Ooh this is good!

Yellowface confronts white privilege, racism, plagiarism, cancel culture and so much more in this stunning novel which is tense, well-paced and keeps you guessing.

Juniper (June) is a pretty unsuccessful white author who siezes an opportunity when her well-known Chinese American friend Athena dies suddenly, leaving an unpublished but finished manuscript behind. This is finally June's chance to hit the major league in publishing - they weren't close friends and the manuscript is good, but can Juniper cover her tracks and deal with the guilt?

This book was just such a fun read. The storyline is intense and keeps you reading as you never know at one point June’s world is going to come crashing down. You know it’s inevitable and yet you’re hooked, it’s impossible to look away. I also appreciated that this book went in some different directions that I hadn’t expected. I thought the whole plot would be quite predictable, but it kept you guessing and entertained. R.F. Kuang writes in such a beautiful way. Her sentences are often so beautiful and lyrical and there were so many times that I wanted to underline and reread sections.

I think it was so interesting to read from such an unlikeable character, and the way in which Kuang makes the reader feel sympathetic towards June even after everything that she’s done and the fact that time and time again she fails to learn from her mistakes, choosing to make them over and over again. It’s so cleverly done and I really loved it.

It was also interesting to get the different sides of Athena after her death. We only get one real scene with Athena as a living person, and everything else that we get to know about her is from the opinions of those who were closest to her, as well as the opinions of the public. We really got to see and explore the trends of twitter, the way in which the public idolised her for months, and were prepared to do anything to protect her legacy, followed by her decline once the tables turned and the public were no longer interested in keeping her legacy alive, but uncovering everything she had done that was ‘problematic’.

This book strongly looks at the idea of who should be able to tell a story, along with discussions of cultural appropriation and the erasure of individuals experiences, particularly Asian-American writers, in order to create a book that is ‘appropriate’ for a wide market. The idea of being the ‘token’ representative, that stops countless others from succeeding. There are so many interesting conversations that are handled so well throughout this book, getting to look at them from a number of different angles.

It is also a real deep dive into internet culture, particularly Twitter, and the way in which it is used to create the narrative, at times without a shred of evidence just opinion, and how it can really destroy a person’s career, whether that is deserved or not. It also looks at the way that this kind of controversy sells, and the way that publishing is eager to jump on these trends in order to sell.

I would highly recommend picking this one up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

At this point I'd read pretty much anything Kuang puts out there - she's managed to hop genres successfully and prove her worth as a writer with just her first 4 books. But this is a completely different beast. I finished it a few days ago and honestly, it's so morally grey I still don't know where I land on it. Generally it seems like Kuang is satirising the kinds of writers who would be annoyed at the success of authors of colour and see their 'diversity' as their hook rather than their good writing. But at other times Kuang seems to empathise with her main protagonist, who steals the manuscript of a frenemy and essentially co-opts a voice that isn't her own, by discussing these very issues in the text. The debate about whether you can write from a perspective that's not your own has been raging for a while now, with some arguing that literature is an act of imagination and so you should be able to write from any perspective, and others raising the potential damage that can come (and has come, in the past) from authors who don't understand the nuances of a particular culture or religion because it isn't theirs. I think Kuang does make her opinion on this fairly clear, but still manages to present the arguments in an interestingly objective way.

However, everyone should read this cause it's a page-turner from start to finish, though if you're less familiar with the vaguaries of publishing it might seem less relevant, or you might think some aspects are completely overblown. It'll be interesting to see the critical reception to a book that is so close to the heart of publishing.

My first Rebecca F. Kuang and it did not disappoint. I found the writing style unique with deadpan humour and a narcissistic protagonist, you’d never want to know in real life. Yellowface’s morally grey characters make them feel multi-dimensional and authentic even in passages we hope would never manifest themselves in reality.

Yellowface offers commentary on the digital world and cancel culture, as well as racism and its micro-aggressions. As someone who is white, I feel like my opinion on how well Kuang did won’t be very valuable, but I did find it compelling and thought-provoking.

For someone who wants to go into the publishing industry, Yellowface’s subject matter proved to be engaging for me. It’s definitely a novel for readers who love books about books.

I also loved the thriller-esque elements of Yellowface< as there is a feeling of impending doom, of time and luck running out on every page. This novel is definitely a page-turner and one to pick up for a fresh and exciting read.

Perfect! There was such a hype for this book and it really lived up to it! A really great read! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for early access to this book.

It was a fascinating book and full of anger. June, the narrator, is a character made for you to hate. And little by little in her descent into despair and guilt she tries to justify her actions so that you try to empathise with her, making you doubt her mental health and whether her madness comes from before or whether she has been pushed to the abyss by the pressure she is under throughout the book.
The criticism of the publishing world and the culture of cancellation in social networks is brutal.
A harsh book to read and digest but fantastic, with a lot of "how to kill your family" vibes. Recommended for people who like psychological thrillers and obnoxious characters.

Even though it took me alot longer than usual to finish this book, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The concept of an author stealing work from another author and passing it off as their own was incredibly interesting and insane to watch unfold. I both liked the protagonist aswell as finding her annoying. Considering the mistreatment she was given, I also understand why the public was so annoyed and outraged at the news release of her stealing work. I think the ending was excellent and I will happily read more from this author in the future.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5 stars
Publication date: 25 May 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
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Athena Liu is a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. Who wants stories by basic white girls anyway? But now Athena is dead. And June has her unfinished manuscript... 
~~~~~
This was my first R.F. Kuang but it won't be the last. I have Babel on my TBR trolley and I CANNOT wait.
This was such an interesting book: part mystery, part satire and 100% deliciously messed-up. June is a thoroughly unlikeable character, she's so well-written and the mental gymnastics she goes through to justify her actions are so compelling to read. It's like witnessing an awful accident; you know you shouldn't look, but you simply can't help yourself.
Through the lens of the apparently cut-throat world of publishing, Kuang explores the themes of fame, envy, cultural appropriation and cancel culture. Through June's very questionable and skewed POV, she depicts loneliness, anxiety, guilt and despair so vividly that you almost feel sorry for June (almost...)
Even though I found it a little relentless and repetitive (hence why it's not quite a 5-star read for me,) it's a very clever and meta book that holds a mirror to the very industry that is currently promoting it as the next literary hit... R.F. Kuang is a very, very smart author.
~~~~~

Old university friends Athena and June haven't seen each other for a while, but after an evening catching up, a tragic accident will give June an opportunity she can't ignore.
Having never reached the literary heights that Athena did, she is ready to embrace all that comes with that, but that old saying, 'be careful what you wish for' is always lurking around each corner.

Delving into both the good and bad sides of publishing, Yellowface covers issues that are relevant, important and how quickly things can change in this 'social media' world we live in

I could hardly put this book down! The story follows failed writer Juniper "June" Hayward who has a jealousy filled friendship with mega bestselling author Athena Liu. After a drunken round of Pancake making together, Athena dies and June steals Athena just completed never released manuscript for her new book. What follows is a story thats both gripping and interesting in equal measure. There were times I cringed and other times I was rooting for June to prevail. So easy to read and just a great book. Thanks to Netgalley, The Borough Press and Rebecca F. Kuang for the ARC.

The book is told from June Hayward’s point of view – who rebrands herself under the pen name Juniper Song to be more ethnically ambiguous – and she is clearly an unreliable narrator, and not very likeable. In fact, I’m not sure any of the characters are pleasant at all.

June’s college ‘frenemy’ and far more successful writer, Athena, dies right in front of June – who then steals Athena’s most recent work that Athena says no one has yet seen. June / Juniper passes it off as her own and it’s published to great success. However then things start to unravel for June.

It’s a seemingly intense commentary on the publishing industry, social media, racism and unconscious bias, cancel culture and lots more.

This has loads of 5 star reviews on NetGalley – so clearly people are loving it – but it just didn’t hit the mark for me, but I suspect that’s more my problem than anyone else’s! I’m sure it will hit all of the best sellers lists when it’s released later this week.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang follows June Hayward, an unsuccessful novelist who stumbles upon her friend (a very loose term), Athena’s unpublished manuscript after she watched her die in a freak accident. The opportunity is too good for June to pass up due to Athena’s status as a successful and well-known author. June has always wanted what she has, her life, her money, her respect. But after she publishes Athena’s work, her life slowly start to fall apart and she does everything in her power to try and stop her lies from catching up with her.

This was the first book I have read by Kuang and it was absolutely incredible. I know that it’s different from the other stuff she has written so I’m not sure how it compares but she has a razor sharp voice and style. She knows exactly where is going and unlike many other five star books I have rated, the language she uses I would say is not packed with meaning. Each sentence is not trying to be something more, something different altogether and overpower the plot in any way. The simplicity of her language meant that the plot spoke volumes instead.

It was such a cutting evaluation of internet culture and the publishing industry which I think we are in dire need of right now. I thought June was an incredibly interesting character. She is obviously unlikeable - a ferocious fraud who coasts on someone else’s work and is consistently and dismissively racist. Yet I really enjoyed reading things from her point of view. It was almost fascinating, to see how some people can thing and how every single thought can revolve around money and a warped image is success and the need to be seen, to be thought about, as someone ‘great.’ She is indulgent and insufferable in so many ways. I actually quite liked the fact that we didn’t much back story on her, no speculations about why she might be the way she is - some people simply are.

This is a five star because it is such a great story above all, the pacing was perfect, seeing the intricate inner working of her narcissistic brain was perfect and the ending was delightedly satisfactory.

Yellowface is a compelling read which takes the reader on a roller coaster of how contemporary publishing works. Unsuccessful novelist June Hayward steals the manuscript of her college friend Athena Liu after her untimely death choking on a pancake and passes it off as her own. But June doesn't see it as stealing when she spent time researching and rewriting the book before it gets published and becomes a bestseller. But someone recognises Athena's original work and June needs to find out who and stop them from unmasking her. Meanwhile the reader is treated to the machinations of today's publishing world, including a suggestion that a sensitivity reader look over June's book, token representation of minorities eg an Asian is actively encouraged, cultural accusations of appropriation are common and cyberbullying is rife.

Yellowface is an enjoyable read of a send up of today's book world. Kuang must have written this with her tongue firmly in her cheek. Highly recommended. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins/The Borough Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I can't recall disliking a character as much as I dislike Juniper Song Hayward. She's bloody horrible 😀 A selfish D list author who steals a manuscript from her dead friend then passes it off as her own.

She's a narcissist, a racist and entitled yet forever playing the victim card. Some of the things she said made me cringe, others I felt wholly uncomfortable. I've met people like her in both a personal and professional capacity and it is jaw dropping to hear the thngs that come out of people's mouths, seemingly with no self awareness.

As a story, it's very entertaining to read how Juniper attempts to cover her tracks, each step more horrifying than the next, her justifications becoming more and more abhorrent as time goes on.

The book also cleverly observes the toxic environment of social media, particularly in the literary world of Twitter. One wrong tweet and you're done for!

A thought provoking and entertaining read.

Thanks to Netgalley and The Borough Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book was truly fascinating. R.F. Kuang threw up all sorts of questions around morality, ethics and some of the biggest discourses in publishing and let the reader make up their mind what they thought. While Babel had a lot of dialogue about how the things portrayed in the novel were bad, Yellowface took the viewpoint of the bad guy and gave absolutely no handholding. We are to judge Juniper's actions by ourselves.

Obviously Juniper does a lot of bad stuff in this novel. I was really interested to see how insidious the racism was. It would have been easy to show a raving mad lunatic with yellow fever in this book, but that wouldn't be an accurate representation of society. Juniper believes herself to be liberal. Her racist views come to light slowly and in tiny fragments over the course of the novel. This approach highlighted how easily these kinds of views take root.

If I had to pick one thing I like most about this book, it's how much it's made me think. Though it's written in a more approachable style than Babel, it's still a very intellectual book and will leave you with a lot to talk about.

3,5/5 stars

Kuang has been one of my favourite authors since The Poppy War came out and I have devoured all of her books in a hurry.

Yellowface is very different from her previous works, although not that much when we think of it. The genre and writing are different, but it keeps the boldness and honesty Kuang is known for.

It takes the brutal reality of publishing, social media, cultural appropriation, and more, and use all of this to create this satirical piece of writing which will get people to gasp and reevaluate what they know.

Moreover, Kuang having chosen June has the main narrative voice is interesting and really takes the reader on a crazy ride (like genuinely crazy.)

I’m not gonna lie, when I finished it, the only thing circling my mind was “what”.

Therefore I guess it’s no surprise if I say I find it really hard to articulate my thoughts about this book because it’s such a wild rollercoaster, but the important part is that this is a book that will shake people, mostly readers, as let’s be honest, this won’t change the way the publishing industry works.

You know when a book is going to be brilliant, but it exceeds every expectation you could ever have? Yellowface is that book for me. It left me speechless. It also gave me a massive book hangover. I still think about it every single day.

I won't tell you much about what it's about as I believe some books are better off not knowing much and there's so many layers to this story, that's actually not really a story because it's an experience that many people go through in the publishing industry.

What I will tell you is that it made me gasp, it made me uncomfortable, it gave me an insight, and it made me think a lot!
Who really has the right to tell stories that aren't your own? Are sensitivity readers necessary? Is it important to be authentic as an author?

With themes of cultural appropriation, racism, plagiarism, bitterness, and jealousy. Yellowface takes the reader on a wild ride. I loved what Kuang did with these characters, both villains in their own right, both unlikeable, but I knew straight away which side I was on. I couldn't put it down! Rebecca's writing is razor sharp, and the intensity in the plot never wavers. It's super readable, and I literally think everyone needs to. Read it that is because it's incredible. I've kept my review quite short and sparse, but I've done that on purpose. Yellowface is a book I believe you need to make your own mind up on, but I could talk about this book forever, so please talk to me about it when you read it! I'd love to get other opinions and hear your thoughts

R F Kuang is a brilliant author and this is equally as well written as all her novels. Her characters have so much depth, at times I understood exactly how the main character made the choices she did even when I disagreed with them.

My only big critique of this book was that it felt like it was a book for industry professionals more than the average person, which is my only gripe and something which brought me out of the book.

But I'd definitely recommend this to lots of people!

Yellowface is simply gripping. In some ways an easy read and in others deeply uncomfortable. June is a character who will stay with me for a long time.

June Hayward and Athena Liu have been friends since college, but while June’s career has been a steady downward trajectory, Athena’s has skyrocketed. June is sure of the reasons for this - Athena is slim, beautiful, articulate, personable, and, most importantly, ‘diverse’ - and resents Athena’s ‘unearned’ success. When tragedy strikes after a night out together and Athena chokes to death on a pancake June does the unthinkable, she steals Athena’s current manuscript and rewrites it as her own. But it’s not *stealing*. It’s a diamond in the rough. She’s worked HARD on this. And if she publishes it under her name, well, who would ever know?

There’s no version of this review where I can start with anything but June. June is a fabulous main character, one you love to hate. In some ways she invites empathy - she is fed up and jaded with an industry which is constantly moving and changing, an industry she loves but which she feels has failed her - and in others she is so loathsome it’s hard to actually articulate. I think what I found most unsettling about June was that despite the casual racism she displays *constantly* throughout the book, she doesn’t consider herself racist. The fact that people like this actually exist in the world is hard to comprehend. Simultaneously, the multitude of ways she justifies stealing Athena’s work, and how as time goes on she twists the narrative so much in her own head that she genuinely believes - or does she? It’s hard to tell how deep the delusion goes, and how self aware June is - that she has put so much work into The Last Front that she deserves the credit for writing the book.

I am not someone who works in publishing, so seeing inside the industry in this way was both interesting and somewhat sickening. The way various characters discuss the ‘token diverse’ author of the season and how they can’t publish multiple books by BIPOC authors at the same time was, unfortunately entirely believable but, horrifying as a consumer. Especially at a time where there are so many amazing diverse stories being shared, the idea that so many others get shelved simply because of their author’s identity is disgusting.

Watching June’s slow descent into… mental illness? Paranoia? Guilt? All of the above? was uncomfortable. Yet the plot was fast paced and I was always eager to pick up Yellowface and continue the story.

Overall, Yellowface is very different in tone than Kuang’s other work but continues the spotlighting of racism she demonstrated in Babel, albeit in a wholly different context. I would recommend Yellowface to everyone.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK for sending me an advanced copy via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I love yellow, so the bright yellow cover is definitely eye-catching. I like that in this book it brings light to some problems that occurs in the publishing industry. I may be a huge reader and an aspiring author, but I still don't know much about the publishing industry. There was a part where a character stated that publishers only publish books from one or two BIPOC authors. Anymore than that, the BIPOC authors will take over the industry. Oookay. As an Asian, I wasn't even aware this is something I have to worry about if I want to publish my book traditionally. In Yellowface, you'll get glimpse of how things work after an author get signed on to a publisher. There's also a case of cyberbullying, cultural appropriation, racism, and I'm sure there more I've forgotten to mention.

The thing I disliked most about this book, is the main character. Juniper. Oh my goodness. The audacity this white and privileged person had. She'll make you want to bang your head onto a wall. No, actually bang her head to a wall. June stole her dead frenemy's unpublished manuscript, and then she tries to justify her stealing. So many times. To a point where I couldn't help but to hate this Juniper. Whether, Athena Liu (her dead frenemy), was a good person or not, stealing a dead person's unpublished manuscript is so wrong.

The ending was satisfying enough for me.

The writing in this book was not what I was expecting. If you like a satrical contemporary kind of read, then you should try picking this book up.