Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi
A review of Mary H.K. Choi’s Yolk
“I thought a polished appearance and stellar behavior would be the passport to belonging. And when I inevitably failed at perfection, I could at least wilfully do everything in my power to be kicked out before anyone left me.”
Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi (2021). Published by Simon and Schuster.
A month ago, I had no idea who Mary H.K. Choi was. I had vaguely read her book Emergency Contact before, and I hated it. I just don’t read YA books, they’re not my cup of tea, but I was curious about her after attending a Books are Magic session with her and Jenny Han.
The way they just intimately discussed life for an hour in front of audience captivated me, and so then I went on a spiral watching Mary’s interviews. I loved her as a person, she reminded me of me (studied fashion merchandising, went into media, is now an author), and so I could just relate on a whole new level.
And so I read Yolk in one night, until one am in the morning. And I freaking loved it. Here’s the breakdown.
Note: there are major spoilers in this review.
Book Blurb
Jayne Baek is barely getting by. She shuffles through fashion school, saddled with a deadbeat boyfriend, clout-chasing friends, and a wretched eating disorder that she’s not fully ready to confront. But that’s New York City, right? At least she isn’t in Texas anymore, and is finally living in a city that feels right for her.
On the other hand, her sister June is dazzlingly rich with a high-flying finance job and a massive apartment. Unlike Jayne, June has never struggled a day in her life. Until she’s diagnosed with uterine cancer.
Suddenly, these estranged sisters who have nothing in common are living together. Because sisterly obligations are kind of important when one of you is dying.
Content/Plot
Yolk is a slightly triggering book, if you’ve had an eating disorder or someone die of cancer. It’s about Jayne and her sister June, who have both moved to New York from Texas. June has a cushy job at a hedge fund, lives in a penthouse on 26th and 6th. It’s the dream life. Jayne, our narrator, however, lives with a seedy guy named Jeremy who she is and isn’t dating, goes to fashion school for marketing, and wants nothing to do with the family she left behind.
But, one day, while tracking Jayne down via her public iPhone connection, June finds her in a club and tells her she needs to talk. Eventually, they talk, and June reveals that she has cancer. And so the story is about the two sisters reuniting and rekindling the close bond they once had, and then Jayne eventually finds someone nice from her past, a guy named Patrick with 53,000 Instagram followers. Theeeen we find out Jenny has committed insurance fraud because she no longer has insurance, because she was fired from her job.
I personally liked the plot. I just wish Jayne didn’t bounce from man-to-man, like moving on from Jeremy and then immediately getting together with Patrick. I understand how it shows that she loves herself more to sleep with a guy who actually cares about her, but in a way I kind of wish we had more focus on the sister’s relationship. It feels like the romance was chucked in a bit in order to cater to the YA crowd and general readers, but I’m in the stubborn camp that we don’t need romance to show platonic relationship stories.
Side note, I find it very confusing that June refused to tell their parents about the cancer. I would’ve just ripped that BandAid off because it sounds like grounds for future resentment.
Characters
Jayne went to FIT. It’s heavily alluded to, but not named, that she went to a fashion and design school on Fashion Avenue. That’s FIT. I went to FIT. I was kind of confused though because she came into the school undeclared, but you actually can’t do that at FIT. You have to declare a major while you apply, that’s just how the school works. But, as a character, Jayne reminded me of me. Rebellious, doesn’t want to rely on others.
I felt this book too much on a spiritual level, which is why I probably liked it so much. Minus the seedy literary magazine guy, Jeremy, and Patrick, the guy with an MFA from Yale and 53,000 IG followers, I could completely relate to the family dynamic of the Baeks. Extremely religious mother? Check. Apathetic father who owns a restaurant? Check. Sister who is seen as the darling of the family? Check.
I think that the characters were well fleshed out, except Jeremy. We get the story from Jayne’s perspective, so obviously he is set up to be the villain, but I wish we knew more about him besides him acting like a general asshole. As someone working in the literary industry, I thought the concept of his literary magazine to honestly be kind of confusing, because Choi made it out to seem more like an editorial magazine.
Writing
Choi’s writing is very contemporary, ridden with popular actors, music, and references that date the piece very much to write now and right here.I don’t know how I feel about that, because, in the future, that can be considered a con. It’s too much Generation Z and too much centered around the contemporary concept, which may be a feature of YA that I’m not sure about. I don’t think will age well in twenty years unfortunately.
I’m not in love with Choi’s writing style, but it also isn’t terrible. I found that her dialogue was very natural and smooth, and that her description technique was pretty lush. Don’t have much to say about it since I didn’t really pay attention to her technique.
I am a fashion student who went to FIT. Jayne doesn’t seem like the typical fashion student at all, which makes me wonder abut how the author set this up to be more autobiographical in nature. Mary H.K. Choi, as stated in previous interviews, moved to NYC to work in fashion, and also had an eating disorder I believe. There was one point Jayne mentions wearing sweatpants to class and I was like what. You don’t do that at these schools unless you’re a design kid. The marketing and business kids go all out.
Overall Thoughts
I really liked this book! It was an intimate glimpse at two sister’s relationship, and as a young person was living in New York City before moving back home, it touched my cold, dead heart. I recommend it.
I’m going to watch every single interview Mary H.K. Choi does. She’s a very interesting person, one whose interviews I keep binge watching. Perhaps it’s because I see so much of myself in her, or because she follows the same exact trajectory I plan on going down career-wise.
Rating: 5/5
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