Title: Permanent Record
Author: Mary H.K. Choi
Publisher: SimonTeen
Publication Date: September 3, 2019
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Summary
Working at a local 24-hour grocery store, Pablo is unsure of where his life is headed. A recent college dropout with a large amount of student debt, his future is pretty blank. The only thing keeping him going is his love for snack food.
Leanna Smart is the complete opposite–she’s a complete success. A young Disney star turned singer, there’s almost nothing she can’t do. When she wanders into Pablo’s grocery store late one night, there’s an instant connection between the two.
They both know that what they have probably won’t last. But what’s the harm in trying?
Review: Permanent Record
It’s been kind of a review heavy week (oops), but I finished Permanent Record finally! I got an ARC at BookCon, and it is one of my most anticipated releases for the fall. I loved Emergency Contact and I was so ready to love this one. Unfortunately, I didn’t love it quite as much as Choi’s first book, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t without its great moments.
My main complaint is probably that the book felt too long to me. It took too long to get to Pablo meeting Leanna (Lee), and then their relationship felt weirdly paced. Pablo’s life slowly starts to spiral out of control as their relationship continues, which also gave me anxiety. It made Pablo relatable, but I think there were parts that could have been cut out in order to make the book’s flow feel more natural.
However, the characters were fantastic. Where the story sometimes fell flat or felt like it was dragging a bit, Choi made up with a quirky cast of characters all trying to make their way in New York. By the end, I was rooting for Pablo to get his life together and for Leanna to figure out a way to balance her work and her own life. The supporting characters breathe life into the book, making you want to keep reading.
The book is also infused with food and culture. Maybe Choi is making this a hallmark of her books, because I definitely remember this from Emergency Contact as well. She grounds her characters in their culture, bringing it to life on the page.
Ultimately, this is a story highlighting the fact that basically no one has their life completely figured out, even those in the limelight. It also shined a light on the dark side of fame and social media and the toll it takes on everyone involved.
3/5 stars