“YOU SPEAK FLUENT ME . . . I LIKE KNOWING THAT YOU EXIST.”
Hello Reader Friends! It’s been a while, but I’m excited to get this Book Blog up and going again. Since Quarantine/COVID happened, I’ve been spending my time doing a lot of different things: Lots of homework, focusing on my health and fitness, studying to get my real estate license, practicing my Korean, Spanish and ASL, and with all of that I haven’t given myself much time to read. But now that I’ve somewhat got used to this new schedule, I’ve been able to make some room for my favorite pastime; whether it’s listening to audible while on a run, while I’m doing chores at home, or taking time to relax on the couch, I’ve been able to surround myself with books again and enjoy the familiar process of being mentally transported to another world.
Okay, so to be completely honest here, I’m not into YA romance novels. At all. But I’ve got to say Mary HK Choi for sure made a fan out of me!
Here’s a quick summary of “Emergency Contact” to see if you might be into it:
For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.
Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him.
When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.
One of my favorite things about this book is that the main character Penny (in my opinion) is not very likable, but as the book goes on, you figure out why she is the way she is and it’s very refreshing. She’s an odd character sure, but every once in a while you see the good and broken parts of her which in turn make her more likable as the story goes on. I can easily also say that early-twenties me would’ve totally had a major crush on Sam. Tall? Tattoos? Wannabe filmmaker? Barista? Sign me the hell up haha, but also I could see myself in Sam from when I was the same age of twenty-one, the feeling of being “stuck in life” and like no matter what you do nothing ever seems to work out right, that basically the universe is taking out a personal vendetta on you. But hey, we grow up, we change and challenge ourselves, and like Sam, we also try to look for the good in everything despite what’s in front of us.
Every chapter, the book goes back and forth between the two character’s POV and although I normally dread that, Choi did it completely right. Most times when I’m reading books that are laid out like this, I quickly read through a character’s POV chapter without really taking it in because either I don’t care about that character or the author hasn’t set up anything exciting that’s happened to them yet. I found myself interested in both Penny and Sam’s POVs right from the start because each character’s story (although going through something completely different) was very relatable and exciting. I found myself wanting to know more and more about both of them while cheering them on throughout the book. When their separate world’s collided, Choi wrote it in such an unpredictable yet fascinating way. (I don’t want to spoil anything so find out for yourself, it’s great.)
The way Mary HK Choi writes her characters is honestly like getting to know someone. With each chapter that passes, we learn along side the characters about who they are and who they have been. It makes the reader want to learn more about these characters, getting them to read more and with the new information provided, it gives the reader a sense of being able to relate with not just the main character, but with every character.
How I relate to Penny:
- Introverted and not very spontaneous
- Very much the “mom of the group”
- Loves writing with a passion – has a thing for Sci-Fi
- Doesn’t talk about serious things or self much, but when done . . . it’s a lot
How I relate to Sam:
- Desperately trying to make life work with what was given
- Easy-going
- Loves baking and has a knack for it
- Doesn’t see teenagers as a nuisance
- Hates freebies and people who only come around when they’re bored
All in all, I highly recommend this book if one, you’re into YA Romance (or not and you’re like me and want to expand your horizons), and two, if you relate to these characters in any way. I didn’t think I would love it as much as I did, but it’s definitely in my Top 5 Favorite YA Romance Novels List (check it out to see if there are other books on my list that you might vibe with!)
The next book on my list is “They Both Die at the End” by Adam Silvera and I’ve been looking forward to this book so much. So be on the lookout for that review next! I’m also looking for a “spooky” type of book to read since we’re so close to Halloween. I might pick up an old Stephen King novel to read before this month is over, we’ll see.
Happy Halloween and Happy Reading! And if you do in fact pick yourself up a copy of “Emergency Contact”, let me know what you think of it.
— Ash
Shelves of Ash | Book Blog 