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ellisinthetardis's review against another edition
dark
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
4.5
i’d be hard pressed to name a book that’s had me quite by the balls as yellowface did. if you’re looking for amounts of drama that could kill a victorian child, this one’s for you. also, I’d really recommend this book to anyone looking to reignite a love of reading- kuang’s prose and pacing are so methodical that it’s a fucking struggle to put this thing down. it asks some really important questions which i cannot begin to get into here, but it’s so interesting to read a book about the publishing industry- it makes you think, “THAT’S what had to happen before this book got to me? jesus…” would recommend and will defo be reading more kuang in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Rape, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
mammajamma's review against another edition
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
lilacfoxes's review against another edition
dark
reflective
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
3.5
Want to rate somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. Part of me did really enjoy the “horror” aspects of June seeing Athena’s ghost but I did get a little bored of it. I guessed that Candice would seek revenge immediately, not necessarily a criticism but I would like it to have turned out to be someone random and that June is making it up in her head like the Diana scene. Not sure if I’ll re-read but I did enjoy seeing the complex relationship between Athena and June become more clear throughout the novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Misogyny, Stalking, and Mental illness
Minor: Eating disorder
kyahs's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Death
Moderate: Rape
booksandstuff09's review against another edition
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
alyxandrathegr8's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
Book in a very new way. Gripping. I knew nothing of the book before a tube ad in London a few months ago. Got a copy from the library and wow. The plot is complicated and at the same time not. Like we all know the whole time what is right and wrong and also you can follow the justification turning into “truth”, what ever that is, and feel uncomfortable with going along with the justification. Ahhh so good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Deportation
jdvisser's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Rape
uncica's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
reflective
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
3.5
I wanted to love this book soooo much, especially because Kuang is an amazing writer.
It started off as a 5-star read - very unique and different - but I liked it less and less as the book progressed. I'm not sure if it was the book's fault, but I entered a massive reading slump, so I struggled to finish it over the course of a whole month, even though it was a fast-paced read.
It started off as a 5-star read - very unique and different - but I liked it less and less as the book progressed. I'm not sure if it was the book's fault, but I entered a massive reading slump, so I struggled to finish it over the course of a whole month, even though it was a fast-paced read.
What I liked:
I liked that the MC is straight up immoral in a sea of morally questionable characters. Her constant ability to find an "excuse" in order to "justify" plagiarizing her friend's work (over and over again) through blatant racism made Yellowface very thought-provoking. Kuang definitely made me reflect on my own biases.
Another intriguing aspect of the book is that it shows us how the writing and publishing process works on the back end, and just how competitive it can be.
Yellowface made me chuckle a couple of times, though the humor was mostly dark.
Another intriguing aspect of the book is that it shows us how the writing and publishing process works on the back end, and just how competitive it can be.
Yellowface made me chuckle a couple of times, though the humor was mostly dark.
What I didn't like:
After a while, the book became repetitive, in my opinion, and I could pretty much predict what was going to happen next. That being said, I still don't know how I feel about the ending - don't love it, don't hate it. Since Kuang decided to go with Athena's ghost in order to expose Juniper, I almost wish she leaned fully into the narrative and made the book more fantastical. (Note that I have a high preference for fantasy books, so I'm very much biased here.) I just find the ending a bit anti-climactic given all the build-up.
Another thing that poked my eyes was that Kuang used the same quote about translation in Babel. Yes, the quote did fit in Yellowface, but I just did not like the recycling.
Otherwise, I do recommend you read Yellowface if only for Kuang's brilliant writing style.
Another thing that poked my eyes was that Kuang used the same quote about translation in Babel. Yes, the quote did fit in Yellowface, but I just did not like the recycling.
Otherwise, I do recommend you read Yellowface if only for Kuang's brilliant writing style.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Rape, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Sexual assault, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Suicidal thoughts
dbb523's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Racism
liviburke1's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Racism