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A review by theglossreview
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
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