"Yellowface" is a work of fiction, which addresses a pressing contemporary issue - the racism and prejudice in the publishing industry that some authors still face.

The narrative follows June, an Ivy League graduate who struggles to break through as a writer, and Athena, a woman from the same course, who becomes an overnight success. After a tragic accident in Athena's apartment, which leads to her unfortunate death, June decided to take the first draft of her new manuscript. She ends up tweaking the text, and essentially plagiarising it, by selling it as her own. As a result, June becomes an overnight success. But her dream future is not as bright as she would have thought. Since the story she sold is centered around Chinese history and culture, June faces a lot of attacks and bullying due to the fact she is a white woman.

The text is marketed as a comedy thriller, but for me, it didn't quite meet this brief. The text was really engaging, well-written, and painfully accurate. Maybe this is where the comedy was supposed to be - in the bittersweet sarcasm that no matter what authors do and how they do it, they are still judged? I think Rebecca Kuang shining a light on the issues in the publishing industry is quite important. Even though, as a writer, I felt quite uncomfortable reading about the draft theft, I was saddened by the truth of how toxic and violent social media could be.

The characters were well-developed and relatable, and the worldbuilding was immaculate. I would have liked to have more tension building or conflict between the characters themselves, rather than only from anonymous social media sources,

Rebecca Kuang is a multi-talented writer - she proved to be able to tackle any genre. From high fantasy, to historical fantasy, to general fiction. I think her books are a rare achievement and I will continue reading anything she puts out next.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc. I look forward to buying the hard copy and following the book tour,

Thank you so much to netgalley for accepting my request for an ARC copy for review.

I can't even.

R F Kuang is for sure settling herself as a top fav author of mine with Yellowface and Babel.

Where do I even start?

This book was satirical, ridiculous, fast-paced and twisty. At no point did I have any clue how this book would finish - I have never read a book written fully from a morally 'grey' character's persepctive and it was utterly fascinating. And it is a star to Kuang's name that despite following a pretty awful person, as readers we are so drawn into June's world we almost ROOT FOR HER by the end.

This book toys with the readers, it makes us question if theres a right or wrong, if theres a good guy or a bad guy, if June is just so ignorant she fails to see the 'truth' of Athena or if Athena was in herself questionable. It says ALOT on cancel culture, and the twitter vultures that sit waiting to BOMB celebs for their own enjoyment and self-righteousness. It's not actually for justice or to serve any beneficial function.

Back to the book: I was enthralled from the first page to the last, and 1000% want to reread this and do a book club discussion on it.

I hope people preorder this and get hyped because it was brilliant.

RF Kuang does scathing commentary SO well. such an interesting exploration of the publishing industry, cultural 'leeching', and who can or can't tell a certain history.

Truly, everyone with any sort of interest in writing and publishing should read this 👀

This was such an interesting exploration and social commentary on race, publishing, professional relationships, female friendships, and envy. R F Kuang has a way with words that is just unlike any other author - I was hooked on every word, and while the characters are not necessarily likeable, I was incredibly invested in what was going to happen.

I think the danger with a book like this is that it could take a hyperbolic turn, but this did not fall into this category. Yellow face from start to finish was funny, sad and relatable all at the same time. This is a narrative that I don’t think I’ll forget anytime soon.

What's YELLOWFACE about in a quick summary? Struggling author June Hayward steals an unedited manuscript written by her friend and (more successful) author, Athena Liu, when she tragically dies. The book shoots Hayward to stardom but the story rooted in Asian history starts to raise questions around cultural appropriation, authenticity and ultimately plagiarism…

“I feel this hot coiling in my stomach; a bizarre urge to stick my fingers in her berry-red painted mouth and rip her face apart, to neatly peel her skin off her body like an orange and to zip it up over myself.”

A darkly funny literary thriller that feels like an autobiography, YELLOWFACE feels scarily realistic. And although Athena dies at the very start, she haunts the rest of the book, giving the story a horror-esque element to it (I would LOVE to see this play out on the screen!! This would be an amazing psych thriller with all its twists and turns)

I’ve never read anything like this book. I was completely hooked from the get-go and it was giving me instant 5 :star: vibes with its unique plot. However…it was difficult at times for me to distinguish between the voice of the characters and the voice of R. F. Kuang. It’s veryyy heavy on the social commentary, which I loved at first but it did get a bit too much in the second half with increasing repetition and back-and-forth. This was the main aspect I struggled with towards the end, topped off by an anticlimactic ending. In the same way that June struggles to write an ending, I felt like maybe R. F. Kuang struggled wrapping this up too? I know it may be representative of the cyclical nature of stories in publishing and the media, but still – I personally hoped for something more.

YELLOWFACE is ultimately a searing satirical commentary on diversity and racism in the publishing industry, as well as the double standards of society and dangers of cancel culture. It all felt SO meta, especially if you’ve ever read booktwt drama! As I was reading the book I even felt complicit myself, eager for justice and revenge – but also scandal and drama. I even really liked all the pop culture references. Case in point here (with June’s characteristic casual racism):

“Florence Pugh will play me. That girl from Crazy Rich Asians will play Athena.”

It’s safe to say *everyone* in this book is awful and I never liked any of the characters – but that’s fine, I don’t need to find characters likeable in order to enjoy a story. In fact, I would’ve loved to have read more about the toxic friendship/rivalry/obsession between June and Athena. These parts of the story were by far my favourite and I hope R. F. Kuang writes more thrillers in the future as I’m dying to read more!

YELLOWFACE comes out on the 25th May!! I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks of this book. Thank you @harpercollinsuk and @netgalley for my ARC copy

Oh my god, this book was simply brilliant and so different from what I had ever read before.

Let me start by saying this: this book is gonna drive the publishing industry and social media into the mud and you guys are not ready for this. This book will definitely NOT be for everyone, but for those of you, who, like me, are always searching to learn new things, are trying to deconstruct your views about society and everything in general, and love to be challenged in every way possible, you will have a blast with this book. If you pick up this book because you loved R.F. Kuang's previous works and are expecting something similar, stop right there. Yellowface is completely different, this is a satirical thriller / modern literary fiction with a point of view that will frustrate you, that will sometimes make you laugh and that will make you so, so, angry.

"It's the sort of book that leaves a mark."

Yellowface is about a white author, Juniper Hayward, who steals Athena Liu, an Asian-American new voice, just-finished novel, after witnessing Athena's death in a freak accident. Juniper had always been jealous of Athena's success in the publishing industry, and when she saw an opportunity, she took it and published Athena's novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I as her own.

This book was really easy to read with a modern, straightforward and plain writing that could not be compared in the slightest to Babel or The Poppy War trilogy. But in this setting, in a modern literary fiction, from an immersive first-person voice, the writing was completely fitting. The book was also filled with email, tweets and texts, which helped to further the plot faster.

"Author efforts have nothing to do with a book's success. Bestsellers are chosen. Nothing you do matters. You just get to enjoy the perks along the way."

The main character, Juniper, was insufferable from start to finish. Being in her head for the entirety of this book was very frustrating at times, interesting but it also made me realize how much internalised racism was an issue. I think that white reviewers that aren't deconstructed enough about this subject will completely miss the point and even sympathize with our main character here. Her story was fascinating and full of dramas, stressful, there were so many turning points and I was so ready for her to crash down and be ripped apart (figuratively) by everyone. It was fascinating to be in her mind because her thoughts felt so realistic yet scared me to death because I know, deep down, that so many people think like her. Juniper was so incredibly selfish and racist, but not in the "far right aggressive way", it was more in the "internalised racism that society has forced on everyone and that white people will never deconstruct because this way of thinking is just convenient for them". Her behavior raised some really interesting questions about the behavior of white people towards POC, how they always manage -in their mind- to turn themselves into victims and how they feel like something has been stolen from them when a POC is more successfull than them. They're so used to being the norm and to have everything handed to them, and they do not want to share equal opportunities with other ethnicities.

"And without us, these stories wouldn't get told."

This book is about so many important topics that will be mentioned many times and that will make you think, even after you finished the book, such as diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation not only in the publishing industry but the persistent erasure of Asian-American voices and history by Western white society. This book is raw, razor-sharp, and R.K. Kuang goes straight to the point without smoothing the rough edges, and that is exactly why this book is brilliant.

This book also denounced the toxicity of social media, and it was, at the same time, funny and bittersweet to witness it in this book with book twitter, and the online book community in mind.

"Racial trauma sells, right?"

This quote, right there, made me jump out of my chair because this is just so true. How I wish there were more Cambodian authors in this industry with fantasy stories, with young adult coming-of-age stories or with contemporary works instead of those countless genocide memoirs books. These books are really important, of course, and people should read them, but I would also want to read about Asian joy.

Honestly, reading this book was such an interesting experience, the plot was so addictive and impossible to put down even if it was exhausting to be in Juniper's mind, and I absolutely loved learning more about the publishing industry, and the process of publishing a novel. So overall, please read this book, because it is important and because it raises so many accurate questions about our Western white society.

4.5/5 stars.

My sincerest thanks to NetGalley, HarperFiction, HarperCollins UK, and The Borough Press for a copy of Yellowface in exchange for an honest ARC review!

4 stars for Yellowface from me. It feels very strange writing this review, I won’t lie. In a book that continuously mocks and pokes fun at book reviewers and the discourse surrounding new books, I’m pretty sure RF Kuang is actively expecting reviews that sound like exactly this one to start circulating. But, I digress. Yellowface was great but incredibly… strange.

Yellowface by RF Kuang is about Juniper Hayward who’s a white author whose debut novel has flopped. June secretly believes that the reason she isn’t successful as an author is because she’s a “basic white girl”, and that the success of her POC counterparts is due to their marketable “diversity” in the publishing industry. She’s incredibly jealous of Athena Liu, her Chinese author friend from Yale who’s globally renowned as a writing prodigy and who’s incredibly successful, who’s just “perfect”. Athena dies in a silly freak accident one night and Juniper steals her unfinished manuscript and publishes it as her own book under a pseudonym. What happens for the rest of the novel is the psychological and social fall-out from this plagiarism for June as a writer.

Let’s begin with all the conventional positive comments I can make about the story and the writing. The prose is breathless and just flows seamlessly– it will be quite easy for readers to devour this book in a day. The narrative voice of our main character Juniper Hayward, Iced Latte With an Extra Pump of Caramel Pinterest White Girl Extraordinaire, is easy to just eat up. This novel completely foregoes to dense and layered writing of Kuang’s Babel for this story to read like a mere internal monologue, which is super effective.

This story is also ultimately necessary: it examines the whiteness of the Western publishing industry, the tokenization of marginalized writers, and the profiting of white people off the hard work of people of colour. The story takes a deep dive into the publishing process and the role of the media and discourse in our contemporary perceptions of authors and their bestsellers. We’re also given a villain protagonist that readers will love to hate– June is intensely relatable and her characterization feels natural. The plot is also linear and grounded in our times - none of the ambitious storytelling techniques we associate with Kuang from The Poppy War or Babel. When the typos (there were so, so many of them in this ARC) are corrected, I anticipate this book will generally bode well with readers. Yellowface is sarcastic and trendy and just very readable for all audiences– it’s not “too academic” like Babel and not “gruesome and heartbreaking” like The Poppy War. The novel does a great job of unveiling how publishing is quite literally whitewashed, how POC are stolen from and are naturally disadvantaged in the writing world, and how far white tears can take you in America’s publishing industry.

My issue with this novel, and the reason I took out some stars when others may very well give this book 5 stars, is to do with some of the artistic choices that Kuang makes. That is, this book is perhaps entirely just RF Kuang projecting herself onto the story. The wronged East Asian author whose work is stolen by Juniper, Athena Liu, is undoubtedly RF Kuang’s very transparent self-insert. In fact, the book is borderline uncomfortable because it feels, even if it’s not, it feels as if RF Kuang cannot separate herself and her own experiences, background, and personality from that of Athena. In an insanely political book where the main internal justifications for Juniper’s plagiarism of Athena are based on the real-life criticisms that we readers may have of Kuang and of her works, Yellowface feels like an exercise in self-victimization.

The story airs out all of the grievances that many readers have with Kuang or her current works but puts them in the mouth of the villain whose downfall we’re praying on. In essence, Kuang is bulletproofing herself against any criticisms by putting these opinions in the mind of a morally despicable (and talentless) main character. Let’s see if this rings a bell: an Asian American writer who’s been privately educated in prestigious institutions her entire life, who wrote her first novel after finishing her undergraduate degree then jumped straight into fully-funded master’s degrees, who writes scenes that are ball-by-ball remakes of actual historical accounts (looking at Golyn Niis here), who writes grand war epics and militaristic history books, and who is often criticized for speaking over mainland Chinese persons. An author who writes radical stories that show marginalized rage, who straddles the line between speculative and commercial fiction (looking at Babel here), gets criticized for sounding too academic and self-righteous and making her white characters the villain all the time, and who rolls in a tight-knit circle that comprises other successful authors. Her favorite book is The Idiot by Elif Batuman, her typical narrative voice can sound sanctimonious or vaguely like a history textbook (see: Babel). I’m talking about the main character of Yellowface, Athena Liu. But if you know anything about RF Kuang, you’d realize this is exactly the image we have of her own life.

In a book that’s supposed to be social commentary and satirical political discourse, I find that the self-insert character of Athena misses the mark. The story reads as way too personal to be refined, way too close to home to be proper literary fiction. I mean, self-insert characters are FINE; they’re nothing new. Heck, Oscar Wilde did it. But this book does itself a disservice when the main themes being covered are author plagiarism and cancel culture and… the role of Twitter discourse in publishing (and there is so much Twitter slang and so many pop culture references in here, I’m quite concerned as to how the language in this novel will be perceived in five years). The subtext of Yellowface is saying “Hah, you readers! You thought you had me there! But know that I’m always two steps ahead!” I can’t take it seriously when the book feels like a personal very gripe with the publishing industry more than a work of literature.

So overall, an excellent read, sure. But if you know anything about Kuang, this novel may come across as whiny in some parts, as bitter at other times. This book is even less subtle than Babel. It’s way too loud and in the “opening a TikTok in the subway without headphones” kinda way. Kuang herself is rooted in every word of Yellowface, but this time, I don’t think that was necessarily a good choice.

I am amazed by how consistently RFK writes novels that completely blow me away. Yellowface is a departure from the fantasy that I have read of her's before, but has the same strong voice and is definitely a thinker ... A book that will stay with me for a long time. I really enjoyed how meta it was and the insight into publishing. Plus, I can't believe how many times I had to remind myself that June was a terrible person when I realised I was accidentally rooting for her. What a book!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I'm seeing a pattern in R. F. Kuang's recent works, and it is not a good pattern.

Allow me to preface this with the positive first. Kuang is an immensely talented writer, there is no disputing that. Her prose is beautiful. Her story premises are engaging and unique, so much so that they should be intriguing. She puts in an incredible amount of effort and research with her stories, and there is a real passion behind her words, that much is apparent. The topics she picks to write about are incredibly interesting, relevant, and important, and I have so much respect for her for tackling and showcasing them through her works.

The problem, however, is that Kuang struggles to separate her own voice from that of the story itself. And Yellowface is hugely apparent of that.

The premise of Yellowface was one which intrigued me from the moment it was announced. After Athena Liu unexpectedly dies in a freak accident, her 'friend' (and we can use this in the loosest term, because my god, is June the absolute worst person imaginable. But, more on her later) June Hayward takes Athenas' latest manuscript and decides to publish it herself, using the name 'Juniper Song'. June at first fools herself into saying it's to make sure her friend's work sees the light of day, but very quickly loses herself to the potential of the profit and prestige she will achieve in the literary world for this obvious bestseller that she was never able to achieve through her own lackluster work.

At its heart, Yellowface is a story of plagiarism, racism, and deception, as well as it being a critique on the publishing industry and social media surrounding the industry. It's just that Kuang places so much of herself into the character of Athena Liu that this novel doesn't really feel like it's satire.

It's ridiculous really, and is very apparent when you know that a lot of things - like the lifestyle, the criticisms that are given to and of Athena and her work - are just pulled from what Kuang has come across herself during her career. I mean sure, it's a known thing that the best thing to write about usually stems from your own experiences, but at least do it in a way that also allows your characters to feel real themselves and not just a stand-in for the authors' own gripes.

This is something I've noticed before in Kuang's work: she has these wonderful characters she can work with and bring to life, yet she decides not to use them to their full potential and instead more as a vessel for her own commentary.

Take these quotes, for instance:

"The Last Front breaks new ground; instead, it joins novels like The Help and The Good Faith in a long line of what I dub historical exploitation novels; inauthentic stories that use troubled pasts as an entertaining set-piece for white entertainment."



"Who has the right to write about suffering?"



It stuck with me so strongly because I'd actually been reading through some reviews for Kaung's The Poppy War only the day before, and this critique that is given to the historical novel in Yellowface is a critique that I know I have seen other reviewers leave for The Poppy War. Reviewers who are Chinese themselves, at that.

There are so many moments of Kuang herself leaking through in the small scenes we see of Athena's character - for Athena is more an overarching ghost on the page than a real person - and it gets to a point where I just wish her voice had been handled with a little more nuance, and wasn't so apparent as a speaking role for the authors own voice.

Aside from the self-insert within the novel, none of the characters are all that likable. Athena comes across as self-absorbed through the stories other characters tell of her, the characters in the publishing industry are more caricatures of what you'd expect a publishing industry to be in a novel setting, and June? June is the absolute worst of the worst. She's insufferable, narcissistic, delusional, jealous, and all-together racist in that unbearable 'I'm not racist, but --' way. There were so many points in this book where you think 'this girl cannot possibly get any worse' and yet somehow she manages it. Towards the end of the novel June feels more like a character that could sit comfortably in a Stephen King horror (think Misery) for how deranged and delusional she gets.

The last third of this novel is ... well it's something. June decides that after certain events during the middle of the novel, she's going to write another book (her third under the Juniper Song name at this point), yet Kuang decides to pull a twist that really, I felt deserved better build-up throughout the rest of the novel. It's sort of sprinkled in passing, but not enough to make the finale twist feel anything less than jarring as a whole.

I wish I could have enjoyed this novel more, I really do. There's so much Yellowface has going for it - potential wise - that could make it great, especially given how the publishing industry truly is riddled with racism still to this day. The commentary this story could have told would have been fascinating, but I just think Kuang failed to meet expectations.

Yellowface by Rebecca (R.) F. Kuang is a masterpiece and will undoubtedly be one of the hottest books of the year. This is a spoiler free review. 

The book follows Juniper (June) Hayward, a Yale graduate who is a middling author, as she steals and publishes the work of a (dead) Asian-American author, ‘friend’ and fellow Yale Graduate Athena Lui. June Song (uses her middle name) publishes the book with edits. In terms of the content Kuang’s writes from her own personal experience navigating the publishing industry, writing novels and is extremely meta in doing so.

June the MC is an utterly horrible, deplorable person with a lack of redeeming qualities, which Kuang does an amazing job at writing.

Thank you netgalley and publishers for an ARC!

This is almost impossible for me to give feedback on. It is almost flawless in terms of the writing as with all of Rebecca Kuang's work (I will say the edition of Geoff two thirds through felt disjointed and like an after thought).

I don't doubt Yellowface is intentionally a very uncomfortable read to expose the weaknesses in the publishing industry, the characters were some of the most unlikeable i've ever read, there were crimes galore and bigotry in abundance - which all leaves you asking the question, why is this unchecked? The simple answer as with anything, money. Publicity either way continues selling books, you can alienate one faction whilst touting another.

In hindsight after taking time to review, I think that is why the ending is so profound in it's emptiness, we all know this is happening in such a prolific industry but when no major moves are made to change it you're not going to get a nice shiny ending, instead you will get groundhog day.

Wow. Just....wow. This is the second Kuang book I've read with Babel being my first last year. That very quickly became the favourite read of 2022 and to be honest, Yellowface could become 2023s favourite.
This is an impeccably written and nuanced book told through the perspective of one of the best unreliable narrators I've come across in a while. You can either believe everything that June (our protagonist) is saying or try and sift through all of the potential bullshit.
June is a very believable and flawed person which we can all relate too and Kuang does an amazing job of characterising her and the drama that swirls around her is incredibly engrossing. I couldn't stop reading because I simply has to know what was going to happen next. Would thoroughly recommend.

"Yellowface" by R.F. Kuang is a witty and engaging novel that tackles the very current and pressing issue of racism in the publishing industry. With a satirical edge, Kuang's writing is both entertaining and thought-provoking, drawing the reader in with sharp dialogue and scathing criticisms.

We follow June Hayward, an author who is struggling to make a name for herself after her debut novel fails to take off. One fateful night, she watches her former classmate and frenemy Athena Liu choke to death and decides to steal Athena's unpublished manuscript and pass it off as her own work.

The simple writing style of this book is vastly different to that of Babel, one of Kuang's previously published works however, it suits this story perfectly and makes for a fast-paced read. Her sharp critiques of both the publishing industry and aspects of the reading community were entertaining and enlightening to read.

My main critiques of this novel are actually relatively minor. This book consistently draws reference to social media with several scenes showing the praise or criticism June receives via tweets. Whilst this helps make the book feel more present, I think it will age the book considerably as time goes on.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I fully expect this book to be on many people's "Best Books of 2023" lists!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this digital ARC!

Como novela de thriller es bastante básica. Pero el puñetazo de R.F. Kuang al mundo editorial en «Amarilla» («Yellowface», en inglés) es espectacular. Kuang retoma temas que vimos en «Babel» para presentar una historia de apropiación cultural de la que nadie sale bien parado.

«Amarilla» no es una novela de ciencia ficción o fantasía. La historia sigue las andanzas de una escritora novel que tras la muerte de su amiga (también escritora, pero con MUCHO más éxito), roba su última idea y consigue publicar el libro bajo con un nuevo seudónimo.

June Hayward, la protagonista, comienza una carrera contra todo para que nadie descubra el origen de la historia que la ha llevado al top del NY Times. Editorial, agentes, grandes corporaciones, lectores, etc. son cómplices de esta apropiación. ¿Hasta cuando podrá ocultarlo?

Como decía al principio, la novela es un thriller algo básico y lleno de las suficientes casualidades para seguir avanzando y que Kuang pueda repasar actitudes de todos los eslabones del mundo editorial. Cerca del final hay un cambio de tono muy creepy que me ha gustado.

«Amarilla» se publica en mayo inglés. En castellano lo publica Hidra en castellano a mediados de Junio. Tiene un público objetivo distinto al de «Babel» y ya viene haciendo mucho ruido estos últimos meses.

Personalmente me ha tenido interesado aunque está un par de puntos por debajo de la monumental «Babel».

thanks to Harper Collins I was able to get an ARC and read this in one sitting straight after being approved, which I haven’t done in a long time!! it has everything I like, from unlikable, delusional main character, sarcasm, satire, social commentary on racism and writing, having a peak in the publishing industry all the way to pop references. the writing is beautiful, the storyline is simple and the ending made me want to reread this masterpiece straight away. safe to say I will be reading everything R.F. Kuang writes.

Right. I don't know where to really begin with this one.

The writing is, as ever, masterful. I always appreciate how straight to the point Kuang is, and in this book more than ever, her rather blunt style pairs perfectly with the brutally honest tone and vibe she was presumably going for. Yellowface, much like Babel, also reminds one that you don't need complex and overly pretentious to write a good, meaningful book. What Kuang does really well is make these simple statements and explore ideas we're all familiar with without having it come off as dumbed down for the sake of the readers.

Another thing I greatly admired was just how Kuang tackles the issues brought up. She doesn't shove what you should be thinking down your throat. Doesn't lay down the moral rights or wrongs. If you don't get it despite how clear she makes it then you are one of the people she's making fun of in this novel.

And I truly did love the ending. I know some people didn't, but I found it really fitting because it just so perfectly summarised the white person ideology. Even when they're blatantly in the wrong, even when the time they should have stopped has long passed, they refuse to give up. It would nearly be admirable if their dedication to not giving up wasn't solely focused on erasing the rights and voices of coloured people.

Having said that, regrettably, there were a few things I didn't enjoy. I understand why they were incorporated into the book. I just personally did not like reading it.

The biggest element that would be a no from me would be the whole twitter debacle. Of course it was necessary- this is after all a book about the publishing industry and Twitter is where you'll find most writers and readers arguing about the most inane bullshit in regards this whole business and industry. I look forward to experiencing the backlash upon Yellowface's release because it's going to be so beautifully ironic seeing all the things Kuang was critiquing play out in real life. And that would be precisely why I didn't like seeing it in the book. I could have gotten all of that by scrolling through my twitter feed instead. I didn't want to encounter all that in the book I'm reading when I literally could've opened the bird app instead. I would have liked more of Hayward's spiral into madness or more actual progression to the plot in its place.

Speaking of the plot, I have to admit that I wish there was more of what we were promised. In the blurb, you'll notice that the description makes the book sound more like a thriller. In reality, it is anything but. The stakes are heightened in June's mind, which makes sense, but about two thirds of the book is just her either searching for inspiration for her next culturally appropriating book or scrolling through social media or sometimes both. It was- and it pains me to say this- quite boring really.
But despite all this, it isn't that Yellowface is a bad book. I'd definitely recommend everyone at least give it a try. It's just not one that I personally liked and will most likely never be my favourite from R.F. Kuang.

How far would you go to taste success?

Meet June. An inspiring author with all the resentment of someone who hasn’t made it yet. Being constantly reminded of how far they have yet to come when their friend Athena has everything she wants. Then tragedy strikes. What is June to do? Would you take something and claim it as your own? Would you be able to live with the guilt? The pressure? The hate?

This is the first book I’ve read by RF Kuang and wow! I love the way June speaks to the reader especially when she is justifying her actions. It makes you feel closer to her. The pacing was perfect to keep the reader engaged and interested in the outcome. June can come across as a little annoying at times, how she is quick to jump on other people for doing the same thing as her, but I think that makes her more likeable in a way as you feel her anxiousness and paranoia.

This is an eye opening example of what the publishing industry is really like. A must read.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint. Yellowface follows June Hayward, whose debut novel flopped and who is struggling to come by the idea that will break her out from the pack. She’s been living in the shadow of literary darling Athena Liu and has always coveted her success, so when Athena dies and June gets her hands on her unfinished manuscript, things begin to spiral….

As someone who works in the publishing industry I was hooked on seeing how June would cheat the system and the processes surrounding getting her book out into the world. What I wasn’t expecting was the sharp, confident and almost satirical tone as we are given June’s perspective. We begin to understand her reasoning and I almost felt like I was rubbernecking on her ultimate downfall but couldn’t look away. It’s got great pacing, a stellar cast of characters and ultimately feels unlike anything else I’ve ever read, in the best way. Assured, entertaining and incredibly well written.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy

3.25 🌟

Thank you very much to Harper Collins and NetGallery for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

R.F. Kuang has been my most anticipated writer to dive into for over a year now and Yellowface was probably my most anticipated 2023 release. While I flew through this novel in less than a day and found the narration very engaging, I struggled with how on the nose the literary references in this novel were and how the protagonist was not only unlikeable but had no real foundations or personal connections.

Yellowface's cultural commentary comfortably walks the line between being humourous and a cutthroat dig at the publishing industry along with the millions of white people who feel victimised and left out by people of colour finally receiving a sliver of recognition. I found this to be both educational and entertaining, however, I feel like a lot of the white people in this novel were either blatantly racist or making subtly racist comments while obsessing over Chinese culture in particular. While both depictions are accurate, I feel like there was a missed opportunity to display the many white people who simply do not care about other cultures. I loved that this book placed such a close focus on Chinese history in particular and how the publishing industry often promotes diversity while limiting people of colour and their stories, I just thought the other more subtle type of racism where white people simply have no interest in other cultures because it is not their own was not shown as often as it unfortunately occurs in everyday life.

As a protagonist, June is insufferable. She experiences no character growth, no acceptance of her crimes, and goes out of her way to cause people pain because she doesn't have anyone close enough to her to actually care what she says or does. Her familial relationship is barely touched upon and Jane purposefully exploits her own trauma to try to gain sympathy from the reader. While this is indicative of her character, I felt that the hardships she has experienced were either too quickly glossed over or were mentioned but never explored/explained in depth.

Overall, this is an easy read with deeper themes and conflicting issues that may be uncomfortable to confront, and if you like reading books about the books, easy reads, and unlikeable characters, I would recommend Yellowface. I simply wish some of the best elements of this novel were explored more and that the protagonist had more substance than simply being an awful, insecure racist. Or that her reasonings for being so awful and insecure and racist were touched upon and explored.

What a rip-roaring page turner!
Kuang is a chameleon - I’m pretty sure she could excel in any genre she chooses.
Mesmerisingly written. It will appeal to any reader. LOVED LOVED LOVED it.