A review by anna__b
Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi

challenging emotional funny 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

4.5

well first of all, i am very shocked that this book is classified as young adult, because it did not feel like a ya book at all in either the writing style or the topics covered and i’m not sure i could’ve handled this book well during my teenage years. but as an adult, i thought the treatment of the heavier topics was done really well, and even though i can’t personally relate to some of the more specific circumstances, like being a child of immigrants or having an eating disorder, as an older sister a lot of this book felt very real. the characters weren’t always likeable and they did bad things, but they felt very realistic and i could always understand and empathize with why they did the things they did. i also really liked patrick and i enjoyed the romance subplot, which isn’t something i can always say about ya books. the author’s descriptive writing is also amazing, and the way she’s able to capture the feeling of the different settings within the book was so vivid and impressive. 

although i liked it a lot, this didn’t quite make 5 stars for me because, while generally i did enjoy the writing style, it took me a while at the beginning to get used to it and there were times where it went a little too pop-culture for me and i cringed. i also felt like some things in the ending were wrapped up a little too neatly and quickly - although of course the actual ending of the book is very open-ended. 
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