You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
this book was a lot of nothing, then everything all at once, then nothing through till the end; maybe I'd have liked it more if I had a sister... we will never know
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So raw and real
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Eating disorder
Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, Toxic relationship
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ok I loved this novel. I taught it in my American Ethnic Literature course and the theme is banned books. This book has been banned/challenged for its depiction of sex, alcohol use, and bulimia. The novel tells the story of Jayne and June, Korean-American sisters from Texas who both move to NYC (separately) to pursue their individual dreams. They're relationship is strained, and as the novel progresses, we slowly learn the reasons why. Jayne is bulimic and has been since she was a tween. June, her older, seemingly perfect sister reveals that she has cancer, and has stolen Jayne's identity because she was fired from her perfect job and doesn't have health insurance. As the novel unfolds, the, Jayne and June grow closer even as they fight and work to disentangle their messy lives.
This novel is beautifully written. I don't have any sisters but I FELT this relationship between Jayne and June. Their issues with their mother, their Korean-American identity, their quiet/absent father, all felt so real. A student in my course said he saw himself in the novel because he had such a similar upbringing. He also had the pressure of being Korean and American, he also grew up with body image issues because of the strict Korean beauty standards (and American, no doubt), and he even grew up in a similar location with parents who ran a local Asian restaurant! The similarities were uncanny. I appreciated so much that this book allowed this very quiet student who hadn't spoken all semester to feel seen. Because this book is about this very idea. The author even said in an interview that Asian Americans often try to make themselves invisible or try to minimize their pain or trauma because they feel like other racial groups have it so much worse. They're still trying to fit into the model minority myth, despite the harm of it. This book gives a voice to so many Asian Americans who feel like they have to make themselves small or quiet, to not be a burden, to not take up space. Both Jayne and June lose themselves to not burden other people. But both women ultimately take up space and speak. And we see them start to heal. And I love that we get to witness it.
This novel is beautifully written. I don't have any sisters but I FELT this relationship between Jayne and June. Their issues with their mother, their Korean-American identity, their quiet/absent father, all felt so real. A student in my course said he saw himself in the novel because he had such a similar upbringing. He also had the pressure of being Korean and American, he also grew up with body image issues because of the strict Korean beauty standards (and American, no doubt), and he even grew up in a similar location with parents who ran a local Asian restaurant! The similarities were uncanny. I appreciated so much that this book allowed this very quiet student who hadn't spoken all semester to feel seen. Because this book is about this very idea. The author even said in an interview that Asian Americans often try to make themselves invisible or try to minimize their pain or trauma because they feel like other racial groups have it so much worse. They're still trying to fit into the model minority myth, despite the harm of it. This book gives a voice to so many Asian Americans who feel like they have to make themselves small or quiet, to not be a burden, to not take up space. Both Jayne and June lose themselves to not burden other people. But both women ultimately take up space and speak. And we see them start to heal. And I love that we get to witness it.
I’ve been seeing Yolk by Mary H. K. Choi all over my timeline here and on Instagram for a while now, so when I saw it recommended on Scribd I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did - this book was excellent!
Jayne and her sister June both moved from Texas to New York City for college within a few years of one another. While they were inseparable as kids though, they’d grown distant in high school and now, as adults, they barely speak. When June gets diagnosed with cancer and Jayne finds her housing situation untenable though, the two move in together and try their best to be there for one another, even though they’re not entirely sure how to anymore. In addition to the story about Jayne’s and June’s relationship with one another, the book also deals with Jayne’s relationship with her body (she struggles with anorexia and bulimia, and has since high school), her mother, and men.
While the majority of Yolk is told in the present tense from Jayne’s point of view, there are a couple flashbacks to the girls’ childhood to provide context for their relationships with one another and their mother.
The characters in this book were so wonderfully written, with full backgrounds and personalities. Neither Jayne nor June were what I’d call “likeable” characters. They often screw up, hurt one another, and make bad decisions. But I loved them both, and Choi did a beautiful job of showing how much they loved one another and their parents.
Jayne and her sister June both moved from Texas to New York City for college within a few years of one another. While they were inseparable as kids though, they’d grown distant in high school and now, as adults, they barely speak. When June gets diagnosed with cancer and Jayne finds her housing situation untenable though, the two move in together and try their best to be there for one another, even though they’re not entirely sure how to anymore. In addition to the story about Jayne’s and June’s relationship with one another, the book also deals with Jayne’s relationship with her body (she struggles with anorexia and bulimia, and has since high school), her mother, and men.
While the majority of Yolk is told in the present tense from Jayne’s point of view, there are a couple flashbacks to the girls’ childhood to provide context for their relationships with one another and their mother.
The characters in this book were so wonderfully written, with full backgrounds and personalities. Neither Jayne nor June were what I’d call “likeable” characters. They often screw up, hurt one another, and make bad decisions. But I loved them both, and Choi did a beautiful job of showing how much they loved one another and their parents.
This book hurts. bad. its written beautifully and feels as if the author tore open her ribcage. i will be thinking about this book for days on end, there are just so many quotes that will ring in my ears for times to come.
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes