Yellowface

This book made me uncomfortable, angry, and I loved it. The MC was both likeable and unlikeable, and my want to keep reading speaks volumes about Rebecca's talent. She is incisive, cutting and entertaining. Can't wait for the public to read.

Yellowface is so different from any book I’ve read, and speaking as an R.F. Kuang fan, anything she’s written before! Kuang has jumped from fantasy/ alternate history to a satirical suspenseful contemporary fiction, across her past works (The Poppy War trilogy and Babel) she leads us through plot-heavy books with intricate worlds woven with exciting themes, all viewed through the distanced lens of the third person perspective, allowing us readers to speculate on what really is going on in the heads of our protagonists. Yellowface has an entirely different feel, written in first person present tense, it presents us with an intimate character study of our protagonist June Hayward, an unsuccessful young white writer whose frustrations in life (the relatable and the downright outrageous), are front and centre in the whole narrative. She is lonely, haunted, anxiety-ridden, defeated, jealous, envious, hateful, destructive, delusional- racist? Lovers of ‘the unreliable -almost mad- narrator’ will have a field day with this book, June Hayward is complex, messy and often anger-inducing giving us that blunt dark humour that has you reminding yourself ‘this is satirical, this is satirical, omg how do I crawl into this book and beat this white girl’s ass!’.

Let’s talk about the characters. Insufferable the lot of them, everyone from our main stars Athena Liu and June Hayward (who later takes the ethnically ambiguous pen name Juniper Song) to almost every horrid side character they encounter, those we see working alongside our main character (MC) in the publishing industry, family, friends, exes, and omg the vicious and malicious Twitter accounts that make the exact nauseating comments that the website is now infamous for- every person in this novel is at best deeply flawed and at worst an alt-right internet troll from hell, if that is going to be a problem for you, this isn’t the book for you. However, if like me you can appreciate the interrogation that is delving into those dark sides of the human psyche, to look it in the eye, criticise and understand, then Yellowface ought to be on your TBR if it isn’t already.

June Hayward is the average liberal white woman, she is that white woman who votes for all the ‘right’ people and would be publicly horrified by the use of a racial slur, all whilst holding the same unconscious bias’ that comes with living, benefiting from and upholding white supremacy -, particularly in publishing. She believes that her whiteness disadvantages her, ‘nobody wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks,’ and as you watch her ignorantly waddle her way through the publishing industry, eyes selectively closed to her privileges and the roadblocks that everyone else has to endure, it becomes clearer and clearer that June Hayward is exactly who this system is built for. Athena Liu, the literary darling of Yellowface whose complex relationship with the publishing industry and internal ethical struggle with retelling the stories passed down to her from her family, will be very relatable to many diaspora writers, but she is no angel. Athena Liu also ‘steals’ June claims, she has used the experiences of others as writing fodder without consent, without (from what we can see) any sense of guilt or shame, carrying her Moleskin notebooks around museums and friends to mercilessly jot down the pain of others; so when June Hayward stands by her plagiarism as ‘karmic revenge’, I as a reader was left clutching my kindle with a head full of questions till the early hours of the morning. You want complex, downright cruel female characters? Here they are.

I had a lot of fun with Yellowface. It was dark, thrilling, outrageous, and as I’ve come to appreciate with Kuang’s work, points a finger at those things you notice in society, those things that make you uncomfortable, upset and angry but haven't the right words to articulate with the blunt confrontation (and mocking) they deserve.

Holy hell this book is incredible

It’s incredible in a violent way. It is a masterclass in microagressions and full out aggressions. It makes your heart fold in two but you won’t stop reading

The writing itself makes you slowly clench and hunch forwards. Closer and closer to the screen as this slow train wreck plays out. My anxiety experienced the equivalent of being jangled around in a jar of nails

A fever dream spiral into a disasters, there is something about this book that taunts you through the pages. It’s something so gory in an un bloody way, that you really don’t want to look away from, and the book knows that. It explains this human phenomenon - this attraction to the mentally macabre. This book is hugely meta in the current world, it contains snippets of things, phrases you will have heard. Whether through a racist old man at the train station or that annoying guy in uni lectures who loves the sound of his voice a little too much. It takes all this bedrock of your current world and spins this masterpiece of social satire, while also creating the most compelling characters. Morally grey doesn’t cover it. It’s a spectrum of people that are acting out an utter disaster before your eyes - like that stupid girl in the horror films who always thinks it a good idea to check that weird nose outside alone, and you are not mad about it.

And Kuang pulls it off. She creates possibly a new genre - pouring out this disaster of publishing and humanity and in doing so creating an incredibly entertaining ,almost Shakespearean, read.
More thoughts to come

A new direction for Rebecca F. Kuang but, as ever, she hits it out of the park again. Sharp, biting, brutally accurate, YELLOWFACE is a timely analysis of how we find inspiration, what it means to be a bestseller, and the very real problems of the modern publishing industry. A perfect read for authors and publishing professionals alike who will cringe in recognition at June's rollercoaster journey. Without a doubt this will be one of the best books of 2023.

Important, thought-provoking read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this title in exchange for my feedback.

She’s done it again. What feels like a whole new genre for R.F Kuang, bur just as beautifully written as her other books. Its funny, it’s dark, its relevant. A nuanced discussion on social media and the publishing world today. I don’t think it’ll be for everyone, but if you’re in the world of publishing, book writing or a frequent book reviewer and social media goer. This could be for you. Its exciting, fun and a little entertaining. Make no mistake when you enter, this is a social commentary, and it reads as such, almost like I’m reading from R. F Kuang’s own personal notes app, but I like that. It had me questioning my own thoughts and may even force you to confront some long held beliefs. A lighter read overall than some of her others, I’d say a simple, yet very clever premise. I wouldn’t say this is action packed, it moves at a more repetitive pace, and the narrator’s viewpoint can be difficult, but that’s all part of the effect, that’s what makes it an intelligent read.

Funny, sharp, informative, caustic book about identity and own voices. I admit it caused the occasional full-body cringe as I recognised my industry and myself and not always at our best moments (fyi I'm a white female author). Absolutely would recommend to anyone but especially anyone who works in publishing.

I read this within a month of reading Babel and Babel this is not, however this does not mean it's not brilliant!

Is there nothing that RF Kuang can't write?

This is a perfect thriller it grips you from the start and I couldn't put it down which meant it was a really fast read! It's so clever and littered with dark humour.

Once again we are challenged to confront our own prejudices and it is once again a lesson in how to write fiction with social commentary! As with all RF Kuang's work it's not subtle in it's challenge and as a white person reading it's uncomfortable, as it should be!

This is also at times a scathing attack on the publishing world and all that it involves, from token-istic attempts at diversity to the industries total lack of self awareness all seen through the first person POV of June!

Aside from all that you may be thinking should I read this- Yes, Yes you should it's wildly entertaining and while I am still not 100% on the ending I think RF Kuang has yet again written a very important book that I will personally be pushing on everyone!

5 stars

Wow that book is brilliant, cutting, sarcastic and so revealing of today’s behavior on social media!
Once again, RF Kuang is so smart that I was left baffled and dazed more than once when she crammed many truths about today’s society in just a few passages!
Rebecca Kuang also writes the best morally grey characters! Juniper should be the villain but you can’t help understand why she stole that work and empathize with her!

From the first sentences, you dive right into the story and live Juniper and Athena’s complicated friendship. Juniper is green with envy at Athena’s success and Athena is vampirising everyone’s feelings to make them masterpieces in her books.

The way RF Kuang described Athena’s success early on made me inevitably think of her!
“Off the bat, for this story to make sense, you should know two things about Athena: First, she has everything: a multi-book deal straight out of college at a major publishing house, an MFA from the one writing workshop everyone’s heard of, a resume of prestigious artist residencies, and a history of award nominations longer than my grocery list. At twenty-seven, she’s published three novels, each one a successively bigger hit. For Athena, the Netflix deal was not a life-changing event, just another feather in her cap; one of the side perks of the road to literary stardom she’s been hurtling down since graduation.”
I think RF Kuang had a field day caricaturing herself and probably some other authors or an idea of what less successful authors think and feel.
She probably mixed real life comments with an exaggeration of what the publishing industry is like.

When Athena dies under Juniper’s eyes, June will steal Athena’s draft, rework it and will send it to an agent like her own. And that’s when fame but also threats happen.


I know for a fact that I took a lot of notes and was recognizing some of my nemesis like cancel culture and trolls.
These last years we got a lot of witch hunts on social media. White authors can’t write about people of color without being accused of either misrepresenting some race or culture or profiting from it. And if you are white and don’t have people of color as the main characters, or are straight and don’t write about LGBTQ heroes, then you are not diverse enough and you are racist or homophobic…
That really, really makes me mad!
That’s why I was delighted to realize that Rebecca Kuang wrote a masterpiece about all the complicated world authors are living in right now!
“That reverse racism is okay. That they can bully, harass, and humiliate people like me, just because I’m white, just because that counts as punching up, because in this day and age, women like me are the last acceptable target. Racism is bad, but you can still send death threats to Karens.”
Honestly authors are walking a minefield these days, even with sensitivity readers!

Also, all these observations about writing were fascinating! And felt like déjà vu. Maybe remarks from professors or editors to Rebecca's previous work? Or something she heard about her colleagues?

I could write pages after pages of all the thoughts I had on the publishing industry, on authors trying to get a big deal and go into the spotlight, on the many trolls organizing witch hunts without being informed “Though it doesn’t matter what the truth is. No one spreading these rumors cares about fact checking or due diligence.”

And right alongside these hot and engrossing topics was Juniper’s story and guilt. What she did was wrong but she was convinced it was right in her own twisted way. Soon enough the story will dive into thriller territory with someone targeting Juniper as a thief, pushing her to go further into terror and near psychosis.
Who was behind the threats?
Would Juniper be unmasked? What would happen?
These were the questions constantly crowding my mind and keeping me riveted to the story.

And that ending! Just… perfect for the book and for RF Kuang.

I will never be able to do justice to that story! I adored the Poppy War, Babel left me disappointed but Yellowface reconciled me with RF Kuang’s work!

This book has it all. It’s a ballsy, original, fresh, sharp, witty, scathing and downright entertaining satire; a fascinating but brutal take on the publishing industry. Easy to read but difficult to put down. I am already recommending it to friends and will definitely be reading more from this brilliant author. Loved it!

wow oh wow, so this is very different to rebbecas other writing and noveks but yet i find myself loving it just as much , the characters are unlikable but excellently written the story is parts amusing shocking and tearworthy at times and really shows how diverse if a wrotter rebbeca is its a must read and a real eye opener about publishing

This was a brilliant read - clever and gripping with an absolutely infuriating main character in June. I read it right after R. F. Kuang's current bestseller Babel, and while this is totally different it was interesting to see that some of the criticisms I've read of Babel in reviews are the exact same things June decides to change about Athena's manuscript. It's also a fascinating insight into publishing, particularly racism/tokenism in publishing, and how online literary controversies play out. Its appeal is wider, of course, but any author who spends far too much of their time on Twitter will relate a lot! Thanks to the Borough Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

This book was done perfectly, it was timely and progressive. I felt engaged and enraged as I read it and yes, the characters are flawed and definitely unlikeable but I feel that is what makes it so good.

*4.5 stars (rounded up)

Content Warnings: death, racism, online harassment (including death threats), rape/sexual assault, suicidal idealation, war (mentioned)

What a wild ride. I'm still reeling a little bit honestly.

Authors Athena and June expected to have parallel career paths, but after almost a decade, it is only Athena who is the darling of the publishing industry, while June languishes in obscurity. So when Athena dies unexpectedly, leaving behind a finished manuscript that only June knows about, she sees an opportunity to live the life she believes she deserves.

Tonally, and writing style wise, this book is a huge departure from Babel, but RF Kuang proves herself capable of writing just as well in this modern, first-person style. Yellowface is such an immersive experience and I really did find myself so emotionally invested in the story, to the point where I could feel my breath physically shortening at points.

I think this book is a really interesting example of an unreliable narrator, because June is simultaneously so aware of how awful her actions are, yet so convinced that she is deserving of the outcomes of her theft. At every turn, she anticipates how the reader will critique her and talks back, insisting that, no, she is actually in the right. It was just really fascinating to read (despite how pissed off I kept getting at June, oh my GOD).

This is a super fast-paced thriller, which is not typically my kinda book, so admittedly this one didn't quite hit Babel-level for me (definitely due to my own preferences!), but I did find it super engaging and at times very difficult to put down. Like Babel, though, the writing here is excellent. It's easy to read and accessible while still putting across its complex themes in a clear way, which I find super impressive. All in all, a really great read!

(I could, of course, have done without the Harry Potter references, but I will admit that given the context of this novel, invoking Rowling is not not relevant).

Thank you to NetGalley, RF Kuang, and The Borough Press for the eARC!

I have never read a book like this before and I absolutely loved and devoured it! It's dark, witty, and most of the characters are false, self-centred morally questionable women- but somehow I related to them. Juniper/Junie, a failed writer, comes up with a plan to wow the publishing world and we are exposed to the shenanigans of that business- the highs, the lows, the spins and the outright lies, however I still felt compassion as well as revulsion for her. Strange. The final few pages were full of renewed energy and it was a surprise to finish the book feeling positive. Although it has made me want to quit twitter! Jk.

I absoultely loved Yellowface. It is unlike anything I've ever read - a unique, witty, dark, clever, funny take on white privilege. It made me question my own thoughts and unconscious biases. It was dark, thrilling, outrageous, and points a finger at those things you notice in society, those things that make you uncomfortable, upset and angry but haven't the right words to articulate.

a big five star read

i devoured this SO FAST, kuang is a fantastic writer even with a premise that is so self-referential

narrated by june hayward, the published author who always lives in the shadow of athena liu, literary darling, yellowface is the punch in the face that enlightens conversations happening now in the publishing industry

june hayward or juniper song is a self entitled racist piece of work, i felt manipulated, only getting june’s side of the story, only getting her view of athena, and only suffering in her anxiety of being “cancelled”. i feel if i worked within the industry, this would’ve have winked at the problems that stem within it, but as a reader who has somewhat of an understanding it is clear to see how the industry facilitates authors who act and think much like june through kuang’s narrative

this is the first kuang i’ve read, despite owning the majority of her works, and it is clear how distinct her voice is. the build up was fantastic, her ability to write the morally grey helps you as a reader make your own decisions about character, and they all felt fully fleshed out.

i think a great foray into general fiction (or literary fiction should i say hehehe), it had me gripped and i always appreciate a novel that comments on society and/or its niche popular cultures. i will be grabbing a physical copy once released!

thank you to borough press/netgalley for the arc

I absolutely loved this clever and thought provoking novel. Gripped from the first page by the voice of our narrator, this tale of toxic friendship, race, and privilege kept me reading late at night.

Whilst this novel will no doubt be uncomfortable reading for some, causing some reflection on behaviours ingrained in publishing, it is a timely reminder to think about what diversity, equity and inclusion is.

Besides all that though, this is just a fabulous novel, with an anti-hero you'll love to hate - I was almost yelling in places NOOOOOO DON'T DO THAT.

So excited to see this book do well next year and it's definitely on my best reads of this year :)

Thank you for the eARC

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this unique book. It brought out a range of feelings as I worked through it and considered the various points of view and opinions. It is definitely an interesting and thought provoking read. It is told from the pov of June Hayward who is a relatively unsuccessful author who witnesses her friends untimely death and goes on to steal her latest manuscript for her next novel. We watch as this unfolds and inevitably unravels. I found myself anxiously reading on with that not being able to look away from a car crash feeling. This book examines several areas of race and identity and own voices and is a thought provoking read that can leave you a bit uncomfortable at times. I really enjoyed the unreliable narrator aspect of this book too and the almost satirical dark humour that is present throughout As someone who is not involved in the publishing industry I also appreciated the behind the scenes look at the industry and some of the more problematic issues involved.
Overall this was an enjoyable fast paced read that I think will definitely get people talking!

this is META. this is so good. social commentary, a ghost story and funny as fuck. add straight to the list of despicable protagonists tiktok girls love because june is completely one.
very interesting to think about this as an artist too bc really everything is slightly plagiarized, nobody will ever come up with a new chord, is a song really yours if there’s multiple writers?? perfectly explained that feeling of needing to leave a mark on the world and Not Being Able To Live A Non Creative Life. huge huge fan. literally read in two days.

It's been a couple of months since I read 'Yellowface' and I still think about it most days.
This book is the perfect satirical thriller. It deals with racism, microagressions, the performance of cancel-culture, publishing, and so much more. It's shocking and gripping and nuanced.

It is a meticulously planned car crash that keeps on spiralling, one that you can't look away from. Page after page brought another disaster, another reason to cringe at the audacity of June (the main character), and brought more anxiety as you got closer to the ending. Because it's told from first-person it is heavily unreliable, and is deep exploration of the darker side of a person's mind. All of the characters are deliciously complicated and awful (particularly June) which makes it even more fascinating to hear from her perspective

This book is incredibly fun. For someone who doesn't have twitter so only hears about booktwitter's seemingly neverending drama secondhand, getting to experience it in the form of fiction was particularly thrilling. (Though of course if the events of this book did happen irl, twitter should be getting involved in some capacity, hopefully with a better outcome).

In this clever, deft and excellently paced tale we discover that the 'victim' we are watching being chased down is authenticity. In the end without it, no one comes out unscathed.

In Yellowface we meet June and Athena, college friends with the same literary aspirations. With a bond formed on the basis of mutual support and understanding laced with competition, their friendship has a shadow side that leads each to make decisions with a devastating impact. n this clever, deft and excellently paced tale we discover that the 'victim' we are watching being chased down is authenticity.

June is a classic first person villain narrator, it is comfortable to dislike her. Her blindness to her own racism, her sheer lack of ability to make judgements in line with her conscience is infuriating. Yet, is uncomfortable to be with her at times, particularly when we see, beneath her hunger for fame and recognition, a once shy girl who found solace in her notebooks and stories.

This is the genius of 'Yellowface', it presents us with a thriller, not about murder of a person, but with the murder of authenticity.

I devoured 'Yellowface' in two days. This was my first book by the author - I've heard rave reviews of their other books, and I'm aware that this is a genre switch from their usual novels, but as my first experience of Kuang's writing I was blown away.

It was a rollercoaster of emotions, packed full with despicable characters and a toxic, discriminatory industry, all told by an unreliable narrator who believed she could do no wrong. This book is so unbelievably important. In an age of social media, racism, sexism and general awfulness, this book is a must-read.

This novel was sharp. Kuang did not shy away from the grittiest of material, creating a masterpiece that kept me stuck to the page, enthralled by the worst actions of humanity. This novel is an continuous train-wreck that leaves the reader horrified but unable to look away.

This book is revolutionary, and I find it hard to imagine that anyone will ever write a book like it again - I'd love to see them try.

My first 5⭐️ of the year.

I actually find this book really hard to describe and put into a category, but I’m going to try my best.

In this book we follow June Hayward who has not found much success after publishing her first book, as opposed to her friend Athena, who is a successful bestselling author. After Athena’s death, June comes in possession of Athena’s new manuscript, which June decides to steal and publish as her own. From there on out we follow June as she falls down the rabbit hole of publishing, audience’s response, her own self consciousness and how far is she willing to go.

This is a very clever and witty novel. I’ve found the social commentary about the publishing industry, cultural appropriation, racism, social media, cancel culture and the question of originality really eye opening and thought provoking.

In this book, everyone is morally grey and we especially get to see how awful June is as we are in her head.

Additionally, I love how much I actually learned about the whole process of publishing the book, marketing, royalties, the sales, everything in between and how it all works.
Also the pop culture references I found really funny and they really made sense for the story.

Overall I really really recommend this book. R. F. Kuang can do do wrong in my eyes. Literary thriller would be a good category to put it in, although the big reveal at the end is not the point of the book, the real point, in my opinion is the commentary and satire.

I've never read any of Kuang's work as I'm not a huge fan of fantasy novels, but the premise of this book caught my interest as soon as I heard about it. The book is written from June's perspective, she's a writer and struggling author who showed huge promise, graduated from Yale, and then had her first book totally flop. She has a twisted sort of friendship (acquaintance-ship?) with Athena, a literary star with Asian heritage. June views Athena with jealousy; she's envious that (supposedly) no one wants to read books by white women anymore, and views Athena as being someone that has had everything gifted to them due to her 'diversity'. When Athena dies in front of June, June heads to Athena's home office and steals the manuscript that sits on her desk. She polishes it, rationalising that it's a collaborative project and she can't leave the work of her friend to be wasted after her death, but the polishing leads to publication and a huge advance. Suddenly June is living the life she'd been so jealous of Athena living, and we watch as tension rises and things begin to spiral out of her control.

I LOVED this book. It's like nothing I've ever read - commenting on the publishing industry, the myth of reverse racism, white fragility, and white feminism. I found myself hooked from the first page, and I now plan to devour the rest of Kuang's work - her writing and wit is so incredible that I'm willing to give fantasy a go. I'm sure that lots of Kuang's own experiences are threaded throughout the pages of this novel, but that's the beauty of it - she continues to keep us guessing throughout, as well as after finishing the book. I was worried that the ending wouldn't be able to round off a book I'd enjoyed so much, but it was perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, and The Borough Press for gifting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.

I'm not sure what to say that hasn't already been said, but Kuang is phenomenal. Her ability to shapeshift and swap genres is nothing less than outstanding - Yellowface is going to become a cornerstone in contemporary literature. Phenomenal again!

Loved loved loved.

This is a hilarious satire about diversity in the publication industry and white people’s idiocy. We follow a white woman who steals her dead Chinese friend’s story - hilarious concept & imo amazingly executed.

First, an endless thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. I am endlessly impressed with R.F. Kuang's progression in each book she comes out with. Babel was a masterpiece and for reasons below I think Yellowface should be considered one as well.

Yellowface is icky, and I mean that in the best way. I come from a mixed background, but am able to pass as white and exist in white spaces, and have witnessed the behavior that the narrator exhibits first hand. R.F.K. puts the reader in such an uncomfortable position having to listen to these absolutely insane and disgusting thoughts, but it is incredibly accurate for someone like Juniper. At the same time we, as the reader, are also put in the position of being somewhat sympathetic to Juniper and authors, as a whole, because we can see the process and the treatment that some authors are put through- especially by those in power in the publishing industry who are racist. Authors run the risk of being called problematic to work with because they want to keep things in their story, but if they don't keep things in their work may become problematic ethically. Many of the problematic edits to the Last Front came at the suggestion of the editor/publisher, including Juniper's name change. This isn't an excuse for the narrator, but I think it helps to underline that some people are not willing to risk what they have for the sake of the dignity of others.

The story itself was a masterclass in character embodiment. The entire narrative from the perspective of a privileged white woman was masterfully done, so much so that I think some readers will not be able to appreciate this book because how uncomfortable it will make them. I have already seen some reviews that wonder if RFK's personal feelings come through this narrative and I really think this is a testimony to how well she has written this story as Juniper. Some reviewers have complained about the twitter discourse, but I think RFK would've been remiss to take it out. I could write pages on this book and whether it was right to include something, but I think that is part of the whole point of the book. I tried to think of anything I didn't like, but everything I came up with I found myself saying "maybe that is the point" or "maybe this is a part of the message of the story". You could take any part of this story and find that there is another meaning to it. RFK is a master of layering themes and if you only look at the words in front of you, you are missing half the message.

Well done, Rebecca!

I could not put this book down. Despite the central character being a thoroughly unlikeable self- serving narcissist, I couldn't wait to see what happened. Beautifully written, with a fascinating insight into the world of publishing, this is a book I will be buying for a writer friend of mine as soon as it is published. Wonderful!

This book had me hooked from the first sentence. I read it in a single sitting, which hasn't happened for me in a while.

This was absolute madness and brilliant at the same time. R.F. Kuang is such a talented author, and the story was so captivating, satiric and so dangerously realistic at the same time.
I think this book is so provocative and I am sure it will spark many debates in the booktok world.
I was already in love with Rebecca after Babel, this story just made me entirely fall for her writing. She is just so good.

June Hayward, an unsuccessful white novelist, steals the manuscript of her recently dead friend - bestselling Chinese-American author Athena Liu - and passes it off as her own. June gets everything she ever dreamed of, but how long can she keep up the pretence, and to what lengths will she eventually have to go to preserve her lie?

This is the plot of Rebecca Kuang's 'Yellowface', the first non-fantasy novel by the acclaimed writer. It's a deceptively simple plot concept which is surrounded by a whole web of complex ethical questions that will have you arguing with yourself for days to come after reading. Where should the line be drawn about what people should write outside of their own lived experience? Is it OK for a white woman to write a novel about the experiences of Chinese workers in World War I? Can such a book, no matter how well researched, be authentic? Is that denying (or at least reducing) the opportunity for a Chinese author to get published with a book on the same theme? At a simple level, it seems logical that in a free country people should be able to write about whatever they choose, but the consequences of that concept are more complicated.

I learned a lot about the world of publishing, which I found fascinating. As someone who loves books, getting an insight into what goes on behind the scenes is really eye-opening and presumably that will be true of most readers who aren't part of that industry. It's a whole world I knew nothing about. It also increased my awareness of how racism within the industry happens - for example, publishers deciding they 'already have an author from XYZ ethnic/religious group' - but doubtlessly not having the same limit on white authors. It's certainly a much more cut-throat world for writers from any background than I had realised. And generally when that's the case, people from less advantaged groups are disproportionately badly affected.

Kuang presents a more nuanced and sympathetic portrait of June than might be expected from a character whose behaviour is disgraceful. In fact I found I had a sort of Stockholm Syndrome where I sympathised with the character far more than my rational mind knew she deserved, particularly in the earlier and middle parts of the book. This is partly due to Kuang's brilliant portrayal of the horrible way people behave on social media, which makes it hard not to feel sorry for anyone on the other end of it - particularly as the social media haters don't know what the reader does i.e. that she did steal the story. There's a whole other set of questions posed here about 'Twitter mobs' and 'trial by internet' to which there are no easy answers. I even found myself feeling indignant on June's behalf at one point - despite knowing that the underlying point of the criticism was true. Ultimately two wrongs don't make a right, and piling onto a bandwagon with limited evidence, trolling people and making death threats is not the appropriate response to anything.

Aside from the thought-provoking nature of its themes, it's also a compelling story. Like all novels where the protagonist has committed a crime, the reader is driven forwards to find out whether they will get away with it or not. And if not, how will their comeuppance come about? As so often happens in such stories, the need to cover up her original misdemeanour leads June into more and more questionable actions. The lie becomes so big that preventing the truth coming out starts to take priority over any other moral consideration for June and the reader is left wondering just what she will do to cover up the truth.

In summary, this is a brilliant novel that is both full of complex and thought provoking issues and compelling to read. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys literary fiction, and it would be a brilliant choice for a book club or to read in a school setting for older children as there is just so much to discuss and think about here. I'll never look at a freshly purchased new novel in quite the same way again - and a book that can make you see something differently is a fine book indeed.

Where do I even start with this? So many people have commented on this book's satirical nature, and it's certainly got heaps of that. But it's also so, so much more than that. It is almost a Tell-Tale Heart of it's own, except with social media notifications instead of a heartbeat. It's the haunting, thrilling ghost story of an unhinged woman, desperate to do anything to become the author she thinks she deserves to be.

This is also a book where there are no clear lines in who is the 'good' character and who is the 'bad' character. Except maybe Athena's mom, she was just struggling with her daughter's death and trying to do right by her.

If you've read Kuang's other works, you know she's a big world writer. A lot of background, extra details and often a slow build in the story. While we still kept the details she's known for, and to an extent that slow build, the rest of this story's composition is entirely new. This is a whole new level of Kuang's writing and I cannot overstate how insatiable it was while reading. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of uncomfortable things addressed in this book, the pigeonholing of writers based on their ethnicity, the overwhelming influence of social media (which I can appreciate the irony of as I review this and share on social sites), the commentary on what is appropriate for white authors to tell (and by extension white readers to review - also appreciating the irony of this as a white cisgendered woman). But part of that discomfort also kept me needing to read the next page and the next one.

From the blurb: But now Athena is dead. And June has her unfinished manuscript…
We already know where this is going but also you can't possibly know where this is going to end. The whole thing is, as I said, the ghost story of an average, unhinged and spiralling author and the role of publishing and social media in that spiral. You just can't really fault it.

Is there a more anticipated book of 2023 than this? I don't think there is. I admit, that whilst I own a copy of Babel, at the time of writing this, I hadn't actually read it yet, but thanks to all the adoration and praise that's been thrown on it, I knew she would be an author I'd jump for if it meant reading her work.

I do wonder how much of the character's experience with publishing is similar to Kuang's? It just feels so personal and raw and honest. I also love the issue around who has the rights to write a story. If a book focusses on the plight of the Chinese during World War 1, can a white, non-Chinese author write about it? Or should it only be for Chinese authors? As a Chinese-American author, I wonder what experience Kuang has had with this - I am really interested to find out, but my gut reaction is that, as long as you're respectful, I think anyone should be able to write about anything within fiction.

My chapter 3, I just had to stop to take a breath. She's writing about this character who writes so beautifully, and I'm sat here thinking the same way about Kuang. Every single word is so intensely magical and beautiful. I've never felt like that before so early on in a book.

Maybe it's not the main thing I should be taking away from this book, but the way June talks abut writing, that love and passion, is exactly how writing feels. I may not be a published author and I may have about a dozen WIPs, but it doesn't matter. Just that feeling of writing is unlike anything else.

Because it's about an author and their writing process, there's little story ideas littered through the book, so it's almost like Kuang is having to come up with several book plots in one, which is very impressive, and gives us an insight into her mind which is a nice addition.

It really looks at the idea of ownership and censorship. Can a white person write a book about Chinese people or can only Chinese people do that? Can a black author write about white people, or can only white? Can a gay person write about straight relationships, or only homosexual ones? I think, if it's done with respect, understanding, care, attention, and the relevant research has been done, anything can be written by anyone, and I think it's a bad place for publishing if we start specifying what stories each individual could do. It would stifle creativity, and Kuang's writing along shows how much we need creativity.

It also shows how bad a space social medica can be and how it can affect your mental health. From my experience on Twitter, there's been nothing but positivity, but I'm aware I'm lucky in that regard. But this shows how one thing can spiral out of control and really affect people. It's a great piece of social commentary without feeling too forced or over the top.

I've seen other reviews say it's a satirical look at the publishing world. I kind of get where they're coming from, but for me, satire wasn't what came to mind. To me, this is a complex, multi-layered, dark, all encompassing look at the hardships of this career that, from the outside, looks immensely glamorous.

I generally prefer character development over a convoluted plot, but this has a nice balance of both. The characters are fantastic. June is a complex character and you want to root for her even if she's morally questionable. And then the plot is easy to follow, exciting, entertaining, engaging, thrilling, and dark. She hasn't sacrificed one for the other, which is good to see.

I think this is the book I was meant to read. Whilst not always uplifting, I think it's so powerful, and I think anyone interested in writing, or those already published, will feel this same power. I could see this being on the best-of-2023 books in every corner of the globe.

I devoured this in less than 24 hours, it was so perfect. I definitely need to get started on Babel now. She is an author I'll definitely be looking out for in the future.

There are so many reasons why this book will probably end up on my favourite books of the year list, and it's only March (at time of writing)!

I've heard all the hype surrounding this book and, honestly, it put me off a tiny bit because usually hyped up books never really live up to it all. But holy shit this one did. It's been such a long time I literally couldn't put down the book... My eyes were actually sore from staring at the screen for so long but I just couldn't tear myself away for even a second. It's incredible. Phenomenal. I've raved about it to anyone who will listen and will continue to shout about it. WHAT A BOOK.

A powerful and compelling book that was hard to pull away from. This thrilling satirical story on its underbelly is a reflection of the cracks in the publishing industry. The main protagonist June unravels throughout, being haunted by a ghost that is a reflection of her own insecurities, jealousy and guilt. The further she unravels the more she tries to justify her deluded actions. I honestly can not wait to add this book to my bookshelf.