Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

76 reviews

te_ss_i's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Death, Classism, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Cultural appropriation, Vomit, Mental illness, Bullying, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Racism

1010sheehy's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

A fast paced book about a white woman passing off an Asian woman's work as her own (and the inevitable fallout). I didn't expect to be so hooked by the cringey narrator, but it was like a trainwreck that I couldn't look away from. The pacing makes it feel like a thriller. I couldn't put it down!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation and Death

Moderate: Sexual assault, Colonisation, Racism, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Panic attacks/disorders

kers_tin's review

challenging dark emotional funny reflective tense medium-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

A very tense read that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. An interesting experience to read from the perspective of a main character whose choices and motivations I completely disagreed with. So well done though, so well written and a very interesting topic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Racism, and Toxic friendship

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Alcohol, Body horror, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Cultural appropriation, Death, Racism, Sexism, Cursing, Grief, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Colonisation, Genocide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Bullying, and Homophobia

katreena's review

funny 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

I love the perspective switch to the bitter white lady! Very well done book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Classism, Gaslighting, Death, Racial slurs, Bullying, and Colonisation

nabs_co's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Toxic friendship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Gaslighting, and Violence

Minor: War

maiahhtratchh's review against another edition

reflective 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

5.0

This book gave me the same feeling I had when I was in high school and reading the Kite Runner for the first time. It was the perfect amount of discomfort and intrigue that I would get upset or emotional and throw the book across the room and then immediately run to pick it up and keep reading without wasting too much time. RF Kuang has been able to tackle so many themes in the pages of this book with criticisms on publishing culture, white saviourism, social isolation, the harms of Twitter and social media, morality and copywrite, among so many others. She spins a web upon web of deceit and lies that it becomes so hard to understand what the actual truth is. It really becomes a psychological horror book as June devolves into madness under the pressures of her own guilt. The most painful part of this being that it could have all been avoided had she asked Athena’s mother if she could work on the manuscript instead of stealing it. Considering she was asked to speak at the funeral, I doubt her mother would have many objections. Even then, however, how she acts toward Athena in the writing process is terrible and colonial. All that is wrong with the book is Athenas and all that is right is hers. It also drove me crazy how she stole the first paragraph for Mother Witch, it’s crazy that she couldn’t just change it.. it would have been so simple. I have so many things to say but finally with the ending,

although she did not get what she deserved (or kind of did? It’s complicated) it really hammered home the themes of this novel and how, throughout the entirety of it, June has victimized herself to the point where she will do anything to hold onto that title no matter the cost.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Racism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Racial slurs, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

hjb_128's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Colonisation, Toxic friendship, Racism, Xenophobia, Death, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

zadsavage's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Self harm, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Racial slurs, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Rape, Grief, Classism, Murder, Sexual content, Colonisation, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Racism, Blood, Islamophobia, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

rgs's review

dark reflective tense slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Racism, Cultural appropriation, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Colonisation, Toxic friendship, and Death