A review by booksandbujos
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

challenging fast-paced

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

5.0

I disliked almost every single character in this book. No one is good; everyone is just using each other to get what they want. And yet, at points I was almost rooting for June, while also rooting for the truth and Athena. I also was endless intrigued by how the story would end. What would happen to June? Would she get her retribution? Did I want that? 

 

I really hated her publishing teams. They were written so well to show their absolute racism (and micro-aggressions aplenty). I loved/ hated how June went along with their decisions and justified it all as being more inclusive and telling more realistic stories (“We soften some of the white characters. No, it’s not as bad as you think. Athena’s original text was almost embarrassingly biased… I get she’s trying to make a point about discrimination within the Allied front… [W]e switch one of the white bullies to a Chinese character, and one of the more vocal Chinese labourers to a sympathetic white farmer. This adds the complexity, the humanistic nuance that perhaps Athena was too close to the project to see.”) It just made me so angry in the best way. 

 

There wasn’t really a lot of plot, just June releasing the book, facing backlash, being tormented by guilt, and trying to figure how to continue on as an author with the storm of sides and takes swirling around her (and potentially facing the consequences of stealing her book. That being said, I read through this so quickly and was fascinated by June and her justifications, and also the things we got to learn about Athena, pulling back that shiny veneer that covered her. 

 

Just so good!