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lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I stumbled across a copy of this book at a library book sale and knew I had to pick it up.
"Permanent Record" follows Pablo, a young adult who is currently working at his local 24-hour deli and drowning in debt. He is getting endless calls about who he owes money to, and he sees no way out of his life. One late night, Leanna Smart, a widely successful and known celebrity, walks into the shop and Pablo and Leanna strike up a friendship. They decide to keep their relationship on the downlow, but it does not take long for the entire world to find out.
This book was so relatable, and I think most people in their early twenties can see at least part of themselves in Pablo. Pablo is struggling because he does not know what to do with his life, and his previous decisions all seem so terrible now that he is in so much debt he does not know what to do. He has a strained relationship with his family, and he finds it difficult to be happy for his friends around him who are actually making something of their lives. All of this is compounded when Leanna, with all of her seemingly effortless success, takes an interest in him.
Pablo and Leanna are not a super great couple, but I think they represent an important relationship everyone goes through in their early twenties. They are ill-matched and do not really have a lot in common, but Leanna teaches Pablo how to reframe his world and see the possibilities in it again. He is way too young to just entirely give up, he has so much more life to live, and he has so much to offer the world. The only problem was that Pablo could no longer see that for himself.
This is a novel about self-discovery, and I really enjoyed watching Pablo find himself and finally take charge of his life again. We cannot always change what happens to us, but we can certainly change how we react to it.
This is a highly bingeable book. The pacing is perfect, and it felt like the perfect length.
Mary H.K. Choi is so talented at writing young adult characters. Her novels are poetic, beautiful, and really capture the struggles people face. I have enjoyed both books from her that I have read, and I cannot wait to pick up more in the future.
"Permanent Record" follows Pablo, a young adult who is currently working at his local 24-hour deli and drowning in debt. He is getting endless calls about who he owes money to, and he sees no way out of his life. One late night, Leanna Smart, a widely successful and known celebrity, walks into the shop and Pablo and Leanna strike up a friendship. They decide to keep their relationship on the downlow, but it does not take long for the entire world to find out.
This book was so relatable, and I think most people in their early twenties can see at least part of themselves in Pablo. Pablo is struggling because he does not know what to do with his life, and his previous decisions all seem so terrible now that he is in so much debt he does not know what to do. He has a strained relationship with his family, and he finds it difficult to be happy for his friends around him who are actually making something of their lives. All of this is compounded when Leanna, with all of her seemingly effortless success, takes an interest in him.
Pablo and Leanna are not a super great couple, but I think they represent an important relationship everyone goes through in their early twenties. They are ill-matched and do not really have a lot in common, but Leanna teaches Pablo how to reframe his world and see the possibilities in it again. He is way too young to just entirely give up, he has so much more life to live, and he has so much to offer the world. The only problem was that Pablo could no longer see that for himself.
This is a novel about self-discovery, and I really enjoyed watching Pablo find himself and finally take charge of his life again. We cannot always change what happens to us, but we can certainly change how we react to it.
This is a highly bingeable book. The pacing is perfect, and it felt like the perfect length.
Mary H.K. Choi is so talented at writing young adult characters. Her novels are poetic, beautiful, and really capture the struggles people face. I have enjoyed both books from her that I have read, and I cannot wait to pick up more in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, and Sexual content
epeolatrist's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug use and Sexual assault
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Eating disorder, and Stalking
instalovewithbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.25
This book was definitely a more coming-of-age book more than a romance. Pablo and Lee are charismatic together, but they're not meant to be together, and that Pablo gets his shit together is great.
He reminds me of younger me.
He reminds me of younger me.
Content Warnings
Minor: Toxic relationship and Stalking
anniefwrites's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
I've loved Mary H.K. Choi's writing since I read Emergency Contact and Yolk and was happy to read her second of the three YA novels. She created such a strong voice for Pablo, and he and his friends and family feel so real, you could touch them. I have to say that the central tension is caused by something that causes me personally a lot of distress, so the reading experience itself was maybe a bit too stressful for me. I really like how the story ends up, but I sort of wish it didn't wrap up quite so quickly and neatly. But in general, I'll always be ready to read another book by Mary H.K. Choi because her style is so distinctive and makes you feel like a smarter, wiser, more thoughtful person for reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, and Abandonment