⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars

Yolk is a contemporary novel about two estranged sisters who start speaking again after June is diagnosed with cancer and needs Jayne’s identity to get lifesaving surgery.

This whole book is just one big bundle of emotions. It is super sad, filled with the suffering of the characters, and it’s also very confusing. Because of this, I struggle to put down how I feel about this book and was constantly debating between yes/no/maybe. This story is sarcastic, sad, validating, funny, chaotic and infuriating all in once.

I loved both of the sisters. Jayne is chaotic, flighty, a bit obnoxious and super aware of herself all the time. Her whole life is just one big hot mess. At the same time, she is very real and reading about her made my heart hurt. Seeing her struggle with depression and her eating disorder, the need for validation and the way she wants her sister to love her is very real and heartbreaking. I sometimes struggled to continue reading because of the raw hurt it made me feel. June is very brash and nerdy. She’s not afraid to tackle anything that comes in her way. Both are very vibrant and never shy away from who they are or masquerade as someone they’re not.

The dynamics between Jayne and Jun is messy, spiteful and sucked me right in. Having a very good relationship with my own sister I can’t imagine ever having such a relationship. But the way it developed and the layers came undone the further along you get was beautiful to read.

Overall, I’m still not sure what I truly feel about this book, but the way I can’t stop thinking about and everything it made me feel it makes it also amazing in its own way. It was just a very realistic novel.