Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

9 reviews

willow1113's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Cultural appropriation, Death, Mental illness, and Racism

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Grief, Gore, Rape, and Alcohol

sierrabowers's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I thought this book was okay. The narrator was not likable at all and I think that was the point. The main character was unspeakable in her racism, bigotry, and entitlement. It opened my eyes to a lot and I think the main idea that the author was trying to get across was crystal clear. I think after a while, I was just so tired of the main character that the book wasn’t enjoyable anymore, but I think it highlights real life. Some people are like her, and it is monstrous. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Alcohol, Racism, Classism, Death, Toxic friendship, Murder, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Sexual assault, Stalking, Bullying, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

bookswithlauren's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Classism, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

kimveach's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

It's such an interesting book.   I wish I could put this story's intriguing ideas and viewpoints into words.  I loved that the story is told from the perspective of the author who steals another's work.  It dragged a bit in the middle but otherwise was a quick read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Vomit, Gaslighting, Bullying, Death, Cultural appropriation, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Cursing

stephmcoakley's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Bullying, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racism, Rape, Toxic friendship, Classism, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Cultural appropriation, and Sexual violence

espookita's review

challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-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

3.5

R. F. Kuang’s Yellowface is a biting commentary on white privilege, entitlement, cultural appropriation, and the publishing industry. It explores the inherently exploitative nature of writing as a whole, and digs into ethical questions regarding storytelling. It is fast-paced, compelling, and impossible to put down. Our narrator is a Karen caricature unable to resist doom scrolling on Twitter, and the many social media and pop culture references are somewhat jarring. While the sharp critique on both the industry and whiteness were valid, I found myself wishing more of the relationship between the narrator and the victim of her theft was more drawn out. I feel I am left with more questions than answers—especially about what it means to be friends with someone whom you both fear and admire. Worth the read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and War

Moderate: Colonisation, Genocide, Medical content, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

scifi_rat's review against another edition

tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Plot: 2.5★
Prose: 2.75★
Pace: 3★
Concept/Execution: 5★/1★
Characters: 2★
Worldbuilding: 4★
Ending: 1★

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Death, and Racism

Moderate: Rape, Sexism, War, Physical abuse, Cursing, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Bullying, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, and Stalking

Minor: Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts

heonytwist's review

dark funny reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Violence and Gore

clairew97's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

Well if there was one way to get me out of a reading slump it was picking up this book. Rebecca has done it again. I read the entire thing in one sitting, I could not put it down.

The main character is as insufferable and delusional as you would expect. Her justifications for her actions were wild to me, but I also believe that there are people out there who think like June does. 

The exploration of racism within the publishing industry and the insight into the industry was incredibly interesting. Also, the exploration into the online world as a writer was an interesting take. The ending took me completely by surprise and I was hooked.

A completely satirical look into the publishing world and life as an author, I don’t think anyone else could have handled the premise of this book quite as well. A complete 180 from Babel, so if you’re looking for that type of book again this is definitely not it. I can’t wait to see where R F Kuang goes next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, War, Blood, Alcohol, Classism, Sexual assault, Sexism, Bullying, Homophobia, Racism, Stalking, Violence, Grief, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Gore, Mental illness, Murder, and Racial slurs