Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

251 reviews

chronic_listener's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Mental illness, Death of parent, and Alcohol

hayreading's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-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

4.25

It was very well written. The pain of reading from the MC's pov brought my rating down - which I know was the point. Very well done. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Islamophobia, Grief, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

jessismoore's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Minor: Bullying, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Stalking

It was hard to tell what was meant to be satire or not and especially what the author wanted you to believe or not when you’re done with this book. The main parts I felt were exaggerated were the narrator’s rationale behind her decisions but otherwise it felt believable and genuine but I know it’s a satire so that threw me off several times. Other than refusing the sensitivity reader, and then later refusing to add Athena to the credits of the book were her two main mistakes. To me this made the line of “what’s ok to say by whom” when talking about history or someone else’s story in general, more blurred, definitely not any clearer. It was certainly a critique of the publishing industry and kind of surprising that was allowed and the book wasn’t blocked or a refusal to advertise for it after release. Overall I’d recommend it as something a little different and harder to define to a genre (other than fiction).

neonblaze's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

navayiota's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Brilliant, like everything else she writes. I felt pulled to continue the story at every second of the day. 
Kuang inspires me to write, every word she lays on the page is like a string pulling at my heart, urging me to follow along. Her work makes me believe, for a second, that I too, could create something amazing. And at the same time I feel unbelievably silly and inexperienced. That's all I have to say. A Must-Read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Stalking, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism, and Deportation

_dina's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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

3.75

I understand what the author wanted to do with such an unlikable narrator, and she did it extremely well, but that made the book a bit difficult for me to get through at times. It’s just not something I enjoy reading. The commentary felt a bit heavy handed at times as a WOC but the reading experience will be different for every reader I suppose. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, Vomit, and War

karydiazc's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I don't even know what to say about this book...
It has so many important messages woven through it's pages. 
I love how June was portrayed as the villain and at the same time as the victim. What she did was definitely not good, but, did she deserved everything that came her way at the end of the book?

I think this book is an important portrayal of how social media and cancel culture can affect someone mentally, wheter they deserve it or not. Also it shows how the industry operates, not really caring if they are doing a good job and being actually inclusive, all they care about is appearing as if they cared and publishing what the people want, not necessarily what the society needs. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Grief, and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Suicide

ninajune's review against another edition

dark informative reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Cyber bullying

mrsfishreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Oh my goodness.   This book swept me in so quick.  It's books like these that challenge you, pull you in, make you question if the hero is a hero, a victim, or a villain...   This book was 100% enthralling and I found myself sucked into he drama and energy of it!   Absolutely worth a read.  

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Rape and Suicidal thoughts

ibeau's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

Really interesting book. 100% recommend. Very interesting and complicated character. It'  so interesting to see the nuances of racial issues in a modern world, both real and precieved. Incredibly realistic in showing how people can convincing themselves that they are right even when they break their own moral codes and accurate anxiety portrayal. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Bullying, Hate crime, Grief, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship