Reviews with content warning for War - Yellowface

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Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

238 reviews

aislinghelen's review against another edition

medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I could not put this down. The only reason I marked it down was because I found some parts a bit slow and long. A few paragraphs felt like they were dragging on. Overall, it was a really interesting commentary and it became a "life imitates art” kind of thing. I hope one day this book won’t be relevant to the present.

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sxndaze's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

this book is deeply unpleasant to read. i understand that that’s the point— i’m supposed to be horrified by june’s actions and the downward spiral she’s on and how she never reaches her limit. but yellowface feels like a rant, something that kuang is trying to get off her chest about what she has experienced.

i haven’t read any of rf kuang’s other works, so i could be off base, but everything feels personal on some level. as a result, i feel like im being preached to, and it’s uncomfortable in a way outside june’s racist thoughts and actions. it also just gets tiring.

the book is at its best when it explores june and athena’s relationship. it’s compelling and complex. outside of that, it feels like a commentary on social media and diversity in corporate settings that i could have gotten in a video essay.

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dkamada's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny informative mysterious reflective tense

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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vitasf's review against another edition

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adventurous funny tense fast-paced

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chluless's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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cafelatte235's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This is the second book I've read by R.F. Kuang and she has become one of my favourite authors. Her books are tense, and the complexities of the plot and the characters keep you turning the pages.

This book is very different than the fantasy books she's known for writing. Although different than her other books, this is a very strong read and one I couldn't put down.

It's amazing how June can spend the entire book convincing you she's not a bad person, but you can also tell that, deep down, she knows what she did was wrong. But that doesn't stop her from digging herself into a deeper hole whenever she can.

This book is a spectacular read on cultural appropriation, racism and the erasure of Asian influence in media and literature. It's complex, tense, and an informative read. I would recommend this book!

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vikart's review against another edition

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inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Yellowface is a wonderfully written work that delves into a lot of topics such as racism, loneliness, the struggles of the writing industry and mental health. It drags you into the story and keeps you there during the entire read.

[Possible spoiler below]

The ending, however, feels open ended. It leaves the reader to decide whether her life went to ruins or if she crawled back and continued writing as a successful author. And I, personally, enjoyed that. It felt very fitting with the narrative that we had been receiving thus far.

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