Reviews - Sarı Yüz | The StoryGraph

76.7k reviews for:

Sarı Yüz

R.F. Kuang

3.99 AVERAGE

esmeevl's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

danabrownehughes's review against another edition

4.0

funny reflective

About a struggling white author who takes her Asian friend’s manuscript after a tragedy and suddenly finds herself in the spotlight. The book dives into cultural appropriation, racism, and the messy side of the publishing world.

It’s a smart, sharp read that really shows how jealousy and microaggressions can spiral.

wambui_njeri's review against another edition

4.5

dark funny informative reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Absolutely loved the humor and the easy-to-read manner of this book! Appreciared the social commentary on life being a member of a minority group in predominantly white spaces. Ended up with a 4.5/5 as I'm still torn in how I feel about the ending!

devilinke's review against another edition

4.25

dark funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

laesbooks's review against another edition

2.75

mysterious

franchement j'ai pas trop aimé la direction que le livre a pris vers la fin ça devient trop un truc qui dépeint le quotidien, ses habitudes et ses pensées sales (et vu que la meuf est tout sauf attachante bah osekour un peu) mais kiffé le début

anoneemowse's review against another edition

3.0

Athena did for Juniper what I expect ChatGPT to do for me.

Anyways, it was so obviously satire that it didn’t feel worth it anymore. Reading this was kind of like watching a movie where the protagonist is being cheated on but halfway through the film it’s revealed that she’s actually abusing her kids so you don't actually feel anything for anyone anymore and only want for it to be over. An Asian author making her White antihero so completely distasteful and overtly racist felt like flying too close to the sun, or, in this case, too close to her antithesis. It ended up feeling more like a commentary on being an online troll than anything having to do with identity or culture. Everything was so linearly written that it felt like Kuang wrote it solely to discourage readers from leaving their own negative reviews on her work. It wasn’t uncomfortable, it was just unlikeable.

Writing: four stars
Everything else: two stars

waterm3lon's review against another edition

4.75

informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I have such mixed feelings about this book, but overall in a good way. I didn’t like the main character, yet I was still completely engaged with the story. I’m glad I read Babel before Yellowface, because if it had been the other way around, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much. (In my opinion, Babel feels like the kind of book Athena Liu herself would have written.)

I deducted 0.25 stars because I really didn’t like the MC - but that ending

, which leaves readers wondering if we’ve actually been reading the MC’s own work all along,

was brilliant.