Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Yellowface

10/10 for content
7/10 for the story itself

I think that this is a book everyone should read. If even half of what was said or done in this book is actually happening in real life, we have a huge problem in publishing and the bookworld. I did find the story itself to be boring but I carried on reading because I thought that the FMC couldn't get worse. Spoiler: She did.

The FMC was written to be a tragic and blindly racist idiot, which is exactly what she came across as. Besides being racist, she truely is her own worst enemy. So desperate to find fame and so obsessed with Athena. I'll never understand how someone can be dumb enough to steal and still set themselves up to be exposed multiple times. If you're going to be stupid, at least be smart about it.

Was she seeing ghosts because she felt guilty? Because if she was worried about being found out, she certainly wouldn't have continuously given herself away!

Anyway, not the book of the year but definitely glad that I read it.

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aislinghelen's review against another edition

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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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kristindacosta's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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chrishham's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Huge fan of books that tackle big complex topics. Lots of interesting concepts and discourse in this one, which is what kept me coming back and tearing through it quite fast. At the same time, it's a very easy-to-read and accessible writing style.

I enjoyed the message it's putting out and the topics at hand but at the same time, none of the characters felt authentic or well-rounded enough for me as they're all filtered through the obviously deeply unlikeable and self-absorbed protagonist. But, I felt compelled to keep reading despite (or because of) June's fickleness and arrogance.

The raw emotion that comes across from the narrator really puts all the industry's problems and issues of the modern world in full focus. However, some of the plot points, narration, and June's inner thoughts occasionally felt a bit on-the-nose and I would have found it a more powerful read if they'd been expressed a bit more subtly. (But then again, racism isn't always so subtle, so !! point made !!)

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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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thatromantasyreader's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

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

4.75

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zara_the_reader's review against another edition

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dark inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

An incredible, gripping and immensely clever read - a hot take on the publishing industry and modern-day 'cancel culture'. I could not put this book down. A meta-read, writing about writing, the creative process, pathological lying and a guilt-struck, questionaly unreliable narrator. Rocked my world!

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