This book is so different to anything I've read before. Loved the writing style - sharp and witty. The writer offers an interesting social commentary while delivering the narrative, and does do without it being rammed down the readers throat at the expense of the story. Never read anything by Kuang before but will definitely now be searching for more of her titles.

Jane is a young author, struggling to overcome the disappointing failure of her first book, so when the opportunity arises for her to use the idea of a fellow writer she can’t resist.

This was such a fascinating insight into the world of publishing, plagiarism, social media and cancel culture, and although Jane is by no means a likeable character you were compelled to keep turning the pages to see how things would unfold for

I recently finished Yellowface the other day, and just wow! It truly deserves all of the hype. I don't think I've enjoyed reading about a character I haven't liked in a long time. Jane's thought processes were twistingly incredible and I couldn't get enough of her disturbing logic. This is such a thought provoking book and its certainly kept me thinking. This one is going to stay with me for a long time and one I urge everyone to read. An easy 5 stars.

What a ride. @kuangrf has created a protagonist, Juniper Song, who is insecure, unstrung, disturbed, and haunted. In equal parts I loved her, hated her and cringed at her reactions to external forces.

The power of Kuang's writing takes the reader on an excursion into a mindset that is recognisable and offensive and leaves us no where to hide. As you read this book you have no choice but to engage with and unpack the ideology being presented. The text is ferocious in its portrayal of characters and the publishing industry. Everytime I thought Juniper might develop some kind of self awareness, Kuang had her go to another level of (self) destruction.

As with most novels this book will not be to everyone's taste but I know I can trust Kuang to deliver fearless literature and I cannot wait for what comes next. Congratulations, Rebecca on a fantastic and unique story.

I've tried a couple of Kuang’s other books and am halfway through them because whilst the writing style is beautiful, I’m not usually a high fantasy/ epic reader. so yellowface seemed like a good alternative given that it’s much shorter and more of a dark satire which is my sort of thing. i loved reading from a morally grey/ borderline villain perspective, June is incredibly self involved and manipulative but she had a really sarcastic, funny voice that i haven’t seen done quite so perfectly before. I found the discussion about the cutthroat nature of the publishing industry really interesting, it felt like an inside view, albeit to a dramatised version. I think it also engages well with the question of what it means to be an authentic voice and who certain stories really belong to. I loved all the twists and turns, for a book that’s largely the main character internally plotting from her couch, it’s surprisingly fast paced.

The Poppy War was dark and violent, this is one is darkly funny and full of violence. It's a multilayered book: you can read as a thriller, a satirical novel or you can read it as a reflection on culture, white privilege and the world of publishing.
There's not a right or wrong, there's just a brilliant book that satirize the cultural world and keeps you thinking and turning pages.
Rebecca Kuanga is a brilliant writer and excellent storyteller regardless of the genre, this one is another great story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

𝒀𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝑹.𝑭. 𝑲𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒈
4.75 ☆ (a book I think you'll need to read!)

Q. Do you read thrillers?
- this is my first of this genre (described as a literary thriller)
-
Spoiler free review:
UK release date: 25/5/23

Fave quotes?
•𝘈𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘢 𝘓𝘪𝘶 𝘪𝘴, 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘵, 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘭
•"𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐'𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦?"
•𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘰𝘣𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴
•𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘈𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘢, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘮 𝘐?

I was very lucky to receive an ARC for a book that I think will cause a storm this year. It a literary thriller that mocks and highlight the publishing industry. And it very appropriate for AAPI Heritage month in the US!

This book is not my usual type of read, but I was hooked. I was slumping so hard but the second half of the book was gripping. Going into this book blind was the best idea. It highlights the industry flaws and mocks it in someway. It talks about relevancy and how us bloggers are a part of the industry. How marketable you as an author.

You know when someone lies? And keeps on lying? This book is that.
The twists at the end was shocking and I ate it up. We follow Juniper Hayward/Song and we hear her internal monologue. Juniper is unlikeable yet so intriguing.

Growing up in the UK I found it quite hard to read book of POC. It's gotten better but there wasn't many characters that I truly relate to. I can't stop thinking about this book.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who wants a fast paced read & gripping plot twists

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollins for the eARC. And I'm super excited to see RF Kaung Oxford this Friday

Charting the good, the bad and the ugly sides of publishing from the viewpoint of an author, Yellowface follows the story of Juniper Hayward (June), friend to a now, much in demand author and an accident one evening, which provides a chance for her to step into her successful friend's shoes.
While initially enthralled by all the perks that come with fame, June quickly also experiences the downsides including social media trolling, causing her already fragile mental health to begin fraying.

Perfectly depicting the laser focus those wishing to make in the industry appear to have to make it big, while the clamour and desperation of those wishing to find a foothold in the industry, Yellowface perfectly captures the incomprehension which often exists between the creative and non-creative populations. In this case June versus her mother and sister.

Whether you end up loving or hating June at the end of the book, you certainly have to agree that she's put through the wringer during the novel, going from being the author of the moment to wondering if suicide is the only way out.

Touching on topics including: cultural insensitivity and possible cultural appropriation, racism, plagiarism and mental health, social media trolls and stalking Yellowface is an exciting read which may challenge your views (or open your eyes) to the world of book publishing.

I fully admit, I'm struggling to articulate how I feel about this book. The protagonist was crafted in such a way that you both simultaneously disliked her but also could not help but feel sympathetic towards her. It was odd, grappling between these two ends of the spectrum as I was reading but I throughly enjoyed the ride.

Phew. I can see why this is getting so much attention! (Ironically amusing, given the topic.) It's tough to even describe without giving too much away, and this is a book you want to go into as unspoiled as possible, so I'm going to have to be pretty vague.

You've seen the blurb, you know what it's about, so I'll add that it's a (brutal, in spots) no holds barred look at the world of publishing. I'm a bookseller, I don't have much insight into publishing as an industry, but it's certainly true that some books get much more promotion than others and some authors get more than others, especially established vs debut.

This is also a really hard look at mob mentality in social media, and how quickly things can turn and change. It's a good chance to look at your own behaviour online and whether you're fanning flames or helping them calm down.

June does a LOT of justifying and explaining away and not-quite-lying, which can get annoying - I've seen reviews who were really irritated by it, and I can see where they're coming from, so be aware of that if you're reading. I didn't think it was too awful personally - maybe that says something about me as a person! However, I did appreciate that this book didn't have a huge focus on romance; it's actually almost never mentioned, which is really refreshing in a book and felt like an acknowledgement that lives can have other purposes.

I read this all in one go, as I think many people will, as it's so amazing. I'll be shoving it at people once it goes on sale in a few days. I think it's going to be great.

My first RF Kuang book - and what a compelling one it was!

A truly thought provoking look at the highs and lows of the publishing industry and the importance of people telling their own stories, this book had me hooked all the way through.

You've got to love a book that makes you think, makes you question and just when you think you've worked it all out, a book that completely throws you for a loop!

4.5 stars

This book is a 3.5 stars for me. I enjoyed the discussions about the publishing world and the industry, but at the same time it made the narrative stutter. I appreciate what the book tried to do, the writing is good (as always) but the narrative voice did not do it any favours here. My biggest problem is that I felt Kuang's voice speaking rather than the characters.

I am not one to read book descriptions before I dive into the novel, that was the case here, I had no idea what to expect from this book but RF Kuang delivered far beyond what my mind could have imagined.

The novel follows two authors Athena (a successful Asian author) and June (a failed White author) that are friends until an opportune moment for June to claim (read steal) her own literary success presents itself and she takes it. This novel explores themes of privilege & racial politics within the publishing industry, cancel culture and the overall cutthroat nature of literary spaces. The book is a satirical commentary and reads exactly like one. The author’s talent shines in creating a similar atmosphere to “hate scrolling”, I could not stop reading this book as I eagerly awaited for June’s downfall with each page turn. As readers, with our feelings about the main character already decided for us, we are forced into self reflection - to consider what role we play in this very familiar story.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, though that is neither here nor there. Judging by the reaction I’ve seen online, it achieved its goal. A very simple but beyond excellent read, I urge you to get your hands on this novel immediately.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang dives deep into exploring the ugly sides of publishing, to which there are many, without holding back it's punches.

Many other reviewers - who are way more eloquent than me! - have discussed how this is Kuang responding back to her critics, and I don't disagree with them. While this is the first book I've read from her, I've most certainly been witness to the tons of criticism that has been thrown her way via social media. I thought it was very interesting for Kuang to address her readers and critics this way. I can't fully comment on the topics that are up for discussion that she's been criticised for, as I've not read any of her previous work, but again, I did find it very interesting that this is the approach she took to 'hit back', especially when a large portion of the book has an internal debate about writers in reviewer spaces and even if authors should respond (this whole book is Kuang presenting a third option: write a whole fictional-but-sort-of-autobiographical-novel about it!).

June was terrible, no doubt about it. The way she could talk herself in circles, and convince herself of a truth because she was certain she wasn't the bad guy . . . the way she justified her actions when she knew she was wrong . . . the casual racism that would slip out, mostly with how she'd stereotype people (particularly Asian people). Awful, awful person, but god, what a good character. She was complex and well written.

I wish I could say that about all the characters. I mean, mostly this book was just June and surface level friendships - but I wish we had more. A lot of the characters were just there to say a piece of dialogue to propel June in to the next part of her ARC. For that reason also, a lot of the prose and plot felt very heavy handed.

I think Athena was an interesting character, and I do like how the book progressed Kuang began to explore her character more, both with the good and the bad. I also liked how it looked back at legacy, and how social media plays a large part in how you're remembered - but also how quickly it can be changed!

The social media aspect, particularly Twitter, was very relevant and very well done - it was incredibly realistic. I'm not sure - as other reviewers have said - how well this will age? But that doesn't impact the enjoyability of the novel, not for me at least, and it certainly is a book of it's time (and a book others will probably look back on in future years when remembering/discussing the impact of Twitter etc). The conversations behind had on Twitter, again, are very relevant with discussions on own voice stories, in particular. But these conversations also go further than social media, and it was interesting to see Kuang touch on that, even though she did mostly remain focus to the Twittersphere (side note: I also loved the whole conversation about 'chronically online').

I did find this a very interesting, thought provoking read, and I will be thinking about this for a while. The reasoning behind my 3 star rating: I do think this book was at times a little heavy handed, I think the supporting characters could've been developed more, and while I enjoyed the plot for me it wasn't always paced well.

4.5 Stars

It is undoubtable that R. F. Kuang can spin a tale. This is completely different from the Poppy war series and from Babel yet it fits perfectly into that satire genre with a little hint of thriller to it. It is perfectly written, creating such vivid characters that slot effortlessly into our world. It is also an incredibly beleivable story.

If you have been around Book Twitter, Bookstagram and Booktube over the past few years you will recognise a lot of the drama that is featured in this book. Even the smallest amount of drama on twitter was recognised in this book and it really grounded it in real life for me. It made it such a relistic story. It makes it seem very voyerist into the publishing industry. The part of me that relishes the Twitter drama delighted in these parts of the book, but also made me see the other side of the fall out. The human reactions to being on the wrong side of the drama was so evocative, it really drew you into June’s narration.

What really caputred me is every single character is detestable in one way, shape or form. No one leaves this book unscathed (apart from Athena’s Mother). Having June being the narrator, trying to aswade she guilt and justify her actions.You cannot possibly root for June, what she did was despicable but the more you learn about the publishing industry professionaly, and how they treat eachother you can’t excuse them either so it is very effective in airing out all the hidden dirty laundry. Even Athena is questionable as we learn about her, if you trust June’s story telling. The description of June’s demise, her anxiety, her depriate attempt to twist the narrative was just so subtle and skillfully done. I loved hating all the characters.

This book also made me a little sad. As a book blogger and apiring author I know the horrible side is clearly there. I don’t think you can ignore the dirty underbelly of the industry but even reading it all laid bare it doesn’t stop me from wanting to play the game. The way this novel plays with some really meta elements causes so many twists and turns. I really enjoyed the story, the way it was told and the message it had overall.

I have seen a number of reviews that rated this low as it is so different Kuang’s fantasy style, they couldn’t like the characters, or even that they found it too meta. But I genuinely think all of those things is what makes this such a special and unique book.

Oh my god I LOVED this book. It gave me the ‘un-put-downable’ sensation, and I could not put down my kindle until I had finished reading!

It follows fellow authors, Athina and June, with the former dying in a tragic accident. Following on from her friends death, June makes some very questionable choices, which ultimately could lead to her downfall. My god can R.F. Kuang create some fucking horrible and morally grey characters. The entire story is told through Junes POV, which is a stroke of genius. It gives the reader more of an insight into why she does what she did, and end up routing for her, even though she is a narcissistic, self-absorbed, dishonest thief. She is incredibly realistic, and such an easily imaginable character.

The story itself is incredibly gripping, and contains some really interesting debates and insightful conversations about race and the writing industry. A very interesting and dark read!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

When I first started this book I thought it would be a book about a writer plagiarising another’s work, but as I read more I realised this book was more than that. This book was beautiful- it got me feeling angry and annoyed at the main character and it got me feeling infuriated and I was questioning whether or not I should finish the book. However, because of its brilliant writing I continued and I’m glad I finished the book as the book has taught me a lot about how one can be so ignorant and still be in self denial and defensive despite having evidence to prove them otherwise. Overall, I rate this book a 5 out of 5.

Although literay fiction is not a genre I tend to read often, I havw read Rebecca F. Kuang's previous book Babel, which I rated 5 stars ,and was interested to read her latest book. I found Yellowface to be an amazing fast paced read with an unlikable main character who tries to justify her actions. The plot is centred around the publishing industry, and racism in the industry.
five stars
Thank you to netgalley for the arc

I've been trying to write this review for weeks and I've just been blocked for some reason. It's so hard to come up with the words for this one tbh. I feel like whatever I say won't do it justice.
This book will make my top 10 reads of 2023 for SURE. It's so hard to describe it properly but it was like an unhealthy addiction, a pull to this book that I had when I LOATHED the MC, and I don't use the word lightly for once. It was so beautifully written and with a lightness to it that clashed with the actual meaning behind the words. I laughed, I cringed, I yelled. I went through it all with this book and I loved every second of it.
This is my second book by RF Kuang, I've read Babel in late 2022. And I'm even more convinced that Rebecca's a genius. Yellowface feels like the continuity of the work she did in Babel. It's a completely different genre, a different setting, everything, but there's still a common thread here and it's amazing. Plus there are little Babel Easter eggs planted in Yellowface (tied to the book itself, but also the different controversies we've seen here on Bookstagram) and that was insane to me.
Mark my words, this book will become a classic in the years to come. It has insight and a certain longevity to it. It's easy to read, but has a punch to it that is impressive. It's educational, but not in subtle and impacting way. It'll make you question yourself, your beliefs, the internalised biases you may or may not be aware you have.

Thank you @netgalley, @harpercollinsuk and @kuang_rf for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have heard a lot of good things about Yellowface so was excited to give it a read. I actually had Covid at the time of reading, all I could do was lay in bed but Yellowface is the perfect illness distraction as it kept me totally engrossed. It’s a psychological thriller that asks: when it comes to telling stories, does the truth really matter?

The title of this book, Yellowface, is a term that refers to, according to the Cambridge dictionary, ‘the practice of white actors changing their appearance with make-up in order to play East Asian characters in films, plays etc’.

It is relevant as our lead character, author June Hayward (who later becomes become Juniper Song – which is actually her real first and middle names, minus her last, Hayward) becomes a world-wide smash for her novel that centres around the struggle of Chinese soldiers during the war. June, however, is Caucasian, not Chinese in origin. She gets questioned on if she is the right person to tell this story.

What makes the waters even murkier is the fact that June’s friend, fellow author Athena Liu, is of Chinese descent and June was there the night she died… June gets questioned again, this time on the similarities between her new book and Athena’s back-catalogue. She, in turn, questions Athena’s authenticity and how she created her own stories.

June is a great character, a highly readable unreliable narrator as she’s both self-aware and unaware. She absolutely blends facts to suit her own agenda but her point is – who doesn’t? She takes opportunities (as she sees them) and is obsessed with making a mark on the world, on being remembered – she is a storyteller and will craft her own life. For her, the truth is inconsequential really, it’s all about a great story. Why shouldn’t you be able to tell the version of your life you want to tell?

Despite June’s dedication to her self-preservation, she finds herself in more than a few moments where the truth is about to come crashing down on her. How often she can squirm out of these moments is what makes this book so addictive.

Yellowface is a highly enjoyable satirical take on cultural appropriation, cancel culture, the publishing industry and the venom of social media.

It’s such a fresh and clever read that throws up a lot of ideas and questions, all within a tight, thriller plotline. It kept the pace up right through to the end and what an ending – so funny and of course, the only place June could have taken it. Sorry to finish this review on such an ambiguous note – you’ll just have to read Yellowface and see if you agree!