Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Permanent Record

From the blurb, I was expecting the story to be from both Pablo and Lee’s perspectives but I like that this wasn’t really the case. I thought the dialogue gave an excellent insight into her world and thoughts and it all flowed exactly how I imagine their conversations to pan out. Pablo was a bit of a frustrating character at times to the point where his lack of communication was a bit annoying. But I enjoyed reading through his character growth and how his asshole-ness impacted those around him, especially Rain and the Kim’s.

As the book was only written from Pablo’s perspective, I wish the premiere at the end of the book hadn’t been included and that hearing Lee was starring in the dream movie was something he found out only from posters/social media just to highlight how surreal their relationship was.

Overall an enjoyable read that is comforting to another early 20 something still figuring out life.

Content Warnings

alimoo511's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-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

4.0

I loved this book. I went into it expecting Emergency Contact and instead got something else entirely.

DO NOT GO INTO THIS WITH EMERGENCY CONTACT ON YOUR MIND.

I loved Pablo I loved how selfish and negative he could be and I loved how completely insane he is about being that careless with himself.

Rain is the best heads down

I loved Lee the little I felt we saw her. She reminds me a lot of myself someone who feels like they can't escape the box of those controlling but more like too scared to take the plunge.

Of course Mary H.K. Choi is the best at writing flaw real characters and I cannot wait to read Yolk whenever I can.

Ranking though Emergency Contact is my everything.

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invaderlinz's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

3.5

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azrah786's review against another edition

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4.5

[This full review can also be found on my BLOG]

**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Take my word for it, this story is so much more than just a “secret romance” as the synopsis sets it out to be.

Permanent Record is all about Pablo Neruda Rind whose life is a mess. He’s dropped out of NYU, has moved out of his family home and is sharing an apartment with friends. For a year he’s been working at a health food store with the hopes of earning enough to get back into school, while monthly rent payments and various bills that are piling up in his bedroom drawer watch on.

Enter Leanna Smart - childhood star and now a major celebrity, who one night stumbles into the store on Pablo’s shift. The two hit it off and Pablo finds a new excuse to push away his problems by allowing himself to be swept up into Leanna’s world. But it’s not long before his problems come racing to catch up with him.

This was the first book I’ve read by Choi and I quite liked her writing style. Not being American myself I didn’t understand all the references used, but her inclusion of pop culture, social media and slang/lingo within the narrative really helped to voice Pablo’s character, as well as set the scene. At first I was surprised to find that this book wasn’t written in a dual perspective, but it became clear quite quickly that this was very much Pablo’s story.

At the centre is the theme of adulthood, or more specifically being new to adulthood and it sure hit closer to home than I expected. Through the various relationships Pablo has with his family, his friends, his employers and even Leanna, Choi touches on the societal and familial pressures that are present in today’s world when it comes to education, finances and life in general. As the story progresses you really start to get a glimpse of how dire Pablo’s situation is.

The romance between Pablo and Leanna played more of a supporting role in the story and I thought it was great that their relationship didn’t overpower the primary narrative at any point. Their joint personalities and interests made their relationship feel natural and realistic however, it also highlighted the contrasts in their lives.

The friendship and family dynamics present in the story were also superbly written, the latter probably being my favourite part. The various elements of Pablo’s identity – being the eldest child in a biracial Asian and broken family, being an older sibling, being a child of diaspora – were handled beautifully. It gave light to some really important and thought-provoking discussions on culture, identity, privilege and race.

Now my life may not be as much of a mess as Pablo’s but I related to his character so much and really enjoyed his character arc. I really appreciated the underlying message that it is okay to not be sure about where life is going and that it is okay to mess up. That growing up doesn’t mean you have to isolate yourself from others in difficult times.

Overall, I just love how unapologetically hones this book is and I am so glad I picked it up. I look forward to picking up Choi’s debut, Emergency Contact as well as any of her future works.
Final Rating - 4.5/5 Stars

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