Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

27 reviews

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

rhirush's review against another edition

dark funny informative mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Death, and Racism

Moderate: Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Cursing, Grief, and Bullying

This book is SMART in so many ways, kudos to the author. The protagonist (if you call her that?) is such an interesting, yet frustrating person to follow along as you watch everything come together and wait for the inevitable unfurl. If you're reading this to see if you want to read it, GO READ IT!

I also was surprised by, yet welcomed the use of psychological horror, it reminded me a lot of perfect blue!

norwegianforestreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and War

hayleyvem's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Colonisation, Mental illness, Body horror, Cultural appropriation, Death, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Rape, Toxic friendship, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol and Islamophobia

steen19's review

challenging reflective tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Body horror

Moderate: Racism, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Xenophobia

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Stalking

redefiningrachel's review

challenging dark tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Death, Racism, and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Classism, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit

marioosa517's review against another edition

challenging informative mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Vomit, Alcohol, and Violence

Minor: Body horror, War, Racial slurs, Blood, and Drug use

peggy_racham's review against another edition

5.0

Hard to review a book with a narrator such as this. I loved "I am not okay" so this was a natural conclusion. Cant say I love the MC but I do love how the story molds its self through the book. And every time you think you have all the details, there's more underneath. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Racism, Gaslighting, Medical content, War, Cultural appropriation, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship

danielleganon's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Body horror

espookita's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious 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

3.5

R. F. Kuang’s Yellowface is a biting commentary on white privilege, entitlement, cultural appropriation, and the publishing industry. It explores the inherently exploitative nature of writing as a whole, and digs into ethical questions regarding storytelling. It is fast-paced, compelling, and impossible to put down. Our narrator is a Karen caricature unable to resist doom scrolling on Twitter, and the many social media and pop culture references are somewhat jarring. While the sharp critique on both the industry and whiteness were valid, I found myself wishing more of the relationship between the narrator and the victim of her theft was more drawn out. I feel I am left with more questions than answers—especially about what it means to be friends with someone whom you both fear and admire. Worth the read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and War

Moderate: Colonisation, Genocide, Medical content, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship