Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

134 reviews

alphabetmafiamember's review

funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Violence, Sexual assault, Stalking, Grief, Gaslighting, Bullying, Alcohol, Rape, Sexual violence, Mental illness, and Vomit

Minor: Islamophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Murder, Death of parent, and War

willow_axolotl376's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, and Death

Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual assault, War, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape

katrinalamothe's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Toxic friendship, Racism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Xenophobia, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Gaslighting, Slavery, Emotional abuse, War, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Bullying, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Alcohol, Death of parent, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Vomit

Minor: Islamophobia, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

kellyofcali's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

This was an easy read and a pretty good story - kept me turning the pages! It also had good messaging about race and art, though occasionally got a bit heavy-handed on that front to drive the point home. Felt a little shark-jumpy towards the end, but overall I enjoyed the read and appreciated the conversations it wanted to start.

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Content Warnings

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

j_emerson18's review

challenging emotional sad tense fast-paced

• 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

4.5

Pleasantly surprised. I don't normally enjoy books that I've seen trend over booktok. Been burned too many times over "must reads". This book was phenomenal. 

I enjoyed the main character being both easy to sympathize with and easy to be disgusted with. Incredibly complex. June Hayward was greedy, distraught, hurt, betrayed, frustrated, and overall conflicted. I loved her inner turmoil while also going over all the ways she could move past wrongdoings (either done by her or to her). The ways she couldn't tell that she was micro-aggressive to minorities even though she was giving them a voice. The double edged sword of being supportive of minority authors/narratives but having those passing thoughts about the individuals she came across in public. So well done!

The overall plot was great. I particularly found myself enthralled with the way cancel culture and reasonable doubt were used as weapons. Both by the main character and those surrounding her. 

Also want to show my appreciation for the audiobook narrator. Oh my God she was phenomenal. Her inflictions, emotions, changing her tone when in the final scene. You could hear June spiralling and it was made believable by Helen's talent. 10/10 job well done. 

I would absolutely recommend this to others. It's a narrative that isn't widely discussed that needs to be. No matter what side of the fence you're on. Publishing and the art world are vicious, and it's foolish to think otherwise. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Stalking, Xenophobia, Alcohol, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Cultural appropriation, and Cursing

Minor: Racial slurs

avonleagal's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Sexual assault, Death, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Alcohol and Emotional abuse

britbreeze's review against another edition

dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Death, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

Minor: Rape, Eating disorder, Vomit, and Mental illness

emmagreenwood's review against another edition

dark 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Stalking, Classism, Death, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Toxic friendship, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Sexism, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault

rnbhargava's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.25

This is a narrative about personal jealousy, racism in publishing and interrogating race politics 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Body horror, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Murder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Blood, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual content, Eating disorder, Medical content, Dysphoria, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, War, Drug use, Grief, Biphobia, Classism, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, and Rape

The entire narrative of this book is about a White American woman excusing and justifying her actions against a college friend and writer colleague who is Chinese American plus the varying moods and swings in action to conceal what she is doing. We are in the mind of the white woman character the whole time and it’s intentionally uncomfortable to be in this character’s head. Pace yourself if you need to though this novel isn’t that long.

machenn's review against another edition

tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol