#yolk by mary hk choi

[cinnamonettes]

i will wash your hair at night and dry it off with care i will see your body bare and still i will live here

#sisters #yolk by mary hk choi #love

[sadbeautifutragic]

after work i sit in my reading nook and read for about an hour or two and it's done wonders for my mental health

#i'm currently reading yolk by mary hk choi and book lovers by emily henry

[kitschykitchen]

🍽️Hot and Fresh Review🍽️

Ideal Snacks While Reading:

Fried eggs over white rice, a bottle of soju, and chocolate-covered bananas.

Main Ingredients:

A reckless, free-spirited younger sister with deep insecurities

A narcissistic know-it-all older sister who always seems perfect

A sudden cancer diagnosis that forces them together

Jayne Ji-young Baek is a college student living in New York and trying to figure out life. She’s got the full entourage of New York insanity--including but not limited to a terrible, clownish not-boyfriend-boyfriend, a repulsive apartment that she pays way too much money for, and a blinding desire to be noticed in a city where everyone has the same ambition. Things get even more complicated for Jayne when her older sister, June, enters the picture. June is eldest daughter syndrome personified--a parentified, overachiever who can barely take care of herself and sucks even worse at taking care of others. The two immediately bump heads but things spiral even further when June explains that she’s been diagnosed with cancer. Naturally, this comes as a slap to the face for Jayne, as she’s now forced to juggle all of the other nonsense in her life while also forcibly recognizing her sister as undeniably human.

Now, I’m sure we’ve all gotten used to the wealth of movies in this vein. You’re probably anticipating that June will learn how to let loose and stop being so hard on Jayne and Jayne will become more responsible after realizing that June’s rigid personality isn’t such a bad thing. The two will completely overlook their parental trauma and end with a message on family, love, and happy-happy joy-joy. Allow me to be the first to tell you to manage your expectations.

Yolk may have a familiar purpose, but its handling of the subject matter is so realistic and raw that it leads to discomfort. Jayne is not just a party girl who has poor taste in men. She’s the youngest child whose mother constantly picks at her insecurities and leaves her with a very intense eating disorder. She’s actively in therapy but struggles to utilize it well because she doesn’t want to admit her own weaknesses. Similarly, June doesn’t have it all together. She’s constantly picking on Jayne but finds it difficult to watch her sister crash and burn. She’s apathetic to her cancer diagnosis and struggles to remain herself after the loss of her job. Mary H.K. Choi juggles so many different topics all at once--from unspoken familial trauma to sexual assault and of course, the immigrant child experience--while still making sure the depiction is respectful while simultaneously realistic.

When hearing the intense subject matter, some might question why Yolk is considered a YA Novel (I know I was confused when I first read it). In today’s society, it’s not a secret that we are hyper-conscious of the kinds of media younger audiences are consuming. This is especially true of YA, where we see repeated accounts of toxic romances and poor boundary management among characters. The difference between Yolk and most other YA novels is that Choi isn’t just showcasing heavy subjects for the sake of throwing them in the audience’s face. Her depictions of struggling with mental illness and relationship problems are grounded in realism first and foremost. Intense topics still have a place in YA, so long as they’re handled with care and respect.

If you want a book that will rip you to shreds, call you out on a lot of your paranoid thinking, and hit way too close to home--Yolk is the perfect book for you.

Michelin Stars: 5/5 (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

#book blog #book recommendations #book review #bookblr #bookish #books #yolk #mary hk choi

[inn0centru1ns]

★彡Looking for mutuals/friends ^_^

☆彡Ages: 16-18

☆彡Interested in film, music, and literature.

A little about me☆〜（ゝ。∂）

☆彡I am 16. I love to read, draw, and listen to music. My name is Marie Claire and my pronouns are she/her.

☆彡My favorite movies: 500 days of summer, fantastic mr fox, lady bird, buffalo 66, Juno, whip it, mcullond drive, Pineapple Express, pretty in pink, the last unicorn

☆彡My favorite tv shows: breaking bad, South Park, nana, twin peaks, gossip girl, freaks and geeks

☆彡Some books I enjoy: Looking for Alaska- John Green, Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen, Earthlings- Sayaka Mururata, Yolk- Mary HK Choi, The Stranger- Albert Camus

☆彡I really love music and listen to so many different artists so any genre you are interested in I probably am too. As I write this I am listening to American Football.

Please consider being my friend<3

#female hysteria #fiona apple #hell is a teenage girl #franz kafka #poetry #girl interupted syndrome #lana del rey #radiohead #lizzy grant #mitski #trailer park princess #poem #girls with piercings #nana osaki #nana komatsu #500 days of summer #friends #mutuals #get to know me #get to know the blogger #blogging #girlblogger #girl interrupted #artists on tumblr #new music #midwest #midwest emo #lana unreleased #nu metal #coquette dollete

[ladysaintsandmystics]

finished reading yolk my mary hk choi this week and as a younger sister from an immigrant household it made me cry so so much

#* #thinking about my brother a lot lately

[katierosefun]

Top 5 books!

thank you for the ask!! // ask me my top 5 anything

fangirl by rainbow rowell

yolk by mary hk choi

the seven husbands of evelyn hugo by taylor jenkins reid

the priory of the orange tree by samantha shannon

whichwood by tahereh mafi

#answered #anon #we've got a good mix of contemporary + fantasy here! #and books with characters of all ages

[goodmiffy]

oh if you are creating a list may i recommend another few?

yolk by mary hk choi, it's about twin sisters, one who struggles with bulimia and another one who gets cancer. kind of teenage-y as well, but their relationship and ways of dealing with things are interesting to read about.

the vegetarian by han kang, she has an amazing writing style and the story is really gripping. the only thing is that i was really uncomfortable with all of the sex (or sexual) scenes, i am not sure if that's what she implied them to be or not. one of the reviews on the cover said it was erotic and i was like ????? is it supposed to be???

the thing around your neck by chimamanda ngozi adichie, which is a collection of short stories. i started reading this book randomly when i stayed over at a friends house and had to buy it myself afterwards because i was so hooked from the start.

i luv ur blog btw xoxo

THANK U!!!! ofc you can always recommend books and these sound brill! agh I’m so excited now by all these recommendations literally love you so much thank you !! 🩷📚

[aorticvalve]

[pocmuzings]

"all i could think about was how i didn't want a friend like me. i have enough of me to go around."

YOLK // MARY HK CHOI

#quote #this book was like peering into my own fucking soul holy fuck #i cant believe it ended the way it did #my fave book of 2021 honest to god #yolk #mary hk choi

[free-air-for-fish]

"People don't really want to know how you're doing. They want to wait until you're done telling them so they can tell you how they're doing."

-- Yolk, Mary H. K. Choi

#mary hk choi #reading #yolk

[widereading]

𝐘𝐨𝐥𝐤 by Mary HK Choi | Fiction (385 pages) ⁣ ⁣ ★★★: <family, slice of life, sisters, mental health, illness> ⁣ ⁣ This novel was probably my first foray into contemporary (young-adult) fiction written by an Asian female voice. I was initially intrigued by the cover design, and the 4.1/5 rating on Goodreads, but think this was slightly overhyped in my opinion!⁣ ⁣ There are bouts of excellent writing in the book, and I occasionally loved the way that the author described thoughts, emotions and scenery. It was also refreshing to read a book with contemporary references - e.g. to certain brands, slang and her descriptions of the young professional working world. ⁣

However I didn't personally relate to the characters and sometimes found it illogical or difficult to comprehend their thoughts/actions, indirectly disrupting the flow of the storyline.⁣ ⁣ The relationships between the characters, (mainly the sibling duo) also didn't comes across as fully developed in places, and undermined their authenticity. ⁣ ⁣ Despite this, I think this novel could provide comfort to some readers, and resonate particularly with the young-adult audience. I'd be keen to read her other works, particularly 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭! ⁣ ⁣ 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘠𝘰𝘭𝘬 𝘰𝘳 𝘌𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬?

#yolk #mary hk choi #emergency contact #fiction #book review #yolkreview #yolkbookreview #maryhkchoi

[weebaidoru]

mary h.k. choi yolk

#mary hk choi #yolk #words #quotes #poetry #typography #literature

[mydarlinginej]

read my full review of yolk by mary h.k. choi here.

From New York Times bestselling author Mary H.K. Choi comes a funny and emotional story about two estranged sisters switching places and committing insurance fraud to save one of their lives.

Jayne Baek is barely getting by. She shuffles through fashion school, saddled with a deadbeat boyfriend, clout-chasing friends, and a wretched eating disorder that she’s not fully ready to confront. But that’s New York City, right? At least she isn’t in Texas anymore, and is finally living in a city that feels right for her.

On the other hand, her sister June is dazzlingly rich with a high-flying finance job and a massive apartment. Unlike Jayne, June has never struggled a day in her life. Until she’s diagnosed with uterine cancer.

Suddenly, these estranged sisters who have nothing in common are living together. Because sisterly obligations are kind of important when one of you is dying.

my review:

I love love love Mary H.K. Choi’s books and already was so excited for her next release! I knew as soon as I read the summary that I’d be crushed by this one too, especially because it deals with a complex sibling dynamic, a topic that I’m always drawn to. Yolk navigates a need for validation, a complex sister relationship, and the realization that maybe your past perceptions and desires aren’t what they should be.

In New York City, Jayne is living in a tough spot, quite literally, actually, since she’s still living with the guy she used to hook up with but definitely isn’t anymore. She’s struggling with her classes and actively avoiding her sister June. That is, until her sister tracks her down to tell her she has cancer. Then, Jayne realizes that she can’t avoid her forever and begins spending more time with her, even after she finds out June has been using her identity for her insurance because what’s a little insurance fraud between sisters? (For legal reasons, this is a joke.)

Much like Choi’s other novels, Yolk is very much character-focused. Jayne is clearly struglling in New York, even if she’s not willing to admit it to June. It’s supposed to be this magical place, but she still feels like she doesn’t belong and never will. Usually with books set in New York that talk about the magic of living there, I’m just like, okay I get it. However, I think this book really convinced me of it, mostly because I understood Jayne’s reasoning. She has this constant need from validation, mostly from people she shouldn’t be seeking it, like white men; she just wants to be seen, and maybe if she can recognize all of the strangers around her, they’ll recognize her too.

read my full review here.

#yolk #mary hk choi #reviews #mine #link #q

[mkecountyteenbookaward]

TW—disordered eating, racism, cancer

Mary H.K. Choi’s author’s note for Yolk suggests that the story may be “emotionally expensive for you” if you struggle with disordered eating, dysmorphia, or bulimia, and encourages readers to “be gentle with yourselves—sensitivity is a superpower.”  

I was attracted to this book because of its prettiness-the golden color, the beautiful falling girls, the interlaced hands on the pages—but beneath the prettiness lie complex struggles.

Jayne is something of an antihero—petty, jealous, insecure, privileged, and constantly comparing herself to others unfavorably.  Jayne struggles to process the cultural pressures of being a child of immigrants, as well as the materialism and sexism of US youth culture and social media, culminating in disordered eating.  Jayne is consumed by consumer culture, whether she is obsessing on the brand of a romantic rival’s boots at the beginning of the book, or an expensive cheese at the supermarket at the end. Her manner of speaking is abrasive and full of self doubt, and what seems like a strong intellect is fully occupied with self conscious superficiality. Jayne’s thirst for approval, especially from status-conscious white young men, is saddening.

Still, I really enjoyed her as a character.  Jayne elicits compassion from the reader, and in doing so, allows the reader space to reflect on their own struggles with self compassion.  

When Jayne is confronted with her seemingly perfect elder sister June’s life changing diagnosis, the two are thrown together, both in need of different kinds of support.  I found myself rooting for both siblings as they confront their illnesses and repair their relationship.  If you are a Jane Austen fan, you may sense some Sense and Sensibility/Elinor and Marianne Dashwood vibes from this sibling dynamic. I liked that there is no strong redemptive moment for either sister’s less-than-charming personality characteristics, just tentative acceptance of themselves, and each other.

#yolk #mary hk choi #milwaukee county teen book award #ya lit #teen reads #sisters

[aprocessblog]

I imagine myself as an entirely different person. Someone new. Someone strong. Someone whole.

- Yolk by Mary HK Choi

#yolk #mary hk choi #everybody moved on #my reading

[katierosefun]

do you just ever read a book and you realize that you want to write something like that. like, not necessarily that you want to write something with that kind of plot or those kinds of characters, but you want to write something like that, which is to say, something that moves a person so deeply that they burst into tears

#caroline talks #finished reading yolk by mary hk choi #god i haven't felt this seen and understood by a book #since reading fangirl by rainbow rowell in maybe like 2017 #dude i cried so hard reading yolk it was SO good