A review by cinnamonmarti
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Reading this felt like witnessing a gruesome accident and getting a hole drilled in your skull at the same time -- which is to say, stressful, scary and infuriating.
Alas, it's the first time that Kuang doesn't quite hit the mark for me. Don't get me wrong, I tore through this book in a day and a half, but by the end I was left wanting more in terms of plot and character study. The social commentary is undoubtedly compelling and exhilarating, in that 'oh no, I can't believe she just DID THAT' way. However June and Athena feel nearly two-dimensional, almost as if the individual dimension was sacrificed to make room for the bigger picture. I have a few gripes with the style too: I don't mind the scathing inner monologue quality of it all, but the language itself felt too bare and simplistic, not at all what I'm used to when it comes to this author. The ending was a nice mix of deranged horror and cold reality check.
If you're the sort of person who isn't into social media, Twitter drama and pop culture, this might not be your cup of tea. On the other hand, if you're Chronically Online like me, you'll be right in your element when reading this. And possibly end up trusting even fewer people :D
Alas, it's the first time that Kuang doesn't quite hit the mark for me. Don't get me wrong, I tore through this book in a day and a half, but by the end I was left wanting more in terms of plot and character study. The social commentary is undoubtedly compelling and exhilarating, in that 'oh no, I can't believe she just DID THAT' way. However June and Athena feel nearly two-dimensional, almost as if the individual dimension was sacrificed to make room for the bigger picture. I have a few gripes with the style too: I don't mind the scathing inner monologue quality of it all, but the language itself felt too bare and simplistic, not at all what I'm used to when it comes to this author. The ending was a nice mix of deranged horror and cold reality check.
If you're the sort of person who isn't into social media, Twitter drama and pop culture, this might not be your cup of tea. On the other hand, if you're Chronically Online like me, you'll be right in your element when reading this. And possibly end up trusting even fewer people :D