A review by dlberglund
Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi
4.0
Written in two voices (but mostly Penny's), this is the story of a serious college freshman who falls for her roommate's (sort of) uncle, a 21-year-old who works at the coffee shop nearby. As many coming of age stories are, it's also about trying to find the sweet spot between pushing your mother away and staying codependently tied to her, about letting people in, and finding your voice. Though I always have some issues with age differences in YA romance, I found Penny's awkwardness and contradictions endearing, and the other characters interesting enough.
***Spoilers ahead...
I had problems with some decisions towards the end of the book. It felt as if there had been pressure to get more Issues (with a capital I) into the novel, to make it more relevant to the specific pulse of today's headlines. The immigration/documentation minor issue didn't feel real or necessary (or resolved, or resolvable), and Sam’s lack of planning on getting releases in order to film minors seemed pretty egregious. Most problematic to me was the sudden #metoo revelation. It was serious, and I believed her, but it also felt unnecessarily descriptive and personal for the level of seriousness in the book. I didn't see it coming, and it was jarring as a reader. I didn’t agree with the author's choices around these issues.
***Spoilers ahead...
I had problems with some decisions towards the end of the book. It felt as if there had been pressure to get more Issues (with a capital I) into the novel, to make it more relevant to the specific pulse of today's headlines. The immigration/documentation minor issue didn't feel real or necessary (or resolved, or resolvable), and Sam’s lack of planning on getting releases in order to film minors seemed pretty egregious. Most problematic to me was the sudden #metoo revelation. It was serious, and I believed her, but it also felt unnecessarily descriptive and personal for the level of seriousness in the book. I didn't see it coming, and it was jarring as a reader. I didn’t agree with the author's choices around these issues.