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leortal's review
emotional
reflective
slow-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Eating disorder, Addiction, Infertility, Self harm, and Vomit
xbernadette's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Cancer, and Vomit
habitualrereader's review
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Vomit and Cancer
Minor: Abandonment and Medical content
veka's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.25
Really loved how they portrayed the complicated relationship between sisters. It was a bit triggering in parts, about sexuality and gut wrenching descriptions of eating disorders.
Overall, made me reflect on my immigrant identity as well as my relationship with my siblings.
Overall, made me reflect on my immigrant identity as well as my relationship with my siblings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Vomit and Panic attacks/disorders
_mininbooks_'s review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Eating disorder, and Cancer
Moderate: Abandonment and Bullying
alwaysravensade's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Sexual content, Cancer, Eating disorder, and Miscarriage
babbieabbi's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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
4.0
This book was a hard read for me, it hit very close to home at times. There are some beautiful family dynamics here, but I may not be in the best headspace right now for cancer stories. As TCP might say, cancer is quite the mindfuck, and I wasn’t ready
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Cancer and Vomit
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 :))
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Vomit, and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Cursing
sereia's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Vomit
Minor: Bullying
corriespondent's review
dark
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I felt pretty ambivalent about Yolk by Mary HK Choi as I was reading it, but after finishing the last couple chapters and closing the book, I think I… like it? Or appreciate it? Jayne is a Gen Z-ish Korean American living in New York, living a somewhat chaotic life and not really enjoying any of it, struggling with anxiety and an eating disorder (content warning). But she finds out that her kind of estranged older sister, June, has cancer, and this brings up all kinds of themes around immigrant families and the traumas that bind and divide them.
This book made me feel old; I mentally clucked my tongue at these younguns making terrible life choices in a Tinder world while feeling a kind of helpless compassion for them. I found almost all the characters rather unlikeable for most of the book, but they grew on me (and grew over the course of the book). And there is something kind of ironic or… freeing? to read Asian American characters who are not a model minority and a mere shiny sidekick.
So - I’m glad I finished it, but I am not sure I would read it again.
This book made me feel old; I mentally clucked my tongue at these younguns making terrible life choices in a Tinder world while feeling a kind of helpless compassion for them. I found almost all the characters rather unlikeable for most of the book, but they grew on me (and grew over the course of the book). And there is something kind of ironic or… freeing? to read Asian American characters who are not a model minority and a mere shiny sidekick.
So - I’m glad I finished it, but I am not sure I would read it again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit and Eating disorder
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Toxic relationship