Reviews with content warning for Rape - Yellowface

Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

924 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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katiepotatey's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious 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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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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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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rrio's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious 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

4.5

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spideygirl's review against another edition

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challenging dark 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

2.0

Did not like this book. Primarily because the main character's motives, actions, and thoughts were the primary driver of the storyline, but I did not find the main character particularly likeable. And I did not feel that main character was really all that different at the end than they were at the beginning. Just this wasn't the right book for me. Only reason I finished it was because I was listening to it on audiobook while knitting another project. 😀

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harmondarling's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

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

2.5

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vitasf's review against another edition

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adventurous funny tense fast-paced

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