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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
nellsir's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
dairyfreemozzarella's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“It took me so much searching to stop searching.” Bilal Rind, page 408
This book was very complicated for me to take in and process. Mainly because… there’s is no escapism. It was like stepping out of my own mind into a mirrored version of it. The depth in which we fall into Pablo’s depression was hard for me to deal with, but the “reckoning”/recovery section that followed was my favorite part of the entire book.
In the beginning, all the introspection was annoying to me, as I was marketed this book as a full blown romance (it was not). But when we got to the romance… I couldn’t bring myself to care too much. Lee was not really a character I could get behind until her final monologue in Seoul, and by then…she was on her way out of Pablo’s life anyway. I would’ve liked more about Lee but I know her story was not this story.
In conclusion, I liked this. A bit too heavy for me, well written, marketed oddly, and not my favorite of Chois books.
This book was very complicated for me to take in and process. Mainly because… there’s is no escapism. It was like stepping out of my own mind into a mirrored version of it. The depth in which we fall into Pablo’s depression was hard for me to deal with, but the “reckoning”/recovery section that followed was my favorite part of the entire book.
In the beginning, all the introspection was annoying to me, as I was marketed this book as a full blown romance (it was not). But when we got to the romance… I couldn’t bring myself to care too much. Lee was not really a character I could get behind until her final monologue in Seoul, and by then…
In conclusion, I liked this. A bit too heavy for me, well written, marketed oddly, and not my favorite of Chois books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Minor: Racism and Xenophobia
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