Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Yolk

Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi

69 reviews

sinjinsladle's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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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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yeimyaileen's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.75

i really liked this, maybe because none of the characters were loveable or “good”. I couldn’t put it down, and while ive never experienced this specific kind of sibling dynamic, it felt real. family is a weird trap we opt in and out of.
edit: also a bit insufferable with that one conversation in the middle of the book about race, it barely scratches the surface of identity, but im sure it was cathartic for someone <3

please read content warnings before u read this book!!

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lanosmith5's review against another edition

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emotional 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

5.0

The novel really has a way of making you realize all of your own flaws by reading all the ways the characters fall short. How we all are victims to society and how we can be our own enemies sometimes. But in the end, it's okay. Because everyone on this earth does not match up to the expectations we make for ourselves. We are all shitty people in some way or form.

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onemorepagecrew's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

4.5

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi is an excellent choice for readers who love character-driven novels that center estranged sibling relationships. The plot is the supporting character in this one and the main story is told through the relationship between sisters Jayne and June.

The sisters are three years apart in age and even though they both moved from Seoul to New York City together, they are estranged and live different lives. They are reunited by circumstance when June is diagnosed with cancer, and they begin to lean on each other.

I loved the everyday-ness of the storyline and the way that the sisters couldn’t mask their true selves from each other. It showed through tiny moments that no matter what different paths you take as adults, your shared experiences early in life remain part of who you are.

I’d recommend this book for those who enjoy a slower-paced literary story that doesn’t rush for plot advancement. It’s thick with sibling dynamics and peppers in events around them. Both sisters are working through health challenges and they have family trauma as well, so be sure to check the content warnings before picking this up.

Content warnings: Cancer, Disordered eating (graphic), Body shaming, Medical content, Grief, Abandonment, Child death, Sexual content (mild)

Content Warnings