Book - Yellowface

Author - @kuangrf

My rating - 5/5 #udishasaysread

Suggested reading age according to me - 16+

Book review - Yellowface is unlike anything I've ever read. 2023 has been a great year in terms of book and i can confidently say that this will be the greatest literary fiction more like genre defying and winning book of atleast the coming decade. Every book blogger works differently, every human does but the fork in the noodle twisting way the nature of human complexity was captured in this book. My my my, Goodness.

The fact that the same publisher, published it whose employee were on strike in the US. YIKES...

Kuang, spares no one. Every single, even micro-related publishing employee/human is held accountable.

This book is more than just about Athena and June. Dear reader human, I leave that to you to discover and take that satisfactory burp after the last line. I trust in you, to go dive in this and discover the yellowface characters yourself.

This is a story that moves, breaks and re-builds industries.

She’s done it again!!!

Queue - RF Kuang could write a grocery list and I would read it - comment

Oooo I just adore a scathing satire, and this does it so so well. I’ve seen a lot of reviews saying it was too on the nose and honestly I think she could’ve been much more brutal???

If you’re interested in publishing, the processes, insider knowledge, and the discrimination that runs in it, please please give this a read.

I literally could not put this down and read it in one sitting. I have never enjoyed hating a protagonist quite this much. June’s head is a messy place to be!!!!

When does inspiration become stealing? And who has the right to tell certain stories in the first place?

These are some of the questions at the heart of Yellowface, @kuangrf’s satirical deep dive into the publishing industry. It centres around the death of Athena, a successful young author, and what happens when her ‘friend’ and fellow author June Hayward steals Athena’s manuscript, edits it, and publishes it as her original work.

The plot that ensues explores cultural appropriation in the context of Chinese histories, as well as the way ‘diversity’ is seen in the publishing industry from various perspectives, how the industry works to create bestsellers, and what happens when your reputation comes into question.

The book is told from the unreliable perspective of June, and I love that this POV added an extra layer to June co-opting Athena’s story and telling it herself. June is a villain in this story — but I loved the complexity that other characters weren’t necessarily complete heroes either. But then again, see: June’s unreliable narration.

I actually read this book twice on Netgalley, and I just love how RF Kuang has crafted what on the surface is a quite simple plot with clear moral positioning — but underneath, the reader’s emotions, perspectives and opinions are played with in ways I still feel like I haven’t fully unpacked.

More than anything, I’m looking forward to hearing other people’s thoughts on the book (especially once it’s out in May). It feels like a book that comes even more alive in the reviews, when real-world readers add their opinions to the thoughts of the fictional readers within the book and almost become part of the narrative ourselves.

This was one where i wasn't sure if i was the right audience for this genre.
However, i'm so glad i gave it a chance. This is like nothing i have ever read before, or will probably ever read again.

I'm so glad this book exists! Hopefully it will change the publishing industry for the better. I also didn't expect it to be so thrilling and suspenseful

I think the premise of this book was extremely smart. A meta story about publishing, including conversations on topics like racism, identity, plagiarism, and so on. It was expertly executed, as expected from Kuang, who is an incredible storyteller. I felt that the pacing was a bit off in some places, and the different parts seemed to flow differently at times. Overall a very enjoyable, yet haunting read that will stay with me for a long time.

I really liked this, but didn't love it as much as I hoped. (I hoped it would be in my top 20 of the year and I don't think it quite will be, so you can see it's not a bad review at all!) I think, for me, it suffered from being over-hyped and I would have liked it even more if I had read it before all of the reviews came out.

I did read it in two sittings so was completely drawn in by it, but it just felt a bit lighter than I expected. I could see the satire, but perhaps even more bite would have been good. I'm not a prolific social media user so I think that's maybe where it fell down for me; I just don't 'get' that obsession with likes, and I don't understand the keyboard warriors who are so keen to take other people down.

4.5 stars

This was such an interesting read! I found myself so engrossed in the story, the characters had such incredible arcs, and I can't wait to follow this author's journey!

Yellowface tells the story of a very insecure white woman who takes the opportunity to steal her non-white friend's unfinished manuscript after watching her die right in front of her. If you think this is a story about her guilt, think again.

For as long as they've known each other, June Hayward has compared herself to Athena Liu: while June's debut novel flops, Athena is the new literary darling on the scene; June is deemed a 'basic white girl' while Athena is 'interesting' and 'exotic.' But as the story unfolds, June's insecurity turns unhinged as she builds her career on a foundation of deceit, and she'll do anything to keep her reputation upheld. [Mild spoilers ahead]. She's the female lead you aren't rooting for, and you'll enjoy every moment of her downfall. This is exactly the kind of book I mean when I say I love a book with an unlikeable main character. Would I want to be June Hayward's friend? Absolutely not. Do I wish her success? Only to see her fall harder. I almost wanted June to get away with it for a little bit longer, only to see her life get progressively even worse and end in an even greater downfall.

This book is a searing examination of the publishing industry and white privilege, but in a way that reminds me of children using magnifying glasses to set ants on fire. Kuang pulls no punches when highlighting serious racism and sexism within the industry, but June's absurd denial of her racism and justification of her own actions—she's a perfect example of an unreliable narrator—makes the story darkly funny. It's easily my favourite satirical novel of the year.

Yellowface has you sitting at the edge of your seat right from the start (and this book could easily be read in a single sitting, despite it being over 300 pages long), so it's no surprise that this book is as popular as it is. It's a must-read and I couldn't recommend it more.

It was definitely not Rebecca's best work, for I enjoyed Babel far more than this. However, I do recognise the importance of this novel and I hope everyone does give this a chance!

oh my god.
This book was everything the publishing industry (and booktwittera like) needs to get a hold of and address, especially the point of using diversity as a token by making sure to include enough to not seem racist but never actually doing anything to make a difference.

RF Kuang wrote an amazing piece and I will forever recommend this book to everyone I know.

The first 25% of this book are VERY good and really got me hooked. However, the middle part was dragging a bit in my opinion and only got interesting again at the last 50-ish pages. Overall a great story and the writing is phenomenal!

I had high hopes for this book because of the hype I’d seen online but I didn’t know what the story would entail. I liked it - especially the author’s style of writing which was chatty and clever. The story was interesting and I liked the way feelings of guilt and bitterness were described so intensely.

White fragility meets cultural appropriation meets outright intellectual robbery. Could have been a rivetting book, but for the bland storytelling. The writing seemed more like notes—what an acquaintance of mine used to call "having a write-fit", when you just vomit out your idea in a stream of consciousness, to flesh out earlier. I'm also not sure I liked the ending. It's almost like a "and then nothing else happened".

(Review copy from NetGalley)

I really enjoyed Rebecca Kuang’s The Poppy War and have been very intrigued by Babel, but haven’t yet had the chance to pick it up. Her newest release Yellowface is completely different, this story follows June Hayward, a struggling author who witnesses the death of her friend and literary star Athena Liu, June decides to steal the manuscript of her latest novel – a story about Chinese labourers in World War I. June passes the novel off as her own and her publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song and she becomes an instant bestseller. As June begins to think she’s in the clear evidence begins to surface that will bring everything crashing down, but how far will June go to protect her secret and the stardom she feels she was destined for.

Yellowface is completely unlike anything I’ve read before. I read this book practically in one sitting. It’s such a compelling read. You know from the outset that things are going to go badly for June, but you cannot look away. Kuang’s prose is sharp and the plot is well executed and I loved the way the story got more tense and horrifying as it drew to its conclusion. I did a Master’s degree in Publishing Studies so I was completely fascinated by the way Kuang has depicted the publishing industry in this book. Yellowface really highlights how brutal the industry can be.

June is a really interesting protagonist. She is very unlikeable but has a very strong narrative voice and her ability to justify her actions is so fascinating to watch. The story focuses on themes of racism and cultural appropriation, not just in publishing but in everyday life. Yellowface is a well crafted, gripping story that will stick with you long after you’ve finished reading. Yellowface is absolutely a book you do not want to miss.

Having heard all the hype around this book, I was interested to see what it was all about. It's definitely readable and made for a consuming and enjoyable experience. The ending got a little bit strange for me and I struggled to believe in it slightly but it's not something that overly bothered me. I'm glad I read this but I can't help thinking it may not have the lasting power of some other books I've read this year, but if you're looking for a fun, punchy read this will do the trick

Ce livre, difficile de poser les mots justes dessus, il relate tellement de choses, tellement de sujets problématiques et j’en passe.. mais une chose est sûr, je ne me lasserai jamais de la plume de R. F. Kuang.

« Yellowface is, in large part, a horror story about lonelines in a fiercely competitive industry. »
( Première phrase des remerciements, et honnêtement, tout est dit.)

C’est l’histoire de Juniper, qui décide de s’approprier le premier jet du roman de son amie… et de le faire publier en son nom.

Je ne sais pas quoi penser de Juniper, je pense qu’elle représente si bien l’espèce humaine, autant à des moments elle a raison, crois avoir raison ou s’en persuade et se créant des valeurs et des idéaux et autant… on se retrouve avec l’extrême opposé.
La manière dont l’histoire est menée nous fait ( en tout cas m’a fait) douter de notre manière de voir le bien et le mal. Je ne savais plus ce qui était vrai, faux, a moitié ? Ce genre de livre qu’il faut relire quelques années après histoire d’en rediscuter.

Les sentiments de Juniper sont tellement bien décrit que cela m’ donné froid dans le dos ( oui même par cette chaleur !)
Entre moral, problème étique, jalouse et se comparer aux autres, ce roman est une magnifique, non pas leçon de moral, mais une ouverture sur le monde.

Je dirai pas que ce livre représente l’envers du décor de la publication mais un sombre mélange entre la réalité, ce qu’on est, ce qu’on doit être, ce qu’on aimerait être.
Cela parle également des réseaux sociaux, qui personne ne va démentir sont à double tranchants.
Jusqu’où va-t-on ? Et pourquoi ?
Pourquoi critiquer ? Sur quel fondement ?
Quoi qu’il fasse les gens auront toujours quelques choses à dire, et malheureusement pas de manière constructive. ( ou intéressante )

Dans un monde où l’on prône le fait que le racisme c’est mal, je trouve que l’on touche le fond. ( n’est ce pas paradoxal?)

Bref, ce livre est un coup de cœur !

3.75 stars
This is the first book that I've read by R. F. Kuang but after hearing the incredible hype, I was excited to sit down with this book.
The concepts of plagiarism, cancel culture on social media, cultural appropriation and the publishing industry as a whole were interesting ones.
I also enjoyed how meta it was, in terms of talking about Goodreads reviews, Reddit and book bloggers.
But sadly I found the main character incredibly unlikeable. She was so self entitled and self absorbed that I found it quite difficult to feel sorry for her at any point in this, which definitely detracted from the story overall for me.
At points she is downright racist as well, even though she purports not to be. I get that it's supposed to be a satire but some parts were a bit too on the nose.
It was tricky to separate the main character from the author, from what I know of her, as well, which made certain sections quite off-putting.
I also felt very little sympathy for Athena either.
The ending felt a bit rushed and underwhelming too.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Woah, what a book!!! With a horrifyingly self absorbed, self entitled cow of a protagonist, that I couldnt help but love to hate, I couldn't turn the pages in this book fast enough. Told in first person narrative, giving the sense of being in her head, I quite literally gasped out loud at some of the things June thought, said and did.

Whilst the book contains many heavy themes (cancel culture, power/control of social media, oppression, tokenistic diversity) the writing is clever, peppered with humour and satire; the result is a compelling, thought provoking read, which I have been thinking about well after finishing.

Being honest, there were parts towards the end I found a little repetitive, maybe too drawn out, but overall I really, really enjoyed this book, and the booklover in me particularly enjoyed the satirical look at the world of publishing. It really made me think and I would recommend this one for a book club pick.....lots and lots to talk about!

In Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang, struggling author June Hayward has been friends with darling of the literary world, Athena Liu, since college. When Athena dies suddenly, June takes the typewritten manuscript of Athena’s draft novel ‘The Last Front’ about the Chinese Labor Corps during the First World War and publishes it under her own name, rebranding as Juniper Song. However, her attempts to justify the theft soon start to spiral out of control. It’s easy to see why ‘Yellowface’ has become one of the buzziest debut novels of the year. Kuang’s contemporary satire of how the publishing industry, social media, cultural appropriation and cancel culture intersect has some incredibly over-the-top twists but is nevertheless hugely enjoyable and sharply written, with June’s unreliable first-person perspective adding further layers of complexity. Aged 26, Kuang’s previous books include a fantasy trilogy and the dark academia novel ‘Babel’. Intriguingly, she has said in interviews that she never wants to write a project in the same genre twice, so her career path will definitely be one to watch. Many thanks to Harper Collins UK for sending me a review copy via NetGalley.