Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - Yellowface

Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

337 reviews

aurora4847's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense 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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michellewords's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

What a surprising book!
Yellowface was so good on so many different levels. On its surface-it's a story about Juniper Hayward/Song, who is friends with a super cool Asian-American writer. During one of their outings, there is a terrible accident and Juniper/June finds a draft for her friend's next novel on Chinese Labor Camps in Canada. June takes the draft and adapts it as her own. During her publishing journey she must face the role of race in publishing as a white woman writing/adapting a book on the Asian experience. (I still feel like that description is too poor for all that this book is--but I gave it my best shot).
At the end of this book, I feel like it's a wonderful re-telling of the Telltale Heart with a book as the heart that beats under the floorboards. June tried to keep the book for herself, but the book didn't keep her secret.
Also how does Kuang do that? They capture so much around racial issues in publishing. As an aspiring white woman author, I can relate to some of this story in a big way. I can't necessarily relate the Asian experience, but this book broke it down so well that I could see that side a lot better too. It's such an eye-opening book in so many ways. It would be a really good book club book for the discussion alone.
This one will leave you thinking, but it's also got one hell of a plot that keeps you guessing and reading as you go. Highly recommend.
TW: Rape, SA

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miranda_alexis's review against another edition

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mysterious tense slow-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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anna_hepworth's review against another edition

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Viewpoint character -- the plagiarist -- is such a difficult person to be so immersed in. And as a reader I was, because Kuang's writing is great, but their character is highly unreliable, self-serving, and ultimately ignorant of the bigotry that they are throwing everywhere.

And while I'm reasonably sure there is a strong plot here -- certainly, there are lots of strong foundations of story being set, so many things set in motion -- I ultimately don't care to know. Will it end in murder, as the blurb on the back teases? I don't actually care to find out. I truly believe that this character would do that, with little to no compunction. And the teaser on the back really says it all "..What happens next is entirely everyone else's fault'.

Overall, I wish this had drawn me in, rather than pushing me away. But it is a very literary book, and I am very much not a reader of literary fiction.

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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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pattyromero4's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated

4.75

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blueacorn1991's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted 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

4.25

Went into this book without really knowing anything about it, and was surprised I thoroughly enjoyed it! I can imagine why people might not enjoy this book and its main character June; but what can I say? I loved to hate June Hayward. I just had to keep reading to see how deep she was gonna dig her own grave.

Didn't really love the ending, which is why I gave it four stars, not five. But it was still a read I really enjoyed, in a sort of guilty pleasure kinda way.

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