Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

41 reviews

scmiller's review against another edition

challenging dark informative tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Racism, Death, Cultural appropriation, and Mental illness

Moderate: Violence, Colonisation, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Bullying, Grief, and Classism

Minor: Rape, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, War, Medical content, Death of parent, and Confinement

emily_journals's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious 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

3.5

I really liked and appreciated the themes explored in this book, but the execution and construction fell somewhat flat for me. I still overall enjoyed the reading experience, but there were a few elements I wish has been fine tuned a little more. 

The main thing I had an issue with was the pacing. There was a good chunk in the middle of the book that I was getting bored and finding my mind wandering as we're waiting for the next plot point to come and I wish some of the rambling that the main character does on the same points over and over again had been trimmed a little more. Then the ending felt really rushed to me and some of the character choices in the climax and end of the book felt really rushed and unexplained, so I think some of the middle could have been trimmed and the end could've been expanded a bit to make the pacing more consistent throughout the whole book without risking the book getting too long. 

What really shines through in this book is the character work. Kuang does such a masterful job of creating such hate-able and authentic characters. Kuang does a really good job of especially highlighting how awful and racist June is, but writing June's internal monologue in a way that she almost convinces you June might be doing this all unintentionally. This book is also such an insightful look into and criticism on the publishing industry and what a dumpster fire it is. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Body horror, Cultural appropriation, Sexual assault, and Grief

Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Medical content

Minor: Toxic friendship

imstephtacular's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, and Racism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Medical content, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Death, Alcohol, Classism, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Bullying, and Cursing

Minor: Stalking, Ableism, Islamophobia, Homophobia, Suicide, Vomit, Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content

yourbookishbff's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

5.0

Yellowface is wry social commentary meets laugh-out-loud satire meets genuine horror with a psychotic break thrown in for good measure. I loved it. For bookish folks who enjoy sardonic commentary on the publishing industry, this is a book to be inhaled - all the little sly digs at various media personalities, authors and other public figures made every page feel like a new reveal. I particularly loved the use of an unreliable first-person narrator and the complexity in how both June and Athena are fleshed out for the reader. Kuang resists easy stereotypes (except where they're impossible to avoid, because white women certainly aren't unpredictable) and constantly rides the edge between just right and too far, making even the most absurd moments feel believable. If you love a slow descent into madness that excoriates book publishing, white feminism and Western media more broadly, Yellowface is an excellent read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, and Stalking

Moderate: Bullying, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Medical content, Sexism, and Vomit

leah08855's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Bullying, Toxic friendship, and Racism

Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content

daisy2050's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I went into this book nearly blind. I knew it was about the publishing industry and that's about it. Kuang explores racism and plagiarism in the industry with a spooky mystery undercurrent. I was captivated nearly from the beginning and honestly shocked by the ending. Definitely pick this up if you're a fan of her other books. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Medical content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Rape, Genocide, Grief, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: War

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

qrschulte's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious 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

5.0

A scathing indictment of the publishing industry, full of the least likable characters I’ve ever read. My favorite part was the examination of jealousy in the first chapter. Very validating due to my pregnancy loss journey. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Racial slurs, Sexism, Rape, and Sexual violence

Minor: Drug use and War

krisfailedtosubmit's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective tense medium-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

Yikes 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Colonisation, Death, Toxic friendship, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Rape, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Ableism, Bullying, Hate crime, Medical content, Racial slurs, Classism, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Minor: Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Fatphobia, and Homophobia

bloodmaarked's review

challenging dark funny 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

r.f. kuang is a QUEEN

✧ full review on my tumblr ✧

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Cultural appropriation, Bullying, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Racism and Cursing

Minor: Murder, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Sexual content, and War