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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
dark
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
challenging
emotional
medium-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
If the first 200 pages were cut out, it'd be 3 stars. We get it, you live in New York and you hate yourself.
The writing style was something like Sally Rooney meets John Green, which works really well for that gray area in between YA and Adult fiction in which this book exists.
i picked up this book purely because i thought the cover looked cool lmao. but i was really glad i did because i fell in love with choi's writing style! i'm a sucker for contemporary that is well-written, and this book definitely fits that description. the story was so moving too. the main character's pain really resonated with me; from her insecurities to her eating struggles, everything just hit close to home. the family dynamic in the story also felt very real. it was hard to choose a 'side' of who was right and who was wrong when it came to family struggles. i loved how we learned what happened to the mom at the end of the book; it was a plot twist that i really didn't expect and made me feel for the character so much more. overall, the story was moving, the characters were compelling, and the writing style inspired me to start writing again in my free time! i thoroughly enjoyed this book!
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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
Disclaimer: this was NOT a feel good read!! It’s the opposite. A feel-bad read.
Yolk is about a Korean American girl, Jayne, who struggles with body/self image issues and bulimia. She has a complicated relationship with her older sister, June, who has always been the golden child of the family.
Jayne and June can be extremely mean to each other at times, though deep down, they really do care. The characterization of these two seemed exaggerated in a way, especially as both are undergoing their own hardships. I know the characters are not meant to be liked, but reading this put me into a little bit of a reading slump just because it was challenging to read how awful they were both being.
This was a frustrating read as much as it was real. Jayne is a deeply insecure, toxic person (both of herself and to those around her). Her life is a complete mess and there’s always tension when she interacts with family. But I came away rooting for her (and June) to be happy. I think this book did well exploring aspects of Asian American struggles as well (being raised by immigrant parents and the expectations of success that come along with that, the self image issues that come with years and years of body shaming).
This was also the most graphic description of bulimia that I’ve read, and it is now something seared into my mind. Definitely an important issue to address. My favorite part of the book came down to the last few pages, which showed true character development and outright love. Made me shed a tear.
Yolk is about a Korean American girl, Jayne, who struggles with body/self image issues and bulimia. She has a complicated relationship with her older sister, June, who has always been the golden child of the family.
Jayne and June can be extremely mean to each other at times, though deep down, they really do care. The characterization of these two seemed exaggerated in a way, especially as both are undergoing their own hardships. I know the characters are not meant to be liked, but reading this put me into a little bit of a reading slump just because it was challenging to read how awful they were both being.
This was a frustrating read as much as it was real. Jayne is a deeply insecure, toxic person (both of herself and to those around her). Her life is a complete mess and there’s always tension when she interacts with family. But I came away rooting for her (and June) to be happy. I think this book did well exploring aspects of Asian American struggles as well (being raised by immigrant parents and the expectations of success that come along with that, the self image issues that come with years and years of body shaming).
This was also the most graphic description of bulimia that I’ve read, and it is now something seared into my mind. Definitely an important issue to address. My favorite part of the book came down to the last few pages, which showed true character development and outright love. Made me shed a tear.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Vomit