Reviews with content warning for Racism - Yellowface

I want to preface by saying I would not normally reach for this genre of book, which definitely made it hard for me to rate. I struggle to read books in which I know the main character is making mistake after mistake so there were times when it felt like I was pushing through.

Despite at times struggling through the books there were rewards for perceiving.

The twists were reminiscent of Fight Club and The Sixth Sense in which once revealed you have to reconsider the text as a whole.

It was thoroughly provoking and covers many current issues, such as racism and cancel culture. R.F Kuang has done a brilliant job of emphasising flaws in recurring arguments and exposing the use undeserved victim mentality.

Content Warnings

karly_ackley's review against another edition

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dark sad 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

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peachie_pie's review against another edition

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dark 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

3.5

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might_be_may's review against another edition

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adventurous funny informative lighthearted mysterious reflective 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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erenreads12's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny 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

5.0

At this point I will read anything R. F. Kuang puts out into the world. Yellowface can only be described as a few hundred pages of car crash you can't look away from, packed with thoroughly awful characters and an absolutely ridiculous, horrifying plot - Kuang's skill in writing amoral characters has been honed over the years to create June, crafted into a world so toxic it feels poisonous to almost hold the book. You will read this with the urge to grab popcorn whilst you watch the carnage, before being hit with the uncomfortable realisation that the book is actually about you, too.

Content Warnings