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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
sad
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
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
White supremacy hollowed out June of any personality she may have had. I know R. F. Luang said it’s a horror story about loneliness in the industry, but it also feels like a horror story about how racism and whiteness can isolate people. I wish Athena’s ghost was real.
challenging
dark
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
dark
reflective
sad
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
Yellow Face is a clever critique of the publishing industry and the community around it. It shows the story behind the books we read - how it is not a glorious creative exercise but an often painful, lonely process within a system fraught with power imbalances. June is only treated with respect when she becomes a successful author. Editors, publishers as well as writing peers all change their behaviors drastically after she makes it big. She becomes the exact type of writer she hated before she became successful - snobbish, arrogant, and condescending. The book also uses June to offer commentary on other contemporary social issues such as race, social media activism, and identity in the diaspora,
June’s character is probably my favourite part of the book. She is up there in my long line of treasured protagonists. R.F. Kuang writes her so well that, even though you see how delusional Junie is, you also understand how consistent this is with her way of thinking. Unlike other books where a supposedly smart character ends up making decisions that are simply dumb, Yellow Face does fall into this predicament. Although the way June understands the world may be skewed by self-preservation, she not only cleverly maneuvers stealing a manuscript but she makes fascinating points about the ethics of writing, friendship, and family along the way. She also has this menacing confidence when she is interacting with others, which reminds me of a couple of my writer friends. Something that screams, “Don’t you dare debate me. I will rip you to pieces!”
Beyond the character development, I found the book underwhelming, especially the ending which I thought was pretty anticlimactic. It was just too easy to see how the story was going to unfold. Because of this, for the most part, reading the book felt like waiting, waiting for the inevitable to happen. This might be my love for thrillers speaking or maybe I just expected more because of the hype surrounding the book.
For more reviews: https://mquzama.substack.com/
June’s character is probably my favourite part of the book. She is up there in my long line of treasured protagonists. R.F. Kuang writes her so well that, even though you see how delusional Junie is, you also understand how consistent this is with her way of thinking. Unlike other books where a supposedly smart character ends up making decisions that are simply dumb, Yellow Face does fall into this predicament. Although the way June understands the world may be skewed by self-preservation, she not only cleverly maneuvers stealing a manuscript but she makes fascinating points about the ethics of writing, friendship, and family along the way. She also has this menacing confidence when she is interacting with others, which reminds me of a couple of my writer friends. Something that screams, “Don’t you dare debate me. I will rip you to pieces!”
Beyond the character development, I found the book underwhelming, especially the ending which I thought was pretty anticlimactic. It was just too easy to see how the story was going to unfold. Because of this, for the most part, reading the book felt like waiting, waiting for the inevitable to happen. This might be my love for thrillers speaking or maybe I just expected more because of the hype surrounding the book.
For more reviews: https://mquzama.substack.com/