Reviews with content warning for Vomit - Yellowface

I would read anything Kuang writes, she is a brilliant author - and this book was no exception!
It’s a nice change of pace from her usual fantasy writing and shows just how broad her capabilities really are. I loved the how it was written from the perspective of a character who is essentially the antagonist of the story, and hearing the musings of June and how she tries to justify her actions, as well as the repercussions, was such an intriguing and challenging, but also funny read.

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whimsical_wombat'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? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

An engaging, quick read. Athena Liu is an ever-present, fleshed out, and yet mysterious figure throughout the book. It almost made me feel bad for the main character, to be overshadowed even in her own point of view.

It struck me as sad that, despite June's insistence that Athena isn't a close friend and she has other friends, June never interacted with any other friends, or even mentioned them. The way she worked to justify lies was infuriating. Essentially, it is a first person view of descent into Twitter brain rot and white victimhood. The worst part for me is that I felt like I could have become like June if I had different influences telling me it was okay to present myself as Chinese (I took Mandarin classes in high school and college and love a lot of things about Chinese history, art, and culture) for personal gain.

However, June repeatedly chooses to dig herself into a hole over and over, draping laughably transparent lies over herself in order to pursue fame and money.

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kcarney86's review against another edition

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dark 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

4.0

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percys_panda_pillow_pet's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
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

4.75

R.F. Kuang has done it again. A fantastic piece of literature, Yellowface dives deep into a multitude of themes ranging from the idea of who is allowed to tell what stories, imposter syndrome, the responsibility of an artist and how their work is interpreted, and many, many other things. For those who might've been unsure about Kuang or didn't like her past works because of her tendency to be on the nose about her themes, Yellowface feels like a direct response. With Yellowface Kuang seems to say, "You thought I was too in your face with these themes? Well, I'm going to write an entire novel centered around that feeling. You won't be able to turn the page without running into the main theme of this book."

I think I read an interview somewhere, where Kuang talked about her inspiration for Yellowface. and how part of it came about because she was worried she was like June, stealing something she wasn't meant to have. As I read the book, I saw Kuang's anxieties reflected in both Athena and June's characters. With Athena, it's easy to see how she might relate to the sudden push into stardom at a young age, as well as being tokenized for her identity as a Chinese American. While June may represent Kuang's imposter syndrome, of feeling like a fake as she gains all this attention for her work while other Asian American authors perhaps struggle to gain recognition. This novel is definitely the most personal of hers out of what I've read.

As for the meat of the book, I cannot believe how well the characters were done. Especially June and Athena. June is fantastic as a villain protagonist and Kuang does a great job at lulling the reader into feeling sympathy for her even as the next sentence will make you revile her. So much of this book really felt inspiring as a writer, because there is so much that you imagine could've happened, instead of what did happen. As the reader, I constantly was questioning June's choices and thoughts, why did she do what she did? Why does she feel the need to continue this lie? June's character really makes you question the world around you and your own feelings and choices. What is your own personal motivation for the things that you do and say?

As for Athena, I was wondering so much who Athena was behind the person that June thought she was. All we get is a little bit of her in the beginning, from June's perspective of course, but the rest of her is pieced together from all the other characters in this world. I really enjoyed though, how neither character was perfect. Theoretically, Athena was the hero to June's villain, but Athena wasn't a perfect human being. She had flaws, she made mistakes. How much of her flaws were real and not just formed from people who didn't really know her, who knows? But Athena was human like the rest of us and it was amazing how Kuang could shape a character that only technically existed in the first act.

I will say, as much as I loved this book, I will not be giving it 5 stars. I can't really articulate why. Perhaps I just wasn't that satisfied with the ending, or a few of the more modern references were awkward and didn't fit the way Kuang thought they would. It's still a fantastic book, don't get me wrong. I think a lot of people should read it, even if they know nothing about publishing. It just isn't a 5-star for me. In any case, this review is getting too long so please, check out this book! Especially if you may not have liked Kuang's books in the past, this may finally be the book for you. I am definitely interested in what Kuang will explore in her next book!

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elizakay's review against another edition

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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

4.75

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qrschulte's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

A scathing indictment of the publishing industry, full of the least likable characters I’ve ever read. My favorite part was the examination of jealousy in the first chapter. Very validating due to my pregnancy loss journey.

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense 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

2.75

Title: Yellowface
Author: R.F. Kuang
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: May 25, 2023

T H R E E • W O R D S

Icky • Juicy • Insightful

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Athena Liu is a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. Who wants stories by basic white girls anyway?

But now Athena is dead. And June has her unfinished manuscript...

💭 T H O U G H T S

I'd added Yellowface to my list of possible 2023 releases to explore after attending an online event with the author. The premise had me apprehensive, yet the author did a fantastic job selling me, so when it became available as a 'quick read' through my library I scooped it up.

The fact satirical stories are not my thing is something I knew going in, and yet I picked it up anyways. Another thing I don't care for are stories centered around social media and cancel culture, both of which are central here. So it's clear this novel was not meant for me.

With that said, Kuang's writing is incredible. She delivers a no holds barred account of the ins and outs of the publishing industry - a bold move that paid off. While not for me, I understand all of the love it is receiving. What this book does really well is give readers lots to think about, making it a fantastic book club selection, sure to spark interesting and engaging discussion.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers looking for something fast-paced
• fans of the unlikeable narrator
• bookclubs

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Writing is the closest thing we have to real magic."

"Reading lets us live in someone else’s shoes. Literature builds bridges; it makes our world larger, not smaller."

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kelsokake's review against another edition

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challenging funny 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

Kuang does it again. She’s somehow managed to create more characters that i love to hate but also empathize with and feel for even with the knowledge that they’re arguably terrible people. I loved this

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