Reviews tagging 'Death'

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi

18 reviews

starzreads's review against another edition

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3.5

 3.75 ✩

“Every time someone hurts you, you find a way to hurt yourself ten times worse.”

Yolk is an honest look into trauma, healing, sisterhood and most prominently the relationship we have with ourselves. It was an introspective read for me even though Jayne the main character of this book couldn't be more different than me. It in fact helped me process the trauma of losing a loved one so I think I'll always remember it for that. I enjoyed the journey this book took me on, it felt like for awhile I was some sort of spirit watching over Jayne as she dealt with the events of this book and started her journey towards healing.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the relationship between Jayne and her sister June, while they were both quite messy I think considering what they went through their behaviour made sense. I have until now never really read a book which portrayed having a sister this well. Yes, they are constantly bickering, lobbing acidic insults at each other but at the end of the day, there is an unbreakable bond there. Truthfully your sister is the most honest person you will know. It was really sweet watching Jayne and June repair their relationship and I think it was written in a way that felt natural and not forced.

Speaking specifically on Jayne's character yes she makes so many bad decisions, she doesn't value what she has but that is the point. Trauma often turns us into the worst versions of ourselves and I believe that Jayne is a portrayal of that. As I read the book my empathy for Jayne only grew. Her deep-rooted issues with belonging, body image, and self-worth are heart-wrenching. I rooted for her throughout the book and her character development felt like a triumph. I think by looking at Jayne we can learn to treat ourselves better too, to try to heal the wounds we may have had for years.

My only gripe is I felt the plot is a bit unbalanced, when you see the premise of this book you would think that it follows Jayne AND June heavily but instead, we step away from the exchanged identity storyline and delve into Jayne's romantic pursuits for an extended amount of time. It was so much so that for the final portion of the book, I was a bit unsatisfied. I kind of wished the book was a bit longer so that both Jayne's healing journey and the switched identity storyline could have had equal
development and an equally satisfying ending.

Regardless, I still believe Yolk is a worthwhile read. 

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motz_stick's review

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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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italkofdreams's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0


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talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

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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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allisonparkss's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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hctown's review against another edition

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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

4.5


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michaelion's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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? Yes

3.75

Fuck I wish I wasn't an only child.

I hate contemporary references in books with a passion but this one isn't that bad.

My only issue is Jayne is constantly said to be an emotional character but reading through I can barely get a sense of her thought process. She does things / takes actions at random,
for example: kicking out jeremy, going with june to the doctor,
and there was no build up or explanation as to why she decided to do those things. Actually it didn't have to be explained, but those moments felt random from a character whose thoughts we're exclusively able to read. Makes the character feel plot-driven as opposed to character-driven, but the story as a whole doesn't feel the same.

I guess my other issue is misused AAVE. But also... Asian American? From Texas? New York transplants? Color me shocked.

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seoulatte's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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hannahshriver5's review against another edition

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

5.0

this book is incredible. i love love love the portrayal of the older/younger sister relationship. and the ideas of not having physical “home” were so relatable for me. consistent discussion of disordered eating throughout, could be triggering! 

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abbyreadsbigbooks123's review against another edition

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4.0


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