Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi

43 reviews

sydneyhenshaw's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I honestly had no idea what to expect from this book, I just saw recommendations and I’m so glad I decided to read it. Their story is truly intriguing and also taught me so much about Korean American culture. I appreciated the rawness and

genuinely couldn’t believe when her sister stole her identity, though I could at the same time. Thank you to the fucked up American health care system.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Eating disorder, and Cancer

classicpseudonym's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

this book depicts a raw, human experience so damn well. given i haven’t been through a fraction of what the protagonist - jayne - has, but i felt so much emotion reading choi’s narration of her thought processes alone. i especially related to jayne’s constant need for distractions - thus her relationship with the city - and her inherent belief that new environments and her appearance will give her a fresh start and make people treat her a certain way. and overall the untethered nature of jayne’s actions due to her never feeling grounded, in control, or present in her body is subtly expressed but adds tremendously to the scattered feeling readers get thanks to choi’s well written narration. it’s worth noting that i’m lucky to have never experienced mental illness to the extent to which jayne does, but this book truly made me realize the extent to which illness - both mental and physical - consumes the conscience of so many. choi perfectly encapsulates that feeling of having no control of what’s happening around you or your reaction - or lack thereof, and the overall numbness jayne experiences at points throughout the book. in combination with her vivid flashbacks to a slew of childhood memories and strained familial relationships as well as disturbing and heartwarming encounters, so many moments in this book were so palpable that they left me numb with emotion. and don’t get me started on jayne’s interactions and dynamics with other people because the push/pull there is so well done i could go on for days. basically, hats off to choi!!! i will say this book is pretty triggering and i did have to put it down at some points because of that, but it does a really good job representing a tumultuous yet heartwarming narrative. so if you want to feel big feelings, give it a read :))

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Vomit, and Mental illness

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Cursing

lauren_mansfield0201's review

emotional funny hopeful sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Eating disorder, Infertility, Medical content, Racism, Self harm, Cancer, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Vomit, Blood, and Panic attacks/disorders

motz_stick's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

Perfectly Mundane

I was hesitant to continue this book after some mental health struggles caused me to read at such a slow pace, but I’m forever grateful I did. This book was so beautifully written that I feel like I lived another life. It’s pacing and content felt so realistic. It’s the perfect slice of life book because it’s messy and has ups and downs. I also found comfort in the writing, the descriptions of mental illness made me feel understood and less alone. Although this book may not be for everyone I adored it and would love to read more of Choi’s writing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Grief, Self harm, Addiction, Alcohol, Vomit, Body shaming, Medical content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Medical content, Miscarriage, Sexual harassment, Death, Infertility, and Sexual assault

lunep's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Cancer, Cursing, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infertility, Medical content, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Dysphoria, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Pregnancy, and Vomit

Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content

entropyseeker's review

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

3.75

This book got much better in the last 15%, but before that it was a little rough to keep reading a character that felt so unlikeable to me. There was also a romance that felt unnecessary and just thrown in for the hell of it. The last part of the book feels like all of the characters are completely different, which makes sense if the main character's, Jayne, perspective shifts on them, but it felt rather jarring and confusing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Child death, Sexual assault, Rape, and Eating disorder

talonsontypewriters's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Medical content, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Cancer

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Drug use, Vomit, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Abandonment, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Sexism, Racism, Blood, and Grief

Minor: Infertility, Child death, Excrement, Ableism, Pedophilia, Death, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Child abuse, and Racial slurs

gabertron's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder and Cancer

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Sexual assault

gokujyoufiction's review

dark emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book absolutely wrecked me. The sister dynamic, Jayne’s insecurities, all of it just hit so close to home it kind of hurt. The writing is absolutely gorgeous and Choi knows how to discuss intense subject matter without it feeling unnecessarily provocative or disrespectful. I highly recommend if you want something that makes you feel something but be ready to cry.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Vomit, Cancer, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Bullying, and Racial slurs

Minor: Sexual assault

ryliereadss's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I knew this book was emotional but whew! Very emotional, complicated characters, and family secrets. I never imagined sisters interacting like Jayne and June do. Jayne’s self destruction sexually and physically made me really sad. I liked the ending, there are still questions at the end but enough questions are answered for me to be happy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Blood, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Cancer

Jayne has bulimia and there’s a scene towards the end of her bingeing and purging. There’s also a scene of June in the bathtub during a heavy period flow and Jayne thinks she’s committed suicide at first.