NPR's Book of the Day 'Emergency Contact' explores love in the age of modern technology
Jan 27, 2026
Mary H.K. Choi, author of Emergency Contact, is a novelist who examines young love and modern connection. She discusses how phones complicate relationships. She also tackles race, class, friendship and the ambiguous terrain of sexual assault and consent. The conversation looks at YA as a way to offer hard-won wisdom to younger readers.
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Redefining Who Holds You Down
- Emergency contact can be someone who makes the world feel safer even if they aren't a parent or caregiver.
- Mary H.K. Choi compares that person to a tether in freefall who lives in your phone.
Texting As A Lower-Pressure Space
- Texting removes many of the social pressures tied to in-person encounters like appearance and timing cues.
- Choi notes this helps people who struggle with visual cues or conversational timing connect more comfortably.
Teens' Dual Digital Realities
- Teens experience both precocious online success and deep anxiety; their realities are dual and complex.
- Choi wanted a contemporary teen story that acknowledges these larger themes authentically.
