Book Details
Date Read: September 15, 2022
Publication Date: March 2021
Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Format: Audio Book
Page Count: 390
Listening Time: 13 hours 5 minutes
Print Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Audio Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Yolk Book Review
Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi is an excellent choice for readers who love character-driven novels that center estranged sibling relationships. The plot is the supporting character in this one and the main story is told through the relationship between sisters Jayne and June.
The sisters are three years apart in age and even though they both moved from Seoul to New York City together, they are estranged and live different lives. They are reunited by circumstance when June is diagnosed with cancer, and they begin to lean on each other.
I loved the everyday-ness of the storyline and the way that the sisters couldn’t mask their true selves from each other. It showed through tiny moments that no matter what different paths you take as adults, your shared experiences early in life remain part of who you are.
I’d recommend this book for those who enjoy a slower-paced literary story that doesn’t rush for plot advancement. It’s thick with sibling dynamics and peppers in events around them. Both sisters are working through health challenges and they have family trauma as well, so be sure to check the content warnings before picking this up.
Content warnings: Cancer, Disordered eating (graphic), Body shaming, Medical content, Grief, Abandonment, Child death, Sexual content (mild)
