Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

48 reviews

rnbhargava's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This is a narrative about personal jealousy, racism in publishing and interrogating race politics 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Body horror, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Murder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Blood, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual content, Eating disorder, Medical content, Dysphoria, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, War, Drug use, Grief, Biphobia, Classism, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, and Rape

The entire narrative of this book is about a White American woman excusing and justifying her actions against a college friend and writer colleague who is Chinese American plus the varying moods and swings in action to conceal what she is doing. We are in the mind of the white woman character the whole time and it’s intentionally uncomfortable to be in this character’s head. Pace yourself if you need to though this novel isn’t that long.

te_ss_i's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Death, Classism, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Cultural appropriation, Vomit, Mental illness, Bullying, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Racism

juliesleseecke's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny inspiring tense slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Mental illness, Bullying, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Grief, Gaslighting, Death, and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Stalking and Rape

Minor: Addiction

redvelveting's review

dark emotional funny reflective tense fast-paced

4.5

Yellowface is a thought-provoking social commentary while being wildly entertaining. The perspective is absurd but does well to make Kuang’s points on racism, privilege, tokenization, and social media. And honestly speaking, it’s been a while since I’ve read a book this fast. The sheer audacity in this book is nuts but honestly it unfortunately isn’t that far-fetched and I think that’s part of what makes this such a well-written satire.

And to be clear, both June and Athena are terrible people in their own ways, which I believe ti be intentional :)))

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death, Cultural appropriation, Grief, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Rape, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Violence, and Sexual violence

Minor: Toxic relationship, Vomit, War, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, and Suicide attempt

jcshells's review

dark emotional lighthearted tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Death, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Violence, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Cultural appropriation, and Bullying

abicaro17's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

0.5

God this book was unbearable. I will say first off, that Kuang has a beautiful writing style and the base of this book is really interesting. That being said, the execution of said base is god awful.

Juniper Song Heyward is a jealous, manipulative, vindictive, racist, bitch. She spends the entire book a plagiarist who attempts to convince the reader she's a victim somehow. June continuously uses racist language and defends her actions by blaming Athena for being more talented and likable. Every word that came out of her mouth made her less likable.

The plot is unbearably slow. You spend like 80% of the book reading tweets. Why? Who knows. I considered DNFing so many times it's a miracle I finished at all. I would recommend this to someone only if I hated them. Brb while I go cleanse my aura of this nightmare. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Vomit, Blood, Body shaming, Classism, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Alcohol, Body horror, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, Islamophobia, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Medical content, Sexual assault, Stalking, Cursing, Rape, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs

litliz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Alcohol, Body horror, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Cultural appropriation, Death, Racism, Sexism, Cursing, Grief, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Colonisation, Genocide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Bullying, and Homophobia

sofiarodriguez's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I was absolutely in love with this book until the last 50 pages. I feel liek Candance faking being Athena was too expected. I would have much rather seen June end up having some tragic ending due to her own psychosis. I loved the themes and messages--June as an unreliable narrator gave such an interest perspective and how the book views intersectionality and the self-victimization of white woman. I love how this book talks about the duality of social media, especially in times of crisis and reinforcing systems of harm without it being "cringey." I think it fell into some of the pitfalls of thrillers at the end, and should have leaned more lit fic in being able to end with some "loose ends." This book is so beautifully written and self-aware, and I would have given it 5 stars without the last 50 pages. I have so many thoughts I cannot even express in this review. Such a beautiful piece by R.F. Kuang. God I loved this book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Cultural appropriation, Death, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Violence

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

nabs_co's review

challenging emotional funny 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Toxic friendship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Gaslighting, and Violence

Minor: War

maiahhtratchh's review

reflective 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

5.0

This book gave me the same feeling I had when I was in high school and reading the Kite Runner for the first time. It was the perfect amount of discomfort and intrigue that I would get upset or emotional and throw the book across the room and then immediately run to pick it up and keep reading without wasting too much time. RF Kuang has been able to tackle so many themes in the pages of this book with criticisms on publishing culture, white saviourism, social isolation, the harms of Twitter and social media, morality and copywrite, among so many others. She spins a web upon web of deceit and lies that it becomes so hard to understand what the actual truth is. It really becomes a psychological horror book as June devolves into madness under the pressures of her own guilt. The most painful part of this being that it could have all been avoided had she asked Athena’s mother if she could work on the manuscript instead of stealing it. Considering she was asked to speak at the funeral, I doubt her mother would have many objections. Even then, however, how she acts toward Athena in the writing process is terrible and colonial. All that is wrong with the book is Athenas and all that is right is hers. It also drove me crazy how she stole the first paragraph for Mother Witch, it’s crazy that she couldn’t just change it.. it would have been so simple. I have so many things to say but finally with the ending,

although she did not get what she deserved (or kind of did? It’s complicated) it really hammered home the themes of this novel and how, throughout the entirety of it, June has victimized herself to the point where she will do anything to hold onto that title no matter the cost.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Racism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Racial slurs, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis