Pool House

by Mary H.K. Choi

Stevie cannot escape her mother. Abandoning college plans to work a dead-end job, her days are a purgatorial bore. Many dream of moving to L.A. and into the spotlight, but Stevie can't wait to move away from it - and her mother's orbit - to start over.

Stevie's mother, Moon, is many an out-of-work actress, a recovering addict, whatever a mistress becomes when she's widowed, and a mother. Reeling in the aftermath of her lover and TV husband's death, Moon struggles to process her grief. And the last thing she expects is for Stevie to leave her too.

Now, neither Stevie nor Moon can afford to quit each other. And their cost of living forces them into a glass-walled pool house in the backyard, while their home is rented out to pay the bills. But when Adam, Moon's former TV son and Stevie's forever crush, arrives for the funeral, the three are pulled into a messy orbit, moving back into the 'Big House' and play-acting a picture-perfect family even as tensions rise and relationships unravel.

Pool House is a course charted through the wilderness of motherhood, a story about the challenges of navigating class, fame, burgeoning sexuality, and grief as two women grapple with what it means to grow up and grow older in Hollywood.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Summer, Audiobook, Adult Fiction, Summer Reads

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 9, 2026

About the author

Mary H.K. Choi is a Korean-American author, editor, television and print journalist. She is the author of young adult novel Emergency Contact (2018). She is the culture correspondent on Vice News Tonight on HBO and was previously a columnist at Wired and Allure magazines as well as a freelance writer. She attended a large public high school in a suburb of San Antonio, then college at the University of Texas at Austin, where she majored in Textile and Apparel.

Reviews

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

please give me another mary h.k. choi release. i need this. i'll be nice

update: okay now i have to be nice.

(thanks to the publisher for the arc)
(review to come)

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. I wanted to like this book because I was a huge fan of Mary H.K. Choi’s book Yolk from a few years ago. But Pool House was a big miss for me. Before I get into the writing, I wasn’t a fan of the plot. It follows a mother/daughter pair, Moon and Stevie, who both have a relationship with a man named Adam. The novel honestly felt really man-centric to me and the love triangle vibes and dynamic between Moon, Stevie, and Adam were off-putting, if not gross. I felt that Moon and Stevie’s development as characters was minimal and that Adam was just there to be a (privileged white) male love interest.

The writing in Pool House didn’t appeal to me either. Choi has a distinctive prose style which I appreciate, though with this novel, I felt like she was writing “around” things instead of diving deep into emotions, situations, etc. There was a lot of internal monologue, and while I’m a fan of character-driven novels, the complete lack of plot, more grounded scenes, and more direct descriptions (e.g., of events, feelings, etc.) prevented me from feeling immersed in the story. I wish I could leave a more favorable review though when I’m this harsh it’s for the sake of honesty across the books I review. As a positive, there were some interesting lines and observations related to class and socioeconomic themes, though that wasn’t enough to elevate Pool House beyond a two-star rating for me.

[Tell · Rating 5 out of 5]

forthcoming. (4.75)

[Melanie (meltotheany)]

and just like that... my most anticipated 2026 publication is here <3

♡ Emergency Contact ★★★★★
♡ Permanent Record ★★★★★
♡ Yolk ★★★★★

[luce (cry bebè's back from hiatus)]

An adult novel by Mary H.K. Choi? Color me intrigued.

[Mizuki Giffin]

I rarely say this in reviews since I can usually find something redeemable in any book, but I did not like this and wish I dnf’ed when I started feeling like I should around a quarter of the way in. The most interesting thing that happened in this book happened in the last 3 pages — everything else felt stagnant. For a book centred on characters, they all felt shallow without much development. The chapters and points of view were scattered and jumping around in time and topics in ways that took me out of the narrative. Also, this is nitpicky and I appreciate a novel of its time but the references in here felt way too hyper-specific at times… I can’t imagine an offhand reference to La Culturistas enduring the test of time.

I was going to say this maybe just wasn’t a book for me but also a character-driven modern day literary fiction about a wayward girl in her 20s and her complicated family relationships is my exact type of book. Maybe I’m just in a bad mood?? Anyways

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

This LA novel was sticky and claustrophobic and felt a bit like watching a car crash.

Anywho, Choi can write her ass off. 5 stars.

[kay]

life’s too short to continue to read books that I know aren’t going to get any better for me

[lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok I LOVED the writing in this book. It verges on insanity and definitely gave me feelings of Animal by Lisa Taddeo. Lots of dark humor. I listened to an audio copy and sort of wish I read the actual book.

Only thing that was off for me was the pacing. There was a building tension throughout the whole book but not much movement. It’s really a character study on family - which was phenomenally done - but I was hoping for a little more action. I know this wasn’t the authors intention but that’s what I wanted.

This will NOT be for everyone. But it was a wild time. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the ALC!

[Maëlys]

i have been YEARNING for a new Mary H.K. Choi !!!

Emergency Contact: 5/5
Permanent Record: 4/5

[Mollyanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the total dark horse that was Yolk, I was eager to pick up Choi’s adult debut and see if she could tackle the complicated and often dynamics between mother and daughter as well as she handled those between sisters. Yolk teetered on that fine line between Young Adult and General Fiction, but Pool House dives head first into the genre without any reserves.

While we do get the expected perspectives between C-List actress Moon and her daughter Stevie, there is also the inclusion of Adam, Moon’s TV son from a sitcom she was in a decade previously. This motley collection of fatally flawed Hollywood derelicts are our eyes in this narrative.

The three all come to the audience at various points in their lives, offering a specific perspective for you to find and latch onto. Are you Stevie, stagnant in the decision making of early adulthood? Are you Adam, spinning the wheels and hoping your best days are ahead and not behind? Are you Moon, clawing for meaning and purpose in a world you feel has largely left you behind?

Choi was obviously stretching her writer’s muscles when it came to the prose. Having read two of her YA books, I don’t remember her prose being especially memorable. But with Pool House, Choi was experimenting and while sometimes the pacing felt hampered by the style, it did a lot for the character’s internal monologue.

This book follows that languid, oppressive atmosphere that relies heavily on character and vibes. We spend a lot of time in either Stevie, Moon, or Adam’s head. Winding and unwinding.

What knocked this from a four star to a three was how rushed the ending felt. For most of the book, we are treated to Moon as a mother through Stevie’s perspective. Only in the last quarter, do we break into Moon’s side. While both are filtered through their character’s experience, I think the revelation of Moon’s love and devotion comes a bit past the eleventh hour and should have come sooner. I think we needed another twenty or so pages to marinate in what Choi wanted us to feel. As it stands now, the ending feels like an escalating of events that fire at the reader with machine gun rapidity that culminate in a door slamming shut on our faces.

I think there is something in here for everyone. Maybe even a little taboo. I will certainly tune in for Choi’s future novels, both YA and not.

[Brandice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pool House was an ok read for me. Moon and her 20 year old daughter, Stevie, have a tumultuous relationship. Moon is an out of work actress and Stevie works at a fast food restaurant. They can barely afford their L.A. home which they now frequently rent out for income while they stay in the pool house.

When someone important in Moon and Stevie’s life unexpectedly passes away, a contact from their past resurfaces and their rollercoaster of a mother-daughter relationship continues.

I didn’t care for any of the characters in this story, but was still curious to see how things would turn out for Moon and Stevie. Pool House was a tense, slow burn with a relatively abrupt ending.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stevie Moon grew up in the shadows of Hollywood. Her mother, Delilah "Moon" became famous for a groundbreaking, but exploitative, performance years ago, starred on a syndicated sitcom. Moon is a recovering alcoholic, grasping at her glory days and awash in debt. They live in the glass pool house behind their mansion, renting the main house out to wealthy guests. Stevie learned to mother her mother at a young age, staying in LA in a fast food job instead of leaving for college. Her feelings about growing up are complicated, but perhaps not as complicated those she feels for her mother's "tv family." When Moon's tv husband dies unexpectedly, the ripples of grief challenge their status quo amidst a tumultuous coming of age for Stevie and a realization of age for Moon.

I was eagerly anticipating Mary HK Choi's adult debut. She excels at complicated relationships- friendships and familial. I've always loved how she never shies from a messy character, and Pool House is entirely messy characters. This is well-written, but in a litfic family drama style that didn't quite land for me. I had to spread reading it over several days because I needed a breather from the bad decisions they all make. But I did like it. It's not what I usually reach for these days, but it's both thoughtful and crass in a way I found appealing.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for an ALC. Pool House is out 6/9/2026.

[Lindsay Greene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, this book delivers a doozy of a dysfunctional, codependent, mother daughter relationship. Moon, the mother, is an aged former famous-ish actress known as much for being Asian & sexy, it seems, as she was for her actual roles. She’s an alcoholic and classically narcissistic in the way that Hollywood twists women into being. She’s broke because all the roles have dried up for her, and she’s stuck in a limbo with Stevie, her 21-year-old daughter. Stevie herself is in a state of arrested development, feeling like she has to care for her mother and be the bulwark against relapses. To pay the bills, Moon rents out her home that she blew all her sitcom cash on and she and Stevie largely stay in the pool house while tenants live it up in their primary residence. The pool house is filthy and full of fruit flies. It’s stagnant and sticky and is a perfect metaphor for the lives of these two women. Their stagnant, sticky, unpleasant existence is thrown for a loop when Moon’s ex, the actor who played her husband on the sitcom that was most responsible for her fame, commits suicide, and the actor who played her son, comes to stay with her and Stevie for a while. And boy does he have all his own mommy issues. So the story turns into a real Oedipal saga. Like so many well-written books set in Hollywood/LA , this one does a great job of really giving you that duality of LA - the beauty and the grime, the hustle and the art, the futility juxtaposed against the American dream. So many scenes in this book are absolutely excruciating, which is a testament to the writing, just a cringe a minute. There’s a “dinner party” scene in New York that is superbly written for its tension and weirdness and the way it leaps off the page. If I was reading this expecting someone to ride in and save these folks from themselves, I quickly learned there is none of that. The book is really unique and thoroughly immersive and entertaining, but there are parts where the pieces are better than the whole. The writing is superb for the most part, with lines that are wholly unique and perfect, but there are some internal monologues, particularly Moon’s, that drag on a bit. That said, the book delivered perfect one-liners and the ending was gratifyingly shocking so I think I kind of loved it and I’m definitely going to read some more of Choi’s work.

[Nicolette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started strong with interesting inner monologues and deep character development. However, it started to drag halfway through when characters somehow became even more unlikable as they meandered to a predictable ending.

[Amy (amyrose.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to the MacMillan Early Listeners Program for this ALC!

This story flits between the perspectives of a mother and daughter (and a sort of son) in Los Angeles. Moon, the mother, is a former sitcom star and is frustrating to read. She is constantly striving for the fame she wants while disappointing her daughter along the way. Stevie, the daughter, is working at a burrito shop and is also frustrating to read, as she makes some strange decisions along the way. Adam, played Moon’s son on the sitcom and throws some bumps in the road for this family (also frustrating to read). There’s just something about reading a book with unlikeable characters that is ultimately a lot of fun.

Pool House says things the way they are. And honestly, as a reader, that can be uncomfortable and awkward at times. Descriptions feel almost clinical at incredibly intimate moments between characters. As a reader, you get filled with rage at the choices being made because they’re just so wrong. It is almost like a car crash in that way. You can’t look away.

While I enjoyed this book, I don’t see it as something I would ever return to. If you’re interested in literary fiction with messy characters, but feels incredibly poignant, I would recommend this one.

The audiobook was very well produced and flowed incredibly smoothly. I would absolutely recommend giving this a listen.

[Anna]

I gave this book more chances than it deserved. If not for my participation in a buddy read, I would have walked away sooner.

This is an entirely character driven novel. Unfortunately, I did not like any of the characters. I found the writing unnecessarily complicated and it did not grab my attention.

I did learn that some fruit flies can live for as many as forty days, so my effort was not totally wasted.

[Bethany Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Macmillan audio for the ALC! The audio of this was lovely. Well produced and almost hypnotic in a way. It’s definitely literary fiction with unlikable characters. Most of the time I didn’t really understand the decisions being made and something at the end took me out and dropped a star. But of you’re going to read it - audio is the way to go.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

this wasn't unpleasant to read but i don't think i will think about it again

[Jessica Haider · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

review coming soon

[Kelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to preface this review by saying I have a soft spot for this author. She wrote so many books I deeply enjoyed. This just so happens to not be one of them.

I don’t know the last time a book has alienated me so much.

And, perhaps that’s a good, notable thing. Books should challenge you or invite you to reconsider your thoughts on something. They should inspire passion, anger sometimes. A good book isn’t necessarily going to be one you like. I get that.

But.

This book was equal parts obnoxious and tedious.

I still can’t decide if I find the writing thoughtful or just pretentious and fake-deep. It has a gloss to it that doesn’t always feel sincere. Like, I feel like Choi is trying too hard to write a literary story. I’m not sure if the content of this story is commensurate with the author’s intentions.

But, I think I’m talking around the main issue that I had with this book—which is that all these characters are so deeply, often insufferably unlikable.

Even a character like Stevie comes across as so outrageously disengaged and cynical that any charm you may have otherwise felt from her is negated. She’s a caricature of a Gen Z type. Which is so odd because Choi is a young author. I’d expect her to have more care in crafting Stevie and making her into a multidimensional, nuanced character. But, Stevie’s character feels like a confirmation of every boomer’s worst fears about the upcoming generation. That we’re all insipid and shallow.

Concerning Moon and Adam, they just never feel like fully realized characters.

Poor Moon is this specter that haunts not only Stevie but the rest of this narrative. It feels like the author was trying to make her sympathetic—at least, make us feel sympathy for the young girl Moon was. But, present Moon is so selfish and ambitious to a distinct fault that a lot of the sympathy I may have felt gets consumed by those flaws. I feel sad for her—but not enough to like her. She’s a performer first and a mom in name only.

Adam—he’s there and just kind of a nuisance. I truly don’t understand the mom and daughter competing over him. He’s just not that interesting. He’s a fail-son. In this story, he exists as a manifestation of the rift between mother and daughter.

Characters and their issues aside though, what is this book about? Great question.

It has a bunch of interesting pieces: a tragic death, strained relationships, unrealized dreams, washed up dreams, dreams on pause, a tenuous financial situation, toxic dynamics, coming-of age moments, illicit sexual desires, existential dread.

Do all these pieces really come together?

Some, yes. If you squint. But, arguably, I think this book has a polished veneer that makes it seem like it’s saying more than it is, connecting more than it does.

Personally, I found the tragic death that starts the ball rolling here and the misplaced grief of that to be the most interesting thing in this story—and we don’t spend much time exploring that.

Rather, I’d say the bulk of this book is focused on those illicit sexual desires.

There’s a lot of sex in this book.

Nothing erotic. It’s all pretty lurid. Clearly meant to be shocking. It’s written in a too-disinterested, near clinical manner to not be intentionally off-putting and a little offensive. Like, why are we waxing cerebral about blowjobs? Give me a break.

That was also pretty tedious.

Which, perhaps, is all to say that I found this book to be kind of boring?

It doesn’t really have anything interesting to say.

If you relate to any of these insufferable characters, you should probably seek out professional help rather than just choosing to head out on the open road. Like, what is Stevie doing tomorrow? Adam and Moon? They don’t feel like they exist beyond the confines of this story.

Anyway.

This was unexpectedly disappointing. Read Choi’s other books though—those are pretty good. This one is going to weigh on me~

[Megan Magee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED Emergency Contact by this author, and adored her adult fiction debut even more. Pool House is splendid prose, fast moving and concise enough to hold your attention without being clunky. The book starts us off with meeting Stevie and her mom, Delilah Moon, a 90's actress who loves fashion and is sexualized by her daughter's peers after starring in risque films. With the revival of the "Asian alt baby girl" types and the Y2K aesthetic types, Moon's popularity makes a resurgence of sorts, and Stevie is mostly annoyed and boundless when it comes to navigating mom feelings. When Moon's former TV son and Stevie's former crush moves into their home after a beloved's funeral, we follow along with our three characters as they figure out where they want to go, and who they want to do it with. I was blown away because we truly do just get to see the LIVES of these three, quirks involved and the most lush poetry of words used without being too much of a tryhard. If you miss the simplicity of the early aught's formulaic romcom with the random laughs, this one is for you. Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Landmarked for the chance to read an early copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

[Soph (atlasbluexx) · Rating 3 out of 5]

rare miss from this author for me…it just never really clicked or hit? I felt like I was a bit on autopilot reading this because I was so emotionally detached from everyone.

to be honest it might have been the third person perspective and prose, but it was no doubt a specific writing style and often dark/dry humorous tone.

the characters are unlikeable (which did not bother me) but there’s a lack of movement when it comes to the character arcs and stagnancy in terms of action. I know choi’s books tend to be plotless but I felt like this was inner monologue overload and even by the end I wasn’t sure I really got and understood the fully messy family dynamics. anyway I can see this being a polarizing read depending on what kind of literature you like so do what you will, I’m still a lifelong reader of choi’s works!

[Olympia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Mary H.K. Choi's three previous YA novels (although I'd describe them more as new adult since the characters are out of high school and finding a place in the world) and was very excited to get a ARC of Pool House on audio. Unfortunately, this didn't live up to my expectations.

There are shades of her brilliant previous stories here, Stevie one of our three protagonists is 20, about to turn 21 and works at a fast-casual burrito restaurant, and Choi deftly paints a picture of being young in a shitty job, with enough smarts to do something better. Our next protagonist is Moon, Stevie's recovering-alcoholic actress mother who had a long standing affair with a former co-star Mac, who has just killed himself. She's a former cool LA alt-girl of the 00's who then found mainstream fame on a sitcom with Mac playing her husband, and our third protagonist Adam playing Mac's son/Moon's step-son. The relationship dynamics are deeply incestuous and messy and the writing is unflinching in its examination of these three characters who suddenly find themselves thrust together again in the face of tragedy.

There is a bitterness to the writing as well, while being deliberately crude and provocative that I found off-putting. At the 44% mark there is a description of a period blood clot that almost made me DNF. It is one thing for writing to be perceptive or unabashed in its examinations, but combined with the cynicism found here the book was unenjoyable. None of the characters outright yearn to follow suicidal Mac into death, but the implied ideation is there. The lack of plot movement was also frustrating.

I think if readers go into this book knowing it's a plotless literary extermination of three deeply flawed people and their weird relationships to each other, you might get something out if it. There are wonderful passages of descriptive writing nestled in all the other gruesomeness. But for those yearning for a family drama novel, a women's fiction tale, a coming of age story, or an examination of mothers and daughters readers will find themselves wanting.

[Tahera D · Rating 3 out of 5]

i can handle pretty intense mommy issues but oh man even i have my limits. this book is i think well written and complex and i think starts off with a great premise and sets up the three main characters really well - but i just felt like something was lacking in the execution. adam in particular was a frustrating character with really nothing to latch on to for me, and i could never really quite figure out his purpose or motivations. the ending is tough and it almost felt like...what was the point of all this character development just to end up there?

also this is a minor personal pet peeve but i don't love when authors use hyperspecific and topical pop culture references -- i think it's meant to be relatable but nothing takes me out of a book more than hearing the characters reference las culturistas. but then the book will also strangely describe an obvious thing in pop culture (like use two sentences to describe the premise of love island without naming it) which is a little strange and inconsistent.

[James O'Bannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary H.K. Choi can make a goddamn page sing. Love a good dysfunctional family saga. This made me cry?! Then again, been out here ✨feeling✨ lately so idk how much of the emotion was a prescriptive response or a descriptive response. Good book good book!

[pearl]

new mary hk choi in 2026…life is worth living

[Elena Enns · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as Mary H.K. Choi announced this novel, I was excited. I absolutely loved her previous books, and was sure I would love this one; and I was correct. Pool House follows three different people: Stevie, actress Moon’s daughter who is working fast while trying to figure out what to do with her life; Moon, a struggling actress who’s trying to repair her relationship with her daughter while also trying to revive her career; and Adam, Moon’s TV son who is just floating.

All three characters are bound together by the loss of Mac. His loss shapes the story and their actions, almost a character himself despite him only being there in mention or memory.

I found this a wonderful exploration of relationships between mothers and daughters. Especially in their early twenties, when one wants to prove that they’re an adult but also just want their mother to help guide them and fix things for them like they did when they were a child.

I absolutely adored this novel, and am so excited to read whatever Ms. Choi writes next.

[Eli Snyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story picks up with a struggling b-list actress and her daughter living in LA. After a tragedy strikes the pair and a former co-star moves in, we follow this dynamic as they try to play out a perfect family. This arrangement devolves into emotional tumult as they navigate each other, their grief, and their futures.

It’s very clear that Choi concerns herself with the inner worlds of her characters, as there’s minimal plot here. Through this, she writes on the blurring of familial roles, the desire to be mothered, image and performance, and grief.

Overall, I think this book might not be for everyone; more happens in their heads than in their actions. I love an interior novel with messy relationships, and this is just that.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at page 32. I think I'm too dumb for this book.

I'd been waiting years for the next Mary H.K. Choi book and was soooo excited that she was writing an adult novel! I finally get it from the library and find that the writing style in this book just doesn't gel for me as a reader. Her YA books have such a distinctive voice that's heartbreakingly tender yet full of wry humor; the voice of this one feels detached, soulless, and somehow has a tone that's slathered in both academia and the bon mots of someone chronically online. Maybe that's the point? But it sure ain't fun for me to read, especially as a fan of her other books.