as excited about his discovery as he is.

The general premise – without giving too much away! – involves a group of aliens from the planet Vega that have been trying to control (and inevitably destroy) the world via lactose. The history and etymology Breslin incorporates leaves you wondering what ELSE your history teachers were leaving out. It is also is very reminiscent of Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” in it’s style and fast-paced movement with little comprehension of the actual details. But unlike Da Vinci’s secrets, the dairy conspiracy is very relatable and brings up a lot of good points about our society; namely, why ARE we the only species to drink another species milk? And we do we put a bunch of stuff in our body we aren’t equipped to digest? Who decided this? Breslin has a knack for taking something you may have only passed over in thought and making you believe that he may not be far off the mark. He is also a very skilled writer, with the ability to intertwine intelligence, excellent writing, a good story, and TONS of humor all in one novel. I would definitely recommend “Mother’s Milk” for those who possess even the smallest amount of intolerance for dairy and a huge love for conspiracies and good writing. ( )

Andrew Thomas Breslin’s “Mother’s Milk” is a chaotic intertwining of culture, etymology, global conspiracies and terrifying heroics: all of which converge as a result of dairy consumption. Littered throughout with literary quotations surrounding milk, its origin and spiritual influences, the novel encompasses a huge breadth of social history, making for a complex overlap of ideas so involving that fiction and truth become mangled together.

What begins as an investigation into the potentially harmful consequences of cow milk by the spunky and sarcastic Cindy Kichlklug, attorney at law, transforms into a full-fledged war involving: the entire dairy industry, an eccentric and socially-inept mathematician, an underground milk resistance, and a coercive dictatorship of unimaginable influence.

At once mysterious, intriguing, cynical and witty, Breslin’s work astutely observes the nature of law, politics, and survival. After completing “Mother’s Milk,” I hesitate to dilute my coffee with milk, leaning instead towards the alternative of the resistance: mind-freeing soy. ( )

Mother's Milk was, simply put, a blast to read. It is the story of a young lawyer named Cindy Kichlklug (a last name contrived by the author, I am convinced, purely to confound his readers for his own entertainment) who agrees to represent a fringe advocacy group called the True Foods Project. At first, they seem to be a harmless bunch of lunatics with a grudge against the dairy industry, but she quickly learns that there is far more their story, much to her dismay.

This is a story that I was really able to appreciate right from the beginning. It was written by an author with a vivid imagination and a deep appreciation of language. The story moves at an appropriate pace, not going from the mundane to the absurd so fast that its entirely implausible. The reader is gently (or occasionally explosively) walked through the layers of the plot. Breslin is a man inspired, mixing bits of trivia with a sharpened, sarcastic wit and an ability to tell a completely bizarre and yet somehow totally believable story. As the story progresses, it takes on an almost dystopian feel right out of Orwell, Huxley, or Zamyatin.

All things considered, I highly recommend Mother’s Milk to anyone who appreciates a well-written story. Even if you do not normally like the science-fiction genre, give this book a chance. You won’t be disappointed. ( )

Mother's Milk is an entertaining read. It's the story of a lawyer named Cindy who takes on a case against the milk industry. She soon realizes, however, that there's more to milk than meets the eye.

While the story does start off slow, it gets better once the plot picks up. There's explosions, gunshots, the works. The characters are very likeable. I particularly liked Cindy's constant sarcasm. It's a mystery about cows and aliens--what's not to like? I really liked the ending as well; not what I expected. All in all, a great read...but I'll still be enjoying my ice cream on a regular basis. ( )