Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

30 reviews

s3ag0at's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Body horror, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Stalking

Minor: Racial slurs

leechachatotheright's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I will say that this book was very thought provoking, a social commentary on racism, diversity, etc. I gave it a 3 as it was a good read in its writing itself and does tackle an interesting perspective but, I don't think I'd recommend this to a friend to read. The first two thirds of the book was very inticing, but the ending felt like

"This, really? Is that all? You haven't learned anything."

and honestly, that may be the point of it. I find the narrative very different from anything I've read before, but maybe that's also why it felt flat at the end. I don't mind endings not having the whole

character learns from their mistakes trope, if anything, it is kind of refreshing to see this perspective.

But alas, the ending did feel a bit inconclusive to me, though I understand the intention of it. I don't know if I'll read it again, but I'll definitely say it was a unique read and I didn't put the book down until I was finished. I basically wanted more from the ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship and War

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

leiaheenan's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.25

An incredible book that had a complete and utter lacklustre last 35-ish pages. I was HOOKED from the start up until that point,

why was there a seemingly random turn to ghost stories that are never talked about again for a whole chapter? I just found the intense focus on ghosts towards the end was not at all my sort of thing. Also having Candice be behind everything… was just so meh.

Anyway, I found that it balanced the funny, lighthearted feeling and the incredible dark sections relatively well, and I do applause the author for achieving that as it’s quite challenging. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Racism, Sexual assault, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Death of parent

amysdr's review against another edition

funny informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and War

Minor: Body horror, Bullying, Islamophobia, Medical content, Stalking, and Abortion

yipt's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Xenophobia, and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Racism and Medical trauma

rnbhargava's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This is a narrative about personal jealousy, racism in publishing and interrogating race politics 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Alcohol, Dysphoria, War, and Classism

The entire narrative of this book is about a White American woman excusing and justifying her actions against a college friend and writer colleague who is Chinese American plus the varying moods and swings in action to conceal what she is doing. We are in the mind of the white woman character the whole time and it’s intentionally uncomfortable to be in this character’s head. Pace yourself if you need to though this novel isn’t that long.

te_ss_i's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

theasi's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, and Classism

Minor: Body horror, Death, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and War

abicaro17's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

0.5

God this book was unbearable. I will say first off, that Kuang has a beautiful writing style and the base of this book is really interesting. That being said, the execution of said base is god awful.

Juniper Song Heyward is a jealous, manipulative, vindictive, racist, bitch. She spends the entire book a plagiarist who attempts to convince the reader she's a victim somehow. June continuously uses racist language and defends her actions by blaming Athena for being more talented and likable. Every word that came out of her mouth made her less likable.

The plot is unbearably slow. You spend like 80% of the book reading tweets. Why? Who knows. I considered DNFing so many times it's a miracle I finished at all. I would recommend this to someone only if I hated them. Brb while I go cleanse my aura of this nightmare. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

Minor: Bullying, Eating disorder, Genocide, Homophobia, Sexual content, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail