Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

297 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

kinreadsbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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

Impressive and thought provoking story telling. I hated the main character and found myself talking at her through the whole book but I also couldn't put it down. Also created lots of questions when disagreeing with the main character but also disagreeing with ending antagonist too. Really well done, got all the emotions going. loved to hate it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

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

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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. 

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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

marim139's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-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 overall enjoyed this book. It was a very interesting way to talk about race, cultural appropriation, and the literary world. However, I was let down by the ending. It felt like it all came tumbling out so quickly. I feel like there are typically more clues that gradually build on each other and you can start to see the pieces come together right before the crescendo at the end of the story… but this didn’t happen in this book. I wouldn’t read this book again, but I am glad I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Rape, Xenophobia, and Toxic friendship

sophiestbr's review against another edition

emotional informative 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

4.75

Such a well written book that had me squirming and uncomfortable with how I felt about the characters, situation, context and choices. Was it an easy feel good read? Not at all. Was it meant to be? Not at all, and that’s why it was so good. 
Not a full 5* in my opinion because it started to drag a little with repetitiveness towards the end, and 
*not a spoiler but if you don’t want to go into the ending with possible preconceived notions stop here* 
the direction the penultimate chapter goes in felt oddly out of place and served cliché soap opera vibes that didn’t feel like it matched the caliber of the rest of narrative. 
It was, overall though, a memorable read that I think will stick with me for a long time to come.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Cursing, Racial slurs, Rape, and Colonisation

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

emlo's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

3.5

This book pulled me in from the very start, but somewhere in the middle i lost focus. I think it was the extended Twitter commentary that I struggled with, then the ending seemed pretty perfect because of course June would do anything to stay relevant. It's a very clever book with some hot topic criticisms of the publishing industry, how non-white voices are marginalized in every stage of the publishing process, and how lazy stereotypes are substituted for authentic inclusivity. It's an uncomfortable book to read as you are trapped in June's head, an oblivious woman who lacks self-awareness, is very casually racist, and doesn't really care that much about the people around her, only on her time in the spotlight. All the other characters are presented through the warped lens of June, so everyone just seems awful, and you're left kind of screaming at the audacity when time and time again June fails to do the decent thing and really doubles down on her terrible choices. Very, very clever to give the reader such a visceral reaction to a character. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Mental illness

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

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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.

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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

livcashmere's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

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