This story deals with a lot! Cancer and fertility, negative self-talk and self-destructive behaviours, eating disorders and mental health, toxic relationships and workplaces, complex family dynamics and parental abandonment, racism. All of this and then Jayne’s overwhelming feelings of being lost in her transition into adulthood.

I have to say that I was really put off by the opening chapter of this book and almost gave up on it because I so strongly disliked Jayne’s selfish and hostile character. I persevered to find that with every chapter the story grew on me. I needed to find out what happens and what had happened in the past with these two sisters. Wow! This is an incredibly written story! I would absolutely recommend this book for a YA and new adult audience. Even though I was not the targeted audience for this book, it still resonated with me on a deep level. I'm now a Mary H. K. Choi fan!

Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I finished this book, the first word that came to mind was "immaculate". Jayne is not a perfect person, not even close, some readers may not even find her very likeable, but she is so authentic I couldn't help but root for her as she navigates college, living in New York City, boys, friendships, and family.
Jayne doesn't have any real connections to anyone. She hasn't spoken to her family in months, has never been in love, and has no one in her life she would consider a friend. She also lives in the same city as her older sister June, but they never see each other. Then one day June calls Jayne and asks her to come to her apartment, where June reveals that she has cancer. Suddenly Jayne is facing her sister's mortality, her lost connection with her family, as well as the eating disorder that has been nagging at her for years and her douchebag ex-whatever he was.
I love a good sister story and Yolk does not disappoint. Choi perfectly captures the sister connection - the protectiveness and unbreakable bond, but also the ability of a sister to be both your biggest cheerleader and your biggest critic.
The portrayal of a family member with cancer was also perfect. Although it wasn't my sister, when my mom was diagnosed with cancer I found myself thinking all of the same things Jayne was thinking - how can I be supportive? Who is taking her to appointments? What would it be like to be someone whose mom/sister died?
Although I can check off the sister relationship and family member with cancer similarities, one I'm not familiar with is being the child of immigrants; however, Choi puts Jayne's feelings on the matter, and the struggles she has with her family, into words beautifully. As a reader, I was able to understand (as much as a child of non-immigrants can) what Jayne felt regarding her parents, her love for them, but also her frustration with them and inability to come to terms with the choices they made and continue to make.
Another aspect of this book I can't relate to is the eating disorder and body dysmorphia that Jayne suffers from. I imagine Yolk would be triggering to anyone suffering from the same illnesses - Jayne describes her bingeing/purging and her thoughts on her body in great detail and it's enough to break your heart. By the end of this novel, I was sobbing, but the ending was my favourite part. I came away from this book with so much love for Jayne and June. If you're not sure about adding this to your TBR, just do it, you won't regret it. This was my first Mary H.K. Choi book, but it will not be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Jayne and June are nothing alike."

― Mary H.K. Choi, Yolk

*// TW: body dysmorphia, bulimia, cancer, female fertility, parental abandonment, toxic relationships, sexual content, drug-use, under-age drinking, slut-shaming, racism, mention of bullying.*

**dark - emotional - family drama - identity crisis.**

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

4 ★

I did not start this book feeling the same way I did when I finished it. I went in excited, nervous and all around curious is to where Jayne and June's story was going to take me. With the mention of strong family dynamics, an identity crisis and all while living in the ambiguity of New York this book presents itself correctly. But it will hit you like a bag of bricks speeding down the highway. Mary H.K. Choi writes a love letter to the gen Z population, a letter delving into love and loss, messy relationships, ferocious family ties, the ugliness of growing up in a social media driven era and the challenges of being children of immigrant parents. I both related and disassociated from Jayne, our main protagonist so much that it felt like I was in a constant battle with myself for 400 pages. But getting to watch Jayne grow and even find herself in small ways really had me rooting for her development in the end. June being the older sibling of two immigrant parents, I related to her more in most scenes but overall Jayne was the driver and June almost took a back seat. I also want to previse this review by stating this book does not read as a YA novel, more NA bordering on Adult Fiction, and with the talented writing of Choi I couldn't put this book down and was fully immersed.

Now comes the infamous pros and cons list:

+ compelling, unapologetic, deeply flawed and truly human MC
- sometimes chaotic, melodramatic thoughts that didn't fully progress the story
+ impactful conversations about disorders, loss, toxic relationships, racism and the idealism of love.
+ authentic and real moments between siblings
+ New York, New York and New York
- would have loved to see this book take the dual perspective route: seeing this story from the eyes of both Jayne and June.
+ raw and honest character development
- I would have been completely content if this book focused only on the Baek family and less or no romantic entanglements
+ Being able to see the cultural impact of what it means to be Korean American and how woven our familial ties are in our lives.

I received an e-galley of Yolk by Mary H. K. Choi from Simon and Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.

Jayne and June are sisters who could not be more different. While June is the older over-achiever sister, Jayne is the younger and impulsive sister. Both sisters seem to clash at every turn and despite living in the same city together now, they have rarely met up or stayed in close contact with one another. All that changes when June reveals that she has recently been diagnosed with cancer. As the two sisters come to terms with what that means, they find themselves orbiting one another. Family secrets are revealed and soon the sisters may have come to terms with the hard realities that both are facing.

This was a compelling, honest, heartbreaking, and bittersweet book about family and sisters. There are so many hard topics that are uncovered as this story develops for Jayne and June - from cancer, to abandonment, to eating disorders. All while the two sisters also deal with the generational and cultural differences that come with growing up in a Korean American family. Both Jayne and June are such flawed characters - but even so, I could not help but resonate with both of them. It is precisely their flaws and humanity that make you want to root for them. I was able to really connect with the troubled relationship that can occur between sisters - how close they can be one day and how it can all flip around so easily. The relationship the two girls had with their parents also reminded me of certain aspects of the relationship I have with my parents as well. I remember them reminding us that we only had one sister in the world and that years from now, that’s the family we will have.

This was not an easy read at times - and there are definitely a lot of triggers that any readers should be quite aware of going into the story. I want to also take this chance to commend Mary H. K. Choi for the note to her readers at the start of the book to warn them of the sensitive content that she writes about.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me an e-galley of this book.

Such a lovely story of hurt, sadness, grief, strength, and love! I love Jayne and June both so much, what badass women they are. This touched so many big topics in a really well done manner that you felt the danger in them but still enjoyed their part to bring this story together.

Yolk feels so personal and real, employing rich descriptive vocabulary for this impactful novel. The book does not shy away from heavier subject matter, and is also unafraid to delve into the estranged Asian family dynamic, which sets it apart and grounds it into a story that could happen to anyone when coming to terms with the deteriorating health of a family member. The characters are so layered, with added flashbacks to build onto their backstory. The story is so unmistakably Korean-American from the minor details, with subtle nods to Asian seasoning and mannerisms, and a blend of millennial references.

The novel has a distinct writing style, that is so brusque yet concise, allowing us to wear our protagonist’s memories as if they were ours. The novel is immersive and consuming, jumping from one thought to another, each chapter bookended with a thoughtful phrase. It is also a reminder that sometimes it is torturous to be living in your own brain, to be consumed with so many swimming thoughts, but the fragments of callbacks and hints do eventually piece together in the end.

The novel also balances approaching touchy subjects without being overbearingly devastating or overly dramatic, though it will be triggering to some readers. Many things happen at the same time, but we are not laser focussed on only one occurrence. The narrative is not linear, with so many overlapping incidences, just like real life. The instances in the book are told with verisimilitude, but they still take an unexpected turn of events, which keeps us wanting to find out what happens next.

The writing is honest and authentic, as we enter the lives of these redeemable characters. There is definite sorrow and pain emanating from this book, but there are also moments of familial bonding, finding support systems, recognition, representation and healing.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you so much to Net Galley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mary H.K. Choi’s books have been a hit or miss for me in the past, but this one is somewhere in the middle. Her writing captures the transitioning feelings of new adulthood and what that might look like through the lens of someone struggling with an eating disorder.

Yolk is undeniably human and relatable. Choi is so good at capturing human connection, and the realness of turbulent sibling relationships especially.

The only reason I don’t rate this higher is how difficult it was to explore EDs. This is no fault of the book; there was a preface trigger warning before the book started.

Whatever the subject matter, Choi’s writing reads as light and delicate. A butterfly comes to mind when I think of her writing. For that, I’ll continue to pick up her books in the future.

“I’m so glad you have each other. It lets me know that however much your father and I make mistakes, you’ll ultimately be okay.”

Oh my dear heart. YOLK by Mary H.K. Choi tugged at all of my heartstrings.

Originally from San Antonio, Texas, two sisters find themselves estranged from each other in the big city of NYC.

Jayne Baek is a wildly judgmental, obnoxious, hot mess. She lives in a dingy apartment with a boy she’s not technically seeing, and spends her time outside of university drinking and hooking up with pretentious white boys.

When her perfectly smart and successful older sister, June, develops cancer, the sisters reunite and are forced to confront their differences and misunderstandings.

Adulthood is messy, and amidst the cancer diagnosis, they must also face their own demons: mental health, eating disorders, that Asian tendency to keep burdens to yourself, perfectionism, self hatred, and physical health issues.

They soon find out that facing life is better together.

While my life and friendship with my sisters are much more amiable and PG, I really resonated with this story; children of immigrant parents, making a life for themselves in a big and vast world.

The part where they visit their parents in San Antonio broke me. It was all so familiar: parents insisting on picking you up from the airport, preparing insane amounts of food, wishing that the sisters would stay together and take care of each other, doing their best so their children can have a better life, visiting their Korean church at home (for me, the Chinese church), to vapid comments on the Texas sky (IYKYK).

Yolk is messy, funny, heartbreaking, and heartwarming all at once. The characters are messy and imperfect, yet so relatable. I couldn’t help but root for Jayne and June and hope everything worked out for them, because rooting for them felt like I was rooting for my own sisters in our own journey into adulthood.

P.S. There were some Chinese micro aggressions that I thought were kind of annoying, but Jayne was pretty insufferable overall with her judgements, so I’m still not sure what to make of it yet, but I thought I should point it out.

Mary HK Choi is the queen of unhappy happy endings. This story was a lot, but it was beautiful and resonated with me in many ways, even the ones I didn't want it to. Choi's writing is incredible and her character work is excellent, and kept me invested in Jayne and June, even when (especially when) I didn't like them.

CW: eating disorder

I think the thing that both terrifies and magnetizes me about this novel is how Jayne could be me and I could be Jayne—in some alternate, messier life. Our realities aren’t separated by many degrees, in truth.

Yolk’s protagonist is chaotic, flighty, obnoxious, superficial, and painfully aware of herself at all times. Her life is a whirlwind of hedonistic hot mess after hot mess—it’s all very starving Gen Z artist trying to make it in the Instagram age in New York City.

And yet… Jayne is all the more real for it. Even if I do find her a little despicable sometimes (the way she is with guys? white guys in particular?? kill me NOW). I feel like I’d probably never be friends with her if we existed in the same universe, but I also can’t bring myself to hate her. To tell you the truth: Jayne Baek makes my heart hurt.

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Reading this book felt like commiserating with a friend. There are certain things—inside jokes and quirks and insecurities—that you only understand if you grew up as the kid of Asian immigrants; this book touched on a LOT of those things. It left me feeling not only seen, but also vindicated. I am reminded, once, again, of the power of representation: I appreciate Yolk for being one such affirming presence for me.

What this book does best, I think, is capture the complex ambivalence that characterizes the love between an Asian kid and their immigrant family.

In Jayne’s case, this ambivalence, a devastating push and pull between loyalty/love/hurt/resentment, borders on dysfunction. Her relationship with her sister, in particular, is fraught with immense love and pain.

Moreover, the book touches on the ways in which relationships with family and culture intersect with our lives as women of colour in the West, as we absorb Eurocentric beauty norms, live with culture clash, and manage cognitive dissonance on behalf of not only ourselves but also (white) society at large. We internalize, to vary degrees, self-loathing. And this manifests in many ways for image-obsessed Jayne, who grapples with an eating disorder, depression, the need for validation (particularly by white men), and complex love for a sister whose mortality comes into sudden, startling relief.

◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️

It’s hard for me to encapsulate all that this book is. It’s sarcastic and sad and infuriating and validating and laugh-until-you-have-stitches funny. In its chaos, it affords its East Asian characters dimension; no one can be predicted, let alone pigeonholed.

Most of all, the dynamic between Jayne and her older sister June—so reminiscent of Fleabag and her sister Claire—in all of its messy, spiteful, bewildering glory, compelled me from their very first scene together. The sisters never try to masquerade as anyone they’re not, and I think this pretty aptly sums up Yolk, too: I find this story, Choi’s writing, so refreshing because it never tries to be more than it is. I’m not fed saccharine lines about protagonists that I’m clearly meant to love. Yet in all of her obnoxiousness, I find myself loving Jayne anyways, bullshit and all.

Bottom line: Don’t let the Peeps-yellow cover and cute graphics fool you—this book tackles a LOT more than you’d expect.




Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

1-1.5
t/w: eating disorders, mental illness, cancer

it was so messy, so real, & very hard..
this book was heavily character based & focused on showing jayne's life & her experiences with an eating disorder, anxiety, depression, self hatred, family issues & her sister june's life & her experiences losing her job & having cancer.
when i say this book is heavy, i mean it is HEAVY. it is not an emotionally easy read.. it will rip you apart.

let's start with jayne.
jayne is so mentally ill, she assumes the worst of everyone & assumes how they’ll make her feel & will essentially hate someone like her sister june for scenarios & assumptions she makes up & how she believes they’ll react.
she craves recognition & it’s sad she just wants someone to want & choose her. she does go as far as sleeping with holland hint knowing he has a girlfriend & has a goal of wanting holland hint to like her more than his gf, & then there’s jeremy who literally uses her & treats her horribly.

i did like how mary h.k. choi revealed how horrible men can be & how she didn't choose to incorporate a fluffy romance because in reality a lot of people do not have good intentions, & make very hurtful choices.
i will admit i was surprised at how much i liked patrick & jayne’s “relationship” as messy as it was

back to jayne,
i did noticed her train of thought is very harmful to her & others.
she wanted to appear “easy” & not high maintenance.
she had expectations for people & how they should act & if they don’t act in accordance to what she wants she gets angry.
she could never fully be herself & she was holding on to A LOT of anger.
she had an eating disorder as well & it was hard to read especially near the end. she was so calculated in how she dealt with her relationship with food & i don't think i've ever read a story about a woman with an eating disorder that was as detailed, graphic & difficult to get through like this one was.

it really broke my heart to see jayne in her self hatred, but she still kept going she still tries to power through everything & i’m honestly stunned at how real her character felt.

i like june i think at times she enforces reality within jayne even though she never wants to face it.
i liked jayne & june’s dynamic i think mary h. k. choi really grasped the reality of sister relationships & how nasty & thoughtful & loving yet hating they could be. .

love is shown in many ways & i guess jayne & june’s mom has her own way of showing it which june understands & notices she’s not very good at it, but jayne has a bit more trouble processing & realizing people are not always going to act the way you want them to. plus jayne is just as bad at showing people she loves & cares for them.. i mean she literally avoided her family before june found her. sibling relationships & family relationships are rollercoasters in general & i liked how real it was. you can see how jayne & june deal with their mom who has her own ways of doing things.

after a lot of thought i realized i didn’t enjoy reading this book.
even though i liked how it reflected real life through jayne & june's dynamic & problems with men & family, i did not have fun reading about someone who was in constant pain.
from the beginning of the book up until right before the end you are taken on jayne & june's agonizing journey. if you're looking for a fun fluffy read this is not it, this is a graphic, revealing & upsetting.
i do believe this book would help many with starting conversations about eating disorders, showing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel & that it is entirely possible to have an understanding circle with people who do care & will motivate you to get better. i think this book shows how mental illness can take over someone's life. but damn this was triggering af & i've read triggering books before, but this one was a bit too much for me & it didn't leave me feeling good. i feel like if it was made as a memoir i would have had a very different opinion.

YOLK by Mary H. K. Choi is SO GOOD! I loved this book! My first five star read of 2021! It’s a coming of age novel about Jayne, a young Korean-American woman, living in New York City dealing with an eating disorder and her sister who has cancer. Right away I really appreciated how there’s a disclaimer in the beginning of the book warning about the eating disorder subject matter. I could easily relate to Jayne. There were some really intense moments in this book but also some really heartfelt moments and some really witty lines that were quite funny. The writing in this book was so well done that every thought and situation seemed entirely real. There was one part at the end that even made me cry. I highly recommended this book!

Like everything Mary H.K. Choi writes, Yolk deals with new adults trying to figure out life. Of all her novels, Yolk’s protagonist Jayne is dealing with the most serious mental health crisis, disordered eating (anorexia and bulimia). Readers should know before they read this one that there are vivid descriptions of bulimia in this novel.

At its essence, though, Yolk is about family. It’s about Jayne’s relationship with her older sister June, and both of their relationship with their parents, especially their mother. It’s about what families do to sacrifice for one another. And in the end, it’s really about love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Yolk in exchange for an honest review.

While I know some of Choi's previous YA books have focused on NA protagonists, they have a distinctly more YA feel that justifies the classification. This book is definitely more NA and because of that, I was about to relate to it less where readers in the NA stage of life would probably be able to relate to it more.

Yolk is a very character driven story, following our protagonist after finding out her "perfect" sister has cancer spurs the two to get close enough to realize that neither was perfect. It's emotional and in my opinion, the writing is far stronger than other books by the author (which I personally haven't been the biggest fan of in the past) so I'd definitely recommend this whether or not you're a Mary H.K. Choi fan.