Choi is truly a master at writing coming of age stories with just the right amount of romance to get things going! Pablo and Leanna's relationship was truly heartfelt and I could feel their emotions as they went through various life situations. This was such a great story with an inspiring message of self-help.

I have elected not to read and review this book due to time constraints. Thank you for the opportunity.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.
It took me a little while to really get into Permanent Record by Mary H. K. Choi (probably my fault) but by the end I was really invested & couldn’t wait to see how lead Pablito’s arc resolved.

Pablito is fairly rudderless throughout much the book much to the consternation of his mother & himself. He’s sinking in debt & desperate to figure out how to get back into the college program that he dropped out of & that helped cause him to be so in debt in the first place.

Then celebrity Leanna Smart walks into the bodega where he works & besides their immediate attraction he gets a chance to see what his life could be like as the partner of a celebrity. On the periphery of fame.

The narrator is pretty self-aware, wry, & sarcastic & watching Pablito learn how to break free of patterns & speak his truth is inspiring & exciting. I loved seeing him find a path forward into a life that’s exciting to him.

In addition to the funny narration winning me over there are really striking convos about race, culture, & representation, especially about how familial expectations & wants might be affected by society’s broader expectations & prejudices.

This is a great YA contemporary & for my romance-reading friends, not a romance 😉 😆.
4.5 ⭐️.


[ID: an ebook rests on top of an open hardback on a white fluffy rug. A pair of pink fringed earrings is to the right.]

I am so pleasantly surprised with this book. It is no secret that I struggled with Emergency Contact so I was a bit daunted going into this one. That being said, I am so glad I picked this up. I was really able to connect to and become invested in these characters. I loved Pablo's voice and him as a protagonist. i saw so much of myself in him and only wanted the best for him.

Being completely honest I much preferred Emergency Contact to this novel. Now this book wasn’t bad it just fell short for me compared to Choi’s previous novel.

PERMANENT RECORD ended up being a lot different than I had expected it to be. I liked how it focuses on flawed characters and the growing pains of becoming an adult as well as touching on mental health. It was difficult getting into though as the book seemed to drag on at parts. I'm a huge fan of character driven books, but I just didn't really like Pab or Lee so it made it hard to want to stick around. I started getting invested at the end once Pab hits rock bottom and begins picking up his life again, though.

Unfortunately, I just didn't connect with Permanent Record upon first try. I love Mary H.K. Choi's writing, but I had a hard time connecting with Pablo. Currently this is a DNF at around the 50 percent mark, but I did skim the rest of the book. I liked the direction it goes in, so I might give the book another go in the future.

I loved Emergency Contact, so I was really looking forward to Permanent Record. It did not disappoint, The feeling of being lost in your 20s is one that most people relate to, and she describes it so well, you immediately feel like that lost kid. There were a few spots where it was slow, but I left invested in the characters.

Permanent Record is a book that pushes the boundaries of young adult fiction by chronicling the life of a college dropout whose fortune seems to change when he happens to cross paths with a celebrity. The book is emotionally honest and not afraid to be real about the struggles of being in debt and having no direction in life as a young adult. The whirlwind romance between Pablo and Leanna seems too good to be true and feels more like a fever dream than real life. It's through this romance that Pablo finds am escape from the problems in his life, financial and familial, until he is forced to come back down to Earth and pull himself back together. Pablo's character is fully realized and his voice and unique sense of humor jump off the page. I found myself relating to his struggles with depression (which he doesn't understand as such until later) and his constant avoidance as a flawed coping mechanism. His relationships with his family members were complex and evolved throughout the story. It was satisfying to see him grow and confront his problems, and the ending was hopeful but not overly idealized, which I appreciated because Pablo's problems aren't the type that are solved so simply and quickly.

Permanent Record is a story written for every person who has ever needed to find themselves. Its been 10 years since I left college, and reading this story brought back so many emotions and memories that I had during the period right after college.

I really loved the characters of Leanna and Pablo. Both were written so uniquely and relatable. I could feel all their raw emotions through their conversations, actions and inner thoughts.

There was a lot of fun parts in this story too and I really enjoyed reading it. I highly recommend it and already got some of my students to read it too!

So, long story short, this one didn’t really work for me. I really loved Choi’s EMERGENCY CONTACT (and highly recommend it) so I think maybe I was just expecting more from PERMANENT RECORD. Not sure. While this one didn’t blow me away, there were a couple of passages I highlighted as they really stuck out to me. I’ll share them below:

“Trying to get better at the thing you want to be the best at is humiliating.”

“No finite moment is responsible for my success. There wasn’t a fork in the road. Some monumental inflection point where my life changed. It was the accumulation of totally normal, regular-ass days where I worked hard, followed my better instincts, and did the right thing. You don’t get to start over every day; you get to keep going.”

Sometimes even when a book doesn't knock it out of the park as a whole, there are portions that still stuck with me.

Just like Choi's debut novel, I found Permanent Record to be poignant but hopeful - two people forging a connection through heartbreak and other odds. Her writing is lovely; I rarely highlight or copy out sentences from books but there was so much in this work that I loved, independent of the story. Choi's characters feel like real, lived-in people, who face difficulty in imperfectly human ways.

A truly original novel that perfectly captures the possibility and anxiety of your early twenties. Choi creates memorable, unique characters that readers can't help but connect with. I especially loved all the side characters (the exploration of male friendship outside of toxic masculinity was incredible!).

I was such a fan of H.K. Choi’s first book that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on, Permanent Record.

Pablo is a college dropout who now regularly works the graveyard shift at a twenty-four hour deli. He made numerous financial mistakes including falling for all those credit card offers, that happen on college campuses, and signing up for student loans he can never repay.

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When Leanna Smart swings by the deli, Pablo can’t believe his luck. They have, it seems, immediate chemistry and he misses her as soon as she leaves.

Leanna isn’t a regular girl though, she is a social media sensation and well-known pop star.

This is why it is such a surprise when she reaches out to Pablo and suggests he join her for a couple of days on tour. Pablo knows that this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance so he leaves with Leanna and they begin the first of many days together.

This was an adorable story from start to finish.

As soon as I finished it, I handed it off to my daughter (she is 13- fyi) because I knew she would appreciate it too.

Although the love story was sweet, I appreciated this coming-of-age story more for its honesty about identity and taking ownership of the things that are going wrong (or right) in our lives.

I didn’t love this one quite as much as her first novel, but I’m still really glad I read it.

Screening for your kid? There is language in this one (probably nothing different than they hear at school) and there is some glossed over sex scenes. I would give it to them, specifically, for the exploration in student debt and how teens handle social media.

I actually never finished this book. I couldn't get into it - I think it was the language. It was just a little too 'casual' for me, but I'm an old lady! I think kids would like it, because it 's more in line with their vernacular. I picked it up because the story did seem to interest me, and I probably should have just tried to keep going, but I just wasn't enjoying it.

“Trying to get better at the thing you want to be the best at is humiliating.”

Hello to my favorite contemporary of 2019. Friends, this book was so quiet, but so loud, and really impacted me more than any other book I’ve read all year. This is the type of story that makes you want to see the world, the type of story that heals wounds you didn’t know you had, the type of story that makes you feel seen and loved and realize you are worthy of unconditional happiness, and the type of story that will make you want to find that happiness and hold on to it with both hands. I know I probably sound so very cheesy, but this really is the type of book that you close and you just want to be a better person, and want to live a happier life, and it’s a reminder why books truly have the power to change lives. I loved this book with the sum of my being, and I’ll carry it with me and pass it along for the rest of my life.

This is a book that borderlines on Young Adult and New Adult, about two characters who find each other while they are at the crossroads of trying to find themselves, too. They have very different backgrounds, and very different current living situations, but they both bond over the unknown and the bursts of happiness that they feel while communicating with each other.

➽ Pablo Neruda Rind - biracial (Korean and Pakistani), 20, working at a bodega in NYC, was an actual meme and now has a little bit of Instagram success because of it, and is thinking about going back to college after dropping out with a large sum of debt following him.

➽ Leanna Smart - biracial (Mexican and white), 22, childhood star now pop singer, and trying to be happy with the content she is putting out in the world.

And one very late night, while Pablo is working in the bodega, Leanna comes in and their lives change. They are both searching for happiness, in very different ways and very different forms of outlets, but they start to think that maybe they can also find happiness together.

And Mary HK Choi delivers a story that is so beautifully written, so heartfelt, so very real, that I won’t forget it, ever. Some of the themes and discussions in this book are so important and I truly think this story is going to change lives. I feel like I normally only read one book a year that changes my life, and I think that this year’s is without a doubt Permanent Record.

Seeing Pablo question what he wants for his life, while also entering into depression because of this overwhelming debt he has accumulated because of doubt and uncertainty is something that I’ve never read about before. Never has a book really forced me to understand that Americans truly expect seventeen-year-olds and eighteen-year-olds to make choices that will impact them financially (and so many other ways) for the rest of their lives. Graduating college with 100k debt is the reality that so many people in their young twenties have, but so many also have that debt without a degree as well. It’s heartbreaking, truly, that we put this pressure on young adults and that we expect them to know how they want to spend their lives at such a young age, while also feeling that weight from society, from schools, and from their families.

“God, this country. It’s so predatory.”

And people have so many options that don’t involve school. Sometimes people find happiness chasing dreams that don’t require degrees. Sometimes people find happiness becoming celebrities in many different forms. Yes, sometimes people do find happiness with a degree that will help them live the life with the job they want. But sometimes people will find happiness simply by being on the journey of searching for happiness in the first place. There is no wrong way to find happiness, and it can be so very hard to find, but it is always so important that you search for it, because you’re so deserving of it.

I think Pablo and his situation is such a reality for so many. Finding happiness, and determination, and inspiration… it can be so very hard. And Pablo, much like many of us, is someone who doesn’t make it easy. This book, in my eyes, is also a love letter to depression awareness and how depression can come in many forms unknowingly. Pablo’s life and struggle, both academically and with his loved ones, was something so very raw, and I was so easily able to connect with, and I think many others will feel like that too. Because sometimes the weight of other peoples’ expectations can be so very heavy.

“Life isn’t a destination. It’s the continual practice of things that make you wiser and happier.”

This is ownvoices for the Korean representation, but I just want to touch on how I really loved seeing Leanna and Pablo talk about them both being biracial. It was so important and meaningful for me to see characters talk about how they are both of their races, instead of half and half. This seems like such a simple concept, something that should be easy for me to say, “hello, my name is Melanie and I’m Filipino” but it is something that I really struggle with, and I always want to break my racial identity of being Filipino and white up in percentages as a kneejerk reaction when talking about myself. And this small conversation between Pablo and Leanna just really meant so very much to me, and really hit me extremely hard. Also, just seeing Pablo having a tough time not feeling as connected to parts of his identity was really important and moving, too.

And, like always, seeing an older sibling help take care of their younger brother is something that will always resonate with me and inside my heart. Pab’s entire family dynamic really was perfection actually, because I feel like in literature, we either get really horrible parents or really perfect parents; we never really get the messy in between, where parents are supportive and loving but have a hard time showing their love and support.

Overall, I just really loved this book and it means so very much to me. The messages in this book really are life changing and I truly wish I could put this book in everyone’s hands. I feel like, much like Emergency Contact, this could be a polarizing book, but I also think it is a book that is going to touch and impact so many. I know a lot of people probably won’t love the ending, but I truly thought it was perfection and really made this book standout as a true masterpiece. And if you read through this whole review, I hope you know that I appreciate you, and that it is never too late to follow your dreams and find the happiness you deserve. Oh, also, be warned that the mention of all the snacks in this will make you extremely hungry.

In Permanent Record Pablo is stuck. He's aimlessly working in a bodega after dropping out of NYU and becoming buried in both student loan debt and credit card bills. His passions are weird snack combinations and fancy sneakers, but he's mostly depressed and has lost control over his life. One evening superstar Leanna Smart walks into the bodega and they hit it off immediately. I loved the way Choi depicts Pablo's world - New York comes alive, and his roommates were funny and very real. His relationships with those friends, and with his family, also felt real - Pablo can be a real jerk and they call him out on it, but there's also a lack of communication, especially in his family. (I loved his family, they were great.) I also liked Lee - her whirlwind life represents freedom and escape to Pablo, and it's easy to see how he'd get caught up in it. I also felt that her tendency to put her own feelings and career first felt very realistic. All that being said, Pablo makes so.many.bad.decisions. He started stressing me out and I had to put the book down for a while. He pushes people away, runs from responsibility, and ignores all of his many, many problems. So while I had a feeling he'd be able to work through it some of the book was hard to get through. Part of that is because it was so long. I think about 100 pages could've been edited out and it would have been better; some of the book was a little repetitive. The book definitely picked up by the end, though, and I ended up enjoying it. Also, that cover is just gorgeous.

I didn't connect to this novel as much as I did to Emergency Contact, but I think Choi brings a welcome new voice to the ever-growing YA landscape. I am always looking for new titles to recommend to my students, and even though this particular novel didn't not connect for me, I know it will for some of my students.

I really enjoyed Mary H.K. Choi's first novel however Permanent Record really grated on me. An unlikable main character with minor issues and no self accountability was too much to take. I continued reading hoping he would learn something, grow as a person, challenge himself - anything and finally with less than 80 pages left to the story he realizes he's his own problem.

I just did not enjoy this one at all. It was, in my estimation, a rambling mess, and I literally could not root for any of the characters. Do not recommend.