4.5 stars
really loved this satirical look at cultural appropriation and the publishing industry. june's spiralling and claustrophobic perspective was done amazingly, making such an unlikeable character while maintaining a compelling plot/story. a few things held it back from reaching the height of r f kaung's other books, such as the pop culture references and the showdown at the end which felt a little rushed and out of tone.

June and Athena two fellow writers who studied together and were supposed to share success after school. However whilst Athena keeps rising, June does not manage to succeed at all.
One night Athena dies in an accident and June decides that the next best thing to do is steal Athena's new manuscript, finish it and publish it under her name. Or well one of her names just to make her sound more....ethnic.

What could go wrong? We then follow June as she meticulously tries to convince herself she is not to blame- her actions came from the goodness of her heart nothing else. She is innocent and she just wanted to write.

I loved this book- I found it engaging and ironic. It was quick to read and the characters were all so questionable. Was R.F. Kuang overly clear on her stance on certain topics? Yes. But I did not mind, the 'tell-not-show' in this case was done right. And as someone who has not read other books by the author I could tell that some bits seemed quite personal and almost pointed at certain criticism however I did not mind that, in fact I loved it.
If it is true that R.F. Kuang decided to write certain parts to give a not-so-subtle fyou to the criticism her previous works have received then...I found it pretty good!

The only thing that did not bump it to a complete four/five star is that I wished some parts were shorter and more direct. Halfway through, the novel was a bit slow for me but it did pick up the pace. I loved the ending too I initially imagined something else but then, reflecting upon it, the ending is just the perfect level of unhingedness one would expect from such characters.

All and all a great enjoyable read- 3.75/4 stars

I consumed this in one little greedy sitting.

Rebecca writes like no one else, Babel was my first book of the year and one of my favourites of the year as well and she's just slid Yellowface in there as well. The point of this book is that the characters aren't supposed to be likable, they're all flawed and horrid and so self-centered on their own success.

Juniper Song (or Hayward) is unlikable, she's full of anger and aggression, she's a thief, a liar, and a best-selling author. She's not a good person, her narrative is never one of redemption or regret. It's one of self-righteousness, of anger and of who deserves success. Her publishing team are awful, they're just set on keeping their reputation clean and the money flowing in. Athena Liu is insufferable, she's fallen into success and she shows it off. She's a drunk, a success and an all round bad person.

This book made me angry, it made me want to throttle each and every one of the characters. But I enjoyed it in such a violent way that I couldn't put it down. It's fresh, it's brave, and it's just plain incredible.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yellowface, Rebecca Kuang’s first foray out of the fantasy genre, is a searing, pitch black satire about the publishing industry, racism, and micro-aggressions, with a protagonist you’ll love to hate. You can read the blurb for yourself, you don’t need me to tell you what it’s about - suffice it to say, the hype is real. Get it!

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me.

I can usually get on board with an uncomfortable plot line and with unlikeable characters but I was so severely not enjoying the ride that I had to put it down at about the 30% mark.

I'm a literature student, so not shy of a tough read, and love when there are complex themes and tough topics being discussed but this really took an issue in publishing and slapped you around the face with it. If you like themes to be served to you on a platter then this may be worth your while but for those of us who like subtlety and to work a little harder to tease out themes then perhaps not this one.

It's such as shame as this is my first Rebecca Kuang, and I have heard such amazing things about her work, hopefully I will like her fantasy work more than her contemporary work.

An absolutely thrilling novel that doesn't hold back!

R.F. Kuang has done it again. This book dives deep into the dark side of publishing and what it means for white privilege when it comes to advertising books, microagressions, and lie for fame.

This story follows June Hayward, a white author who steals and publishes the work of an author of colour Athena Liu. The social commentary that follows deals with a lot of sensitive and intricate topics including racism, bigotry, diversity and cultural appropriation. I felt so immersed in the first person POV of June that it felt like I was so deep in her mind that when she was trying to justify her actions, you just wanted to scream. The dark satire really meshes well with the intricacies of the publishing industry that comes to light, and the author does not hold back at all.

There is so much more discussed, and this book is very readable, I flew through it and found myself wanting to reread it all over again. My eyes couldn't move across the page fast enough! The ending was something I didn't like but as I thought more about it, I have come to accept it, and am glad these events are shown almost as a way to tell us that this is cyclical and is so deep rooted that as long there is race, racism will exist. I loved the discussions in this book, and I loved the prose. I can't wait to reread it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the amazing publishers for the e-arc!

Yellowface is two excellent books, that combine to make one very good book.

On the one hand, we have a thriller. June, a relatively unsuccessful author, steals a manuscript from her college friend Athena’s house the night she dies, and publishes it under her own name. Mostly set in the echo chamber of book Twitter and the cut-throat publishing industry, it’s a page-turner of a mystery as you are desperate to know if June gets away with it, or gets her comeuppance.

On the other hand, we have a commentary on the commodification of diversity, and the ongoing debate on who can write what. For the most part, this is tied together brilliantly with the thriller aspect. June exploits both Asian American individuals and community groups to boost her credibility, alongside an ethnically ambiguous pen name and author photo. Her fear at being discovered as having stolen her friend’s book is inseparable from her rage at being criticised for being too white to publish a book about the historic struggles of a marginalised group, which makes her an incredibly compelling character.

All of the characters are deliciously unlikeable. Everyone is duplicitous, power-hungry, and desperate for the spotlight. The relationship between June and Athena was particularly compelling, a one-sided, obsessive friendship built on jealousy and envy. In June’s mind – and therefore to us, the reader – Athena exists purely in relation to her, and her complex feelings towards Athena are her motivation for much of the book.

The ending was where the book didn’t quite come together as I’d have hoped. With so many layers to the story it felt a bit cut-and-dry, like June was told what-for and then we’re told what happened next in a matter of paragraphs. Just one more chapter, to take a little bit longer on the fallout of what happens and to savour it, would have made a huge difference for me.

I thought long and hard about my rating for this book. I’ve definitely given worse books a higher rating. Ultimately, though, this book did not quite deliver what it promised. It is still a great book, which keeps the reader gripped and discusses lots of interesting, timely and often difficult themes. I will be interested to see how well this book does outside of Twitter and Goodreads, as the chronically-online aspect of book Twitter is almost a character in its own right. Either way, this is a book that is going to spark a lot of discussion and will be talked about for years to come.

I received a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Rebecca F Kuang is better known as fantasy author RF Kuang, responsible for the Asian-inspired Poppy Wars series and the alternate history Babel. Her latest novel, Yellowface is something else entirely – a takedown of the modern publishing industry and a scathing critique of social media as a mode of criticism review and attack. It comes in a tradition about books about writing and authorship which recently has also included Jean Hanff Korelitz’s The Plot and Julia Bartz’s slightly more pulpy The Writers’ Retreat.
June Hawyard has always been in the shadow of her sometime friend Athena Liu. Both writers and friends since college, Athena has gone on to be a bestselling author while June’s first novel barely made a ripple. So when Athena dies suddenly, leaving a manuscript that no one else has seen behind, June sees an opportunity and takes it. She steals the manuscript, about indentured Chinese labourers during World War I, edits it and claims it as her own. Along the way she changes her name to the more racially ambiguous Juniper Song and soon finds herself on the bestseller lists. Only very quickly both her story and her persona start to unravel and June has to work hard to keep the truth from crashing down on her.
Around the main plot, Kuang raises issues and explores a lot of questions for which there are no easy answers. For example, the question of who is allowed to tell what stories. The question of who owns a story that an author has used either directly or for inspiration. The role of social media in building people up and tearing people down (the social media “pile on”). The role of “diversity” in publishing and how it is used cynically (as in: we already have one Asian writer). The way in which publishers and the media shape what is fashionable or hot.
And she manages to do all of this through the first person narrative lens of a thoroughly unlikeable, self-centred, self unaware, self justifying narrator. June may wall have some talent by it seems, like Athena, she needs a catalyst to bring it out. She is also, despite her pretentions, more than a little racist herself. Kuang excels at making June feel like a real person but also letting her damn herself.
While Yellowface is fiction, the observations feel like at least some of it comes from hard learned experience. With the American literary scene so focussed on the issue of who is allowed to tell what stories (American Dirt, for example, gets name checked in the text), and the internet constantly searching for its next victim, the landmines are everywhere. And there is plenty of “inside baseball” in Yellowface on just how the publishing machine works – the editing process, sensitivity readers, jacket blurbs, cover art, movie deals. While most readers will find this fascinating, drawn along by the protagonist’s enthusiasm for the process, others may baulk at this level of information. Particularly those who do not want to know how their literary sausages are made.
While Yellowface feels like a change of direction for Kuang, and in some respects it is, it is very much in keeping with the concerns she was exploring in Babel. This is just another area in which she can expose the impact of language and culture and the persistent effects of colonialism and imperialism on how we think and act. It gives readers of fiction not only a rollicking morality tale with an ethically challenged but engaging protagonist but plenty to think about the next time they go into a bookshop.

Absolutely brilliant, loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #HarperCollinsUK for allowing me access to this arc for review.

Rebecca F. Kuang has accomplished a masterpiece, exploring language and creativity. Yellowface offers an incredible depiction of what it means to create something, even, who has the right to claim work or ideas as their own. This seems pertinent due to contemporary issues of ownership, free speech, racism, plagiarism, identity, appropriation, cancel culture and the creative life. It leaves the reader questioning so much of what they believe and value. It would be a great selection for a book club.

The novel revolves around 2 friends, Athena, a successful author and June, not so much. From the start, we get a glimpse of the loneliness that grips June and her growing resentment at others for having what she doesn't. This culminates as June makes a life-changing decision, in the heat of the moment, as an opportunity presents itself.
Kuang writes with an adept wit as she leads you through the plot of a dark and twisted thriller.

Yellowface is a fantastic story but is also quite poignant, provoking much thought on what it means to be isolated and lonely. How does this impinge on our decision-making? After all, what would you have done?

A brutally honest, sharp satire on the publishing industry, racism, and social media. It's highly readable, and grips you like a fast-paced thriller - I read this book in two sittings (I could have finished it in one but I started it in the evening, I'm a slow reader and I had to sleep or whatever!).

Our main character, June, is your typical won't-anybody-think-of-the-white-people liberal white woman. Kuang writes her so well that I'm slightly anticipating reviews from the June Hayward's of the world completely missing the satire of the book! June/Junie /Juniper is a struggling author with seething resentment over the success of Athena Liu, her college 'friend'. After witnessing her death, June steals Athena's just-finished first draft of her new novel and decides to transcribe and polish it up, publishing it as her own original work. What could go wrong?

The story explores themes of racism, identity politics, plagiarism, cultural appropriation, and 'cancel culture'/trial by social media. It delves into the nuances and boldly addresses the issues of racism and tokenism in the publishing industry, without trying to soften the blow.

It's written in first person and even though June is a wholly unreliable narrator on the surface, Kuang manages to weave in the truth through June's words and actions. She tells you exactly who she is, it's just up to the reader to see through June's delusion and insistence that she's the victim.

Yellowface is a thought-provoking, often cringe-inducing satire that tackles complex topics while being extremely engaging and compelling. A really great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and The Borough Press for the ARC.

I loved this book! Really unique story and truly satire at its finest. I've read Babel by the same author which I also loved, but the two books are SO different. It really speaks to Kuang's skill as a writer that she can hit it out of the park with totally different genres and writing styles. Thank you so much to netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this advanced copy!

‘But that’s the fate of a storyteller. We become nodal points for the grotesque.’

I went into this one blind on a recommendation. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, I was hooked from the get go.

I mean; dark satire - count me in. But the subject matter and the very meta feel to it, it had me hook, line and sinker.

This one went in hard at everything to do with writing, reading, publishing - I’m surprised some of it passed editing. But my days, it was funny. The dark comedic aspects really added to the plot and made it more digestible in a way.

Reading the whole thing through June’s eyes, hearing what’s going on her head, made it a totally immersive read. At times it was almost quite uncomfortable, especially as she spirals in her world of constant critique and loneliness.

I feel like the ending might have been quite marmite for readers. But I personally loved it. I think the whole thing just emphasised the unstable/fantastical mindset that June had throughout the book.

Highly recommend this read. It’s completely original and totally compelling.

Having read and loved Babel, I was really interested to see how Kuang handles a more 'literary' book for want of a. better word. She is clearly a hugely accomplished writer. This book was fantastically written, pacy, full of momentum and a real page turner for something that will probably be up for a load of prizes.

It's the story of June Hayward, a semi decent author whose first novel didn't really get anywhere and who has been floundering in the publishing world ever since. Her 'best' friend, Athena Liu has everything June wants, a clear authorial voice, drive and a string of prizes for the books she has published so far. June burns with resentment even as she takes advantage of Athena's connections and clout. When Athena chokes to death on the evening they are celebrating her book being picked up by Netflix, June makes a decision that will change everything. She steals Athena's work in progress and proceeds to pass it off as her own.

This explores all kinds of issues that plague the publishing world, white authors being outed as they pretend to be from different ethnic backgrounds for gain and plaudits, the baked in racism of publishing itself, the toxicity of cancel culture and social media platforms. It's all grist to the mill.

Nobody comes out of this well but you are driven to read on. I usually hate books with unsympathetic protagonists but I found myself dashing through this in a single sitting. Terrific stuff.

Yellowface for me is an absolute breath of fresh air. It’s topical, entertaining, informative, educational, shocking, hilarious, sad and easily goes into my Top Ten books of 2023.

In case you didn’t realise, I do love to read. I worship at the alter of authors, I’m in awe of publishers and jealous of anyone who gets paid to work in this incredible industry. I am also extremely naive when it comes to how a book begins it’s journey from an idea on a post-it note to the bookshelves at Waterstones. So, if like me, you have no real knowledge of what goes on behind closed door and how much is involved in creating the next New York Times Best-seller, then grab yourself a copy of Yellowface and prepare to be shocked.

Two women, friends since University – Athena is hugely successful and rich, a best-selling author with a Netflix show on the way, the other June wrote a book which failed to sell and now she teaches whilst jealously watching Anthena’s star burn brightly.

When a freak accident occurs June sees the opportunity she believes she honestly deserves and takes Anthena’s unpublished manuscript, passing it off as her own.

I’m not going to rehash what the book is about as the description above says it all, but I can tell you that I read this book within a day. This is an absolutely FASCINATING story about the perils of publishing, the terrifying twitter trolls, the callousness of being cancelled and the downside of being the next big thing.

This book should have the warning “Be careful what you wish for” because in June’s case things really don’t always look greener on the other side.

TOPICAL, TOXIC and absolutely TERRIFIC. 5 huge shiny stars from me and straight in to my Top Ten of 2023

June and Athena are both writers, though worlds apart. June has had no success with her writing and Athena has become a bestseller. When Athena dies, June sees an opportunity to take Athena's draft and publishes it as her own novel. Will June be able to keep her secret and thrive on the success she has stolen?

A truly sensational book that you simply must read.

Rebecca F. Kuang's writing is incredibly sharp and intelligent. The style is so easy to sink into, as soon as I read the first chapter I could tell it was going to be a brilliant read. The first sentence alone was a huge hook and had me invested straight away. I particularly enjoyed how June's character was written - you would naturally have to be pretty bold to pass off someone else's work as your own and the author has perfectly captured the selfishness involved.

I loved the whole story concept because it was compelling whichever "side" you are on. Personally I couldn't believe that June would actually go through will stealing Athena's story, but I could see how you might be rooting for her to get away with it and see how far she can go. The book also poses fascinating questions around issues such as morality, it really gets you thinking. The ins and outs of the publishing industry is not a well-known topic to a lot of readers and I thought it was brilliant to highlight what goes on behind the scenes.

Consider me officially obsessed with Rebecca F. Kuang, I will definitely be reading everything else she has written.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This just didn’t work for me, I’m not a fan of unreliable narrators and that’s most definitely a me problem.
I almost DNF’d this twice but stuck with it because I was hoping for an epiphany, but unfortunately I’m just not a fan of this author.

Yellowface is another wonderfully crafted book by R.F. Kuang lifting the backstage curtain of the harsh truth about book publishing.
Needless to say that, like her other books, the  writing style is impeccable, easily immersing you in the story that she wants you to experience.
Brutally honest and no punches hold to serve as an eye-opener and brings writers, publishers, and readers all wrapped in one and how the social media plays a massive part if you're going to make it big or not.
The interesting part is Kuang successfully made an intriguing story with two main characters, Juniper Hayward and Athena Liu, that are toxic, snobby and, all in all, flawed and unapologetically keeping the tension, thus keeping you reading as a result.
This read is vastly different if you come from her previous book Babel, and I'm amazed by her versatility and ability to switch between historical fiction, fiction, and fantasy.
And is refreshing to reed such a relevant read for the times of hashtags, Twitter,TikTok…in general social media and the ruthless publishing industry.

"Yellowface" by Rebecca F. Kuang is a thought-provoking and timely exploration of identity, race, and culture in contemporary society. The novella follows the story of Matt, a young Asian-American actor who struggles with the issue of representation in Hollywood and the complexities of cultural identity. Kuang's writing is sharp and insightful, capturing the nuances of the Asian-American experience with sensitivity and depth. The novella's themes are particularly relevant in today's social and political climate, where issues of representation, appropriation, and cultural sensitivity are being debated with increasing urgency. Overall, "Yellowface" is a powerful and important work that offers a compelling perspective on a complex and nuanced subject.

“People always describe jealousy as this sharp, green, venomous thing. Unfounded, vinegary, mean-spirited. But I’ve found that jealousy, to writers, feels more like fear. Jealousy is the spike in my heartrate when I glimpse news of Athena’s success on Twitter”

Yellowface is the fifth novel by award-winning, best-selling Chinese author and translator, Rebecca F Kuang. Juniper Hayward and Athena Liu take many of the same classes at Yale, but after that, their paths diverge. Athena, as June sees it, is a beautiful, Yale-educated, international, ambiguously queer woman of colour who, by the age of twenty-seven, has three best-sellers under her belt and has just scored a Netflix contract. June is just a plain, straight white girl from Philly: her one novel tanked, and she’s tutoring rich kids for the SAT to make rent.

While they basically have only skin-deep friendship, more a product of proximity than connection, Athena invites June to celebrate with her. That includes a lot of whiskey and, in the ensuing silliness, despite June’s best efforts, Athena chokes to death. The only copy of her just-finished manuscript, sitting there on Athena’s desk, is too much temptation for June, who puts it in her bag and takes it home.

June works quite hard on turning this first draft into a publishable work, and she quickly begins to believe her own justifications for doing so. Her agent is impressed and lines up an enthusiastic publisher. The advance is generous. Her editor suggests some changes to make the book less confronting, but that also soften Anthea’s strong stance on this difficult topic. June readily agrees: she firmly believes that “Reading should be an enjoyable experience, not a chore”

Because the book is about the treatment of Chinese laborers fighting on the side of the British in World War One, and June is not Chinese, she decides on a pseudonym using her middle name: Juniper Song, hoping to bypass the touchy issue of cultural authenticity mentioned by her publisher. She also rejects outright having a sensitivity reader check the manuscript.

The Last Front hits the New York Times bestseller list and June is enjoying the sort of recognition that Athena had. And then, allegations of plagiarism hit the Twittersphere. Is this the end of June’s career in writing?

There’s a delicious irony in a Chinese author writing a white protagonist who has appropriated a Chinese woman’s work to pass off as her own. Kuang explores the vexed question of cultural appropriation, touching on morally grey areas such as who has the right to write about what. Racism, misogyny, and xenophobia are all aired, and she does it all with such eloquent prose.

Her characters are complex and flawed, and neither June nor Athena is particularly likeable, but Kuang somehow gets the reader totally invested in June’s fate: will she get away with it? Do we want her to?

Kuang gives the reader a compelling insight into the publishing industry, and demonstrates the huge influence that social media can have. She also throws in a dramatic climax. This is a twisty tale that’s hard to put down: clever and thought-provoking, polarising and often darkly funny.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins.