Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi

32 reviews

nicoreads333's review against another edition

dark funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.75

Mary Choi has a way of transporting a reader back in time to teen/young adult years with her writing. I love her writing style, the characters she crafts, and the worlds they live in. Yold is dark, but humorous, and sad and relatable. Choi eloquently paints the complicated dynamics between mother and daughter and between sisters (especially as immigrants in the US), so even if you can't relate in your life, you get a glimpse of what it's like. She handled the conversation of food and body issues respectfully, while remaining true to the character. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, and Eating disorder

iabsolutelydespisesoggytomatos's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Cancer, Vomit, and Alcohol

Moderate: Medical trauma, Sexual content, Mental illness, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, and Terminal illness

dyeganian's review

dark emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Grief, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Cancer, Self harm, Medical content, and Terminal illness

m4rtt4's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

So so good!!! It was really hard to put this book down once I had started reading it; I probably would have read it in one sitting had the non-book-related circumstances allowed me to do so. This one really read like a 5-star book, but I had to deduce the 0.25 stars for the communication issues. Even though pretty much all the conversations and relationships felt very realistic, down to the point of how stubborn the human nature is, it still didn't change the fact that for the reader it can be very frustrating to only read about conflicts that could have easily been resolved with some words — emotions, even. All in all, the aforementioned didn't really matter that much — in all its rawness and painfulness the story was also very beautiful, and most importantly, IT MADE ME CRY!! (which for some self-masochistic reason I consider a success.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Cancer, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Medical content, Vomit, Body shaming, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child abuse, Dysphoria, Terminal illness, Racism, and Infertility

dianalou's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I started reading this book without knowing what it was about and… wow. It was not what I expected. The first few pages were a little slow but then I couldn’t stop. It hurt getting to the end and not having more pages to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, and Cancer

knables's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

veronicats's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful sad 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

I definitely cried, just wish it was a little faster paced. And some of the little subplots were unnecessary. Still enjoyed it overall 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Blood, Vomit, Cancer, Eating disorder, Medical content, Bullying, Infertility, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Cursing

leannanecdote's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Grief, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Classism, Cursing, Abandonment, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Medical content, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Racism, Vomit, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Sexual content

herceia's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-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

3.0

A great sisterly read that also reflects my upbringing as an As-Am girl. The characters were infuriatingly human and flawed, very frustrating at times, but so completely understandable. It gave me an appreciation for recognizing the toxicity in my own family dynamics. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder and Terminal illness

michaelion's review

emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Fuck I wish I wasn't an only child.

I hate contemporary references in books with a passion but this one isn't that bad.

My only issue is Jayne is constantly said to be an emotional character but reading through I can barely get a sense of her thought process. She does things / takes actions at random,

Spoiler

for example: kicking out jeremy, going with june to the doctor,

and there was no build up or explanation as to why she decided to do those things. Actually it didn't have to be explained, but those moments felt random from a character whose thoughts we're exclusively able to read. Makes the character feel plot-driven as opposed to character-driven, but the story as a whole doesn't feel the same.

I guess my other issue is misused AAVE. But also... Asian American? From Texas? New York transplants? Color me shocked.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Self harm, Vomit, Abandonment, Blood, Addiction, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Classism, Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, Fatphobia, Infertility, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, and Xenophobia

Minor: Racial slurs and Stalking