Reviews with content warning for Cancer - Yolk

Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi

365 reviews

nataliexf's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad 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

4.5

I can see why some people didn’t enjoy the book because yeah, the characters are not exactly likable people. but wow to me it was so emotionally raw and it made me both laugh and cry inside. there were some points where the dialogue felt a little cringe but other than that I really just surrendered myself to the characters’ rollercoaster of thoughts and let choi run with it. maybe it’s because I’ve known a young person get cancer and how that makes the people around them feel or that internal battle of loving and missing your family members even when they do all sorts of toxic things but from start to finish I couldn’t put this one down.

Content Warnings

classicpseudonym's review against another edition

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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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starbeans's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

Jayne is a young Korean-American woman living in New York after moving out from her parents’ house in Texas. Her older sister, June, moved to the city a few years before her. While Jayne’s life consists of dealing with her faulty apartment, skipping college classes, fighting with her situationship, getting sloppy drunk with her friends, and a heavy case of binge-eating and bulimia, June’s world is seemingly perfect, with a high-paying job in hedge funds. The two sisters seem nothing alike and apparently can’t really stand each other.
That is, until June discovers she has cancer.

It’s a heartwarming, funny, and gut-wrenching story all at the same time. It’s written incredibly well, the characters are fleshed out, and I love how unreliable Jayne is as a narrator. The ending (tiny spoiler) doesn’t really give any closure to the reader plot-wise, but it ends at a really, really good point nonetheless. Nothing but love for this book, practically inhaled it.

Content Warnings

jada_banks's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

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lauren_mansfield0201's review against another edition

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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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amacaroni33's review against another edition

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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

4.75

I found myself moved by Jayne and June's story. Family illness, generational trauma, and self-loathing are themes I know all too well. I appreciate how this book approached delicate topics such as cancer and ED in a realistic but respectful manner.

Seeing the world through Jayne's eyes and hearing her innermost thoughts and sarcastic remarks gave this story extra zest, its own distinct personality. In a lot of ways, Jayne represents all of us first-gen 20-something-year-olds who feel overlooked. Following her story made me think "Ah yes, there's another person who gets it." I hope everyone gives this book a chance, even if its subject matter seems uncomfortable at first. It covers a unique perspective most people don't read about as much.

Content Warnings

peachflavorr's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-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

5.0

Content Warnings

aweekinthelife's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad fast-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

jayne, the protagonist, is so infuriating in her destructive energy but in a very realistic way. a well-written family with messy and complicated but also understandable/relatable family dynamics. i don’t think the characters are meant to be lovable or for readers to agree with (most) of their choices but i did appreciate the growth throughout the course of the book.

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blyttgh's review against another edition

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challenging 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

4.5

12/05/23
“… and we’ll both keep ignoring it because breaking character would reveal how fucking embarrassing it all is.” 184

“I’m partial to oat milk, bands no one cares about, white boys who hate me, trust-fund poverty, and I still think tattoos are subversive even though literally every-fucking-body has one.” 248

“He leans over to get a condom, and he checks in again and I say good again, and as I watch him, I realize I’ve always looked away for this part, as if not to be complicit, so later when the regret comes, I can blame everyone but myself.” 327

Content Warnings

sakisreads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

I was honestly so rattled by this book. A friend had mentioned that this one was good to read because I’d thoroughly enjoyed ‘Disorientation’ by Elaine Hseih Chou.

I was not expecting this depth of humanness, right down to all the upsetting content (content warnings below). But I loved Jayne for all her fucked up energy and for finally owning it, and I loved June for her fierceness, especially at the end.

Imagine getting fired because you stole a Supreme ashtray 😂

I’m going to be thinking about this book for a while now. 4 out of 5 stars, thank you ✨

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