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A review by maryy_r0se
Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
“Sisters never stand a chance to be friends. We're pitted against each other from the moment we are born. A daughter is a treasure. Two is a tax.”
Jayne has always had a tenuous relationship with her older sister June. Even now, after both women moved from Texas to New York City, they are barely in contact. Until one day, when June tracks down Jayne in a restaurant and delivers some crushing news. Now, Jayne must help her sister, all while suppressing a secret that threatens to tear her apart.
Maybe it’s because I have an older sister or because I’ve struggled with mental illness or because my college experience felt very isolating. Or maybe this book is just really really really great. But something about it hit me like a ton of bricks. It surpassed every expectation I had and is currently one of the best books I read this year. This book offers incredibly nuanced takes on sisterhood, family, illness, isolation, and mental health, as well as insight into immigration and culture.
I also really respect the way this author handled the topic of eating disorders. It isn’t easy to responsibly write about that topic, especially in a book marketed towards young people, but this book more than succeeded. There is one graphic eating disorder scene near the book’s end, but it is not portrayed in a glamorized way at all and the importance of recovery is emphasized. I really fell in love with this book, and I highly recommend it.
Jayne has always had a tenuous relationship with her older sister June. Even now, after both women moved from Texas to New York City, they are barely in contact. Until one day, when June tracks down Jayne in a restaurant and delivers some crushing news. Now, Jayne must help her sister, all while suppressing a secret that threatens to tear her apart.
Maybe it’s because I have an older sister or because I’ve struggled with mental illness or because my college experience felt very isolating. Or maybe this book is just really really really great. But something about it hit me like a ton of bricks. It surpassed every expectation I had and is currently one of the best books I read this year. This book offers incredibly nuanced takes on sisterhood, family, illness, isolation, and mental health, as well as insight into immigration and culture.
I also really respect the way this author handled the topic of eating disorders. It isn’t easy to responsibly write about that topic, especially in a book marketed towards young people, but this book more than succeeded. There is one graphic eating disorder scene near the book’s end, but it is not portrayed in a glamorized way at all and the importance of recovery is emphasized. I really fell in love with this book, and I highly recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Cancer
Moderate: Sexual assault, Racism, and Vomit