Reviews tagging 'Vomit'

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi

196 reviews

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit and Eating disorder

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Toxic relationship

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

iankomac's review

emotional reflective slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Vomit, and Rape

zoegg's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

when i started this book, i never thought i would finish it feeling so strongly about it. the characters are all insufferable at one point or another in the story, and yet i felt strangely endeared to them as well. i feel like anyone (SPECIFICALLY girl or afab person) who has experienced a complicated love/hate relationship with a sister (or someone like it) is going to feel this story deep deep in their heart (i know i sure did).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder

Moderate: Vomit and Cancer

tinytrashqueen's review

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Cancer, Medical content, and Infertility

iabsolutelydespisesoggytomatos's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Cancer, Vomit, and Alcohol

Moderate: Medical trauma, Sexual content, Mental illness, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, and Terminal illness

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

abitbetterbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Alcohol, Vomit, Eating disorder, Cancer, and Medical content

Moderate: Racial slurs

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

camillesim's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad fast-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

4.5

I loved this book. Choi takes such care in writing about the very sensitive topics covered in this book, even including a content warning at the beginning. 

The characters felt so real and multidimensional. I feel like they’ll stick with me for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Eating disorder, and Self harm

Moderate: Blood, Infertility, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Miscarriage, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Mental illness