Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Yellowface

It's been a while since I wrote a proper review, so forgive me if I'm a little rusty.

For those not yet in the know, Yellowface is the latest book in R. F. Kuang's highly rated literary career. Following the story of a young white author who steals and publishes the manuscript of her dead Chinese friend, this explosive novel pulls no punches from chapter one until the very last sentence.

Kuang's work is a riveting ride through the ups and downs of the publishing process and the associated scandals that the main character brings upon herself. It's a compelling and modern read that deserves its place on all the hot literary lists of the moment.

At times deliciously meta, the work is highly readable in its tone and voice, explaining concepts that the general audience may be unfamiliar with in clear and concise ways. I found it engaging and difficult to tear myself away from, both in regards to the plot developments and Kuang's brilliant prose.

It is also one of those rare books that can present the reader with an unlikeable narrator and keep us feverishly reading along as the protagonist becomes more unhinged and altogether worthy of our hatred. So often I've DNR'd a book because I couldn't stand the protagonist, but reading about Juniper is like only having one chocolate from a box - impossible to stop once you've begun.

I'm looking forward to picking up Babel from her next!

Content Warnings

zara89's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

3.5

Content Warnings

lionysh's review against another edition

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funny informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

vedpears's review against another edition

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dark 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

4.25

So glad I read this. Very quick read and very meta. I haven't come across many books that do a good job of wanting me to keep reading about a main character that I loathe but R F Kuang did it!
This is the first book by this author that I read but the voice is so strong and the story told so well, it has me very interested in their other works too, now.
The only reason it isn't a "5 star" for me is that I wish we got to know a little more about Athena & the times we are going through Twitter/ IG/ GR feeds seems a wee bit too much and neared the point that it detracted from the story being told.
I did skim through a couple other reviews that said Athena was clearly a stand in for the author and that was why they rated it so poorly, it really seems to underline exactly what the book was saying about Athena Liu and her detractors.

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