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drjoannehill's review against another edition
challenging
funny
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
4.5
Audiobook.
June and Athena are friends and writers. Athena dies and June takes her manuscript, edits it, and gets it published. Cue massive ups and downs as June gradually becomes more and more ensnared in the lie and the paranoia and depression it triggers in her.
This book is a whirlwind of emotions and questions mainly about myself and my feelings about the characters...
Are we on June's side? (Mostly, kind of? Apart from when she is rude to a high school student)
Do we feel sorry for her?
What does it say about me that I would be on her side?
Is this story more about the problems of the publishing industry, media hype about books, and the difficulties of claiming authorship over story ideas?
Does Kuang mean to present June sympathetically or badly?
How does Kuang want us to react to the racism aimed at Asian writers and also to the vitriol aimed at white writers?
What does she want us to think about racism?!
How much of Athena's story is drawn from Kuang's experience?
And back to - what are we supposed to think about June?!
This is very different from Kuang's fantasy/magical books. I think I have read everything she's published, this year!
June and Athena are friends and writers. Athena dies and June takes her manuscript, edits it, and gets it published. Cue massive ups and downs as June gradually becomes more and more ensnared in the lie and the paranoia and depression it triggers in her.
This book is a whirlwind of emotions and questions mainly about myself and my feelings about the characters...
Are we on June's side? (Mostly, kind of? Apart from when she is rude to a high school student)
Do we feel sorry for her?
What does it say about me that I would be on her side?
Is this story more about the problems of the publishing industry, media hype about books, and the difficulties of claiming authorship over story ideas?
Does Kuang mean to present June sympathetically or badly?
How does Kuang want us to react to the racism aimed at Asian writers and also to the vitriol aimed at white writers?
What does she want us to think about racism?!
How much of Athena's story is drawn from Kuang's experience?
And back to - what are we supposed to think about June?!
This is very different from Kuang's fantasy/magical books. I think I have read everything she's published, this year!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Cultural appropriation, and Toxic friendship
acobbva's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
kaetheluise_nckl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Grief, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Medical content, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
ecombs's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship
nenaveenstra's review against another edition
slow-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
I'm not sure if I would've finished this book if I had read it physically; the narrator is super unlikable, the plot was quite predictable to me, and the pacing was a bit slow sometimes. But I did finish it, and it was an alright experience overall. I liked the commentary about racism and the book industry, but I think it could have been more subtle.
A note on the translation: I was very put off sometimes by the decision to translate words to Dutch that we would normally use the English term for, and the inconsistency in which this was done. Sometimes terms were overly explained as well, and I'm not sure if this was the translator's choice, or the author's.
A note on the narrator: overall, I didn't mind this narrator, but she did pronounce the "tle" in "Chipotle" as in "Aristotle" and I can't get over that.
A note on the translation: I was very put off sometimes by the decision to translate words to Dutch that we would normally use the English term for, and the inconsistency in which this was done. Sometimes terms were overly explained as well, and I'm not sure if this was the translator's choice, or the author's.
A note on the narrator: overall, I didn't mind this narrator, but she did pronounce the "tle" in "Chipotle" as in "Aristotle" and I can't get over that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cursing, Mental illness, and Medical content
Minor: Rape and Suicide
theglossreview's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
4.25
You will not be able to put this book down! “Yellowface” compels you to read or listen to it in a single sitting. First of all, I want to send an acknowledgment and huge THANK YOU to the German translators and the German audiobook narrator. They did an outstanding job, making every term inclusive of all genders. The linguistic and social background to that is that the noun that denotes groups of people (the readers = die Leser, the critics = die Kritiker, etc.) used to be in the male form, which implied that everyone in the group was male or that every gender other than “male” was erased. “Yellowface” is the first audiobook I heard in which groups were named in an inclusive way: Die Leser:innen, die Kritiker:innen, etc. = readers, critics, etc. of all genders. This happens on the meta-level and isn’t addressed specifically in the book. I can’t verify whether this aspect is present or absent in the English version.
Yet, the topic of diversity and inclusion is a central theme of the book. Specifically, the author handles the topics of racism, cultural appropriation and the representation of the Asian-American diaspora masterfully. The main character’s insidious biases, micro-aggressions and transgressions are revealed slowly throughout the story. The main character, June Hayward, is wholly, completely unlikeable. In fact, there isn’t a single lovable and morally upstanding character in “Yellowface”, which SOMEHOW STILL WORKS. Wouldn’t you expect a story about greed and immorality to be FILLED with greedy, morally grey characters?
Another topic that was handled well was mental health, especially in connection with social media addiction. June Hayward was made neither more or less likeable by the state of her mental health. It is portrayed well - neither as an excuse for her actions or a sympathy card, nor as a flaw or defect. What was strange was how unaware June seemed of the impact of the mental health issues on her everyday life. I think that she could have been more self-aware and asked for help sooner and with more confidence. Instead, the lack of help doesn’t even seem to bother her that much. When 2020 comes around in the timeline of the book, the lockdown isn’t even mentioned. Juniper Song Hayward is so lonely, isolated and chronically online that the lockdown made no difference in her everyday life. And even though that’s terrible, June is such an unlikeable person that I can’t even have sympathy with her for that. Her “friendship” with Athena Liu made me recoil. I’m telling you, that is a whole new brand and intensity of hatred.
“Yellowface” offers a lot of wisdom for everyone to take away from it. One of the lessons I have learned that, if you are going to become a published author, DON’T DO IT LIKE THAT. June is an example of what NOT to do. Once, her mother tells her that writing isn’t everything. She thinks: “But writing IS everything to me.” That obsessive tunnel vision is a problem. We all love books very much, but if books are EVERYTHING to you, you have doomed yourself to a state of dependency and despair. There must be more that one single thing in your life that is important to you.
“Yellowface” is incredibly layered. It keeps breaking the fourth wall, seeping into our world. The cynical portrait of the American publishing industry makes me wonder about R. F. Kuang’s experience in the publishing industry. The constant mention of Goodreads makes me wonder if authors really do read their Goodreads reviews — like the review I am writing right now. It sends a shiver down my spine… It’s almost as if I’m trapped in the story.
The writing is fresh and modern. The present tense and first person narration are intriguing. The book contains elements of horror and suspense, and I wish it would’ve leaned more strongly into those at the end. There were three points in the book where the story could have come to a clearer and sooner end. The main problem was that a few heavy topics were not dealt with the appropriate sensitivity and depth. In that case, they should have been left out entirely. For this reason, the book loses half a star. My final rating is 4.25 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
It reminds me of the first season of “You” (the typewriter, the sacrifice, the struggles at university and in the publishing industry, the price of becoming a New York Times bestselling author). A recommended read is “The Carls” by Hank Green.
Yet, the topic of diversity and inclusion is a central theme of the book. Specifically, the author handles the topics of racism, cultural appropriation and the representation of the Asian-American diaspora masterfully. The main character’s insidious biases, micro-aggressions and transgressions are revealed slowly throughout the story. The main character, June Hayward, is wholly, completely unlikeable. In fact, there isn’t a single lovable and morally upstanding character in “Yellowface”, which SOMEHOW STILL WORKS. Wouldn’t you expect a story about greed and immorality to be FILLED with greedy, morally grey characters?
Another topic that was handled well was mental health, especially in connection with social media addiction. June Hayward was made neither more or less likeable by the state of her mental health. It is portrayed well - neither as an excuse for her actions or a sympathy card, nor as a flaw or defect. What was strange was how unaware June seemed of the impact of the mental health issues on her everyday life. I think that she could have been more self-aware and asked for help sooner and with more confidence. Instead, the lack of help doesn’t even seem to bother her that much. When 2020 comes around in the timeline of the book, the lockdown isn’t even mentioned. Juniper Song Hayward is so lonely, isolated and chronically online that the lockdown made no difference in her everyday life. And even though that’s terrible, June is such an unlikeable person that I can’t even have sympathy with her for that. Her “friendship” with Athena Liu made me recoil. I’m telling you, that is a whole new brand and intensity of hatred.
“Yellowface” offers a lot of wisdom for everyone to take away from it. One of the lessons I have learned that, if you are going to become a published author, DON’T DO IT LIKE THAT. June is an example of what NOT to do. Once, her mother tells her that writing isn’t everything. She thinks: “But writing IS everything to me.” That obsessive tunnel vision is a problem. We all love books very much, but if books are EVERYTHING to you, you have doomed yourself to a state of dependency and despair. There must be more that one single thing in your life that is important to you.
“Yellowface” is incredibly layered. It keeps breaking the fourth wall, seeping into our world. The cynical portrait of the American publishing industry makes me wonder about R. F. Kuang’s experience in the publishing industry. The constant mention of Goodreads makes me wonder if authors really do read their Goodreads reviews — like the review I am writing right now. It sends a shiver down my spine… It’s almost as if I’m trapped in the story.
The writing is fresh and modern. The present tense and first person narration are intriguing. The book contains elements of horror and suspense, and I wish it would’ve leaned more strongly into those at the end. There were three points in the book where the story could have come to a clearer and sooner end. The main problem was that a few heavy topics were not dealt with the appropriate sensitivity and depth. In that case, they should have been left out entirely. For this reason, the book loses half a star. My final rating is 4.25 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
It reminds me of the first season of “You” (the typewriter, the sacrifice, the struggles at university and in the publishing industry, the price of becoming a New York Times bestselling author). A recommended read is “The Carls” by Hank Green.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Cultural appropriation, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Misogyny, Vomit, and Stalking
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
amyreh's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Grief, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying and Toxic friendship
Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Injury/Injury detail
10_d0ugh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Honestly June Hayward is an iconic antihero and her chaotic nature is so hilarious to read about. I love how the book slowly descends into chaos as her mental state deteriorates, and June as a character is just so fun. My only gripe is that I wish the ending was less up to interpretation and honestly I kinda wish she had gotten away with it 😭 fuck you Candice
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, and Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
thebruce's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Stalking, and Toxic friendship
maryellen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Bullying and Rape