Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Yellowface

Um, this book??? IS SO CRAZY. This story takes “delulu girly” to the most insane level. GIRLY!! IS!! DELULU!!

Although my review may be full of basic bookish rambling about the perpetual spiral of the so-called delulu in regards to the main character who is a writer, the writing in this book by the witty R. F. Kuang is so sharp, timely, and addictive that you certainly feel like you’re delulu too. (Okay I’ll stop using that word now.)

So this novel is basically a ridiculously well-written reddit thread of “AITA for stealing the manuscript of my dead Asian friend and passing it off as my own since I’m a woman, but I’m also very much a cishet white woman?”

GIRLLLLL. Kuang crafted such a punchy, visceral novel about race, loneliness, envy, and the pros and cons of the publishing industry. I was glued to every page, almost like watching a train wreck. It’s like, chapter after chapter, our white MC (June) goes deeper and deeper into her web of lies and you’re like “there’s no way she gets away with this” in a non-Scooby Doo villain kind of way, and then SHE DOES!! She just keeps at it!! The secondhand embarrassment and utter frustration was so real, especially in the way that could absolutely happen in real life, which is messed up but also shows the reality of diversity in today’s society—not always as advanced or progressive as we perceive it to be when it’s not directly related to us. This narrative was such an interesting piece on how far someone will go to save their reputation, when said reputation is a fabricated construct in and of itself. Fascinating.

Parts did remind me of “American Fiction”, which is another great example of the assumptions made about POC writers, just in a sort-of opposite form. In any case, I highly recommend both.

TL;DR June Hayward is kind-of the Hannah Horvath of this story, but somehow even worse. If you liked HBO’s “Girls” for the writing and not for the characters, this book is for you.

Content Warnings

laurak483's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

This is the only book I have EVER read where I truly despised the main character and was waiting for her downfall the entire novel, but completely gripped from beginning to end. I think a lot of readers, to enjoy a book, have to like/relate to main characters or see at least a part of themselves in them to enjoy it and that will be where this book loses a lot of people.

This book was described by the author as her angry letter to the publishing industry and that is a perfect description. The main character manages to point out most of the major flaws within the industry yet reversing who is actually suffering most of the time. She is the type of person who is always the victim in a situation and feels entitled to a lifestyle without earning it. However, in this day and age there are a growing and vocal number of people who walk around with this mindset (e.g. reverse racism existing) and I think this is a book that society genuinely needs right now. I have met so many people like Juniper Hayward, and most of them epitomize what is wrong with the world and where our society is lacking in my humble opinion. I think the anger or frustration people felt that rated this book on the lower end should be redirected to the part of humanity this book is really trying to shine a spotlight on, in and outside of the publishing industry. At the end of the day, I believe if a book makes you think and really feel something, then it is a book that was worth writing and the author did their job. This book definitely made me feel things and while not an author, I was able to relate R.F. Kuang's struggles in her industry to struggles faced in all other facets of society by marginalized communities. The prose and pacing were also spot on.

Content Warnings

dmshoulderblade's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

4.75

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kindaokbean'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? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A book hasn't pulled me in like this in a while.
The audiobook is masterfully done, usually I have a hard time getting into audio versions but this time the narrator only adds value, she really brings June to life.

Content Warnings

dogoodwithbooks's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense fast-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

5.0

When I say you need to read this book, you need to READ this book. I literally just finished this book and I am still so speechless.

If you’re familiar in the bookish community, you most likely heard about this book in some capacity since its release this past Spring. Yellowface has been on my radar for months and I was so excited when I heard that this was one of my book club picks. With all the accolades this book has received, as well as being selected as a Reese’s Book Club Pick, I can say without a doubt that this book is worth all the hype.

This book is addicting in every way and I had such a hard time with putting this book down. I really liked how this book serves as a mirror to the biases currently found in the publishing industry and I would recommend this book if you want a novel that dives into those issues. Additionally, with its narrator (June) being one of the most unreliable narrators in all of literature, Yellowface is a wild ride of one woman’s length to maintain her status after stealing her late friend’s unfinished manuscript and publishing it as her own. In no way is June a likeable character in any sense (as with for almost all of these characters). At the same time, June is such a master manipulator and you will just know that you can never be certain if she feels any remorse for her actions in the book or if anything she said in her accounts are true.

That being said, if you haven’t read this book already, you need to do so as soon as possible.

Content Warnings

narrow_margins's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.0

Content Warnings

kajald's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

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