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wanderlust_romance's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I enjoyed listening to this as an audiobook. However I fear I would have shelved this as DNF had I attempted to read it with my eyeballs. Would recommend this book to all the Swifties out there who are looking for a read with a diverse and entertaining cast of charcters.
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
epeolatrist's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Mental illness and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug use and Sexual assault
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Eating disorder, and Stalking
thepassivebookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Drug use and Stalking
anniefwrites's review
- 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
Graphic: Mental illness and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, and Abandonment
sara_olivia's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Drug use
invaderlinz's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Bullying and Drug use
Minor: Cancer, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Death of parent
sarah_d's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Drug use
azrah786's review against another edition
4.5
**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
Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, and Sexual assault