Book: Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi
Read From: 1st July - 7th July 2021
Rating: 3/5 stars
Summary: Jayne and June are estranged sisters and are the complete opposite of one another. When June is diagnosed with cancer, they suddenly find themselves living together as Jayne is the only person who can help her.
Mary H.K. Choi is a seriously talented writer who has an amazing way of truly bringing her characters to life. They were messy and raw, but perhaps most importantly they were so REAL. Yolk is categorised as a YA novel but reads like both a Young Adult and New Adult at the same time as both sisters are in their early 20’s. As a reader around a similar age, I thought the experiences of Jayne and June were in equal parts heart-warming and heart-breaking. Whilst it absolutely broke me to read about June grappling with her cancer, Jayne’s denial of her eating disorder and how much of an impact a broken family can have, the underlying themes of unconditional familial love made way for a feeling of warmth. Because after all, no one has your back like your family do.
Saying that, Choi does not shy away from the nitty gritty. Whilst family relationships are central to this novel, these characters are far from perfect. Jayne has many flaws and made some pretty bad decisions, almost to the point that it became frustrating. But even from the writing, you can just tell that she is such a vulnerable character who carries so much pain and so you can’t help but feel for her. I can see why people wouldn’t quite ‘get’ Jayne and therefore find it hard to connect with her but her character is just so realistic. No human is perfect and it was so refreshing to see this represented in fiction, rather than an idealistic protagonist.
I don’t really have anything negative or even constructive to say about this book, it’s just one I won’t revisit which is why I’ve given it the 3 star rating. I definitely recommend this, but only if you feel that the topics won’t be triggering for you as they are discussed in a fair bit of detail. These are including but not limited to: child abuse, eating disorders, depression, cancer and racism.