Thank you to NetGalley and Mary H. K. Choi for allowing me to read and review an ARC of Emergency Contact. I thought it was a solid novel, and I will be recommending it to a few teens that I know would like it. 4/5

Choi is a born story-teller.

As a massive contemporary lover, this book was perfect for me. It was cute and awkward and delightful and stressful and sad and sweet. This story is told from duel POVs.

The characters are so beautifully flawed.
Penny's neurotic nuances were charming and fun, and it made her very relatable.
Sam...a lanky guy with tattoos who can bake? Sign me up please! Reading his POV and learning of his past, just completely captured me heart.
I couldn't even say whose POV I enjoyed more.

My only criticism would be that I would have liked to know how Penny's story and Sam's movie turned out.

If you're a contemporary fan, you definitely need to pick this baby up! It's a great read after reading heavy subject matter. Not too fluffy so that you feel disinterested, but sweet enough that you completely loose yourself in Choi's incredible story.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I tried to like this book and the premise seemed really promising to me, but I just couldn't get into it. The characters seemed forced and I didn't like them or how they interacted with each other. This just wasn't a book for me.

EMERGENCY CONTACT was pitched as something something ELEANOR & PARK or something something Rainbow Rowell. I can't remember which but either way it amounts to the same thing. So I requested it faster than the speed of light because I've pretty much loved everything by Rowell and in general I'm always excited about more college-based YA(ish) fiction.

But this isn't the happy, erring on the side of fluffy, bit of romantic comedy with a dash of Real Issues(tm) that I expected it to be. It was kind of a lot sad, definitely a lot of Real Issues(tm), and had a mostly.. I can't say unlikeable but definitely challenging and a rather atypical heroine. But the characters were well drawn, flawed, and there were layers of various issues scattered about and I thought all were handled really well. The characters were very vibrant, even if their personalities weren't always pleasant or easy, and the way they interacted was so great. I especially loved the texting conversations and the difficulty, yet ease, with which the MCs transitioned into real life. Or, as they called it, escalations. It was adorable.

Which is why overall it makes me sad that I didn't love this read. It was slow moving, kind of dull, in the beginning and I definitely loved the latter half best. And there were elements I so so enjoyed. But overall? It's no FANGIRL and it won't find it's way onto my shelf. However, I do think a lot of people will identify with it, not just because of the diversity, but because it did feel so real. The not so straight-forward family dynamics, complicated home situations, and the frustration with feelings that manifest in different ways, means there's a a little bit for everyone here and I think that'll resonate with a lot of people. Plus there's a great friendship-to-more element to sweeten the pot.

I'm not sure I'd recommend EMERGENCY CONTACT but if the plot hooks you enough to make you want to pick it up, I wouldn't tell you to put it down, either.

“As far as Young Adult dramas go, Mary H.K. Choi’s first attempt runs the gamut. It covers everything from unwanted pregnancy to class division, from racism to absent parents.

In typical Young Adult contemporary style, Choi’s novel gets us started with a pair of young people, unknown to each other, at a turning point in their lives. Penelope Lee is on her way to university for the first time, attempting to take a break from her overly involved, too cool to be allowed mom. Sam is attempting recovery on his own, from alcoholism, a toxic relationship, and a break with his mom who has been less than motherly to him.

For a first effort, Emergency Contact is a job well done.....”

Check out the link for the rest of my review.

“Loving someone is traumatizing”. This book explores the complicated relationships of the main character, Penny, as she goes away to college and struggles with new and old relationships... her mom, new roommate, and her new “emergency contact”, Sam. I had a bit of a hard time getting through this book, but it is a well written, down-to-earth young adult novel. The characters are complicated, real and flawed. It’s unlike anything I usually read, hence the difficulty getting through it, but it was enjoyable overall.

I will fully admit to wanting to read this one because of the cover, it’s stunning and sometimes that’s all I need. Luckily the contents of this book are even more beautiful than the cover and even though it’s been a few days I’m still not sure how to properly express how much I adored this story. I don’t consider myself to be a massive contemporary fan but then books like this come along and make me rethink my stance on my favourite genre because how could I not love a genre that contains masterpieces like this?

I loved the premise of this one, the POV’s alternate between Sam and Penny and it worked so well to show how their relationship progressed and what they were both going through. Penny’s chapters mostly took place in her dorm room or during her classes and Sam’s really focused on his life at the coffee shop and on his other relationships. I loved that the characters in this one were a bit older, 18 and 21, it made the story more relateable for me. Leaving home and experiencing life as an adult is something that most people have gone through/will go through and I think that it was done really well! I also found the way that these two met and how their relationship developed was super well done, it’s a series of accidental meetings that really bring them together and they end up growing while talking to each other and it’s just so beautiful to read!

I also really really loved the focus on other relationships in this one! The focus on friendship and making true friends later in life was so well done. I loved Jude and Mallory and it was so much fun watching Penny break out of her comfort zone a little bit and get to know them. I also loved the focus on family, both Sam and Penny have very different relationships with their mothers and both were seen as valid and full of different emotions and it was just beautiful. Also Sam’s relationship with Lorraine was really important, the way it was written was so important because toxic relationships and friendships are often romanticized in literature and it was nice to see a more realistic approach to it.

I really just loved Sam and Penny though, both as individuals and together. I could gush about how precious they are all night but this is a book that you really need to experience yourself. The way that it’s written is just absolutely stunning and I can’t recommend it enough. Pick this book up, it will hopefully leave you a mess of emotions like it did to me but I literally could not stop reading it and I will without a doubt be picking up a finished copy once it’s released.

Seriously. Read this book.

I really wanted to like this book, the concept seemed to be refreshing and fun, but unfortunately I couldn't get into it at all. I did not connect with the characters what so ever, in fact they we're getting on my nerves like crazy. I was unable to finish this book, so take this review with a grain of salt, maybe it got better and I just don't know.

This story was a bit slow to get into but I'm glad I came back to it because once it got going after Sam and Penny found each other on the street it was really intoxicating. The characters felt real and had a lot of issues going on. I love quirky characters, and when stories are told through alternating characters and through text message instead of just reading a story! Very touching, while I found it a bit juvenile for college at the start, it grew to feel more young adult than teenagey. It was a good touch that the author focused on many issues because lots just focus on one which doesn't feel as true to life where there's always so much going on.

The cover of this book is so pretty!! I requested this book expecting a light, fluffy romance. What I got was all that and more. The characters in this story were very developed in that their flaws and insecurities were right out in the open for everyone to see. No one is perfect and everyone has some type of emotional baggage. You have to take the good and bad; past, present and future. No sugar coating, although this is a sweet romance. Loved this story!

I have noticed (new people I follow on BookTube) that when some people are discussing a book, they give trigger warnings. I had never thought of this before and I can understand the need for it. So I thought I would share that I think this book has trigger warnings for alcoholism, anxiety and sexual assault.

This was such a sweet quirky book! So awkward and funny but still deep and touching. It was emotional, realistic and honest. I feel like I can’t explain it in a way that will do it justice so I will just say I really really loved it! It was definitely more of a coming of age story then a light romantic story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. * I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

FEEEEELINGS!

Just like with Nice Try, Jane Sinner and Fangirl – I am LOVING these YA books that are set after high school. Penny and Sam’s story just felt so real! Their friendship starts awkward and then, like a lot of friendships today, blossoms over technology. Both Penny and Sam are in their own ways, artists. Penny, an aspiring writer, has some serious problems with her mom, and couldn’t wait to leave her hometown behind. Sam, an aspiring movie director, is fresh out of a crap relationship, is broke, and is sleeping on the floor of the coffee shop he works at. The characters were realistic and loveable and the book was adorably awkward, overall a delightfully cute contemporary that I would totally suggest to YA contemporary fans.

4.5/5

Emergency call was actually better than I tought. It was a quick and easy read, the kind of book you bring to the beach with you, that you read in just a few days that makes you feel good. I would have liked to know the characters a bit more… it somtimes felt like I didn’t know them enough… that is the only reason i am giving it a 3 stars. I also did not know all the acronym meant whane they were texting...and I was sometimes annoyed by it...

I was actually surprised by this book. I expected a light, typical YA romance, but this book is so much more. Told in alternating points of view, the reader gets to see the struggles of both Penny and Sam, and how they manage to pull each other through some intense situations.
I loved how real the characters were. They were awkward and flawed, and that was okay. Some parts were difficult to read, but that just made the book that much better. It touched upon real life problems that many people deal with, and it did it in a way that completely sucked me in.

Not applicable as I could not read this novel in the format it was downloaded in. My apologies.

For aspiring author Penny Lee, beginning her first year of college is a welcome escape from so much that is lacking in her life. Now she has a chance for a new start, but will her shyness prevent her from the better future that she is dreaming of?

Sam Becker, a coffee shop baker with no money, a failing laptop, and a manipulative ex-girlfriend, dreams of being a movie director, but the odds seemed stacked against him. Will he ever gain enough footing to find some joy and purpose in life?

These questions and more set the stage for Mary H. K. Choi's new novel, Emergency Contact. Sam and Penny meet by chance in a minor emergency, swap phone numbers, and become "emergency contacts." Neither of them expect anything to come of it, but both find that they can text each other with ease. Soon they are texting daily, able to express their thoughts, opinions, darkest secrets, and dreams without any of the social awkwardness of actually having to see each other or meet in person. Sam and Penny "click." They understand each other so well, and it is wonderful to always have someone there "at the touch of a button." When their relationship unexpectedly escalates into a second real-life meeting, will it be able to survive and even thrive, or will reality and face-to-face conversation crush the freedom and ease they both felt with only texting?

Sam and Penny's text message conversations are confusing at times. There are a few sections where it isn't readily apparent which texts are sent by whom until much later in their conversation. This confusion is amplified by the fact that sometimes Sam's texts are on the left side of the page and Penny's on the right, but not always. (As my copy of the book was an uncorrected ARC, hopefully this issue will be corrected in the editing process).

Emergency Contact is a light and fun read, but it does have its dark and serious moments as well. At times it seems too heavy for the young adult audience to whom it is targeted. Both main characters have serious issues with their moms, and there is a heavy amount of cursing and bad language for a young adult book. The story that Penny works on for her writing class is dark and morbid. That aside, Emergency Contact is realistic, yet fun to read, and the ending is satisfying without seeming false. The pros definitely outweigh the cons with this book, leading me to give it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Emergency Contact had my attention from the start—Choi is able to draw the reader in and keep them there. Her writing style is relaxed, her descriptions clever, and her dialogue realistic yet witty. Choi's characters are a flawed blend of light and shade, some realistic and likable, other realistic and hate-able—a sign of a good writer. Emergency Contact is dialogue-driven and drama-based, with enough subplot to keep you reading until the last page.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review purposes. The opinions expressed are my own.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Trigger Warning: rape, panic attacks, racism

My Review:

I received this E-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!

When I got approved for this ARC I was super excited! It isn't often that I read a synopsis of a contemporary and think wow i really want to read it. The whole concept of the emergency contact and them becoming inseparable and reliable on one another was one I really liked. I was expecting this great platonic relationship.. and then I didn't get that. I mean, I did, but I feel like where this book fell short for me was the romance between Penny & Sam.

It was inevitable, but I had hope that they could just be friends. It was more a book about finding your place in the world than it was a romance, that part felt forced to me. It was an almost 400 page read and sometimes it felt all over the place. I didn't know, I still don't really know where the plot was intended to go. Most of it was talked about for one page and then never fully resolved.

There also was some troubling content in terms of things the main character, Penny, thought. She isn't a sunshine and rainbows girl, but at the same time her sense of humour wasn't really all that funny. She makes a comment about depression 'suiting' Sam and well, I don't ?? I don't like that wording. There was also an instance where she is pointing out the racism of others while also thinking negative things about an other country. 

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book for everyone. Though it is an OwnVoices book with a Korean-American MC, there is problems within the other content in the book that I couldn't look past. It wasn't my favourite, but it wasn't horrible either.

EMERGENCY CONTACT releases March 27th from Simon&Schuster.

This book was so good and refreshing. It was nice to read a book based solely on friendship, and that only had a bit of romance near the end.

Both Penny and Sam are intelligent and accepting of others and each other. They also learned lessons about honesty and keeping secrets. It was also nice that the main protagonist were a minority group and not one of the majority groups in society. I enjoyed that the main character Penny did not always get along with her mother, and sometimes had to be a mother to her mother. It was also a good depiction of anxiety and how different people deal with this as a mental illness. Sam is very supportive of her, but does not come across a person who is going to swoon any time she looks at him or vice versa. The book covers many modern topics in a realistic fashion without coming on to strong or preachy. I also enjoyed how the chapters switch between both Sam and Penny's viewpoints.

I think fans of John Green and Turtles All the Way Down would enjoy this book. I think this book would also appeal to fans of David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. I also really love the cover and think it would make a great print. As people are saying now, this book provides all the feels!

The concept behind Emergency Contact is pretty cute: Sam and Penny meet at a coffee shop and after Sam has a bad night and Penny is the one who gets him home safely, they agree to be each other's 'emergency contact,' the person the other can text for help at any time. Over time, their texts become less about actual emergencies and more about flirting through emojis. The book isn't a romcom, however, and Sam and Penny end up helping each other through some difficult times.

Mostly, Emergency Contact made me feel old. There was a time I may have been totally caught up in Sam and Penny's drama, and may very well have found this a very deep and emotionally moving tale of friendship and love. As it was, I was mostly unmoved.

Part of it is that both characters felt quirky hipsterish in a way that reminded me of so many other main characters in teen dramas. Penny is an aspiring fiction writer who studies English at university. Sam is an aspiring documentary filmmaker who works at a coffee shop to make ends meet and doesn't even have enough money to buy a laptop for making his films. Penny's main project is a short story inspired by a news item from Korea, and a breakthrough about the perspective that tells the story elevates her work to brilliance in her teacher's eyes. It was a good idea, and certainly unusual, but I thought the story ended up feeling pretty flat. Sam's main project is a documentary about neighbourhood kids, which isn't super groundbreaking in terms of documentary ideas, though I do like a decision he made about how best to respect the best interests of his subjects.

A lot of Penny's problems also had to do with her mother. I liked the cultural aspect of it, where Penny's non-Korean roommate complains that Penny's mother is too involved in her life considering she's now in university, and Penny explains that that's just how their relationship is. I thought that felt very realistic, and I thought the roommate's reaction was also very true-to-life. But overall, I felt bad for Penny's mother, with Penny being so judgemental of her romantic life and her love for trendy, youthful clothes. I can understand where Penny is coming from, and perhaps if I had read this when I was Penny's age, I may have even sympathized, but as it is, I felt sorrier for the mother.

Still, the story got better the further it developed, and I especially liked how the friendship between Sam and Penny evolved over time. I think younger readers or at least more angsty or less jaded ones, may enjoy this book more than I did, but this simply wasn't for me. One thing I did absolutely love is the cover art: the illustrations and cover design are gorgeous!

+

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The review will go live on my blog on March 26.

I loved this book! I loved the characters and the plot. I loved how awkward both Penny and Sam were. The characters were so delightfully real both in their struggle to keep it to "just friends" and in their eventual relationship. Everything these characters had to deal with resonates: dysfunctional parents, switching from high school to college, fitting in with a new peer group, being an adult....the story flowed, I had to keep reading.

Highly recommend!!