Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - Yellowface

This is well written and cutting satire of both how the publishing industry treats Asian writers and of racist white authors. It certainly had a train wreck effect that kept me reading. However, being in June's head is grating (intentionally), and I'm not a huge fan of writers writing about writing, so it wasn't my favorite read. Well done, just not for me necessarily.

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javanaaa's review

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challenging funny mysterious 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

3.0

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winterwoodbooks's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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florenceassetto's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny 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

this was SUCH an easy read and i am so thankful it has dragged me out of my reading slump! the authorial voice in this one sounds exactly like a bitter white woman on twitter (so much so i had to google the author just to be sure) and the premise of the book is both so well crafyed and so well executed! honestly an incredible first time read, so much tension and so much expectation but i loved it!! would definitely recommend

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dreklogar's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

I can't really comment on the representation of the publishing industry or the racism in it, but there was a question in the book that I found absolutely fascinating: how much of another person's story is an author allowed to take?

Is it okay to tell stories that you weren't a part of, but you researched thoroughly? Is it okay to tell stories that are part of your generational trauma, but didn't actually happen to you? Is it okay to take personal stories people tell you and twist them into a short story, or a book?

And looking at book events, of course, how can we know someone's credentials? We shouldn't force anyone into outing themselves to write about their identity, but that is also the only way to really know if someone is writing about events that they are personally familiar with or not.

Additionally, which events/experiences fall under "write what you know"? If I've never walked down a particular street, I cannot imagine anyone would be bothered by my mentioning that my character did. If I mention my character visited a fast-food chain and look up their menu online, no one cares if I've also tried the item.

In the story, the main character has their dub consent experience "stolen" by a writer. The thing is though, the character also makes it clear that the writer was there for them, that she supported them and helped in a time when they really needed it. The writer was a good friend, in a way that was probably emotionally draining, and then used the experience she made to write a short story. The main character does not consider if this was a way to process everything, nor if the writer had also had similar experiences that were crystalized through their talks. They just feel violated, which, considering the timing, is especially understandable.

But when would it have been okay? Was the writer expected to just keep that experience buried, forever, not allowed to talk about it even if they anonymized it? Was the problem that they gained fame over it? And how does this line relate to her also writing about Korean experiences that she is, presumably, even further removed from?

I don't really have any answers, but as a hobbyist writer myself, that was what I found most gripping about the text.

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mayze's review

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funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

A pretty funny book by Rebecca F Kuang, tells story of two writer frenemies June (White) and Athina ( Asian). Athena is young, successful and attractive while June is remarkably average in every aspect.
This all changes when a freak accident kills Athena and June unethically gets access to her next story's drafts and appropriates them to publish a book under her own name.

If you are willing to suspend disbelief and ignore the multiple plot conveniences, then this is a really funny (audio)book. I think younger millennials and Gen Z readers will totally understand the inside jokes peppered throughout the book and can see a bit of themselves in how much importance we give to social media and our increasingly worries of not coming across as culturally/socially insensitive.

The book gets really melodramatic at times and I wonder if having

June actually getting away with stealing Athen 's work

would be a more thought-provoking ending.

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maureenlessreen's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Absolutely gripping and captivating. An unexpected pro was learning more about the behind-the-scenes of publishing! Excellent critique and discussion of cancel culture and race politics without it feeling overly dated. I felt like it didn’t quite stick the landing but the journey was mesmerizing. It’s remarkable how much I hated and loved the POV character.

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