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A review by bookishfaye
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you so much Harper Collins for providing me with an E-Arc for review!!
R. F. Kuang’s brain is really and truly everything. She really is my favourite author and weaves so much intricate commentary into everything she creates and she continues to change the way I read & consume books & media, and her books continue to absolutely rattle and shake up the genres with which they are published.
The fact that Kuang considers Yellowface a silly little gremlin pandemic book is SO WILD to me because in my opinion it packs a punch to the same degree as The Poppy War and Babel do, just in this case it’s more modern. The way this book breaks down ignorance, racism, white womanhood, false allyship, tokenization, fetishization, corrupt publishing, cancel culture, and more was so incredibly profound and it also reads as such a biting and witty satire and it’s absolutely brilliant!
Being inside the head of the protagonist June was one of the most viscerally aggravating reading experiences I’ve maybe ever had, but it also was so unbelievably entertaining and actually physically jaw dropping and gag worthy following along June and her absolute delusions and Caucasity & I was so enthralled by every aspect of this book. The way it also has some genre-bending psychological thriller and near paranormal horror elements thrown in there as well was such an unexpected surprise and I really and truly would read R. F. Kuang’s grocery list.
TW: Racism, tokenization, fetishization, SA/Rape (not a graphic depiction of the act, but the after effects and thoughts and trauma), death, violence, blood
R. F. Kuang’s brain is really and truly everything. She really is my favourite author and weaves so much intricate commentary into everything she creates and she continues to change the way I read & consume books & media, and her books continue to absolutely rattle and shake up the genres with which they are published.
The fact that Kuang considers Yellowface a silly little gremlin pandemic book is SO WILD to me because in my opinion it packs a punch to the same degree as The Poppy War and Babel do, just in this case it’s more modern. The way this book breaks down ignorance, racism, white womanhood, false allyship, tokenization, fetishization, corrupt publishing, cancel culture, and more was so incredibly profound and it also reads as such a biting and witty satire and it’s absolutely brilliant!
Being inside the head of the protagonist June was one of the most viscerally aggravating reading experiences I’ve maybe ever had, but it also was so unbelievably entertaining and actually physically jaw dropping and gag worthy following along June and her absolute delusions and Caucasity & I was so enthralled by every aspect of this book. The way it also has some genre-bending psychological thriller and near paranormal horror elements thrown in there as well was such an unexpected surprise and I really and truly would read R. F. Kuang’s grocery list.
TW: Racism, tokenization, fetishization, SA/Rape (not a graphic depiction of the act, but the after effects and thoughts and trauma), death, violence, blood
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Antisemitism, Body horror, Bullying, Hate crime, Sexual assault, and Violence