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lauren625's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Racism and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Death
Minor: Death of parent and Suicide
headliner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Aku lantas mengambil buku itu dan mulai baca. WOI gila gak kerasa karena page turner banget. Terjemahannya juga enak dibaca, asik banget karena beberapa kali diselipkan kata gaul, terus alurnya untukku matang dan jelas. Premis yang disajikan juga sangat menarik!
Kepergian Athena yang terjadi tepat langsung di hadapan June, lantas tidak membuatnya takut atau khawatir. Yang Ia lakukan adalah mengambil naskah buku baru buatan Athena dan mengubah isinya, lalu mengirimkannya ke penerbit. Berkat itu, June menjadi terkenal dan karyanya yang termasuk ke dalam best seller. Popularitas yang Ia miliki kemudian terancam menurun bahkan rusak karena banyak yang mencurigai June.
Aku akui karakter June dan Athena dalam cerita ini, sama-sama ngeselin. Aku gak membenarkan sikap mereka, tapi ya namanya persaingan dan iri dengki itu huh melahirkan masalah baru yang lebih kacau.
Lewat buku ini aku jadi dapetin beragam insight terkait industri penulisan serta penerbitan. Aku juga jadi tau nilai-nilai sejarah yang berkaitan dengan peperangan meskipun tidak dijelaskan secara detail. Isu yang diangkat dalam buku ini juga gak biasa buatku karena berkaitan dengan plagiarisme dan rasisme. Buku ini juga menyajikan unsur horror yang cukup bergidik ngeri karena June kerap kali dihantui arwah Athena serta halusinasi lain yang dialami. Ditambah unsur-unsur mistis lain yang membuatku penasaran siapa dalang di balik peneroran.
Sayangnya, aku ngerasa closing konflik dan akhir dari cerita ini tuh abu-abu dan gak dijelaskan secara jelas. Jadi bikin bingung dan berasa terjun payung. Still, buku ini tetap menarik untukku karena aku bisa menyelesaikannya dalam kurang dari dua jam dan dibuat greget!
Graphic: Cultural appropriation and Racism
Moderate: Death and Rape
Minor: Suicide
boba_n_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
June Hayward and Athena Liu have been "friends" since undergrad and have bonded over their writing aspirations ever since. However, Athena has been wildly successful, and June has... not. When June watches Athena die in a freak accident, she does what any self-preserving author would do: steal Athena's unpublished manuscript, of course. No one has seen this masterpiece yet, so June decides to do the kind thing and make sure Athena's experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I is published... but June says that she is the one who wrote it. Without any outside assistance. She even lets her team market her as "Juniper Song," which does end up confusing some people when it turns out that June is white. All of this leads to the largest rollercoaster of June's life where she experiences the highest highs and the lowest lows.
There were times I laughed at June's ignorance and others where I cringed where she used her privilege to act as a victim--especially when she starts to become alienated on social media. The book hosts such a complex narrative that it will leave you questioning your own allegiances.
As a white person, I felt as though this novel helped touch on important topics that need to be discussed. How far is too far? Where do we draw the line? How do we live in a morally gray world that years to place us in black and white? One of the biggest questions I took away from Yellowface is: who is able to tell what stories? Is it right for a white person to write about the experiences of people of color? Is that really their story to tell?
Read this book. If you've been even slightly interested by it, just read it. It's well worth your time to explore the nuance beyond these important topics. I tip my hat to you, Ms. Kuang, for the masterpiece you have created.
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent, War, and Suicide
melniksuzuki's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Death, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Sexual assault
Minor: Xenophobia, Murder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Islamophobia, and War
kellyofcali's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Racism, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Grief, and Mental illness
Minor: Death of parent, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
evehowell's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
acresofclams's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Suicide
esv_'s review against another edition
- 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? No
3.75
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Xenophobia, Death, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Colonisation, Gaslighting, Classism, and Racism
Minor: Suicide, Racial slurs, and Slavery
lindsaybethlyons's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Rape, Bullying, and Racism
Minor: War, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Suicide, and Violence
javanaaa's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Minor: Suicide