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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have never been so glad to finish a book.
Instant reaction:
I felt very uncomfortable while reading this. There is not one character that is likable, which I believe was the authors objective. The story was moderately intriguing, and I kept going, though I think I would have been okay leaving this behind. My 3 stars are because though I really didn’t enjoy any part of the plot or characters, it was well written. I will read other books this author writes. This story was just not for me.
I wonder how I will feel about this book when I have some time to process what I have read…
Instant reaction:
I felt very uncomfortable while reading this. There is not one character that is likable, which I believe was the authors objective. The story was moderately intriguing, and I kept going, though I think I would have been okay leaving this behind. My 3 stars are because though I really didn’t enjoy any part of the plot or characters, it was well written. I will read other books this author writes. This story was just not for me.
I wonder how I will feel about this book when I have some time to process what I have read…
Yellowface was an explosive read (or listen in my case)!! It was sharp, funny, and impossible to put down. I even started taking longer walks to spend more time with the book.
Making the protagonist a terrible person was a brilliant choice. If the main character was a good person, that would have been very easy for the readers to root for the good person. But here, as readers, we are stuck in the brain of the villain and are given only her point of view. I felt very messy and uncomfortable at times but was still compelled to find out what happened. Just when you think she’s hit rock bottom, she digs even deeper.
Kuang nailed the Twitter discourse cycle, the outrage, the calling outs, and just everyone competing with each other with their holier than thou takes. Ah the book took me back to my Twitter days. One controversy after another. Some one would be called out and then a discourse would emerge and multiple takes on the issue would start pouring in. Twitter's memory is very short-lived.
Making the protagonist a terrible person was a brilliant choice. If the main character was a good person, that would have been very easy for the readers to root for the good person. But here, as readers, we are stuck in the brain of the villain and are given only her point of view. I felt very messy and uncomfortable at times but was still compelled to find out what happened. Just when you think she’s hit rock bottom, she digs even deeper.
Kuang nailed the Twitter discourse cycle, the outrage, the calling outs, and just everyone competing with each other with their holier than thou takes. Ah the book took me back to my Twitter days. One controversy after another. Some one would be called out and then a discourse would emerge and multiple takes on the issue would start pouring in. Twitter's memory is very short-lived.
4.5 ⭐️ read this one in sitting and im never ever getting over “they fired me over a goodreads rating. a fucking goodreads rating”
dark
funny
mysterious
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
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
reflective
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
As engaging as the whole story was, I think I am most struck by how consumed the writing is in the protagonist's perspective. Juniper's self-centrism, loneliness, and drive, spiraling into her irrational, unhinged, deranged behavior by the end of the story is somehow comprehensible; we somehow understand where Juniper is coming from (and yet totally baffled by how committed she is to the story she tells herself, the lie of authenticity she's convinced herself of).
The commentary on canceling, on diversity, on competition and jealousy, all blend together in this setting of the publishing world. It was a bit uncomfortable at times to read, as a white person, Juniper's internal dialogue, her critiques of Athena (calling Athena herself "diverse", lamenting how difficult it is for white stories to be published, expressing her disgust at several Asian characters in the book with few holds barred). I found myself thinking, Do white people really think these things? Have I thought these things? I'm not like her... am I? Of course, this is part of the complex beauty and efficacy of Kuang's prose: I find myself identifying with the protagonist, horrified and entranced by the worst and most reflective parts of her.
In parts of the story I was unimpressed by the plot's sensationalism; the ending felt not far-fetched, but a bit too predictably shocking, if that makes sense. Still, I could not have anticipated just how far Juniper would go, just how much of herself she would lose to Athena and still not admit it. The present tense of the narration contributes to this illusion; her predictions, her delusions about how she could redeem herself, her image, her career, even to the very last page, are written in the future tense as if they are certain to come true. Her hope is almost admirable, but by the last page, it is more pitiable than anything else. Like a bird with a broken wing, thrashing and flinging herself against the bars of her cage, she keeps trying to fly, and you just want to tell her: let go. Stop trying. It's over.
The commentary on canceling, on diversity, on competition and jealousy, all blend together in this setting of the publishing world. It was a bit uncomfortable at times to read, as a white person, Juniper's internal dialogue, her critiques of Athena (calling Athena herself "diverse", lamenting how difficult it is for white stories to be published, expressing her disgust at several Asian characters in the book with few holds barred). I found myself thinking, Do white people really think these things? Have I thought these things? I'm not like her... am I? Of course, this is part of the complex beauty and efficacy of Kuang's prose: I find myself identifying with the protagonist, horrified and entranced by the worst and most reflective parts of her.
In parts of the story I was unimpressed by the plot's sensationalism; the ending felt not far-fetched, but a bit too predictably shocking, if that makes sense. Still, I could not have anticipated just how far Juniper would go, just how much of herself she would lose to Athena and still not admit it. The present tense of the narration contributes to this illusion; her predictions, her delusions about how she could redeem herself, her image, her career, even to the very last page, are written in the future tense as if they are certain to come true. Her hope is almost admirable, but by the last page, it is more pitiable than anything else. Like a bird with a broken wing, thrashing and flinging herself against the bars of her cage, she keeps trying to fly, and you just want to tell her: let go. Stop trying. It's over.
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars
I understood the message and what was being said but I felt like I was being hit over the head with the message a bit too much. I found most of the characters insufferable which shows good writing because I know that was the point!! Overall, enjoyed this, especially the last few chapters but a bit repetitive in message.
I understood the message and what was being said but I felt like I was being hit over the head with the message a bit too much. I found most of the characters insufferable which shows good writing because I know that was the point!! Overall, enjoyed this, especially the last few chapters but a bit repetitive in message.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes